Daniel Tupou struggles to comprehend how much has changed since the Roosters 2013 premiership.
The winger was a skinny 22-year-old playing in his first NRL season alongside some of the Tricolours' greats.
Anthony Minichiello and Sonny Bill Williams led from the front. Jake Friend and Boyd Cordner were taking a giant step towards the club legend status they hold today. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was the most punishing prop in the game.
Tupou could never have predicted he would one day gain the status of his former, and soon-to-be-former, teammates, and struggles to wrap his head around the fact he is now the Roosters great setting the standard for the next generation.
But that's the status the veteran will hold when he runs on to AAMI Park for a remarkable seventh preliminary final when the Roosters face the Storm on Friday night.
Daniel Tupou's late double in mad finish
"It's one of those pinch myself moments that I'm still playing," Tupou told NRL.com. "I'm grateful and blessed with every opportunity I get and take it with both hands.
"If it doesn't go the way you want it, that's the way it is and you've just got to push on for the next opportunity. I'm very privileged to still be here."
Tupou's role within the club will grow considerably next season as the Roosters prepare for a changing of the guard.
Waerea-Hargreaves headlines a lengthy list of departing stars also including Luke Keary, Joey Manu, Sitili Tupouniua and Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i.
Match: Storm v Roosters
Finals Week 3 -
home Team
Storm
1st Position
away Team
Roosters
3rd Position
Venue: AAMI Park, Melbourne
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
Tupou has seen many players come and go over the years, Mitchell Pearce leaving at the end of 2017, Cooper Cronk dropping in for a two-season cameo while Friend, Cordner and Mitchell Aubusson have all retired throughout his career.
While Tupou is more softly spoken than many of those figures and prefers to lead by example, he's ready to find his voice in the new year.
"The boys know I'm a leader but I never really show it in terms of speaking up," he said. "The younger boys have the confidence to come up to me and ask questions. That's where I step in, I give my advice and a bit of knowledge.
"It's going to be different losing those key senior players so I have to step up and lead people my way."
Tupou's arrival at the Roosters came after two standout seasons for the Eels in the Under-20s National Youth Competition in 2010 and 2011.
The opportunity to jump straight into the Roosters' top squad was enough to lure him east and he hasn't looked back.
Tupou starred for the Newtown Jets in reserve grade in 2012, leading the side to the NSW Cup premiership and earning selection in the competition's team of the year.
The winger also made his NRL debut that season before making the permanent move to the first grade in 2013.
Tupou enjoyed immediate success, scoring a stunning try in the side's grand final victory over Manly, leaping over David Williams to pluck the ball out of the air.
The talented outside back had long been tipped for big things and former Newtown coach Greg Matterson said Tupou's seamless transition came as no surprise.
NRL Classic: Roosters v Sea Eagles - Grand Final, 2013
"Daniel was a great kid," Matterson told NRL.com. "He was a tall, skinny and raw winger when he first came over from Parramatta.
"I knew he had something special with his height and athleticism. He was always going to be a target in the air and he's thickened up to become thicker and stronger than he was back then.
"He was a really good bloke and a family man. He's helped his sisters and parents with money he's made from rugby league. He deserves everything he gets out of the game and I wish him the best."
Tupou's career took off in 2013 and has continued to soar in the 11 years since. The winger has played 264 games and became the Roosters all-time leading try scorer late last season. His 163 tries rank him equal eighth on the NRL's record tally.
While he considered departing the club at the end of the season, his irresistible form led to a two-year contract extension and he now looks likely to retire a one-club player.
Tupou's transition from wide-eyed youngster to veteran leader has not gone unnoticed, with a host of emerging players crediting him for helping them develop into NRL stars.
The winger has formed a lethal combination on the left edge with Sua'ali'i in the past few seasons and the centre said Tupou quickly became a mentor and adviser.
"In the four years I've been here he's taken me under his wing," Sua'ali'i said. "He's been my rock to go to for advice and a great mate of mine. He's a special person in my life and it's been great to be playing on his edge.
"He's big for this club. He might not say he's a leader but he's a leader within this club especially for the young Polynesians coming through who look up to him growing up. The things he does off the field are as important as on the field."
Tupou becomes the Roosters greatest try scorer
For everything he's achieved on the field, Tupou has managed to achieve one of the rare feats in rugby league away from it.
No matter who you speak to, nobody has a bad word to say about the veteran.
Tupou credits the behaviours instilled in him by his family and in those early years with the Roosters for helping him develop into the man he is today.
Friend, Cordner and coach Trent Robinson have driven the club's culture throughout the past decade, ensuring members of the squad are more than just good footy players.
It's a legacy he plans to carry forward for the next generation as the Roosters look to build on a solid foundation.
"Robbo is big on making us better football players but more so better men outside the game," Tupou said.
"It's important to be a good person, a good football player and give back to the community. You can be the best player but if you're not a good person you won't be respected as much.
"It's about being a good role model and representing your family. That's how I try to lead. I might not speak as much but if I can lead with my actions and I'm sure the young generation will follow."
