Johnathan Thurston has played his final State of Origin game in Sydney, farewelling a crowd that has spent over a decade jeering him, eternally frustrated by his enormous talent.
His final performance was a perfect example of why the Sydney crowd hate him so passionately, as he conspired once again to break their collective hearts in an effort which earned the highest praise from his captain Cameron Smith.
"He's got nearly every joint in his body strapped up tonight, he's a warrior isn't he?" Smith said after the match.
"Some of the things he has gone through in his career and to still be able to play at this level is quite remarkable.
"His body is not 100 percent, there is no doubt about that, but he just finds a way, he finds a way to get himself up for these games and makes things happen."
It was a courageous display, as Thurston was clearly favouring his injured right shoulder through most of the match. At times during the second half his right arm hung limply by his side as he tried to rally his teammates to one last effort. He struggled in defence as New South Wales targeted him with their ball runners, perhaps not often enough. But he was there till the end, driving them forward.
There were moments during the match where the crowd suspected time was finally catching up with one of the game's greatest ever players. Ten minutes before the break, with New South Wales well in control, Thurston took the ball near the halfway line on the last tackle. He launched a bomb high into the Sydney sky and ten metres over the sideline on the full. The crowd roared.
Three minutes into the second half he took the ball near the halfway line again, changed direction and stumbled to his knees before throwing what looked to be a forward pass. Again the crowd roared its approval.
Still he battled on and with more than a little help from fellow Origin I absentee, Billy Slater, steered Queensland toward another brilliant come-from-behind victory.
As Dane Gagai dived over near the corner to level the scores at 16, the crowd fell silent. As Thurston lined up the difficult kick needed to put them ahead, the crowd noise grew to a new height, trying to mess with the concentration of the champion half. It was an almost deafening roar that Smith noted.
"As good as the effort was tonight from everyone, the play that got us the win was that goal kick," Smith said.
"I don't know how many people would have put that over, I couldn't hear myself think and I was waiting back on the goal line for the kick-off, he's a special player."
Thurston took his time and slotted the ball between the posts to put Queensland ahead by two points, with just two minutes remaining. Again the crowd fell silent. As time ran out, Thurston raised his one good arm in triumph.
"I'm sure he went through hell tonight to play out that 80 minutes for the team, but that's what the great players do," Smith concluded.
It was Thurston's 37th Origin game and produced his 24th victory. If his shoulder is up to it, he will have a chance to win his 11th series out of 13 attempts when he heads to Suncorp Stadium for the decider in three weeks.
He will take his final Origin curtain in front of an adoring home crowd and if things go to script he'll finish an incredible Origin career with one or more arms raised again in triumph.