The Sydney Roosters are the only NRL-era club to complete six consecutive finals campaigns without reaching a grand final.
Lindsay Collins could end that unwanted association on Friday night by helping defeat the Dolphins in the preliminary final.
The Queensland State of Origin prop has made 10 finals campaigns and three preliminary finals, yet remains without a decider appearance.
Collins played in the Roosters' 2018 finals victories over Cronulla and South Sydney, but Dylan Napa returned from suspension for the grand final.
In 2019, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves reclaimed Collins' place after serving a suspension, having missed the previous week's win over Melbourne.
Collins was also concussed before the 2024 finals match, meaning he would have missed the grand final had the Roosters qualified.
"Those two deserved to be there more than me (in 2018 and 2019). So there wasn't really any moment where it hurt," Collins told AAP.
He said he valued being part of premiership campaigns early in his career rather than dwelling on selection disappointments.
In 2018, Collins remained in contention until the eve of the match, when Cooper Cronk played through a broken scapula and displaced him from the bench.
Coach Trent Robinson later gave Collins his premiership ring in the dressing room.
"But when I look back on it now, it's taken me another seven years," Collins said, adding that he was ready for another opportunity.
Angus Crichton said the Roosters should expect more, with a premiership the only satisfactory finish for him.
"It just shows how hard it is to make a grand final," Collins said, citing consistency, timing, injuries and sustained form.