Former Storm five-eighth Blake Green has opened up about last year's grand final loss to the Sharks, revealing he has never watched a replay of the game and is unlikely to do so any time soon.
Green's 50th and final match for the Storm ended in heartbreak with Melbourne conceding a late converted try to fall two points short of their second premiership in five seasons.
The 30-year-old didn't have a lot of time to mull over the disappointment, packing up his belongings for Sydney's northern beaches after inking a two-year deal with the Sea Eagles.
Following stints with the Eels, Sharks, Bulldogs and Storm – plus time with Hull KR and Wigan in the English Super League – Green is looking forward to the challenge ahead as he and his new teammates look to make amends after missing the finals in 2016.
"It was hard. I'll probably never watch the game again. It's not something I've really looked back on, to be honest," Green said of the grand final loss.
"I came up to Sydney about two weeks after the game, packed all my stuff up and moved straight to Manly. My family and I had a month to ourselves over here before I started training.
"It wasn't an ideal situation for us and it didn't pan out the way we wanted it to. We had a really successful time down there in the two years I was there. We were deep into the finals [in 2015] and then got into the GF last year.
"I guess I didn't have anyone to bounce off…but after I stopped feeling sorry for myself, it probably got a little bit easier because these boys were ripping into training and were a month deep into the pre-season when I turned up.
"Results from the previous year were the furthest thing from their mind and they were just worried about working hard and starting again."
Green's move north is a reunion of sorts with coach Trent Barrett after the pair played together at the Sharks in 2009.
"It was a hell of a lot different to when I was there. I was 21 when Baz was at Cronulla," Green said.
"I learnt a few really importing things about the game from Baz then. I probably didn't realise how important they were until I got a little bit older. He was one of my favourite players growing up so I've got an enormous amount of respect for him.
"I guess he was under a fair bit of pressure when he came back to the NRL and played. At Cronulla he was a really big signing and he was going to be a big chance of taking a lot of pressure off the club. Ricky (then Sharks coach Ricky Stuart) brought him to the club to elevate us to new heights.
"He's still the same person, he's still got the same principles, he's still a hard worker, and they're the things that have rubbed off on the group.
"He's really good for our playing group, he's got really clear, simple messages, everyone's under no illusions because he gets his point across. He's very relaxed, but he's been getting the best out of the playing group in the pre-season so far."
Barrett's relaxed demeanour is slightly different to what Green was used to in Melbourne, but the five-eighth was quick to defend Storm coach Craig Bellamy, blaming the networks for always showing him at the most inopportune moments.
"He's a little bit more relaxed than Craig. Craig's not as angry as everyone thinks, but he just gets in some bad shots on the TV sometimes."