Luke Keary's mind flashes back to September 30 2018 when asked for his career highlight.
It's the night he won his second NRL premiership but one remembered by most for the feats of halves partner Cooper Cronk.
Cronk, of course, played the match with a fractured scapula suffered just eight days prior in one of the toughest efforts ever seen on a rugby league field.
But with the halfback consigned to a limited role, Keary stepped up and took control of the team. He duly led the Roosters to a 21-6 win over Melbourne and was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal as man of the match.
It's fitting that six years later, as the five-eighth prepares to begin his last finals series before he says au revoir to the NRL, Keary's role has changed dramatically after his halves partner suffered an injury late in the season.
Match Highlights: Roosters v Storm
"One of the things I'm really proud of is the 2018 grand final," Cronk told NRL.com. "I felt like I performed at my best in a moment I needed to and the boys needed someone [to step up].
"I'm really proud I did that for my team and I'll be able to look back and say 'I played my part in that game'. I had to perform at my best and I was able to do it but so did everyone in the team."
Halfback Sam Walker's ACL tear brought a sudden stop to his best year in the top flight and when combined with injuries to Brandon Smith and Victor Radley left many writing off the side's premiership hopes.
Match: Panthers v Roosters
Finals Week 1 -
home Team
Panthers
2nd Position
away Team
Roosters
3rd Position
Venue: BlueBet Stadium, Penrith
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
The Roosters have turned to another youngster in Sandon Smith to step into the No.7 jumper for Friday's qualifying final against the Panthers.
Smith has long been viewed as Walker's long-term halves partner and Keary has watched his development closely throughout the past few years.
It's that improvement that gave the veteran comfort in his decision to retire in April and it's why Keary is confident Smith is ready for this stage.
"When I made the decision to retire, I knew I was putting the club in a little bit of a bad situation doing it late but I knew they had Sandon there," Keary said. "I've watched him in the pre-season, he's been with us for three or four years now. I knew he's the guy and I knew they trusted him.
"He's been sitting there all year playing hooker and off the bench. He would slot straight in whenever we were going to have an injury, we didn't know it was going to be at this time of year, but we saw last weekend he slotted straight in and did his thing.
"This series is going to be really good for his development, hopefully I can get him a little ring before I go."
Roosters strategy creating pathways for Central Coast talent
Smith is a 21-year-old who has progressed through the Roosters Central Coast pathway, becoming the first player from the system to make his NRL debut for the club.
He was the Roosters SG Ball Player of the Year in 2021 and impressed when he made the step up to NSW Cup in 2022. A maiden first-grade appearance came last year and he has now played 26 games in the top flight across a variety of positions, including two finals matches.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson didn't hesitate to turn to Smith when Walker went down two weeks ago and he backed the youngster to deliver at BlueBet Stadium on Friday night.
"He's come out of the Central Coast system, he's either played fullback or in the halves and he's been the dominant player throughout the ages there," Robinson said. "No matter what size he's been, he's dominated those teams and those competitions but often quietly.
"He hasn't made a lot of noise outside but we saw him from a young age and that's why we've created this pathway for him. He's played multiple positions, last year he finished games at critical times and he's had an impact.
"The belief in him is sky high, he played well last weekend and he'll go and play his role on Friday night."
When Keary eventually walks away from the Roosters, he will do so as a club legend who delivered results in the present and set the team up for long-term success well into the future by mentoring the next generation.
He led the club to back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019, is a NSW and Australian representative and recipient of numerous on-field and off-field awards.
It's a second act few could have predicted when Keary left South Sydney in acrimonious terms at end of 2016, just two years after he played a key-role in their drought-breaking premiership.
What was initially viewed as a transition year at the Roosters quickly turned into a long-term home for Keary.
"I thought I was coming to the Roosters for a year, maybe two max," he said. "They went through a tough year, had a few young halves and a bit of turnover of players, then it all just clicked very quickly.
"Those are the best years of my life, '17, '18, '19. It was so much fun, I was at the peak of my power and I didn't see it coming at all. Sometimes in life things pop up at different times when you don't expect them."
Every Luke Keary try assist of the 2023 season
One thing Keary did see coming was his retirement. The decision was made early in the season and while he later opted to sign a two-year deal with Super League club Catalans, he's long known this will be his last year with the Roosters.
That knowledge has allowed him to savour every moment of the season and will make a fourth premiership even more special.
"I haven't thought about it too much," he said. "At the moment, we're in the middle of it, grinding every day to get there.
"I've spent 12 years trying to win it every year. The feeling doesn't get worse, it's just as good, if not better so it's going to be pretty special [if we can win it this year]."
