You'll often hear an athlete spoken about as a 'throwback' or the 'last of his kind', but that's usually due to more overt factors like playing style or athletic prowess.
But with Benji Marshall, it's almost unexplainable. He might be the last of his kind for a bunch of different reasons – and indeed, he may be the last player that the NRL community universally comes together to celebrate.
There was something about Marshall that was impossible to quantify – it wasn't just the tries, the audacious cut-out passes, the step – it's how he's made the sport look.
There have been better players, sure, but has anyone been more influential to the culture of the sport?
If Cameron Smith was Cristiano Ronaldo; a relentless, unstoppable machine that brought success wherever he went, then Benji was Ronaldinho. At times the best in the world, but more a bringer of joy to the viewer than anything tangible.
You don't list Ronaldinho's accolades and trophies, you talk about that free kick against England, or when he made time stand still against Chelsea. And when 2005 comes up, it's not usually to talk about the premiership trophy, it's to talk about the flick pass to Pat Richards.
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It's been 16 years since that moment, and on Sunday, the Rabbitohs' new bench utility will break the record for the biggest gap between grand finals, currently held by his former teammate Lote Tuqiri (2000 with Brisbane and 2014 with Souths).
"It's been so long, I forgot what grand final week was like," Marshall told reporters on Tuesday.
"There's probably a couple of times, especially in the last five years where I looked like my career was over."
Plenty of neutrals have had their allegiance swayed towards the red and green because of one man – but will we ever feel like this again?
You could argue that in the current landscape, it's virtually impossible for a player to be so well-liked. You only have to look at social media arguments, over-saturation and hyper-partisanship from fanbases to explain why.
NBA players like LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo are harangued after every quiet game, despite their repeated success. NFL quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson are branded 'frauds' after every mistake.
And in Australia, talented young guns like Kalyn Ponga and Reece Walsh, who would have been universally vaunted 15 years ago, have their every move picked apart.
Also, there was also something so organic about Benji's rise that simply wouldn't happen today.
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One shudders to think how different Benji and his 'brand' would have been represented by his management had he burst onto the scene in 2020 – not to mention every highlights package on repeat, every panel show discussing his worth ad nauseum.
Not being part of the State of Origin divide certainly helped – no matter what else they did, players like Smith or Greg Inglis or Billy Slater could never earn adoration from those of a sky blue persuasion.
As for Benji – most Australians cheered when he led an unfancied Kiwis squad to World Cup success in 2008, or when he was given the golden boot for the best international player in 2010.
It's not just fans though. You won't find a player with a bad word to say about the 36-year-old, especially his fellow Rabbitohs. And who could forget earlier this year when Martin Taupau admonished his own teammate Moses Suli like a disappointed dad?
The crime? Pushing Marshall's head towards the ground in a scuffle.
"Marty didn't know that [we were joking around]. But me and Moses are pretty tight. I don't mind that," he said at the time.
"Good on him. It's great."
On Sunday night, Marshall may only play a handful of minutes. He may play close to a whole game if Adam Reynolds' groin is worse than Souths are letting on. Either way, it's strange to see so much attention given to a bench player who, as brilliant as he's been, wouldn't rank in the top ten for most important Rabbitohs players this year.
But even though most would agree on that fact, nobody is begrudging him one last moment in the spotlight.
The man himself says his mind isn't made up on playing on next year or not, but one thing is for sure – there will never be anyone like him again.
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