Melbourne's Shawn Blore says he's trying to soak up every moment of his first taste of September action, having waited so long to play in an NRL final.
The Storm back-rower came through Penrith's junior ranks and as an Australian Schoolboys representative, looked headed for the big time.
But starting his career with the battling West Tigers he suffered back-to-back ACL injuries and a broken wrist, which left the 24-year-old at an all-time low.
"I played pretty much every junior rep team without any injury and when I got my first crack at an NRL pre-season all the injuries started happening and everything was just different from that point," Blore told AAP.
"I felt like I wasn't the same player because I couldn't run the same way I was running when I was young, and a lot of that got to me in my head.
"Ever since I've come to the Storm, I've actually gotten that confidence back and I know feel more capable than what I felt like when I was younger.
"They've just given me so much belief and I've got Bellsa (coach Craig Bellamy) to thank for that."
Blore was part of a player swap for this season, with Storm centre Justin Olam heading north to the Tigers, and said it was the fresh start he needed.
"Obviously, when you have Craig knocking at the door asking if you're available, you jump into something like that," he said.
"Someone said to me - just forget everything that's happened and get down there and rip in and have a go.
"As soon as I got on the field for the first pre-season training session, I could definitely feel it, just how different everything was to me, it felt like beginning of something new.
"And now I'm playing finals which doesn't feel real to me at the moment because I've never played at this time of year in my life but after the first final, it just left me wanting more."
In Friday night's preliminary final at AAMI Park Blore will line up against his cousin, Sydney Roosters prop Spencer Leniu, who he came through the juniors alongside.
When the boys were teenagers, their mothers discovered they were sisters and their sons more than teammates.
Like Leniu, Blore doesn't mind ruffling feathers and is hoping for fireworks with a grand final spot on the line.
He laughed that Leniu was "too smart to run at me".
"I'm expecting hostility from them and for them to come out all guns blazing and I'll be ready for that," he said.
"Honestly, I hope they do, because that sort of excites me so I'm definitely up for the challenge."
