“It’s been a long journey. The club endured a very painful period when we were excluded from the league for two years and went through a very tortuous legal battle to be reinstated.”

On the eve of the biggest day in South Sydney’s modern history, club chairman Nicholas Pappas recalls the period that almost cost the NRL’s most successful club its existence.

Souths is facing off in its first grand final, against the Canterbury Bulldogs, since its last success in 1971, when it toppled St George 16-10 to claim a league record 20th premiership – a record which still stands. Since then the club has faced some painful lows. It was excluded from the newly formed NRL in 1999, after performing poorly both on and off the field. After extensive (but eventually successful) court battles, the club was reinstated in 2001, but still endured the full brunt of poor on field results, which culminated in wooden spoons in 2003, 2004 and 2006.

Actor Russell Crowe, businessman Peter Holmes à Court and Pappas were pivotal to its resurgence, but Pappas says Bunnies fans must be credited for their part in the club’s resurrection.

“If it wasn’t for the support of the community and a huge outpouring of emotion in the streets of Sydney, we wouldn’t have survived, and that’s what keeps coming in the back of my mind. This explosion of sentiment that we’re seeing today would have been lost had the club been rubbed out of the game, the oldest club. The most successful club in the history of the code, so that’s what’s going through my mind, and hopefully we’re successful.”

And fans are readying themselves for a drought breaking title.

“You’ve got this huge reservoir of energy ready to explode when the next premiership arrives. That’s being compounded by the fact that the club went through those traumas. If you saw the emotion when we were reinstated, the emotion when we made the grand final last weekend, I can only imagine what it’s going to be like should we be successful on Sunday.”

But Pappas does not want the club’s grand final appearance to be lost in the “nostalgia”of a 15 year long story back to the top.

“We’ve grovelled on that for too long. We need to talk about our young champions on the field on Sunday and put the wounds to bed once and for all.”

“We’re deserving grand finalists, we think we’ve set the bench mark across all the different facets of the game. We beat the Roosters to get in there so we had the more difficult avenue to get into the grand final, but it’s just another game on another day, anything can happen, and we’re full of confidence our coach Michael Maguire will have them ready and primed and Sunday night will be a evening of celebrations.”

One player whose on field presence could be telling in Souths aim to end a four-decades-long drought is Greg Inglis, and Pappas was full of praise for the fullback.

“I think GI would probably tell you that he’s just another person on the team. He would tell you he’s blessed with a good forward pack in front of him, some good halves, some fast centres and wingers, but obviously he has added that critical factor to our club. He’s such an intimidating presence on the field, he is very important to us, and I think, like he did on the weekend (against the Roosters), he’ll play another starring role on Sunday.”

But he warned against complacency, adding that the Bunnies’ grand final opponent should not be underestimated.

“I am full of respect for the Bulldogs, they are always good at the business end of the season. They are a tenacious club, they’re relentless and their supporters are tenacious.”

“I’m full of respect for what they have achieved – (coach) Des Hasler and their playing ranks, and for their chairman Ray Dib who’s a close acquaintance – we wish them all the best but, we hope we come out on top.”