South Sydney skipper John Sutton says the Rabbitohs have learned to deal with the weight of expectation that surrounds their five-decade long premiership drought ahead of their third successive NRL finals series.

Title-less since 1971 and absent from the finals between 1989 and 2007, the cardinal and myrtle are now a regular feature of the playoffs, but successive preliminary final fadeouts have stopped them in their tracks.

Expectation again is high that this might be the year that Souths finally smash their premiership hoodoo but Sutton says it it not something that weighs on his or his teammates’ minds.

“That is just noise in the background,” Sutton told AAP.

“It is something we have been dealing with for a few years now, we are just focused on what we have to do.

“At training and in our preparation that is all we have to focus on at the moment and the boys have got that down pat.

“That is all we are worried about.

“We are not concerned about anything after that, that other stuff isn’t something we worry about.”

Souths play their 2013 finals conquerors Manly in the opening finals game at Allianz Stadium on Friday night.

After South Sydney led 14-0 early in their preliminary final last season, Manly ran over the top of the Rabbitohs to progress to the grand final and leave Souths fans again wondering what might have been.

Manly playmaker Kieran Foran believes there is a great expectation on the Rabbitohs at this time of the year.

“There is a bit of added pressure for them that comes with that, they keep hearing that this is the year they will break that drought,” he said.

“But they won’t be worrying about the past.

“Finals footy is an entirely different prospect, we have learnt that here (at Manly). The game goes up a whole new level and that is what you need to worry about.”