Despite being a lifelong South Sydney fan, Rabbitohs utility Jason Clark has restrained from sledging the Sydney Roosters ahead of their preliminary final clash on Friday night.
First running around for the Coogee Randwick Wombats from the tender age of four before moving through the representative ranks at South Sydney, Clark is well aware of the rivalry between the Roosters and Souths, but is focused on his own team before anything else.
While a 16-year-old Clark would have surely been screaming within telling him to spray a few choice words towards the Tricolours, he remained tight-lipped.
However, Clark did admit there is a slight bonus heading into their final four fixture by having the chance to eliminate their traditional rivals, yet ultimately remained team-oriented.
"To be fair the main incentive is to win for the boys," Clark tells NRL.com.
"You don't want to change it up too much though. You have to treat every game the same and hopefully go on and win."
Much like his father Gary before him, Clark is a Wombat and Rabbitoh through and through with both men earning life memberships out Coogee way.
Hypothetically though, if Jason was to sign with the Roosters tomorrow, Gary would support him unconditionally, with Clark saying his family and daughter Milla are "without a doubt" the biggest influence on his career.
"Mate, Dad would support me," Clark said.
"He is family and he respects me with everything I do.
"My parents have been good to me. There is a lot of footy talk that goes on outside of home so when I do go home the focus is on my little girl and my nieces and all the family stuff which is good.
"They have been there for everything. Everything. Even for games, Mum and Dad try and travel as much as they can to all of my games and they're very supportive."
With his family on Team Jason, Clark is now left with the opportunity to be one of 17 Rabbitohs to make the grand final for the first time in 43 years.
While the 25-year-old unquestionably respects the club, its history and previous 20 premierships, it isn't something he necessarily buys into when it comes to approaching the game ahead.
"With no disrespect to the older boys who have come before us, we are just drawing from what we have done since November and the history we have made," Clark said.
"You obviously have to have the respect for it but the whole team has the same mentality – it is matter of worrying about what we can control and enjoying it."
