Widely dubbed the Cutters’ heart and soul, Shannon Wakeman has undoubtedly put more blood and sweat into the jersey that any other player. Barring a brief stint with Windsor, it’s the only jersey the Berkeley junior has ever worn at senior level.

In June, he became the first player to notch 100 games for the club. In the transit lounge that is NSW Cup rugby league, it’s quite possibly a record that will never be broken. 

After riding all the ups and downs over five seasons, including a 10^th placed finish last year, Wakeman admits he’d started to think that elusive grand final berth would remain perennially put of reach.

“After five years I was pretty excited just to get to a grand final,” Wakeman said.

“I’d started to think it’d never really happen so get the win I was certainly very happy.

“There’s been a really good feeling around the place this year. We’ve had a pretty solid side and we’ve played pretty well all year and, while you think about it, you never really expect it to actually happen.”

His extended time with the club means he’s seen plenty of players come and go. It’s also why he knows there is truly something special about the current crop that he helped spur to a nail-biting victory with a powerhouse second stint late in the match to get his side home.

“I wanted to win like nothing else,” Wakeman said.

“When you’re playing in a grand final you obviously do everything you can to win and you dig deep and find something when you need it.

“I was absolutely blowing there at the end but the boys were just talking it up saying ‘come one get up we’re a family, we’ve got to keep going’. 

“We are pretty much a family and I think that’s why everyone was pushing for each other. We always work hard for each other and work hard for JD. I think that’s what really got us through in the end.”

The Cutters will be looking to put an exclamation point on their season when they take on Burleigh in the Instrust Super Championship curtain-raiser to the NRL grand final.

Both sides have trod virtually identical paths to decider with the Bears finishing second before upsetting minor premiers Redcliffe in the Queensland Cup grand final. The Cutters handed Mounties the same fate and will head onto the game’s biggest stage full of confidence despite their well-earned celebrations earlier this week.

“It does throw you off a little bit. It doesn’t quite feel like we’ve won a grand final yet because we’re playing again this week and we’ve still got a job in front of us,” Wakeman said.

“We’ve been full of confidence all year so I don’t think much is going to change. I’m sure JD will have a look at a bit of video on Burleigh but not much will change for us in how we’ve been preparing all year. I think I was actually more nervous the week before the prelim against Newtown than I was with Mounties because you want to get to a grand final so badly. 

“The nerves for this game haven’t set in yet but I’m sure that feeling will take over once we get out there in that atmosphere in front of that crowd. I’m sure it’ll be pretty spectacular.”