Ben Hunt's mind instantly goes back to October 2015 when the topic of self-confidence comes up.
Then it jumps forward to 2019, as he battled his way through a disastrous Dragons campaign, blaming himself for their lack of success after arriving at the club a year earlier on a lucrative contract.
They're two of the toughest moments of Hunt's career, the first being a dropped kick off in the 2015 grand final, and they left him questioning if he had what it takes to be an NRL player.
"I had a period after the grand final at the Broncos where I struggled but I felt like had moved on," Hunt told NRL.com. "When I came to the Dragons we had a good year then things started to go bad.
"I felt like it was all on me. We were playing a team sport but I felt like it was all my fault. The more I thought about that going into games, it snowballed and things would go from bad to worse. I found myself making simple errors I wouldn't normally make.
"That was the darkest time in my career."
Match Highlights: Broncos v Cowboys
While both the 2015 grand final and 2019 season were particular low points, self-confidence has been a constant struggle for Hunt throughout his entire career.
So it came as no surprise when the halfback saw the results of an Ancestry DNA test he completed earlier this year as part of the company's Know Your Origin campaign during the State of Origin series.
The test results extended beyond Hunt's cultural ancestry and provided details of personality traits he is more or less likely to possess.
Turbo and Bent Hunt take on Ancestry trivia
Mixed in with interesting quirks such as Hunt being more likely to consume caffeine and enjoy spicy food was the fact that he is less likely to be self-confident.
"There's been different times where I have struggled with my self-confidence," the halfback said. "I don't think many NRL players will say they go through their whole career without going through times where they're not confident and they're second guessing themselves.
"Everyone has times with it, you've just got to work out ways to get through that and believe in yourself."
While the 2015 grand final and 2019 NRL season remain low points in Hunt's career, he looks back on both experiences as crucial in his development as a player.
The 2019 campaign, in particular, was the trigger for a number of changes in his approach to football.
Hunt started working with a psychologist and a growing family provided him a fresh perspective to view the sport.
While the Dragons have struggled for the past few years, the halfback has maintained a consistent level on the field and developed the mental strength to ensure he isn't blaming himself for every loss.
Match: Eels v Dragons
Round 26 -
home Team
Eels
16th Position
away Team
Dragons
8th Position
Venue: CommBank Stadium, Sydney
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
Fast forward to today and Hunt has the confidence and belief he can lead St George Illawarra to a top-eight finish.
Should the Dragons defeat the Eels on Saturday and Canberra next week, they will play finals football for the first time since 2018, Hunt's first year at the club.
It's a drought that lasted much longer than he could have predicted but he's confident the squad has learnt plenty from the lean times.
"It's all experience," he said. "We've still got a young side and having a few bad years you start second-guessing yourself and things start going worse.
"We've focused on training the mind and the body so that when things are hard you keep going at it. You can't go into your shell and shut off because that's when things get even worse. We've got to find a way to handle adversity on the field."
Ben Hunt's hand in Dragons back-to-back wins
Hunt's self-belief hasn't been the only thing to be challenged throughout the past decade, with the halfback's leadership also put to the test.
The Queensland and Kangaroos star is the first to admit he's not a natural-born leader and wasn't surprised when that also popped up in his Ancestry results.
As a halfback, Hunt is automatically one of the most important players on the field and leadership has been a work in progress throughout his career.
He credits Broncos legend Darren Lockyer for laying the foundation when he first broke into first grade but even that apprenticeship didn't prepare him for how tough the past couple of years have been captaining a struggling Dragons side.
"I want to win everything and being the leader and captain of the club and not winning was something that was definitely hurting me," Hunt said. "It was hard to go into training and games each week and try to be positive.
"The last few years have tested my leadership but there were a lot of lessons in there that I learned and hopefully I'm a better leader for it."
Hunt's status as the primary leader in a young Dragons team is something coach Shane Flanagan has been determined to change this season.
The experienced mentor has made leadership a key skill all players must develop, with a handful of emerging stars given greater responsibility to find their voice within the squad.
Ben Hunt Try
Veteran hooker Damien Cook will also return to St George Illawarra next year, 12 years after he made his NRL debut for the club.
Flanagan is keen to add a couple more hard-nosed, experienced players who can help share the leadership burden.
As for Hunt, the coach has been impressed with the example he sets for the younger players in the squad and knows the Dragons wouldn't be fighting for a finals spot without the experienced halfback.
"When you have a halfback and captain, sometimes they're your best player but it doesn't always mean you're the best leader," Flanagan told NRL.com. "Ben's grown enormously as a leader and really started to get more confidence and belief.
"He's not just the bloke that runs out first, it's all the stuff that goes on behind closed doors. At training, in meetings, in the sheds, you need strong leadership. Ben's made a real concerted effort to be better in those areas and it's paying off for us."
With their season hanging in the balance, there's only one thing left for Hunt to do. Lead the Dragons back to the finals.
Flanagan is confident his skipper can pull it off.
"It's time to go," he said. "We can't be hoping for results, we've got to go out and attack it.
"We've shown we can do it and now we have to deliver."
