This post is targeted towards Dragons fans. If you aren't a Dragons fan, perhaps you can read it and imagine the emotion that went into it...
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Here's just a thought on today's game in particular...
The Melbourne Storm. I am sure that many people here can respect them for their attacking brilliance when they are in form and their forwards dominate. But I am sure that everyone has a deep dislike or hatred for them after 1999 (and, to a lesser extent, Round 5 of 2000 - this was largely due to the work of Mundine).
Personally, I can't get over my hatred for them. It's more than five years on since that grand final, but I still feel robbed of a premiership. As we, I think, all do.
This means that every time we play Melbourne (especially after the eventful 2000 season), it means more to me as a Dragons supporter than when we play the Raiders, perchance. Not the idea of getting the two competition points, as any points are good points, but the idea of winning psychologically.
Ever since Barrett played what is probably his best ever match (albeit only 59 minutes long) in the Dragons jersey and we destroyed the Storm 50 - 4 at WIN Stadium, the Storm have had the wood on us. Coming into today's match, we only had one win and one draw to show for our effort (or lack thereof) from the last eight encounters against Melbourne.
History says that we haven't beaten them in Melbourne since Week 1 of the Finals in 1999. History says that Melbourne had lost three matches in a row at Olympic Park, which has generally been regarded as a fortress. History says that the Dragons had five wins in a row coming into this match, which equalled the record for the JV. Today they were going to break that record and stand alone on six straight victories.
But more important than all of those was this statistic:
History says that in round two, Melbourne came to the Dragons' territory, and they flogged us by 46 points to 12.
This piece of history alone made me think that our boys would come out pumped up, desperate to exact revenge on Melbourne.
By approximately 4.30 this afternoon, the 'revenge' never eventuated, and Melbourne had consigned St George Illawarra to only one victory from the last nine matches played between the two clubs.
I was left disenchanted and thinking only one thing:
These truly are statistics that don't lie.