Isaah Yeo is set to break the record as Penrith's most-capped player in the preliminary final against Cronulla, but the Panthers co-captain doubts he'll hold it for long.
Since August 2001, Penrith's 1991 grand final-winning five-eighth Steve Carter had boasted the most premiership games for the Panthers, retiring later that season with 243 to his name.
Inspirational lock Yeo equalled Carter's mark in the 30-10 qualifying-final defeat of the Sydney Roosters two Fridays ago, but will enter rarefied air when he runs out for a 244th time in the grand-final qualifier at Accor Stadium on Saturday night.
Yeo said he could thank starting in first grade as a 19-year-old and a charmed run of fitness - the lock has played more than 20 games in nine of his 11 seasons - for his milestone.
"Touchwood, but I've been pretty lucky with injuries and that sort of stuff. I debuted young, that always helps," Yeo told AAP.
"I've just been fortunate along the way, but it's probably not something you focus on too much."
But Yeo doubts whether 23 more years will pass before another Panther leapfrogs him atop the leaderboard.
By the time his contract runs out at the end of 2027, Yeo could be the first player to reach 300 games at the Panthers.
But the Panthers have already begun laying the groundwork for the next generation of players to remain at the club for life, with young stars Izack Tago and Jesse and Casey McLean all signed through to 2028.
Teenagers Luron Patea and Blaize Talagi also hold deals at the Panthers through to 2027 and are seen as vital to future success.
"I certainly won't be having it (the record) for as long as Steve Carter had it, he's had it for 20-odd years, I think I'll be passed pretty quick," Yeo said.
"But it's obviously something I'll be really proud of, my family will be really proud of."
Yeo has hit finals in better form than any other Panthers forward and remains the gold standard of the modern ball-playing lock, both a powerful runner and a silky link man between the edges.
Ahead of his milestone, teammates lauded Yeo as a mentor, the club's heart-and-soul across three, and possibly four, consecutive premiership seasons.
"Ask anyone and he's such a huge role model for all of us coming through," second-rower Liam Martin told AAP.
"Especially him being a country boy, he was the first person that I was like, 'Oh wow', when I first got to the club (from Temora).
"I was in awe of him, I still am, just the way that he carries himself at training, outside of footy, everything. He's just incredible. It's really special to play alongside him and call him a mate."
The preliminary final with the Sharks could be Jarome Luai's last alongside Yeo before the five-eighth joins Wests Tigers next season.
"He's the father of our team, he's the father of our club," Luai said in tribute.
"I'm trying to do a good job for my old mate."
