As far as season openers go, you can't imagine it going much worse than Kieran Foran's last year where his then Sea Eagles side was coincidentally pummelled by his now Eels team.
Manly's 30-point thrashing aside, that fateful night at Pirtek Stadium saw Foran end the game with a torn hamstring, fellow Eels recruit Clinton Gutherson tear his ACL and Daly Cherry-Evans announce his initial move for 2016 to the Gold Coast Titans.
"There wasn't very much said on the bus home," Foran recalled.
"The Eels really came out fired up and hopefully it’s no different Thursday night. It would be nice to come out all guns blazing and really apply some pressure to the Brisbane team and hopefully come away with the two points.
"I always found it incredibly hard to win out at Parra. I haven’t had many wins out there so hoping that trend stays now being part of the team and we can continue that winning trend."
Just days out from stepping out for his Eels debut in the NRL's opening game of the 2016 season, Foran is feeling the pinch but it's not enough to derail his confidence in beating last year's runners up on Thursday night.
Any trickle of doubt will lift off their shoulders if they stick to what they have been working towards in the summer months, according to the 25-year-old.
Tipped to be named at halfback for just the fifth time in his eight-year career Foran and halves partner Corey Norman will have a test of wits on their hand when they come up against Brisbane's Ben Hunt and Anthony Milford.
"You’d be lying if you said there was no pressure at all. Obviously each season you go into there’s pressure so of course there’s going to be a little bit of doubt and pressure over whether you’ve got what it takes to get the win," Foran said.
"But we’re really confident in the hard work we’ve put in over the last 12 weeks, we’ve worked tremendously hard, we’re just focused on taking that out on to the field.
"We know if we just focus on ourselves and do that then there’s no reason we can’t come away with the win."
Foran will also begin the latest chapter of his illustrious career with the added pressure of the little 'c' next to his name, though it won't mean he'll be forcing his hand.
"I’m not trying to change too much to be honest with you. I’ve always just tried to lead with my actions on the field and as a captain I don’t want to do anything differently," Foran said.
"I’m not a massive talker and the guys are pretty good these days, they know what they’ve got to do, they know what works for them and how to get themselves up for game.
"I'm approaching this season no different to any other. Obviously it carries a bit more responsibility being the captain but Timmy [Mannah's] a pretty experienced guy and we’ve got others in Beau Scott and Michael Gordon who'll be a tremendous help."
