Tony Rea's North Sydney side lost 30-14 to Canberra in the 1991 preliminary final, with Mal Meninga among the players who made the difference. Now Rea is preparing to work with Meninga, coach of the Perth Bears.
"I don't think I could ever forgive him for that one," Rea joked.
"I thought we had them at halftime, but they had a few too many guns in the second half, including Mal."
Rea, the Bears' new chief executive, wants to build a lasting, welcoming club as the team prepares to enter the NRL in 2027.
The appointment follows a turbulent period: Anthony De Ceglie resigned last month amid reports he had lost board support, while football general manager David Sharpe left six months earlier after reported disagreements.
Rea, 60, played 120 games for North Sydney from 1988 to 1994. He later worked as a player, coach and chief executive at the London Broncos, and was interim coach of the ACT Brumbies in 2011.
"I've seen a really happy group. I've seen a really clear plan," he said on Thursday.
Rea says he wants to stay for the long term. "When you're a builder, which we're all out here to do, I don't think any of us want to walk away at any point," he said.
The Bears have yet to sign a superstar, but Rea believes good word of mouth will attract players. "The bongo drums from players will go out there, and they'll go, 'Hey, it's pretty good'."
He also wants respect to define the club, recalling North Sydney's rise from 15th in 1989 to a preliminary final two years later.