After a fairytale final home game for the Wests Tigers in which he amassed 18 individual points in his team's 50-16 point victory over the Warriors, Pat Richards has spoken of the importance of ending a tough week in such brilliant fashion.
"I wished that could happen," Richards said after his 81st game in Tigers' colours.
"We really turned up today, it's been a tough week but the boys just turned up ready to play and it was a good send off for me and Keith."
The 33-year-old, who will join Catalans Dragons next year also reflected on his second stint in the NRL, after leaving the Tigers early in his career after winning a premiership with the club in 2005.
"I just really enjoyed the last two years coming back into the NRL, I just wanted to compete again [in the NRL]," he said.
"I left when I was 23 and thought I'd only be away for two years and I thought I'd never get another opportunity, so to take it like I have I've just really enjoyed being back and playing.
"It probably hasn't happened the way we'd like but we're just gonna claw ourselves off the bottom if we can."
Richards also took time to talk of what could be the club's third departing star, Robbie Farah, the Tigers' captain who was told he's free to negotiate with other clubs for next year.
"It's obviously been tough for Robbie, he's a really good friend of mine but he proved today what kind of character he's got when he can come out and put in a performance like that," Richards said.
"We've got another game to go next week, hopefully we can finish the year off as strong as we can."
However the point-scoring prodigy on the Tigers' left wing wouldn't be drawn into whether or not the club should be sticking with their inspirational skipper.
"It's not my call it's the club's call, everyone's seen today what sort of player he is," Richards said.
"All Robbie can worry about are his performances, he's been turning up to training since this happened and it shows the commitment of the bloke, he's 100 per cent committed to the cause."
Richards also touched on a hilarious moment in the match in which he jumped up from scoring a try and awarded it as if he was the referee, and alluded to a possible post-playing career in doing so.
"I thought I'd just practice my technique, I sort of just did it off the cuff we were just having a bit of fun out there," he said.
