Trent Robinson knows the wild tendencies of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves can often be misunderstood, but he says the prop deserves to stand among the pantheon of great front-rowers rugby league has witnessed.
On Sunday against St George Illawarra, Waerea-Hargreaves will become the most capped player in Roosters history, surpassing Mitchell Aubusson to play his 307th game for the Bondi club.
There must be a part of Robinson that wonders if it were not for the star's fiery streak and frequent visits to the NRL judiciary whether he would have got there sooner.
Waerea-Hargreaves has always toed a fine line between legalised ferocity and unhinged brutality, but Robinson says the New Zealander’s win-at-all-costs attitude is what makes him a great of the game.
“When I think of front row, and I think of people that have affected not only their generation but generations to come, I think Jared will be one of those along with Arthur Beetson and Ray Stehr,” Robinson said.
“He has always carried an energy about him.
“He’s an emotional guy who leads from the heart.”
Waerea-Hargreaves has always been a contradiction, with teammate Angus Crichton summing it up best this week when he said: “Jared is probably the only Maori to live in Mosman”.
The front-row enforcer's on-field aggression is contrasted with a softly-spoken and humble personality off it.
Robinson said: “We get more emails about Jared than anybody else, ‘Hey, I met this guy that I didn't like yesterday but I felt I needed to write to tell you how much I really enjoyed the time with him’.
"It's a common occurrence and that's what makes him a special rugby league player.”
Roosters chairman Nick Politis noted the change in Waerea-Hargreaves from when he arrived at the club in 2010 as a “pretty fancy” kid with a diamond stud in his ear to the man he is today.
“Now he struts around like a true warrior … people may see him as a dirty player but off the field he’s a gentle giant,” Politis said.
Robinson has spent a fair chunk of time sticking up for the prop’s fiery antics but he’s also appreciative of how, even when the Roosters have been undermanned or needed a leader, the prop has stood tall.
Two seasons ago, in a game against Melbourne, he went after Nelson Asofa-Solomona and made it known who was top dog.
In 2021, when the Roosters were desperately low on troops he was forced to churn through 80-minute performances week after week.
“Jared just said, ‘I’ve got this’, and carried the load,” Robinson said.
“There's been fire and brimstone moments where he has decided to turn it on and take on an opponent, sometimes it's gone too far but more often than not he's got it right.”
Waerea-Hargreaves will leave for Super League club Hull KR at the end of this season, but with a fourth premiership in his sights the 35-year-old has shown no signs of toning down the intensity.
His impact nowadays is less about the numbers he churns out in the middle and more about his spiritual presence.
The prop will wear a jersey with a golden No.8 to commemorate his 308th game for the club after receiving a haka from his teammates.
Among them was Joey Manu in a sling, the strike centre racing to Allianz Stadium on Wednesday hours after having hand surgery to pay tribute to his fellow countryman.
“He’s one of the main reasons we’ve kept a core culture … it’s a unique gift he’s got and he has done that for 15 years,” Robinson said.
