Three minor premierships, one grand final victory and representative honours.

In three seasons with the Sydney Roosters, James Maloney has enjoyed plenty of highlights.

But the 29-year-old five-eighth’s Bondi stint has ended on a sour note after Brisbane’s 31-12 defeat of the Roosters in Friday’s NRL preliminary final at Suncorp Stadium.

The loss was Maloney’s last game in a Roosters jersey before heading south to the Sutherland Shire to join Cronulla from next season.

“The minor premierships … they’re all well and good and you sorta go, ‘oh, that’s great’ but it’s not something we ever focus on,” Maloney told AAP.

“We know there’s one trophy that counts and that’s the one next week. We fell short of that. It’s disappointing.

“I don’t think where you come from in the lead-up changes anything. There’s definitely a lot of potential in that side and we probably didn’t capitalise on it.”

Despite the disappointment, Maloney says he leaves the Roosters happy and he’s also excited by the new adventure ahead.

“I’ve had good times, good memories,” he said.

“I’ve had a lot of success here and made some really good mates that I’ll stay in contact with forever.

“It’s sad but I suppose there’s a fresh challenge awaiting and that’s a bit exciting as well.”