You could forgive Troy Pieper for still being filthy with Dapto coach Blake Wallace. Grand final opportunities are hard enough to come by without being sidelined the week of the big dance.
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That was Pieper's fate back in 2016 when, having spent the vast majority of the season under then coach Michael Henderson in the Dapto No. 6, he was forced out of the grand final 17... by Wallace.
The current Dapto boss had spent the bulk of 2016 with the all-conquering Illawarra Cutters under current Rabbitohs head coach Jason Demetriou, but featured in enough games in Canaries garb to qualify for the grand final.
It saw Pieper forced out of the Dapto 17 just days after wearing the No. 6 in the prelim final victory that booked the Canaries grand final berth.
He subsequently set his sights on the reserve grade decider until, in what became one of those sensational grand-final-week stories, Wallace was rubbed out of the contest having not met the qualification requirements.
Pieper was back in, until he wasn't. The club ultimately sought legal advice that saw Wallace re-instated with a day to spare to play a key role in Dapto's 28-16 win over Wests.
"We were in the semis and I'd played nearly the whole year," Pieper recalls.
"We had a really, really good side and Hendo (Henderson) was chopping and changing who was in the halves with Beauy.
"I played all the way up to the end then it came to grand final time and Wally got dropped from in town and knocked me out of the grand final.
"Then we didn't know if he was going to be in or out. I think he even had a court case to get cleared. I just took it in my stride, whether I was in or I was out, I just did my job.
"When Wally came back in it was all good. That's footy, I went back and captained reserve grade and led them to a comp there. Wally even gave his medal away to David Jones, our president, so that shows the type of bloke he is."
Pieper doesn't think a lot of it these days, but current coach Wallace has never forgotten it, saying it's an illustration of his skipper's selflessness through what will be 100 first grade games for the club come Saturday's clash with De La Salle.
"He's my skipper for a reason," Wallace said.
"He's exactly what you want your young boys coming through looking at. If you're looking for an example, I'll have him any day of the week.
"He's had some tough times here, he missed out on a grand final in 2016 because I came back. He didn't bat an eyelid, he just went and did his job in reserve grade and won one there.
"He's a club person, it's all about 'what can make the team better?' His position's changed this year, he's gone to fullback for me.
"For him to play his 100th first grade for Dapto, I'm that proud of him. I've known him my whole life, grown up with him so I know. He's a true leader and I'm really happy for him.
"I've got no doubt we'll be up for it for him."
There's few things Pieper hasn't experienced in his time with the club, having debuted under Chris Leikvoll in 2014 as wiry winger before drifting into the halves.
He was a part of the subsequent golden era under Henderson, and has regularly been the club's best through testing rebuilds in recent years.
Throw in a global pandemic and it's been a helluva ride to game one hundred.
"COVID knocked two years over here at Dapto so I probably should be there already, but it's a super proud achievement for me," Pieper said.
"It's my junior club, there's some great names to have played 100 games or 150 games here. Not many have done it, but the names that are there are pretty special.
"I came through as a young kid and even got dropped with Penny (Leikvoll) a couple of games there. I started on the wing and then made my way into the halves and he instilled belief in me to become a half, which I'd never done before.
"I've had some good players in front of me at different times but I've never shied away from it. I had Hendo and Beauy (Henry) there to guide me and then another rebuild with Penny.
"Even Wally coming back's been a bit of a rebuild but it's awesome to finally string a few wins together."
For the record, it's four wins on the trot to reboot the club's finals chances after a horror 1-7 start to their campaign.
After knocking off Thirroul, Wests and Collegians in consecutive weeks, the Canaries are eyeing the remaining member of the big four in De La Salle at the Showground this week.
"The belief's there, Wally just keeps drilling it into us," Pieper said.
"He's just so positive and we know we can do it. We're proving it to each other out there. Every game we've won there's been a try in it, but we're coming out on the right end of that now.
"We keep getting doubted, but we just keep turning up and the boys will be up for it again this week. De La are on a bit of a roll, they've had two good wins in a row.
"They gave West a bit of a touch up [last week]. They'll have their tails up after that, so it's going to be a hell of a game."
Elsewhere on Saturday, Collegians return home for the first time in five weeks to host a Thirroul side looking to maintain their one-game's breathing space from the surging Canaries.
At Ziems Park Wests will be looking to halt a four-game losing slide against Corrimal, with the Cougars desperate to notch a breakthrough win with three games remaining.
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Mitch Jennings
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
