Rather than being one of the club’s most heartbreaking losses, coach Michael Maguire says last year’s 2014 preliminary final loss to Manly was the crucible in which their 2014 NRL premiership triumph was forged.

For the second successive season, the Rabbitohs suffered a crushing late season fade out in 2013, one game short of the grand final against the Sea Eagles, after leading 14-0 after 12 minutes.

The year before, the Bulldogs dumped them out of the title race in the corresponding game.

But instead of smothering himself in despair after the loss to Manly, Maguire said he knew the Rabbitohs had to learn from the tough lessons of their playoff heartbreak if they were to finally break the club’s 43-year premiership drought.

“I actually thought when we lost last year against Manly, I believed we had the ability to do something very, very special,” Maguire said after Souths’ 30-6 grand final win over Canterbury at ANZ Stadium on Sunday.

“That is all the experience that you go through at that time and internally you take things out of that and we grew from that and we showed that tonight.

Maguire said the exit of rugby-bound duo Sam Burgess and Ben Te’o provided further motivation for Souths’ title tilt.

“Sometimes it takes decisions of Sam leaving and Ben leaving, and it is tough to take when you first get that, but we want to do it for each other and that has probably been a big driving force that we have as a team at the moment, we just wanted to do it for each other,” he said.

Maguire said his players had embraced the club’s storied history, rather than shy away from it as they created a chapter of their own, the club’s 21st premiership.

“Ever since I have been here (2012) we have spoken about the history of the club,” he said.

“It is part of what comes with Souths, the great of Souths, with Satts (John Sattler), Ronnie Coote, Bobby McCarthy, I could go on and on.

“All those players they have been around us and that is a big part of the club to recognise the past is part of what builds a club and the players play for Souths, the community.

“It has just been a great ride.”