So this is it: a week like no other that we have to somehow appreciate and enjoy but also treat as another game. I had experienced grand finals as coach of Wigan in the Super League, but there were always surprises around the corner, things you had never planned for or anticipated. At those moments, a coach is powerless: the club's destiny is in the hands of the 17 men wearing the Rabbitohs jersey.
After all the focus on planning and attention to detail, I certainly haven't had the start to grand final day I was expecting!
My usual routine is to go to the gym for a workout to clear my head. When I went outside this morning, I found that my car had been broken into and the contents of my wallet were strewn all over the road.
I told my wife what had happened, and then drove to the gym. By the time I got home there were six police sitting in my living room, having been waiting 90 minutes for me to fingerprint the car.
Having dealt with that, I meet up with the players and share the bus ride to Homebush. It's our normal game day routine - except, of course, that nothing is normal today.
The week had gone by as well as we could have hoped, albeit with one major hitch: the loss of Issac Luke to suspension for his lifting tackle on Sonny Bill Williams.
Once we had reviewed the tackle, we made the decision to contest the charge at the judiciary. Issac is such a key part of our team, and such an emotional, passionate footballer, it would have been wrong not to try to get him onto the field.
That said, I phoned Apisai Koroisau the night of the Roosters game last weekend and said, 'Be ready to go'.
Once Issac was suspended, the uncertainty was gone at least. Api would be playing.
So there has been a lot to take my mind away from the significance of the occasion. It's hard to believe that we've got to this point in my third year, and harder still to grasp what it means to all of our fans, who have been waiting for this for so long. It doesn't matter whether or not they can remember 1971, the last time South Sydney appeared in - and won - a grand final. It's been a lifetime, virtually, for every one of them.
As I've said all year, I want to find a balance between understanding and respecting this hunger in our club and among our fans, and keeping the players relaxed to play the way they can. I want the 17 men wearing the jersey tonight to be driven by that hunger but not overwhelmed by it. There's no textbook for doing this, I've followed my instinct, drawn on my experience coaching Wigan, and been guided by our fantastic staff and organisation.
I've encouraged the players to enjoy the luncheons, the Fan Day, the Footy Show appearance, everything that goes with grand final week. On Tuesday, when the players walked out onto Redfern Oval, they could not believe it when they saw that the stand was jam-packed with people in cardinal and myrtle. It brought a lump to the throat. I know we should be focused on the match, but it's important to register that the players are going through a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
When we get to ANZ Stadium, there is a lot to reflect on. I'm very comfortable with how the players and staff are going. I'm feeling good, and when we arrive a lot of the the ex-players, are there to greet us: Bob McCarthy, John Sattler and George Piggins have been the beating heart of this club. Our owners, Russell Crowe and Peter Holmes à Court, are enjoying the whole thing, and it's great that they can get something back for all they've put in. Russell visited me in Wigan to talk to me about this job, and I'm sure that remembering that conversation would broaden the smile on his face now. He came to this club to help create a moment like this.
After our last training session here yesterday, each player had his jersey presented to him by Cathy Freeman. Cathy revealed that this was the first time she had been in the Olympic stadium since the 2000 Games when she won her gold medal. Who better to address the team than the person responsible for that iconic moment in Australian history? She said she was more nervous doing this than she was back then, which is funny. She talked about her preparation for the Olympics, and told us that she had a quiet belief because she knew she had done all the work, and that was how she handled the enormity of the event. On the night, she took all the noise surrounding her and used it to fuel her performance. I could sense that our players gained a lot of confidence out of her message about performing on the big stage.
During the warm-ups, I sneak out into the stands and think, Wow. The red and green army is certainly here in force. During my final message to the players, I say, 'Enjoy this, you're here for a reason. Have a look around. Take it all in'.
The signal for the players to come onto the field is Bob McCarthy ringing the Albert Clift bell, which Russell bought after Souths were readmitted to the competition. Albert, a former Rabbitoh, and Russell rang it at the start of Souths' first game back in the league in 2002, and Russell has said it would be used again when the club made the grand final.
The Bulldogs are kept inside the rooms for several minutes. It's obvious that, with the whole league talking up how big this is for the Rabbitohs, coach Des Hasler has pulled this to insulate his men from the pro-South Sydney vibe in the ground, and maybe to exploit our boys' nerves. But I see it as an advantage - the players take their moment to absorb and enjoy the red-green sea. It can only be a positive for us.
Finally the Bulldogs emerge and we have a rugby league match.
And it couldn't start much worse. The first hit-up is taken by Sam Burgess and his face collides with the head of James Graham.
So much of this week has been about the clash between the two English giants, but nobody expected this. The instant it happens, I know it's bad. Sam's face puffs up and already his eye is partially closed. A couple of words escape from my mouth, which I can't print here.
Immediately after he is hit, Sam speaks to Troy Thomson and turns away and runs back into the play. Once he does that, I think he'll be OK. If anyone can do this, Sam can. I call Mark Ellison on the sideline and ask if a reminder can be sent out to Sam about Johnny Sattler. Sam has built a great rapport with Johnny, who played the 1970 grand final with a broken jaw. I say, 'Remind Sam that it can be done'. Knowing how professionally Sam prepares his body and mind, I have no doubts after he's got through the first couple of minutes that he's staying on the field.
Our control of field position is encouraging. We get into attack in the sixth minute and Lote Tuqiri goes over after Sam Perrett spills a bomb. But a replay shows that Perrett lost the ball because Adam Reynolds hit him high. Nothing we can do about that - keep going, forget about it.
After that initial excitement, the game settles into an arm wrestle. We keep checking up on Sam, but he says he's OK even though his cheekbone is obviously broken. There's no sign of concussion and he's not playing like he has any problem at all.
We just have to stay patient.
In the 20th minute we're attacking and this time we break through. John Sutton makes an incisive burst and plays the ball quickly. This sets up a three-on-two overlap, Luke Keary spots it, and the ball passes through Kirisome Auva'a's hands to Alex Johnston for a try. It's a huge thrill, as a coach, to see those three young boys doing that together.
All the little things are being done well by our foot soldiers, which clears the way for the big names. In the 25th minute, Greg Inglis collects a kick on our own nine-metre line and makes a weaving 70-metre run. It has every South Sydney fan up on their feet, it's exhilarating, a signature GI break. Sammy gets the ball later in the set and nearly scores, but Dale Finucane gives away a professional foul penalty (without a sinbinning, which is surprising) and we take the two.
Our control of field position is outstanding and our error count is zero. We're only six points ahead, but this team has been drilled all year to be patient. Follow the game plan, do what we do well, and the points will come. A night like this is the biggest test of patience, so we'll see if we have what it takes.
We keep building that pressure - I'm seeing some driving defence and controlled attack. We're just waiting for the scoreboard to begin ticking over.
It's not until the last minute of the half that we make our first error. Up to then, it's 21 completions from 21 sets. We play like this, we cannot be beaten. Then George Burgess loses the ball 20 seconds from the break. I'll take that. There's no such thing as a perfect half, but we have executed our plan well. I give the players the very simple message of 'Keep going, keep following the plan', and I can see in their eyes that they don't need much more from me. Ever since their turnaround in the second half of that Roosters game a month ago, there is something coming from within this team that will refuse defeat.
All we need is the scoreboard to recognise our dominance!
Patience, patience. We seem to be winning the arm wrestle, but then Josh Reynolds grubbers behind the line and Tony Williams wins the race. It's six-all. We feel like we're winning, but we're not.
The messages are still about patience and the plan. A lot of our play throughout the year has been described as dour, but this is why: you need a structure that can stand up under the highest pressure. At this moment, a team that doesn't know itself might crumble. A team that relies on individual brilliance all the time might start looking at itself and wonder where the magic is going to come from.
I'm trying to keep my nerve, maintain my confidence, because we have definitely turned up tonight. But what about some points!
The dam wall cracks in the 56th minute. Api takes a little step to the right behind the ruck and passes to George Burgess on his left. It splits the markers, and George begins to run like a greyhound to charge over. It's one of the great grand final individual tries.
Adam kicks a penalty goal and eight points is enough to be confident, but nowhere near comfortable with fifteen to go.
With twelve minutes to go, Canterbury know it's now or never. Our defence is desperate and uncompromising. With eight minutes to go Williams offloads, the ball is tapped up by Auva'a. The ball hangs in the air for an eternity before it's grabbed by Koroisau. A huge, huge play. Then Josh Reynolds hits Api illegally and we get the penalty. Talk about relief.
From the next set, we march upfield and put on a rehearsed play. Adam kicks to the left, McQueen jumps above four Bulldogs, and taps the ball down for GI. With an unbelievable composure, he chips into the in-goal. Kirisome puts downward pressure on the ball within centimetres of the back corner. When Adam converts, we're out to a 14-point lead. Seven minutes to go. I'm not celebrating yet. I've seen a lot stranger in rugby league.
Canterbury get the ball from a short kick-off but they need to score off this set and Josh Reynolds' kick is too deep. We make the most of our seven-tackle set. 'Sutto' kicks towards the goalposts and the ball pops up for the keenest chaser, Adam Reynolds, such a fitting man to come up with the try that seals the match.
There are tears on and off the field. GI and Sammy are both red-eyed: they seem to embody all of South Sydney's hopes and dreams. Two champion players taking this one opportunity to combine for the highest prize. I don't see a lot. There might be a tear or two in my eyes, too. With a couple of minutes left on the clock, I gather up the staff in the coaching box to get down onto the field.
On the sideline, things are euphoric. Part of my brain is still in the game, thinking I've got to keep the 13 players on the field focused. It's all a blur. Fifty-five seconds from the end GI scores. There's the Goanna and a team and a club coming together as one. What a night. What a year!
By this point, I'm part of a mass of staff and players who are actually on the field - we had to creep across the sideline to see Greg score. It's surreal.
Then it's over, and a feeling comes over me that I can't put into words. So much emotion pours out of the players, the staff and those hundreds of thousands of fans, what can you possibly say? One of the first players I see is Sam Burgess, and we had a tearful hug. We had our ups and downs, but he was great, simply great, week in and week out. He will win the Clive Churchill Medal. He only did one imperfect thing tonight, which was his attempt to convert GI's try.
We did not have a player who did not perform his role. Their seventeen names will go down in South Sydney legend.
I make a point of finding Issac Luke. I give Issac the premiership ring I have just received. I tell him that he is fully connected to this victory.
While we do our lap of honour, it all hits home. I see all those faces in the stands, full of passion, and see how much it means to so many people. This is why we do the job. The joy of being in the middle of that euphoria of one massive South Sydney family just can't be described and can't be beaten. This is our time. It seems, during that half-hour on the field, that it could never have finished any other way.
South Sydney Rabbitohs 30 (Alex Johnston, George Burgess, Kirisome Auva'a, Adam Reynolds, Greg Inglis tries; Adam Reynolds 5 goals) beat Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 6 (Tony Williams try; Trent Hodkinson goal). Half-time: 6-0. Attendance: 83,833.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
