As South Sydney prepare to open their first defence of a premiership in 43 years against Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium, star halfback Adam Reynolds has declared: "We're not satisfied with just doing one".
Rabbitohs coach Michael Maguire has instructed his players to avoid answering questions about wanting to become the first team since the Broncos of 1992-93 to win back-to-back grand finals but there is a quiet confidence in the Souths camp that if they work hard at training and play to the best of their ability it is an achievable goal.
"We definitely want to perform every week to give ourselves another chance to reach the finals, and put ourselves in the best chance for that glory," Reynolds said.
It is that attitude that has resulted in the Rabbitohs winning the Nines in Auckland, retaining the Charity Shield and becoming world champions for the first time in the proud history of the NRL's oldest and most successful club with a record 39-0 demolition of Super League premiers St Helens at Langtree Park just 10 days ago.
After the team returned to their hotel in Liverpool, Souths high-performance manager Troy Thomson instructed the players to adjust their sleeping and eating patterns to Australian time to avoid any symptoms of jet lag when they arrived home last Wednesday.
While there were rumours in England that the Rabbitohs were planning post-match celebrations at The Cavern Club, where the Beatles regularly played before gaining international stardom, it was straight to business for the players and staff.
"It has just been instilled into us at this club and everyone has bought into that culture," Reynolds said. "We are all on the same page and we are all heading towards the one goal, and that is kicking off the season with a winning start.
"I feel we have had a fantastic pre-season. Everyone wants to do their best at training, it is always competitive and everyone goes out there to better themselves every day at training. I think when you have got everyone on the same page like that, it makes each player and the team a lot better.
"The harder we train the more confidence we get to go out there and do our best every week, and everyone has put in. Now it is time to knuckle down and start the season."
Besides the incident in an Arizona bar that led to the arrest of grand final-winning captain John Sutton and prop Luke Burgess, who has been released to Manly, it has been a relatively uneventful off-season for Souths.
With gruelling hikes and runs up the cliff faces of the Grand Canyon in freezing winds, Rabbitohs officials insist the 18-day altitude training camp was no end-of-season trip away and unlike some other clubs who have won premierships in the past, there have been no reports of Rabbitohs players partying throughout the summer.
Reynolds denied Maguire had told the players when to end their celebrations and said after witnessing the impact the grand final win had on Souths fans it was something they want to do again.
"It was a very proud moment, not only for myself but the whole area," he said. "Getting back to the [Souths] Juniors was pretty special. All our families were inside and the fans were outside celebrating. I think it took us just over an hour to walk 100 metres and celebrate it with them. They deserved it as much as us and and I couldn't be more thankful for their support throughout the years I have been here and well before that.
"It was a good reward for them and for ourselves, but in saying that it is all done and dusted now, it's in the past and we will be doing everything right this week to get out there and get a win against the Broncos."
Admitting that steering the Rabbitohs to the grand final had "definitely" given him more confidence, Reynolds also has his sights set on NSW No.7 jersey and knows that if he can continue the form that most people believe should have earned him man of the match in the World Club Challenge final, he will come under consideration for Origin this season.
"Every year it is a goal to play for NSW," Reynolds said. "It is something I am very passionate about. I want the Blues to do the best every year and I thought they did a fantastic job last year, so I just have to bide my time and keep performing to my best. One day the chance might come and I will take it. I have got a job to do here at Souths and if I do that well I am sure I will be looked at."
