Ben Johnston will always be a Royals grand final hero, but something was missing when he stepped, jinked and weaved his way through defenders to score the try to end a 24-year premiership drought.
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Johnston's grandfather Nicholas Els, a pioneer of junior rugby in Goulburn and well respected in the capital, died on Christmas Day three years ago.
So when Johnston got the ball against Tuggeranong in the 2015 grand final and Royals trailed by one point after the siren, his mum, Elsabel, looked to the sky and asked for some help.
"My mum can tell you a few stories about that grand final. She reckons she looked up just before I scored and said, 'give him some wings'," Johnston grinned.
That's why Johnston got emotional earlier this week when he won the Anderson trophy for sportsmanship and noticed Els' name on the same award as the winner in 1960 and 1965.
It's also the reason Johnston is so keen to chase another John I Dent Cup title when Royals play Wests in the grand final at Viking Park on Saturday.
"I didn't get to see [Els] before he passed away. So to have my name on the same trophy as him is awesome, especially after everything I've heard about him [when he was playing rugby]," Johnston said.
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"He's a big reason why I play rugby and for me, that's really special. Everything I've done around the club this year has been for our club. And the club has done a lot for me over 13 years, I can't thank them enough and if I can give back in anyway, I will."
Royals are undefeated and can become the first team since 2004 to complete a perfect season if they beat Wests.
But Johnston's season has been about more than scoring tries and winning games. He decided it was time to repay Royals and his teammates for his 13-year career.
He helped organise a charity day to support OzHelp, a Canberra-based organisation raises awareness for suicide prevention.
The sale of one-off jerseys raised more than $13,000 and started an important conversation at the Phillip-based club that they don't have to be bulletproof.
He also started rebuilding the link between Royals seniors and juniors, inviting young players to be a part of the first-grade experience.
"There were a few mental health issues going around in our club, so we wanted to make a difference this year," Johnston said.
"Maybe we'll touch one person and prevent something serious, then that's enough. I'm still learning, this is my second year as a captain.
"I didn't ever want to be a captain. But this year I've really enjoyed every moment of it. I love this club, so if I can make it enjoyable, hopefully others stay around."
Johnston, who was the John I Dent Cup leading try-scorer this year, arrived at the Royals not long after the club went bankrupt and was struggling to find its feet on and off the field.
He still remembers being a wide-eyed rookie and losing a clash against Wests 80-0.
When Johnston scored the winning try in the grand final two years ago, it sparked wild celebrations as Royals won their first premiership since 1991.
They've been the most dominant team in the competition this year, scoring almost 700 points in 14 games on their way to the grand final.
They are bracing for the departure of several players, including Tom Staniforth and Brendan Woodward, while flanker Luke Kimber will miss the match because of suspension.
"I guess we are on the verge of something special, and that's amazing. But now we've got to finish it off," Johnston said.
"We want to win the premiership, that's why we're here. But we want our players to become better players off the field. I think our season has been built on that."
Meanwhile, Ben Coutts and Kimber have been ruled out despite a final attempt to overturn their suspension on Friday.
Wests and Royals argued the definition of "a season" after both players accumulated three yellow cards and were suspended for the grand final.
However, an ARU directive said the regular season and finals were not counted separately and Coutts and Kimber's bans would still be enforced.
JOHN I DENT CUP GRAND FINAL
Saturday: Royals v Wests at Viking Park, 3.25pm.
Royals: 15. Andy Muirhead, 14. Ben Johnston, 13. Jason Swain, 12. Jamie Bodman, 11. Seth Going, 10. Brent Hamlin, 9. Pedro Rolando, 8. Brendan Woodward, 7. Alex Verass, 6. Tom Cusack, 5. Tom Staniforth, 4. Mike Fakava, 3. Joel Penders, 2. Connal McInerney, 1. Faalelei Sione. Reserves: 16. Sam Samuelu, 17. Feleti Kaihea, 18. Jethro Felemi, 19. Sam Carter, 20. TBC, 21. Matt Cole, 22. Angus Le Lievre, 23. George Morseu.
Wests: 15. Joel Astle, 14. Junior Luteru, 13. Brodie Leber, 12. Nick Jooste, 11. Tui Samuelu, 10. Te Campbell, 9. Chris Ashmore, 8. Bruce Kaino, 7. Angus Allen, 6. Mitch Tye, 5. Liam Rasch, 4. Kawa Leauma, 3. Marco Cecere, 2. TP Luteru, 1. Harry Lloyd (c). Reserves: 16. Matt Towards, 17. Joel Maloud, 18. Troy Takiari, 19. Sam Allen, 20. Ryan Kiely, 21. Geoff Cox, 22. Charlie Luteru, 23. Karl Ropati.
Lower grades
Second grade: Tuggeranong Vikings v Queanbeyan Whites at Viking Park field No. 1, 1.25pm.
Women's: Tuggeranong Viqueens v Royals at Viking Park field No. 2, 1.15pm.
Colts: Gungahlin Eagles v Queanbeyan Whites at Viking Park No. 1, 11.35.
First division first grade: Gungahlin Eagles v Tuggeranong Vikings at Viking Park No. 2, 11.25am.
First division second grade: Tuggeranong Vikings v Queanbeyan Whites at Viking Park No. 2, 9.35am.
