The pain of losing in 2012 and the experience that followed is what has driven the Bulldogs for success in Sunday’s NRL grand final according to their back-rower Josh Jackson.
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The Gulgong boy will play in his second NRL decider for the Canterbury-Bankstown side in three years, when he lines up in the back-row to take on South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Jackson was only a kid in terms of matches when the blue and whites lost to Melbourne Storm 14-4 in the grand final two years ago.
Fast forward 24 months, Jackson has played close to 70 NRL matches and grown into one of the most hard-working, dependable and no-nonsense players of Des Hasler’s “Dogs of War”.
The 23-year-old has fans in league immortals Andrew Johns and Wally Lewis, Peter Sterling, Phil Gould and Laurie Daley.
He has represented Country in their past two annual fixtures against City, was 18th man for Daley’s Blues in the opening State of Origin and has been touted as a possible selection in Tim Sheens’ Australia Kangaroos squad for this month’s Four Nations.
But Jackson has never been one for individual satisfaction. He is a team player first and foremost.
It is why he believes the heartache of 2012 will motivate his team to go one better this season.
“It’s the experience I suppose,” Jackson told the Mudgee Guardian.
“You know what to expect, which has helped in a week like this.
“The experience helps you to learn what the game is all about and you know what role you have to play.”
After stints of playing junior league for Gulgong and later Mudgee, Jackson left the region as a 15-year-old with the goal of playing in the NRL.
A solid season with the Newcastle Knights in SG Ball put him on recruitment guru Peter Mulholland’s radar, and he was quickly snapped up by the Bulldogs.
In his first season at Belmore, Jackson won the club’s under 20s player of the year award and gained selection in the Junior Kangaroos.
He again represented the Bulldogs in the under 20s and the junior Kangaroos in 2011, before a stint in the NSW Cup prepared him for the NRL.
And since making his debut against the Storm in June of 2012 at Mackay, Jackson has not taken a backwards step.
But he never imagined he would be playing in a second grand final in his third season of NRL football.
“Playing in a grand final is why you play the game in the first place,” Jackson said.
“It is so special to play in the biggest game of the year. To play in my second one in three seasons, I do [have to pinch myself]. Some people don’t even get to play in one grand final.”
Canterbury can create history by becoming the first team since Terry Lamb’s Bulldogs side of 1995 to win the NRL premiership from outside the top four.
The Bulldogs have played elimination football for a month and have beaten sides such as Melbourne, Manly and Penrith in this year’s finals series.
“We knew if we played our best football we could defeat the top teams,” Jackson said.
“After the Storm win, we just wanted to keep it simple and fortunately it has worked.”
However, a spanner has been thrown into the works with Bulldogs skipper Michael Ennis almost certain to miss Sunday’s clash because of a broken foot.
“It’s a massive loss,” Jackson said about Ennis. “He is our captain, our leader, he is a very inspirational player and he brings a lot of composure to the side.”
It is unclear who will replace Ennis with young playmaker Moses Mbye and five-eighth Josh Reynolds considered for the position.
If Reynolds has to play in the dummy half position, Jackson could see himself playing at five-eighth. A spot he filled during the Origin period.
“It was something different. I wasn’t used to it that’s for sure,” Jackson said about his time in the No.6 jersey.
“It is always good to play in different positions because it makes you a better player and gives the team options.
“I will see what happens though.”
The NRL grand final kicks off at 7.20pm on Sunday.
