Just two weeks stand between the Wests Tigers and putting an end to 15 years of heartbreak and a rotten ninth-placed curse.
The Tigers have played three finals series since their merger in 2000 but finished ninth five times.
And it is from ninth place that Michael Maguire’s men approach their final two, must-win matches of the season – against St George Illawarra on Sunday and Cronulla next week at Leichhardt.
It was a curse started in 2004, when they lost 24-16 to Newcastle and watched Canberra flog South Sydney 62-22 to bump them from eighth to ninth.
Few know the pain like former utility Dene Halatau, who was there for four of the ninth-placed finishes in 2004, 2007, 2009 and 2016 – missing only last year.
None were more heartbreaking than in 2007, when the Knights booted a penalty goal after the siren to come back from 24-12 down and end their season.
“We were in a good position and then we just capitulated,” Halatau told AAP.
“Cooper Vuna, who was playing on the wing for them, had a couple of individual efforts.”
In 2009, they dropped from fifth to 10th in round 24 alone, before results went against them in the final round.
Then there was the most famous of all, flogged 52-10 by Canberra in the final round at Leichhardt in 2016 with a finals spot on the line.
A game that was meant to be a Robbie Farah farewell but turned into a nightmare with the hooker watching on.
“It was all set up for an ideal step for a Wests Tigers (win) and we’d had a good end to the year,” Halatau said.
“A virus went through the group that week. I could only do (the) captain’s run. (Aaron) Woodsy was crook all week, Elijah Taylor the day before the game.
“We got to the game still feeling like we knew what we had to do to win. But from the outset, they just blew us off the park.”
And so, a win on Sunday against the Dragons will likely mean another last-round trip to Leichhardt, for another Farah farewell with another finals spot on the line.
“There’s a bit of history there for the club, but history has to be changed at some point,” Halatau said.
“I think Michael Maguire, the experience he brings and the focus he brings is a big reason why it’s a different team now.
“He’s had that finals experience. He is a guy that stays on task and expects his team stays on task. You’ve seen it this year with how he challenges them.”
From his experience, Halatau does not believe it’s ever been a psychological issue at the Tigers. Just bad luck across different squads.
And fittingly, after the Tigers demolished Newcastle last week, Halatau has seen enough from Benji Marshall and Luke Brooks to know they’re ready to end the run.
“The way they played last week and filled the void of Robbie were two of the best games they have played all year,” Halatau said.
“Luke has been around for a while now, so he is a regular first grader. I think he has adapted to (leading) more this year.
“He has backed himself a lot more and shown what he can do.”
