The simple means right into a story a few group’s shedding streak at a specific venue is to tie it to a historic landmark exterior a rugby league context.
You possibly can go for an accessible instance like how the final time St George Illawarra received a sport at Stadium Australia was earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic.
Or you will get a little bit extra dramatic with one thing like how Newcastle’s final win at Shark Park in 2014 is nearer to the usage of telegrams than it’s to at the moment.
However this crutch isn’t out there relating to South Sydney’s dismal document in Melbourne as a result of the Rabbitohs have by no means received there.
Not as soon as in 20 makes an attempt, relationship all the best way again to 1999, the place they misplaced 52-6 of their Victorian debut in Melbourne’s second season within the prime grade.
South Sydney have been topic to some terrible losses in Melbourne’s early years within the NRL. (AAP Pictures: Colin Whelan)
It was however a style of the punishment to return because the Storm scored extra factors that day than the Rabbitohs managed in each match they ever performed on the previous Olympic Park mixed. They known as it “The Graveyard” and for Souths, it actually was.
These early days have been hardest, when South Sydney died and have been reborn as Melbourne ascended. The Rabbitohs have been outscored there by a cumulative complete of 284 to 42 throughout seven video games from 1999 to 2008.
Issues did not get significantly better as soon as Melbourne headed to AAMI Park, the place the Rabbitohs’ 13-match shedding streak is tied for fourth-longest such run for any group at any floor within the historical past of Australian rugby league.
All advised, each model of South Sydney that has existed over the previous 28 years — the battling groups of the seasons after their readmission, the premiership contenders that rose from these depths, the also-rans that dot the areas between, all of them — has discovered nothing however defeat in Melbourne.
They’ve conceded 60 and been crushed in golden level. They’ve misplaced season openers and finals matches. They’ve been crushed in Victoria in each means a group will be crushed after which they’ve been crushed some extra.
The Rabbitohs have misplaced in Melbourne each means a group can lose. (AAP Pictures: Joe Castro)
However now, finally, they could by no means get a greater shot at ending the longest hoodoo the NRL has to supply.
The Storm have misplaced 5 in a row and look as susceptible as they’ve been in an age and on Saturday night time South Sydney have an opportunity to slay a purple demon and earn a victory nearly three a long time within the making.
The Rabbitohs insist they are not speaking about it amongst themselves. Alex Johnston, who’s misplaced all six matches he is performed in Melbourne, says he likes taking part in there.
“We’ve not spoken about it till you the media] introduced it up. We’re specializing in ourselves,” Johnston stated.
“I’ve had enjoyable taking part in there. I believe it is a good floor, I get pleasure from it.”
South Sydney have misplaced in Melbourne the previous two Anzac Days. (Getty Pictures: Robert Cianflone)
Captain Cameron Murray, who can also be zero for six, is a bit more circumspect.
“I strive not to consider information or hoodoos or something like that,” Murray stated.
“It is all the time a giant problem taking place to play Melbourne in Melbourne, they have been a prime group on this competitors for a very long time.
“They’re all the time robust. We now have to be on our A-game.”
The Storm’s repute has preceded them for a few years now however by no means have the Rabbitohs discovered the Victorians in such a susceptible place. No person actually has, not for a era or extra.
Melbourne’s five-match shedding streak is their worst run since 2012. The final time they misplaced six in a row was 2002, earlier than Craig Bellamy was coach.
South Sydney discovered some effective attacking type in opposition to St George Illawarra final week. (AAP: Mark Evans)
It was a part of a seven-match winless streak that lasted till they confronted — you guessed it — the Rabbitohs in Melbourne.
Proper now the Storm are fifteenth on the competitors ladder, the bottom they’ve been of their complete historical past. Maybe, in the end, they’ve used up all the right.
They’re wounded and they’re ailing and different groups have already cashed in to banish curses and finish historical streaks.
The Warriors exorcised their very own Storm demons only a few weeks in the past and with the Rabbitohs discovering some sharp attacking type in final week’s win over St George Illawarra, they appear well-placed to strike a dagger in Melbourne’s unsure coronary heart.
However whereas the Storm have appeared laborious within the center and unremarkable out broad, the Rabbitohs are nonetheless cautious.
For all the problems throughout the remainder of the squad, that is nonetheless a group with Jahrome Hughes, Cameron Munster, Harry Grant and Sua Fa’alogo which implies they’ll all the time be harmful.
The Storm are enduring their leanest run in an age. (Getty Pictures: Robert Cianflone)
“The competitors is difficult now and it is much more even than it has been previously,” Murray stated.
“We have all the time maintained that any NRL group that turns up on their day is a tough group to beat and that is been confirmed this 12 months with the blended outcomes.
“Melbourne have the expertise and ability throughout the park to be harmful, no matter how they’ve began the season.
“We actually will not be taking them evenly, we’ll actually be getting ready for a great Melbourne group down there.”
A South Sydney victory is way from assured — on the time of writing, the bookies nonetheless favoured the Storm regardless of their current troubles — however as they appear to make it twenty first time fortunate, the stakes do really feel a little bit increased than regular.
At any time when a hoodoo goes on the road, the gamers on the unsuitable finish of it insist it will not have an effect on them and for probably the most half they’re proper. It is often a much bigger deal to followers than to the athletes.
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This explicit streak is half a product of its time and half a freak of historical past. The Rabbitohs’ general document in opposition to the Storm is not robust however they’ve crushed them as lately as 2023. There isn’t any true magic at play right here.
Even long-serving gamers like Murray and Johnston have not been there for all these losses and even a membership as attuned with its historical past as South Sydney cannot all the time be outlined by the previous.
However when a shedding run inches in the direction of a 3rd decade, when it appears immune from all the opposite rising and falling each groups have carried out through the years, exceptions have to be made.
Regardless of present for nearly 120 years, one thing can nonetheless occur to the Rabbitohs for the primary time and one thing can solely occur for the primary time as soon as.
That is why the Storm’s scalp continues to be a prize even when they’re ailing. That is why Melbourne’s stadium continues to be price taking for South Sydney, even when it isn’t a fortress proper now.
In spite of everything this time and all these losses, a Rabbitohs win will not simply break the streak, it’s going to imply that, the place Melbourne is anxious, they will by no means need to say by no means once more.
