Even after 297 games nerves are perfectly normal.
Billy Slater knows that butterflies will come his way and he is ready to embrace it.
He will be in the midst of the action for Friday night’s blockbuster Preliminary Final against the Broncos at AAMI Park.
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Even a player of his experience and success feels the added weight of expectation heading into a game as big as this.
The trick is to take it all in your stride.
“If you are not nervous at this time of the year it doesn’t mean enough to you,” Slater said.
“I still get nervous in big games, that is just part of who I am and everyone is different.
“Everyone will have an element of nerves coming into these sort of games.”
Storm have had two weeks to prepare for Brisbane after narrowly accounting for the Eels by two-points in the Qualifying Final.
It is no secret that Melbourne played below their best in that game, particularly with the football as several errors crept into their game.
However their ability to still carve out a win despite the absence of their best football has filled them with a great deal of confidence.
“We were under pressure but I thought we showed a tone of character to come back and win that game,” Slater said.
“Hopefully we can learn from that and not put ourselves under that much pressure again.”
