When Sam Tomkins was named Man of Steel for 2021, the Catalans Dragons full-back joined an elite group of players to have claimed the accolade more than once.
Three-time winner and current Man of Steel chairman Ellery Hanley, plus two-time winners Paul Sculthorpe and Andy Farrell are the only others - and none of them had a nine-year gap between their first and second wins.
Tomkins receiving this year's prize is acknowledgement of his role in helping Catalans Dragons win Super League's League Leaders' Shield and reach the Grand Final for the first time in their history, which in turn has come from the way the 32-year-old's attributes have been utilised by head coach Steve McNamara.
"The way the team has played has allowed him to do what he's best at," Catalans second row Joel Tomkins said of his brother.
"The reason we've been successful this year is because everybody has got a clear job and they're happy to do that job.
"Our wingers' job is to get us out of yardage and do those hard carries, and Sam's is to do the stuff at the other end, make the right decisions and make sure our plays come off and we score tries on the back of it.
"He makes the right decisions nine times out of 10 and if he's got a three on two, he normally picks the right pass and he's a calming influence on the rest of the outside backs."
Just how Tomkins has been used is emphasised by the fact fellow outside back Tom Davies made more metres (3,332) during the regular season that any other player in Super League, with fellow wide-man Fouad Yaha (2,626 metres) also in the top 10.
The full-back's impact at the other end of the field can be shown in that he provided a competition third-highest 20 try assists - Dragons team-mate Josh Drinkwater led the way with 28 - and crossed for 10 tries of his own.
It is not just ways measurable by statistics he has exerted his influence on the side, with up-and-coming French prospect Arthur Mourgue, who has filled in at full-back when Tomkins has been absent, grateful for the advice the England international has given him.
"Sam's influence is everything for me," Mourgue said. "I play this game the best I can and he's the right example.
"He is very open; in training he is always giving advice and he's very smart. He sees play before everybody else, he sees the space."
Tomkins, a three-time Grand Final winner across his two spells with Wigan Warriors, was absent from last Thursday's 28-10 win at home to Hull Kingston Rovers, which booked Catalans' place at Old Trafford, due to a knee injury but was optimistic of being fit in time to face St Helens on Saturday evening.
For their part, Saints are preparing for all possibilities as they bid for a third Grand Final triumph in a row and their No. 1 Lachlan Coote is well aware of the challenges they will be posed by Tomkins should he take his place in the starting line-up as expected.
"He's just a great footballer," Coote said. "He's instinctive, plays off the cuff and is a great runner of the ball as well.
"I think he's a big threat for Catalans and is a big indicator as well. If we can keep him at bay, we'll go a long way to getting the win."
"We'll definitely prepare for all scenarios. For the player that he is and for them to be in their first Grand Final, I can't see him sitting out."