Chris McQueen admits South Sydney were guilty of believing their own hype ahead of last year’s preliminary final flop but says it’s a mistake that won’t be made this season.
Burdened by a 43-year premiership drought, long-suffering Rabbitohs fans were ecstatic after Melbourne were brushed aside 20-10 in the opening week of the NRL finals.
The Storm had won 14 of the preceding 15 fixtures between the sides but the Rabbitohs turned the tables, sending the hype machine surrounding the foundation club into overdrive.
Despite earning themselves a week off going into game against Manly and racing to an early lead, Michael Maguire’s side were ambushed by a battle-hardened Sea Eagles outfit they’d already beaten twice that season.
“We’ve learned a lot of lessons from that,” McQueen told AAP.
“When you get to the finals, anything can happen. Form doesn’t count for anything – it’s about what happens on the day.
“It’s one thing that Madge (Maguire) has driven into us that it’s one game at a time.”
McQueen admits it is difficult avoiding the hype that surrounds one of the biggest and best supported clubs in the NRL but the experience of falling one game short of the grand final in successive years certainly helps.
“A lot of the boys, over the last few years, hadn’t much finals experience,” he said.
“We’d never been in that position and a few of the boys were guilty of getting ahead of themselves.
“It was something we talked about at the end of the year. We have to worry about now and not what might happen in the future because if can be over in a flash.
“For me, it’s easy to distance myself. If I pick up the paper, there will be something in there about South Sydney so I don’t read them.
“If I turn on Fox Sports News, there will be something about Souths on there, so I don’t watch it.
“I know if there is nothing for me to see, then it makes it easy to focus on what’s in front of me.”
McQueen recently put an end to speculation about his future by signing a new two-year deal that brought the Queensland back-rower’s pay in line with other representative players at the club.
He said it was a relief to get the deal completed and that he never wanted to leave Souths.
“It was going on for a while and there were rumours about whether I was staying or not,” he said.
“But I knew the whole time and so did the club that I wasn’t going anywhere.”
Alex
Guest
My hobby is rugby league and I hate it when chicken wings, cannonballs, and filthy crusher tackles, taught by a coach with a roadkill mentality, is injuring players as it has over recent weeks. If you have a bloodlust to watch people getting injured by thugs, why not troll your way up to Kings Cross? In the meantime, like many other real fans of rugby league, I'll continue to protest about Michael 'Roadkill' Maguire's dangerous and thuggish tactics, which is really what is boring and tiresome. 5 players charged with crusher or chicken wing tackles over the past 2 games. 7 players out of the starting 13 charged with crusher and chicken wing tackles this year. That is what is "constant bashing".
Brendan
Guest
Your constant bashing of Souths is getting boring and tiresome. One could say its troll like in your actions. Maybe you need to find a new hobby, try collecting stamps..
Brendan
Guest
Souths have the highest membership and merchandise sales in the NRL. While they may owe money to Russell they are most certainly turning a profit
Alex
Guest
If they have made errors, identify them. Until you do that, you are the troll and that's not unusual. Attack the facts, not the messengers.
Haters
Guest
Good to see the usual trolls out and about. Life must be exciting
Liatrevlis
Guest
Who is RC ? And co ? Sorry I'm not up to date
Alex
Guest
Liatrevlis - Souths fans live in a pretend world. They can't face reality. They believe anything the movie star's media stooges tell them, pretending that the football club doesn't owe $11 million that it can't pay. The loan is accruing interest, payable to RC and PHaC, and it can be called in as of next year. In reality, Souths is insolvent.
Liatrevlis
Guest
And how much $$$$ did Manly through Arko dish out to support ARL club during the super league war ! Spare me
Alex
Guest
RC and PHaC asset-stripped and murdered the 50 year old Souths Leagues Club. They promised members and the world that they would re-develop the club, but when they got their greedy hands on the assets, they broke all their promises. The proceeds of the asset strip has funded the football club, not them. Souths no longer have any assets. They owe more than $11 million and they are living in rented premises. The Salvation Army now owns the old leagues club building in Chalmers Street, Redfern. A disgraceful saga that the media haven't the guts to report. Souths have brief success for long-term doom. Professionally run? The development went belly-up owing $43 million. Contractors never got paid. Leagues club members lost their club and assets.
Liatrevlis
Guest
I'm happy your happy ! I'm happier that in my lifetime (so far) I've never seen Souths win a GF ,as for the wrestling Souths suspensions speak for themselves , happy
Steve
Guest
Ha...so Souths are the only team that wrestles? Give me a break...every NRL side does it without exception. Look at any NRL match and you'll see sides attempting to put a player on his back to slow the play the ball down. Its just the way the game has evolved so get used to it. Sides with larger forward packs will be better at it for obvious reasons. You have NFI mate. And no its not BS. Souths were run like a chook raffle before being excluded. Now that they are the most professionally run side in the competition people like you can't stand it. Makes me so happy.
Liatrevlis
Guest
40 years for the "pride of the league " to get its act together , c'mon that's BS , Souths focus is now on dirty wrestling ,
Steve
Guest
You may well ask. As a Souths fan I was devastated by them being kicked out of the comp during the super league war. In hindsight though it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to the club, as it dragged them kicking and screaming onto the 21st century. The truth is that between 1971 and when they were kicked out souths were not run with about as much thought as your local chook raffle. If they hadn't been excluded from the competition would RC and PHAC have ended up investing in the club? I tend to think not. Seven years after privatisation and they are now one of the most professionally run sides in the competition. Would be nice if they won the title this year, but I'm just happy that I now have a competitive side to follow after years of pain.
Liatrevlis
Guest
Focus , mmmmmm and what's been lost for the past 40 years ???