It's that time of year again, time for Britain's biggest rugby league prize to come up for grabs -- and time for one Australian genie to make Wigan's wishes his command.
Yes, it's the Bevan French hour.
Down the years, the cherry-and-white faithful have become so used to their Parramatta sorcerer conjuring up the goods when the stakes are at their highest that there's plenty who'll tell you he's been simply the best player of the Super League era.
Even after six years there, the 29-year-old playmaker is still the man Wigan will be most looking towards as the difference-maker in Saturday's grand final against Hull KR, just as he was when winning the player-of-the-match gong in last year's final at Old Trafford after shattering the same opponents.
But then, that's nothing new. The bigger the match, the better he tends to perform. Take last year, when French won the man-of-the-match awards in the Challenge Cup final, grand final and World Club Challenge, where he befuddled Penrith, allowing Wigan to sweep the global board.Â
Just a week ago, it was French's sharp try-double before halftime against Leigh that sent Wigan on their way to another Old Trafford date on Saturday, when he could win his third straight grand final and, perhaps, become the only player ever to win back-to-back man-of-the-match prizes in Super League grand finals.
He won last year's bauble after throwing a neat dummy before ripping through the Hull KR defence to score one of the great Old Trafford tries, leaving the watching Nathan Cleary declaring that he was a "freak".
It was also another illustration of why Mitchell Pearce, the former NSW Origin star who went on to star for the Catalans Dragons, hailed French as "by far" the best player in Super League, and suggested he would "light up" the NRL if he ever chose to return following his youthful spell at the Eels.
Yet French has been a largely invisible talent back home while plying his trade in what's seen as the weaker northern league, and there didn't seem to be even an idle thought about him being part of the Kangaroos squad for the forthcoming Ashes series.
However, after six years at Wigan, there were the odd suggestions that perhaps he might be able to become eligible to play for England in the Ashes on residency grounds.
To which, when asked by Sky Sports last month, French had no hesitation in responding: "Nah, I can't do that - Australia born and bred, through and through. I don't think I could ever pull that jersey on..."
Sadly then, for the international game, this most bewitching talent will miss the big show later this month.
Not that Wigan will care as they expect their magic man to keep casting a spell for years to come.