Warrington have not caught the imagination in the same way as Wigan and Leeds above them, despite finishing third and level on points with the Rhinos.
Head coach Sam Burgess is untroubled by such chatter, stressing the confidence within his squad, and will take a relatively light touch approach in his messaging this week.
The Wire have beaten KR twice in the Super League, avenging a stinging Challenge Cup semi-final loss earlier in the year, and have looked noticeably more potent since the return of skipper George Williams from a neck and shoulder issue at the back end.
“Sometimes less is more this time of year and they know the way we want to play,” Burgess told Radio 5 Live.
“We’ve played Hull KR three times this year so they know a little bit about them already, so you don’t over-coach them.
“Whenever you come up against the champions, you want to put your best foot forward and remind ourselves they are the reigning champions, so they’re not going to come here and give it up.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming them to our place and hopefully we get a great contest.”
