Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is leaving a legacy behind at the Sydney Roosters and it can be evidenced by the work of his fellow front-rowers this year.
The veteran enforcer celebrated his 307th game on Sunday afternoon, breaking the all-time club record that was previously held by Mitchell Aubusson.
Waerea-Hargreaves received a guard of honour as he ran out onto the field and greeted his family at Allianz Stadium in emotional scenes, before turning on his ruthless aggression and helping his side to a 42-12 victory over the Dragons.
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The 35-year-old was sin binned in the first half for a high shot on Max Feagai, before his return to the field ended with him spilling blood in gruesome fashion.
That trademark style of performance is what fans across the game have grown to love or hate about Waerea-Hargreaves, but according to coach Trent Robinson, that was the only way he was going to go about business for the Chooks.
"It was exactly how one of Jared's games should go," he said post-game.
"It was on the line and he obviously went over it there at one point. He was gonna stay true right to the end and I said to the team in there that Jared teaches a lot of us lessons about your true nature and true character and if you're going to honour that.
"Jared knows himself really well and that switch is right there. He knows how to be the family man and he knows that switch straight away and into that mode.
"It's a really nice trait of his. It was wonderful to see him play the game in that way."
Waerea-Hargreaves finished with 148 run metres and 17 tackles against St George Illawarra, highlighted by a running battle with opposition enforcer, Francis Molo.
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But it was his middle-forward partners in crime who did a lot of the damage, as firebrands Spencer Leniu and Terrell May laid a massive platform for the Tricolours.
Both men have gone from strength to strength this year under the guidance of Waerea-Hargreaves and Robinson believes that leadership will hold the club in good stead moving forward when the club's most capped player leaves at the end of 2024.
"There's a front-rowers code and it gets passed on from player to player … he's been doing that for a long time," Robinson said.
"I loved watching him and Molo go at it today, I feel like people want to see that in our game and it was a real beautiful part of the game. The tries are really nice, but the physical battle between those two was great.
"Spencer has got a unique gift and he's been able to show that at Penrith, which is why we were interested in him. I feel like he's been able to express himself as soon as he started playing here. He's playing a bit more time as well and I really like that.
"Terrell May, he's been playing well this season, but this four-week block during Origin he has stood up. He plays so many different styles within the one game and he gets them right most of the time.
"There's obviously those two with Lindsay [Collins] and Naufahu Whyte and I feel like Jared's passed on some things to them, but they are also their own style as well."
Since arriving at Bondi this season, Leniu has turned himself into an Origin player, while May isn't far behind after sitting under the learning tree since 2022.
Roosters captain James Tedesco also heaped praise on Waerea-Hargreaves and says the squad wouldn't want their fearless leader to do things any other way.
"He means so much to this club and this team," Tedesco said.
"It was important for us to really honour that in a special way and we did that.
"It was a standard Jared game, he went after it from the start and sometimes he tips over that line a bit – but we wouldn't have it any other way."
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