A master of the niggle and a lover of the physical side of the game, Hodges has walked a fine line during his 256-game NRL career that finished just four seconds short of fairy tale grand final swansong.

It was not to be with Queensland teammate and close friend Jonathan Thurston instead claiming his piece of history with a golden-point field goal to hand the Cowboys faithful their maiden NRL title.

It soured his own farewell but it’s hard to imagine any skipper handling such a gut-wrenching loss with more class than Hodges showed in the aftermath.

 “My boys gave everything and that’s all I could ask for as a leader,” Hodges said.

‘‘We didn’t get the result we wanted but in my eyes it was never about winning the grand final.

“It was about getting here and whatever happened happened. 

‘‘My dream was to get back here and I’m back here and it’s all thanks to my mates.

‘‘I couldn’t be prouder of my boys.’’

His heartbreak was collateral damage in Thurston’s final claim to greatness but Hodges joined the chorus of praise for his long-time Queensland teammate post-match.

‘‘His legacy in my eyes is one of the greatest players to ever play our game,’’ Hodges said.

‘‘I think he’s proven that time and time again.

‘‘I’m happy for Thursto, he’s carried the whole of Townsville on his back and I couldn’t be happier for him.’’