South Sydney coach Michael Maguire has declared his Rabbitohs "a different team" to the one felled in preliminary finals in the past two years as they bid to not only dispel their September demons but overcome arch rivals who are grand final qualifying specialists.
While the Rabbitohs have crashed out at the penultimate weekend of the finals in 2012 and 2013, cruelling aspirations of a drought-breaking premiership, the defending champion Sydney Roosters are by comparison the competition's ice men.
On their past six visits to a preliminary final, the Roosters have progressed to the grand final, winning premierships in 2002 and last year and being runners-up in 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2010.
Not since the first year of the reunited NRL in 1998, when the Phil Gould-coached side was thumped by eventual premiers Brisbane, have the Roosters failed to reach the decider once progressing through to the final four.
On the surface it's an alarming statistic for their opponents, who once again enter this point of the season with enormous expectations and the burden of history on their shoulders. Twelve months ago Maguire's team succumbed to a heartbreaking 30-20 defeat to Manly in their preliminary final after leading 14-0 and seemingly having a grand final place all but booked. Their coach, however, believes they have learnt plenty from the experience as they approach a hugely anticipated clash with the Roosters at ANZ Stadium on Friday night.
"We're a different team," Maguire said on Sunday. "I've got to say, with the way the young boys have come into the team and the experience of the boys that have been there before have now. We are a different team."
The Rabbitohs will receive a boost this week with the return from a four-week suspension of back-rower Ben Te'o, who has missed four matches thanks to a chicken-wing tackle on Brisbane's Sam Thaiday in round 23. Yet with the impending departure to English rugby union of superstar forward Sam Burgess - Te'o, meanwhile, is also leaving for Irish rugby - there is an unavoidable impression that Souths are in the midst of a premiership window they must not squander.
That view of course discounts the list of emerging talents whose stars have risen rapidly this season, from backs Dylan Walker, Alex Johnston, Luke Keary and Kirsome Auva'a to forwards Kyle Turner and Thomas Burgess in the pack. It's the impact those young guns - two of them only 19, none of them older than 22 - have managed to have, as well as lessons from last year, that give Maguire confidence another grand final qualifier will not blow up in their faces. "Probably the big word that I've used is growth. The players grew throughout this season, which I believe they have especially with the younger guys coming in," Maguire told Triple M radio.
Asked how Souths had changed since last year he added: "I think experience, understanding of what's required. But that is the past and that is one thing we have recognised, too, that's all gone and done. The way they were at training this week and how they've gone about things, it's been a little different than what we've probably had in the past. It's very focused."
That's only half the story, of course, with Souths. There is a match to be won on Friday night, but first there is the circus. When you're the most famous of all clubs and haven't reached a grand final in 43 years let alone won one, there is no escaping it. Fortunately, Maguire says his team are ready for the ride.
"I think we understand it, and we all accept that," he said. "It's actually quite an enjoyable part of it, to see the fans. The way they came out in last weekend's game (against Manly) was unreal. We're going to call on them again. We want to get them out to the game because they play a big part in what we do. It just adds to what we're building."
