That is how it worked out for Solomon Pole, who will bring up his 150th premier game today.
The powerfully built former loose forward and occasional lock has transitioned into the front row this season.
But for most of his club career he has slotted in at the back of the scrum or on the side of it.
He is a devastating ball-carrier. You basically need a wall of defenders to stop him.
That ability to bulldoze his way through defenders culminated with a three-year professional gig in Japan.
The 32-year-old also had a stint with North Otago in the Heartland Championship in 2014. He played three games.
But his favourite rugby memories have all been with Harbour.
The 2018 final is at the top of the list, although it is also bittersweet memory.
The Hawks and University battled to a 30-30 draw. Even 20 minutes of extra time could not separate the teams.
"We had them," Pole said with a wee shake of the head.
"But our first five had to go for that drop goal."
"We didn’t lose or win, but it felt like a title. But when people keep bringing up that it was shared, that is when it started to change.
"But I felt like we won at the time."
It was Harbour’s first and only title. They had lost the 2017 final to Southern 24-15.
This year has been hard going, though. The Hawks have been on the wrong side of some lopsided scorelines.
They have lost five consecutive games, but Pole remains optimistic they can claw their way back.
"We’ve had a lot of injuries and we’ve had sickness," he said.
"I was in Auckland for two weeks and was reading the scores and I wasn’t happy with it. But we have the personnel. We just need to click as a team and get that ball rolling."
They will field a stronger team today against Southern at Watson Park for his 150th game.
The milestone came as "a shock" to Pole.
It was not his radar until the Hawks manager Brian Greer mentioned it a few weeks ago.
"I had flashbacks then," he chuckled.
Those early flashbacks featured a different strip altogether. The former Wesley College pupil made his way to Dunedin in 2011 and played for Pirates.
His cousin, Hale T-Pole, told him "Paul Miller will look after you". Miller, a former All Black, was coaching Pirates at the time.
Pole played 65 games for the South Dunedin club but the plan was always to play for Harbour alongside his cousin once he returned from an overseas stint.
His debut for Pirates is lost to the mist of time. All he can remember is he slotted in at lock.
But he has faced some good opponents over the years. TJ Ioane and Gareth Evans stick out as particularly tough.
Outside of rugby he is a mean table tennis player and enjoys a game of chess. He is also a youth worker for Oranga Tamariki and a support worker at Sara Cohen School.
He is your classic gentle giant — the type to smash you to the ground on the field and give you a warm handshake off it.
Two hundred is the next milestone but Pole is not sure he will get there.
"I’m staying this year. But this is the first time in all my years I’ve actually thought about hanging up the boots."
It seems the closer you get to the front of the scrum, the closer you get to retirement. But Pole is excited by the change and spent the offseason preparing for the move.
"We’re ready to take on Southern," he said.
