New Zealand's season of promise has drastically derailed over the past few rounds as a dismal 66-8 defeat to the Sydney Roosters followed by a loss to the lowly St George Illawarra has pushed them out of the top six with two rounds remaining.
The results have drawn criticism from pundits who tipped the Kiwis to make the finals as they transformed in the off-season, bringing in stars such as Gayle Broughton and Mele Hufanga.
But Ikenasio is refusing to hit the panic button yet, saying the loss to the Tricolours provides the blueprint for the Warriors (4-5).
"We're still at a building stage. We've only been in the comp two years," the winger told AAP ahead of their must-win clash against Cronulla on Saturday.
"When I look at that (Roosters), it inspires me as a player and as a person, but also our club. That's where we can be.
"We'll get there in the end if we stick to our values of hard work and effort."
One of the Warriors' main competitors for a top-six spot is Canterbury (3-6), and halfback Tayla Preston believes the Bulldogs have yet to reveal their true potential to their rivals.
Canterbury are on a three-game losing streak and must win their last two matches against the sixth-placed Newcastle (4-5) and Roosters (9-0) to have a chance of scraping into the finals-bound positions for the first time.
"We've grown so much as a team from last year and believe we are a much better side than our inaugural year, so we want to put it all together and showcase that," Preston told AAP.
While the Warriors and Bulldogs risk missing out, Canberra (5-4) are just one win away from virtually punching their ticket to the finals for the first time, but lock Simaima Taufa knows there's more on the line than a place in the top six.
"The club has provided us with the canvas," she told AAP ahead of the Raiders clash against her former club Parramatta, whom she led to the 2022 grand final.
"Our responsibility is to leave the canvas better than we found it - to create a legacy that inspires those who come next to dream bigger, believe stronger, and carry this jersey even further."
The Roosters will be looking to stay undefeated when they play North Queensland on Saturday, before the Dragons do battle with Brisbane on Sunday ahead of a top-three matchup between the Wests Tigers and Gold Coast.
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