Australian flyer Bevan French has ended a triumphant week in which he was voted British rugby league's top player by helping Wigan beat Catalans Dragons 10-2 in the Super League grand final at Old Trafford.
But as French and fellow former Parramatta Eel Jai Field celebrated Wigan's win in Manchester on Saturday, there was to be no fairytale ending to the career of Aussie playmaker Mitchell Pearce, who couldn't inspire the Dragons to become the first French winners of the British game's top prize.
"The celebrations have gone on longer than the game," beamed the triumphant French, who had started the week by being crowned the Man of Steel as the League's star performer of the season.
"I'm really proud of getting the win here. Every lesson we've come across this year we've seemed to come out the other end.
"In the last couple of seasons, when we got challenged in tough grinding games that's when we seemed to fall off - but not this time."
The versatile French said his friends and family back home in Tingha, NSW, would have stayed up into the early hours to savour the best moment of his career.
"It's five or six in the morning there and everyone will be having beers. I hope they're up enjoying it as much as we are," he said.
Liam Marshall proved the match-winner, grabbing the only try of an attritional game, as Wigan ran out fairly convincing winners of a sixth Super League crown, and their first in five years.
It was an anti-climactic end to the career of two fine performers - Pearce, 10 years since he won an NRL grand final with the Sydney Roosters, and England star Sam Tomkins, whose dream was shattered by his former club.
Two yellow cards proved fatal for the Perpignan side, who lost their second final in three years.
Australian Adam Keighran was sent to the sin bin midway through the first half for a tip tackle and Tom Davies after the break for an intentional block on Marshall.
Pearce had his moments in his farewell appearance, not least when he produced a remarkable try-saving tackle to hold up Liam Farrell.
But the man whose controversy-riddled career has enjoyed a welcome upturn since moving to the south of France trooped off in the 67th minute having failed to provide the spark the Dragons needed.
French and Field, the pair who have become cult figures at Wigan, nearly combined for a memorable try, but Field's pass that sent his friend over the try line was clearly forward.
But just two minutes later, Wigan delivered the coup de grace on their French opponents with Farrell setting up Marshall to go over.
Leading 8-2 at the hour mark, another mistake from Keighran - this time a high tackle on Tyler Dupree - gifted Smith the chance to lift Wigan into an irretrievable two-score lead.
