Bradford Bulls' full back sensation Michael Withers sees tonight's Super League Grand Final as an opportunity to right the wrongs of 1999.
The 25-year-old Australian looked to have put the Bulls into a match-winning position in the Old Trafford showpiece two years ago when he scooped up a wayward pass from St Helens full back Paul Atcheson to send in Leon Pryce for his side's second try.
But the score was controversially disallowed by video referee David Campbell, who claimed Withers had knocked on, and Saints went on to claim a fortuitous 8-6 victory.
"It was one of those things," said Withers. "I didn't touch it, although it was a close call. We had plenty of other chances to win the game, but that one incident sticks out. I knew it was a try and we felt hard done by."
Withers is well fancied to get among the tries against Wigan at Old Trafford tonight, having piled up 29 in 30 games this season, 21 of them since his move from centre to full back on the eve of the Challenge Cup final in April.
The switch, seen as a makeshift move at the time, paid off to such an extent that the Bulls have not missed the injured Stuart Spruce, and Withers even managed to outshine Wigan's Great Britain full back Kris Radlinski when the finalists met in the play-offs a fortnight ago.
Withers' eye-catching performances have proved an unexpected bonus for the Odsal side, but the Bulls faithful would not have been so surprised had they known the calibre of his teachers, two former Australian Test full backs.
"I played a couple of times at full back at Balmain when Tim Brasher was away on State of Origin duty," revealed Withers.
"He took me under his wing and showed me how to play the position. I stay in touch with him now and, if I have any questions, he clues me up. I have been in touch with him this week.
"I also played with Garry Jack, who had a couple of spells at Balmain in between coaching Salford."
A former Australian Junior Player of the Year, Withers is now settled in the full back role and puts his try-scoring feats down to the playmaking skills of his team-mates, particularly the departing Henry Paul.
"I'll play anywhere, but full back is probably the position that best suits me with the way we play," he said. "Try-scoring is just a bonus - to average one a game not too bad - but it comes on the back of some good play by the team. Henry creates a lot of things for me. He's world-class player and very important for us."
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