A win over Penrith on Thursday night will not erase South Sydney's scars from last year's grand final loss – but going one step better in 2023 just might, and with the Rabbitohs hitting form at the right time, that is exactly where Jason Demetriou's side is aiming.
After an indifferent start to the year, Souths have roared to life since the return of Latrell Mitchell, winning six of their last seven to move within touching distance of the top four.
And with the Panthers firmly in their sights, the Rabbitohs are fired up to continue on a run that they hope ends with redemption and revenge following last year's heartbreaking defeat.
"We understand how to get there. We know what it takes to get there and I believe we'll be better for the run going into the grand final," hooker Damien Cook said.
"That's the plan, to get there again, and it's anyone's game on grand final day. I believe we'll be better equipped this time around.
"It wasn't the best off-season – I guess it was mixed. Making the grand final was a massive achievement, we only lost by two and it was heartbreaking, but that's why we play this game.
"The lows are real low, but the highs are so good and you chase that feeling. That's what we're doing this year, we have all the confidence in the world that we can."
With South Sydney fresh off a victory where they tore the Eels apart like a bored schoolboy pulling the wings off a fly, that confidence is well-founded.
According to Cook, it was lurking just beneath the surface even during the club's middling first half of the season where they struggled for consistency and looked like anything but premiership material.
"There's always been that confidence, even when we weren't playing our best. We knew it was small, little issues that were killing us," Cook said.
"We were 16th in completion rates not that long ago, we were killing ourselves, we made everything so hard."
Even if South Sydney had kept dropping the ball at such a harrowing rate, it might not have mattered given the form their key playmakers have found in recent weeks.
Cody Walker is playing his best football of the season, Cook has come to life and Cameron Murray and Mitchell are producing arguably the best form of their careers.
Mitchell's showing against the Eels was his busiest of the season and the star fullback is getting more and involved as the finals approach.
"That was his best game. Everyone is talking about what he's been doing the last couple of games, but he's building nicely," Cook said.
"There was a lot of involvement from him in yardage, not just in good ball, we're putting him that position because that's what we do for our best attacking players."
