The 35-year-old recently closed the curtains on an emphatic career that saw him win two NRL premierships, a State of Origin series, and rack up almost 300 games at the professional level.

What makes Maloney's path to the sport's pinnacle so impressive is that he had nothing handed to him.

Sure, he was given opportunities by an array of different clubs, but he was never your prodigy-type player who was destined to succeed... he had to work for every ounce of it.

After coming through the ranks with Orange's St Joseph's Sheahan, Maloney moved to the Central Coast where he played junior footy with the Ourimbah Magpies and St Edward's Bears, before linking with Parramatta in the lead-up to the 2007 season.

When Maloney first took the field for the Eels' feeder club (Wentworthville Magpies), he was 21 years old.

This seems young, but many modern-day NRL stars are first introduced to the top grade much earlier than this.

Even though Maloney played a crucial role in the Magpies' premiership-winning run in 2008, he was shown the door the following off-season.

It would have been easy for Maloney to call it quits then and there. He was 22 years old, playing reserve-grade footy away from home, and was just told he wouldn't be needed at the club he'd made a home at... a tough pill to swallow.

But, he didn't stop there.

Maloney was thrown a lifeline by Craig Bellamy at the Melbourne Storm where he again became a staple of the club's feeder group, the Central Coast Storm.

He made his debut in the top grade in round 5, 2009, but was again told to look for other teams at the end of the season.

Before his 23^rd birthday, Maloney had faced more adversity than the majority of your dual premiership-winning NRL stars.

'Jimmy' first made inroads in the top grade when he arrived at the New Zealand Warriors - his third destination.

After a breakthrough season at Auckland in 2010, Maloney led the Warriors to a grand-final berth against Manly in 2011, before another cracking campaign in 2012.

He made a name for himself with precision kicking - both off the tee and with the drop punt - as well as an electrifying running game from the five-eighth position.

Maloney's play attracted the attention of the Sydney Roosters as the tri colours picked him up for the 2013 season. As it turned out, this was a club-changing decision.

Maloney was the league's top point-scorer that year, and after guiding the squad to grand-final berth against Manly, Maloney set up two tries and kicked five goals in the show-stopping 26-18 premiership victory.

This was also the year he made his State of Origin debut for the Blues, a team he'd eventually play 14 games for.

At this point, Maloney had already achieved more than many would have expected of him.

He spent the next two seasons as one of the Roosters' best players, continuing to develop and gain trust from head coach Trent Robinson.

After making a vital contribution to the Roosters' rise to the top of the league's power rankings, Maloney made the move to the Sutherland shire, linking with the Sharks on a two-year deal.

This was the club that had gone almost 50 seasons without a premiership... until Maloney arrived.

This relatively normal lad from regional New South Wales had again helped an NRL club reach the game's greatest height... a first-grade premiership.

Penrith came knocking in the lead-up to the 2018 season, and Maloney made his debut that season at the foot of the mountains, acting as a mentor for fast-rising halfback Nathan Cleary, a player who is widely considered the game's best halfback today.

After a sound stint at Penrith, Super League club Catalans Dragons picked him up on a three-year deal starting in 2020.

The flying five-eighth was immediately one of the side's marquee players, featuring in 14 games for the side in 2020 before being knocked out in the semis.

This season will be the last of Maloney's career and as it stands, he's still one of the game's most influential players.

Maloney is the league's top point scorer and top goal kicker, towering over the second-placed Rhyse Martin.

Environment doesn't' seem to matter too much with Maloney... if he's on the team, he's going to have an impact.

And that's one of Maloney's most admirable traits... no matter what club he's been with, he's always elevated the level of those around him.

You can't use the Sydney Roosters system as a reason for Maloney's success there, and you can't say he was only good at Cronulla due to a star-studded roster.

A more reasonable case to make is this... These clubs were drastically aided in their premiership runs by James Maloney.

So, if you're a young player who wants to make it to the pros, and you're looking for a lesson in resilience, hard work and determination, take a look at what James Maloney's done. He's gone from a normal kid at St Joseph's Sheahan, to one of the most impactful players of this generation.

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