Tim Browne has watched the horror movie that is last year's grand final five times. New Bulldog Michael Lichaa has dared not bring up the loss to South Sydney but has sensed a different feel in the air at Belmore this week.
As much as players love to bring out the old "it's just another game" line, Canterbury players know Friday's grand final rematch is anything but a regular game.
Browne, who came off the interchange bench in last year's decider, said of the 30-6 loss: "I've watched it too many times. After the initial moment that passed, you have to let it go. What do you do? You can't dwell on it. You have to move on. Myself personally, I tried to move on as quick as I could."
Some players never watch their grand final losses. But Browne has sat back, repeatedly putting himself through the torture.
"Just to see where I could improve myself personally and where we went wrong," he said. "I am not too sure if everyone else has watched it as many times. I don't know what's going through my mind. Nothing really. Watching it and running out in that sort of arena, now I know why people love playing in a grand final. It's the first one I have ever been part of. It was an amazing feeling.
"I suppose it added to my fire in the belly to get back into training."
Lichaa was a world away when his would-be teammates were letting a grand final victory slip. The ex-Cronulla hooker was watching on at a sports bar in Kuta, Bali, dreaming of going one better this year.
"I was happy for the boys to go so close," Lichaa said. "I didn't really mind who won last year. My focus is on this year. Hopefully I will be playing in one this year rather than watching it in Bali."
Lichaa has sensed an attitude shift at the club this week. Even coach Des Hasler has upped the intensity ahead of Friday's game.
"The boys are pretty excited – a bit more than usual – and Des is a bit more intense," Lichaa said. "So you can definitely tell it is going to be a big game. [Hasler has] dropped his jokes for the week so far. You can just feel around the place that everyone is excited.
"It was a massive pre-season and obviously a lot of boys were still burning from the way they lost that grand final – the last 20 minutes the score blew out. That probably didn't reflect how close the grand final was."
Lichaa is yet to utter a word about the game to his new Bulldogs teammates.
"None of the boys [talk about it]," Lichaa said. "I don't want to ask them too many questions. It's a new year. The boys that played in that grand final loss obviously think about it a fair bit.
"Obviously coming here knowing it's a successful club and we have some of the best players in the world in our team, and the best coach in the comp, I expect to be around there at the back end of the season. But we know it doesn't just happen."
