The accolades have been pouring in for long-serving Warrior Micheal Luck on the eve of his NRL retirement, but the workaholic lock is typically down-to-earth when assessing his contribution.

He’s flattered by comments such as interim coach Tony Iro’s that “he’s been everything to this club” during his seven seasons in Auckland.

But the 30-year-old Luck rejects suggestions that he will leave an unfillable void when he heads back to his native north Queensland and takes up an off-field role with his former club, the Cowboys.

“We’ve guys here who can do everything I can do, plus more,” he said.

“I think they’re in good stead to replace me, no worries.”

Nevertheless, the statistics reveal the extent of his value to the Warriors, for whom he will make his 150th and final appearance against Canberra at Mt Smart Stadium on Sunday.

A defensive stalwart, Luck averages 38 tackles a game and has topped 900 tackles in a season four times, twice breaking through the 1000 barrier.

He has also spilled plenty of blood for the cause, no more so than in August 2010, when he had his left leg sliced open in accidental contact with Manly second-rower Anthony Watmough’s boot.

Durability in a position of repeated contact has been another hallmark.

Joining the Warriors before the 2006 season after 76 games for North Queensland, he went on to string together 70 appearances in a row before finally being sidelined.

Sadly, after the huge high of being part of the Warriors’ run to the grand final last year, his body hasn’t held up into 2012 and he has been restricted to just five games, mostly off the bench.

He doesn’t begrudge his misfortune of recent months, saying he’s grateful to have been largely injury-free during a 12-season NRL career.

The fact that he’s about to hang up his boots hasn’t yet hit home, and probably won’t until he gets time for quiet reflection on Sunday night.

In the meantime, he’s focused on giving to the Warriors fans, who have endured a club-record equalling seven-match losing streak, some end-of-season cheer against the Raiders.

As for how he wants to be remembered, it’s simply as “a bloke the boys want to play with”.

“It might seem a bit arrogant, but the only people’s opinions I’ve cared about was the 16 other guys on the field with me,” he said.

“Your mum’s always going to say you had a good game, and so will other people, but they don’t know what you’re trying to achieve every week.

“The only blokes that know are the other guys in the shed. If you can come off the field, look them in the eye and say you’ve done everything you can for the result, well, you’ve done your job.”

Luck said his time in Auckland had given him opportunities he wouldn’t have received if he had stayed in Queensland and he hasn’t ruled out possibly returning one day.

“Never say never – we’ll see what happens in the future,” he said.

“If you told me 15 years ago that I would live in Auckland for seven years, I would have thought you were mad.”

Iro, who has been part of the Warriors’ coaching staff during the duration of Luck’s time at the club, is unstinting in his praise.

In his own playing days, Iro plied his trade in England and the NRL, and he said he had never seen a player have so much influence in a club, and not just on the footballing side.

“Everything good we’ve done, he’s had his fingerprints all over,” Iro said.

“He brings everything that a club would want in a player, on and off the field. It’s devastating he’s leaving us.”