Cronulla were down by 14 when they dropped the ball on the hour-mark and Paul Gallen, sitting on the bench in a puffy jacket, put his head in his hands.
Minutes later, the Sharks were pinged for a high tackle.
And Gallen, the man who famously skippered the club to their maiden premiership three years ago, sunk a little deeper into his plastic chair.
Perhaps it was at this moment, on a brisk Saturday night in Manly, that arguably the greatest Shark realised his career was over.
After 348 games, Father Time had finally defeated the NRL’s oldest player.
The Sea Eagles played a major role in his ending, too, defying their depleted line-up to produce one of the bravest finals upsets in recent memory.
Gallen was famously crowned Wally Lewis medallist after leading NSW to a drought-breaking State of Origin triumph in 2014.
But the 38-year-old was near powerless to stop the Sea Eagles’ ambush.
He was substituted after 32 minutes and curiously didn’t re-enter the game until Brendan Elliot sealed the victory with eight minutes left.
He finished with just 51 metres from eight runs, with one offload and 18 tackles – a far cry from the dizzying numbers he delivered on a weekly basis in his prime.
“It’s been the story of our year, really. We spoke about being resilient and holding them out,” a shattered Gallen told the Nine Network after the match.
“It’s all got to come to an end. I’ve had a terrific career. I’ve had a great time at this club. It is what it is … that’s it.
“Thanks very much the Sharkies fans. You’ve been unreal. You’ve shown me loyalty, I’ve shown you loyalty. Thanks for the past 20 years, Cronulla.”
A three-time Dally M lock of the year, Gallen also bows out with 32 Tests for Australia and 24 State of Origin matches for NSW.
GALLEN: ONE OF THE SHARKS’ GREATS
* Makes NRL debut against Parramatta in round 15, 2001
* 348 games in 19 seasons (most games for the Sharks, and outright sixth most in NRL history), including 204 as Sharks skipper
* Captained Sharks to maiden NRL premiership in 2016
* 32 Tests for Australia
* 24 State of Origin games for NSW, including a record 16 as captain
* Wally Lewis medallist in 2014
* Three-time Dally M lock of the year.
