It is defence that has made Toronto the best, and Terry Bullen is a six-foot-four, 230-pound roadblock.
At the age of 37, he's got more lacrosse savvy in his little fingers than most NLL players.
Bullen personifies what the Rock are all about: no glamour, lots of grit.
The Toronto Rock won the NLL title in each of its first two years.(AP Photo)
Philadelphia Wings attackers will pay a heavy price if they venture near Bullen, who sees this edition of the Rock as the best ever.
"One of the nice things is that the roster hasn't changed very much," explains Bullen, a teacher from Orillia, Ont.
"We added Kaleb Toth last year and Craig Gelsvik this year, but other than that it's basically the same core so we know each other well.
"We have a great chemistry. It's a little bit difficult to explain but for some reason we've gelled together.
"We're all accepting of the roles we have to play on the team. That gives us an edge.
"We don't have many outstanding superstars but we have a lot of guys who enjoy just coming to play the game. We don't have any scorers in the top 10 in the league, yet, we're winning.
"That's the bottom line. That's what everyone wants to do.
"We've managed to put it all together. It's been a dream playing for the Toronto Rock."
Bullen does not stand alone, of course.
Dan Ladouceur (6-6, 250), Gelsvik (6-3, 220), Glenn Clark (6-2, 200), Pat Coyle (6-0, 200), and Ken Millin (5-11, 200) also defend, as does the pipsqueak of the group, Rodd Squire (5-8, 160).
Goaltender Bob Watson, the only Toronto player named to the all-pro team, is the last line of defence.
The Wings have always had trouble scoring against Toronto.
The Rock beat them in the 1999 and 2000 semifinals and have won five of the six regular-season meetings over three seasons.
The only loss was in overtime in Philadelphia two years ago.
"Teams in the league that have given us the most trouble have Canadian-based players, and Philadelphia is made up mostly of American players who have played field lacrosse," Bullen responds when asked why he believes Toronto will win a third straight title.
"They play a bit of a different style.
"Our punishing defence is not something they've grown up with."
A capacity Air Canada Centre crowd is anticipated.
"It's something nobody would have believed would happen," Bullen says of the spinning turnstiles.
"It really pumps you up. I walk down the street and people are talking about the Rock and kids are picking up lacrosse sticks.
"It's really something."
Tom Marechek, Jake Bergey and Kevin Finneran will be the Wings attackers trying to dent Toronto's defence.
Success has been limited in the past, but it is not an impossibility.
"It's a great opportunity to win another title," Philadelphia goaltender Dallas Eliuk, a Vancouver native who owns three championship rings, says of the Friday showdown.
"We're the underdogs and nobody expects us to win. That's a good position to be in heading into a championship game."
All the pressure is on Toronto, said Eliuk.
"A number of their players won't return to that team," he said. "With expansion on the horizon, they'll certainly lose several of their key players."
The Wings' greatest asset: "Our athleticism," said Eliuk.
Toronto was 11-3 during the regular season.
Philadelphia was 10-4, and coach Tony Resch earned coach-of-the-year honours.
"We've always play a wide-open game," said Eliuk. "If we can play stronger defence, that would certainly help our team out."
Toronto's offence is spread around.
Colin Doyle, Kim Squire, Dan Stroup, Chris Gill, Stevie Toll and Toth are the main goal suppliers.
"We like the matchup -- not because we've had their number, but because we like the way our offence matches up against their defence, and the way our defence has been able to handle their offence," said Doyle.
A third title will lead to talk of the Rock being a lacrosse dynasty. It's a word Doyle would love to hear.
"I love it," he said. "I know growing up watching the Chicago Bulls that it wasn't until they won their third (NBA title) in a row that people started calling that team a dynasty.
"We're going to bring our best game."
Bullen will decide during the summer about another NLL season.
"I'm really not playing for the championships," said the big Bully. "It's nice that they've come though.
"To get three, maybe that would be a nice way to end the career."
