Avondale are counting on the old adage of having to lose a grand final before winning one coming true in this afternoon's Illawarra Rugby Union premiership decider against Tech Waratahs at WIN Stadium.
Grand final debutants in 2008, the Wombats were sent home with their tails between their legs by a more focused Shoalhaven.
Halfback and coach Henare Leach believes the lessons his side learned last year will serve them well today.
"It's all about our mental attitude and how to approach the game," Leach said.
"We're 100 per cent ready to go, but we found out last season that you can't come in too psyched up. You've got to play the game and not let your thought processes affect the way you want to play."
Leach has been battling a back injury all week and remains in doubt to play.
"I'm still 50-50 at the moment," he said.
"I've been seeing the physio and hopefully it'll loosen up a bit more and I'll be able to play. I really don't want to miss it."
Avondale finished in second spot during the regular season behind Tech Waratahs.
The Tahs brushed aside the Wombats 43-26 in a lop-sided major semi-final, leaving their opponents hungry to make amends today.
"They gave us a bit of a dusting so we definitely want to right a few wrongs from that," Leach said.
"The fact that last year was so disappointing also makes us want to make up for that.
"Tech deserve to be there, whereas we're probably lucky to be there because of the up and down season we had. But we won the club championship this year and achieved our other goals along the way, and now we want to put the icing on the cake and give our supporters something to be proud of."
Not surprisingly, the Wombats are determined to dominate through their massive forward pack and lure the Tahs into a rough-and-tumble contest.
"I've been praying for rain because it might make it harder for Tech to push the ball wide, but it looks like it's going to be a dry track," Leach said.
"They've got some fast boys out wide, but we want to make them mix it up with us. It's no secret how both teams want to play. They'll want to stay away from the rucks and mauls and we want to bring them into it.
"We have to play to our strengths or we'll be in for a long day. We can't let Tech jump out to an early lead because they're too good a side to peg back."
Tech Waratahs broke through for the club's maiden premiership in 2000 and won back to back titles in 2004 and '05 before losing the 2006 grand final to University.
The Tahs will rely on their big game experience to overcome the Wombats.
"About 80 per cent of the guys from those days are still around and it counts for a lot when you get to a grand final, and the young blokes that have come through over the past couple of years can't wait to get out there and get their first taste of a grand final," Tech Waratahs halfback Josh Darby said.
"Beating Avondale in the major semi might've inflicted some psychological damage and they'll want to turn that around, and they definitely don't want to go through what they went through last year against Shoalhaven. We know what to expect from them and we're all prepared for a very hard and tough game. They'll try to get us into a bash and barge game, but we've played a running game all year and there's no way we're going to change that now.
"Hopefully it'll be a hot day because that would suit us more than them. It'll be more of a spectacle for spectators if they get to see two teams running and moving the ball about."
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