Two premierships, a world cup, a State of Origin series win - there aren't many boxes James Maloney hasn't ticked in his distinguished career.
But five weeks out from a seventh straight finals campaign, the Penrith veteran is being driven by a new challenge: leading an NRL team to the promised land.
Despite being at the club less than a year, Maloney is their captain after injury forced first-choice skipper Peter Wallace to retire mid-season.
And with the Panthers trying to shake off inconsistent form heading into the finals, it's a role Maloney has embraced.
"It's an exciting time for me," he said.
"A leadership role, being captain of a club like this, it's pretty special. And to take a group of young guys who are so talented and keen, it's an exciting challenge."
It's why the 32-year-old dragged his body onto the field for last week's historic comeback win over Manly despite carrying foot, hand and back issues stemming for State of Origin.
"I probably should've (rested) on the weekend but it would've been a last-minute sort of thing so it wasn't ideal," Maloney said.
"I had some conversations with (coach Anthony Griffin) about how we're going now. Hopefully the worst of it is over and we can get on the mend and play some good footy come semis."
Crucially for the Panthers, Maloney has plenty of experience.
Except for his rookie season where he played just four games for Melbourne (who won the grand final), the only time he's missed the finals was in 2011 with the Warriors.
That's why he's refusing to panic about the Panthers' inconsistency and is confident they can match it with the likes of Melbourne and the Roosters.
"They're playing really good footy at the moment but the grand final is nine weeks away," Maloney said.
"It's not about the footy you play now, it's about the footy you're playing then.
"When the semis come, you need to be able to turn it, the energy and everything, up a notch."
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