Dally M coach of the year Brian Smith believes the Sydney Roosters represent his best chance of ending a frustrating 26-year wait for a premiership.
Smith-coached teams have appeared in three deciders (St George 1992-93, Parramatta 2001) over the past two decades without tasting success.
Ironically, it's now the team he has taken from wooden spooners to sixth inside a year – the Roosters - that could deliver Smith the most unexpected of titles.
"I'm feeling like it's as good a chance as I've ever had to win a premiership with any team I've ever coached," he declared ahead of Saturday night's second qualifying final against the Tigers.
"Whether we get it done depends on Saturday and the following few Saturdays or Sundays."
It still rankles Smith that Parramatta's defeat to the Knights in the 2001 decider is remembered as the day the Eels lost the 'unloseable' grand final.
He points out the Andrew Johns-led Newcastle side featured several modern day greats – a luxury no team in the current finals race enjoys.
"The team that we were playing against on that particular evening contained probably six or eight of the best players of the decade and I think everybody forgot that because of the way Parramatta performed over the course of the season," Smith pointed out.
"We played against a very, very good team that day - I'm not sure whether any of the teams in the comp this year are that good or with that many individuals in the team that are that good."
"I think it's wide open and it's there for us - same as it is for the other seven teams as well this season."
"It's just a matter of who gets the job done enough times without a mistake over the next month."
Smith was embarrassed to receive the coach of the year gong at the Dally Ms, insisting the praise for the Roosters' stunning resurrection deserves to be spread evenly among the players, coaching and admin staff.
"Coaches get rewards, not awards," he said.
"For me the rewards at this club have been enormous and I genuinely feel we're only just getting started."
"A man would like to be judged not by the achievements he's made but the ordeals that he's overcome."
"I reckon our guys have had to do that from the start."