HAVING been Manly's 18th man during their defeat in last year's decider, Glenn Hall doesn't carry quite the same baggage, nor possibly the same desire for redemption, that the players who did take the field have been lugging on their backs this week.

But his own back still contains a heavy harness of grand-final experience to help him into Sunday's decider.

While he was unable to take the field last year, Hall still has four grand finals to his name, and three victories in among them.

In 1999, he scored a try to help the Bulldogs defeat Newcastle in the Jersey Flegg grand final.

The following season, he helped the same club defeat Wests 22-8. By 2002, he was in first division, but the success didn't stop; Hall was in the Bulldogs team that defeated St George Illawarra 24-22.

He then had a stint at Souths and in 2006, after moving to the Roosters, he captained their feeder club Newtown in their 20-19 premier league loss to Parramatta.

"I was having a think about that the other day," Hall said. "It's a pretty good record, really."

Clearly, though, his next decider is the one that counts, especially after missing out last year and "thinking that'd be my only chance to play in one".

"I don't have the heartache of actually playing in the game last year, but it was still gut-wrenching sitting there watching it," the 27-year-old said.

"I thought, 'shit, this is probably the closest I'll ever get to one'. Luckily for me I get another chance. I'll soak it up again because there's a good chance I might never be here again."

Hall will be wear the No.12 jersey on Sunday, keeping evergreen Steve Menzies out of a starting swansong.

It is a remarkable turnaround for someone who has been unable to attach himself to a first-grade position with anything other than Clag for most of this decade.

"It hasn't just happened," he said yesterday. "I had to do a lot of hard work to make that turn around. That's the most pleasing thing. I stuck in there, I didn't drop my head, and I did the hard work to turn it around for myself. I've got the confidence now and I'm fitter.

"I'm doing all the training and little extras. On the field, I find myself doing things that I wouldn't usually do.

"I'm on the field a lot longer than I used to be, and my second wind seems to be coming around a lot quicker. I'm able to contribute a lot more.

"I'm a lot stronger in the head, too. I'm not second-guessing myself as much as I was last year.

"I decided when I came to Manly [in 2007] that this would probably be my last crack - digging my heels in and making my name as a decent first-grade footballer. I'm glad I did it."