It's as hard or as easy as you want to make it.
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John Bateman should know. The Canberra Raiders star has bounced back to win a premiership from not one, but two grand final losses. In a row.
He was part of a Wigan team that lost the 2014 and '15 English Super League grand finals, but then went on to win it in 2016 - and again two years later.
Now the Raiders are looking to follow Bateman's path and turn last season's defeat into this year's victory.
Jeff Bond, the man who helped guide Pat Cash to the Wimbledon title and is now the ACT Brumbies' sports psychologist, is confident the Green Machine can do that exactly that.
Tipping them to turn that "sting" into a drought-breaking premiership.
History is on their side with seven teams managing the feat in the Simply The Best era - the 30 years since that Tina Turner hit became the anthem of the game.
The Melbourne Storm have done it three times (2007, '09, '17) - although the first two were stripped for salary cap cheating - Manly have done it twice ('96, '08), while Canterbury ('95) and Penrith ('91) were the other two.
That equates to almost 25 per cent of the time a grand final loser has won the premiership the following season. Far better odds than the supposed one-in-16 chance all teams start with.
Bateman felt the key to bouncing back was putting the past in the past.
The best way to do that? Starting well against the Gold Coast Titans in the season opener at Canberra Stadium on Friday.
A good win will be the first step in the healing process.
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Bateman will have to watch from the stands, having had shoulder surgery a month ago.
He'll take the sling off and start running again next week, with his predicted return rounds 7-8.
"It's probably as hard and as easy as you make it," Bateman said of bouncing back from a grand final defeat.
"The more you think about last year the harder it is to get over it.
"The easy [way] is just think, 'Listen, it's a new season now'.
"We need to get ready to get off to a good start, which obviously the lads are preparing to do [Friday].
"For me it's about starting well the following season and going well from there."
Bateman remembered having doubts at the time about whether he or Wigan could do that.
Doubts his two premierships put to bed.
"It was pretty hard ... you always have that feeling in the back of your head you're that person or that team that can get there but can't really finish it in big games," he said.
"It's testing at times, don't get me wrong, it's real testing, but when you come out the other side and get the win it's a lot of relief, but it's a lot of joy as well."
Bond felt losing a grand final generally provided a motivational boost.
He liked the look of the Green Machine and felt they would be even stronger in 2020 than they were last season.
"My view is they should bounce back pretty well," Bond said.
"To get to a grand final shows they've got a pretty good base and with another year under their belt and a bit of smart recruiting, and the sting that's left with them from losing a grand final I reckon provides that little extra motivation to make sure their pre-season's absolutely spot on.
"They've got a very, very good coach. I think they'll be stronger this season than they were last season.
"I think you learn your best lessons from losses and while there's a bit of an emotional fallout I reckon the players and coaches learn lessons.
"They'll be very professional with how they work their pre-season and set up another good season so that this time around they'll go all the way."
Were there exceptions to that rule? Can losing a grand final be a negative?
"It can, but it's often multiple losses like that that seep into the bones a bit," Bond said.
NRL ROUND ONE
Friday: Canberra Raiders v Gold Coast Titans at Canberra Stadium, 6pm. Tickets available at Ticketek.