We have exceeded everyones expectations this year and I have seen us break any number of supposed hoodoo's in the process. All I have heard all year is that Souths can't do this and can't do that. Then, once we've gone and done it anyway, all I've heard is excuses from fans of other teams and the media as to why we shouldn't have but we did. This player was missing, that penalty went our way. Everyone expected us to miss the 8. Then when we were certain of the 8, they expected us to miss the 4. Then when we made the 4 they expected us out in straight sets. We had a set back in week one and everyone wrote us off, yet here we are. Still punching above our weight.
Already the Doggies fans are writing us off. Timmah is so smug about this game that he is thinking about moving to San Francisco and starting to enjoy the smell of his own farts.
We have played the Dogs twice this year and we matched up well against them on both occassions. Sure we have our defensive issues out wide but the Dogs have primarily beaten their opponents up the middle and the middle third is our strength.
We will be looking to test them out up the middle through the likes of Isaac Luke and he will relish the thought of getting amongst the Dogs big forwards.
Yes Barba is a weapon, but we have a weapon up the back as well. Their forwards are more creative than ours but our halves are more creative than theirs. We have more big game experience across the park and another key fact that everyone is overlooking is that the Dogs are the most penalised team in the comp and Souths are the best team at converting penalties into points.
The Doggies strength is Hasler. He knows what it takes and he will do his best to have the Dogs cherry ripe for this. Sure the Dogs are favorites and deservedly so but write us off at your own peril.
Regardless of the result, as a Souths supporter I've had a great season. The best that I can remember. I was around for 87 and 89 but I was only young and can only remember bits and pieces and since then I haven't had much to cheer for until now. I'll be there on Saturday, as I was last Saturday. Hopefully I'll be amongst 35,000 other Souths supporters and 70 odd thousand fans at the match. If we win, I'll be elated, if we lose then I'll be thinking about next year for the first time in 2012. Considering that this usually happens around April / May for me, I'm in rarified air at the moment and I'm enjoying every minute of it.
This game should be an absolute belter and every fan of both teams should be looking forward to it.
