If there were any questions over who should wear NZ Kiwis' No.1 jersey in the near future, Joseph Manu answered every single one of them with his display in Saturday's 26-6 victory over Mate Ma'a Tonga.
After Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's return to rugby union at the start of 2022, the Kiwis were left without a recognised test fullback, and leaving the likes of Canberra Raiders' Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad or Brisbane Broncos' Jamayne Isaako as potential options.
But as test rugby league returned after more than two years away when the Kiwis hosted Tonga at Mt Smart Stadium, coach Michael Maguire's move to play Sydney Roosters centre Manu out of position paid dividends, with one of the most dominant displays in the history of the game.
In 80 minutes against Tonga, Manu ran for 404 metres, made one line break, broke seven tackles, threw two offloads and 15 passes on attack, and completed 100 percent of his three tackles on defence.
For context, the record for most run metres in the history of the NRL is 369 by Parramatta Eels' Clint Gutherson in 2020.
Speaking post-match, Maguire hailed Manu's efforts, as part of an impressive team display that saw several of his players link up on the field for the first time.
"I'm sure that's a record somewhere," Maguire said of Manu's efforts. "He was strong, but I keep going back to [that] they all laid a platform for each other.
"Joey was catching the ball on the full off the back of really good kick pressure. Every forward worked really hard in that department to allow Joey to get it and run the ball back.
"They complemented each other in how they were playing tonight - which is great."
Elsewhere, Kiwis captain Jesse Bromwich labelled Manu's display as one of the best he's seen.
In a career of close to 300 appearances with Melbourne Storm and 30 tests for the Kiwis, Bromwich has played with some of the game's greats.
The 33-year-old has shared the field with Billy Slater and Ryan Papenhuyzen at the Storm, and Tuivasa-Sheck for the Kiwis. But Manu's showing on Saturday ranks among anything the Kiwis skipper has seen, he says.
"It's just crazy," Bromwich said. "I thought his performance was right up there with fullbacks that I've played with.
"It's right up there, just the involvement. He's a different sort of body to the guys I've played with in the past.
"[He has] different strengths to those guys, but it was right up there. He's beating defenders one-on-one, and bringing the ball back with aggression.
"It's really nice to see as a forward, when they put a kick in behind, and you turn around and your fullback is just flying back and getting rid of people whenever he felt like it.
"I don't want to put a number on it, but he was right up there [with] one of the best performances I've seen from a fullback - and that's saying something.
"We've got a really good fullback at our club right now, and Joey Manu's right up there."
With the Rugby League World Cup drawing nearer, Manu might not get any further chances to impress at fullback for the Roosters, having to play second fiddle to New South Wales captain James Tedesco.
Maguire, though, has seen everything he needs to be convinced Manu is the man to wear the No.1 as the Kiwis bid to win the World Cup for the first time since 2008 later this year.
"He hasn't been playing [fullback] too often at club land," Maguire added. "If he can turn up each time and do that, I'll be happy with that."
The Rugby League World Cup begins on October 15, with the Kiwis to face Lebanon, Jamaica and Ireland in the group stage.
