I swear my brain went into self preservation mode with some form of PTSD after watching games we had to win get lost in a puff of smoke... That kicked in when the Storm took the lead and never really left me. I cried when we won but was numb, in a different way to when I'd left those losing games.
That final tackle I stood with my hands holding my head waiting for the crushing blow of the storm scoring, or a penalty to let them even it up and then win in golden try, but somehow it never happened.
Two weeks later I finally got to watch the game again, Fifita's try was 4-5 mins after they took the lead, not how it felt which to me was about 20 or so minutes.
F'n emotional rollercoaster. Same as so many other Sharkies games but so much more at stake, and the fact that there was so many like-minded people around intensified it.
I watched the Bunnies win the GF a few years ago and the guy next to me was crying on my shoulder in joy. I didn't ever expect to know how that felt but last year I (we) did.
It's crazy, people talk about "the best thing other than my kids being born or marrying my wife" but at least somehow you have influence and a more guaranteed expectation of those... this was different, especially with the circumstances during the game, the highs and lows.
I'm a big drinker and I was sober this game, maybe this changed the feels, I had to experience it so only had a few pre-game beers.. hopefully I can have more beers this year
Off to the 9s in NZ, should be fun and less intense hopefully, break the fugue before the season starts.
Fizz