He might not be the headline act of this wonderful Melbourne Storm side, but the success is as sweet for Dale Finucane as it is for anyone.
This was Finucane's fourth grand final, but before kick-off against the Cowboys he had yet to taste premiership glory — but after a fine try-scoring performance as part of a dominant team, that has all changed now.
"It's the best feeling ever, it's so surreal," Finucane told the ABC.
"To be involved in those other three and lose them is obviously really disappointing, but to perform the way we did as a team tonight, and to send some of the guys out who are leaving our club is just the best feeling ever."
One of the guys leaving, of course, is Cooper Cronk, whose influence on the Storm throughout his NRL career has been immeasurable.
Finucane admitted the desire to help Cronk and co to one last Storm premiership was a driving force throughout grand final week.
"We spoke about that this week — Cooper, and obviously the other guys we've got moving on to other clubs as well," he said.
"To send him out a winner is just the best feeling ever, and to win a grand final and to do it with this bunch of guys is just the best feeling ever."
Storm coach Craig Bellamy also couldn't help but speak of the emotion of Cronk's departure and the impact it had on Melbourne's preparation.
But the experienced mastermind behind so much of the Storm's success knew it would take more than good vibes to win the game.
"It's been an emotional fortnight really, but we've tried to put that to the side this week," Bellamy said.
"It's great to see him go like this — or go out for our club, I don't know what he will do. But he's been a wonderful, wonderful player for a club and greatly deserves this.
"We knew the Cowboys weren't going to beat themselves, and we knew we'd have to come out here and play well.
"I was really happy with the way we just approached the game, approached our build up. They played great."
