The realisation had already set in for Zane Tetevano long before Tom Grant flashed the red card his way on Friday night. The powerhouse Kiwi panted heavily, unable to stop shaking his head as he awaited his fate following the horror tackle that decked Konrad Hurrell in the closing stages of Leeds Rhinos' defeat to St Helens.
Even as he trotted off the pitch the disbelief at what he had just done was clearly circling in his mind. Tetevano, Leeds' marquee player, is now set for another spell on the sidelines.
His latest ban is his fifth run-in with Match Review Panel in 15 months. This latest ban also threatens to be his longest. Tetevano has received a Grade D charge which constitutes a ban between three and five games. Given his woeful record, it's almost a given he will receive the maximum punishment.
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It's another low point in what is proving to be an association that has just not worked out to date. By the time Tetevano serves his time on the sidelines, he will have missed 22 of the club's 49 matches since he arrived at the club. In total, it means he will have featured in just 55 per cent of the Rhinos' games since his arrival once he's available for selection.
To make matters worse, sixteen of those games will have been due to his ill discipline. There is no way of dressing that up, it is simply a dismal statistic that sums up everything you need to know about how things have gone so far.
The issue is heightened by his marquee status. It was reported on both sides of the globe following his signature that Tetevano would be earning a substantial contract that would make him one of Super League's highest-paid players in his three seasons at Headingley. Anyone with a calculator will figure out that's a lot of money earned per game so far.
And let's be honest, Tetevano hasn't set the world alight during his time on the field either. He's been the first to admit that himself. In the last two games alone, defeats to Huddersfield and St Helens, he has been partially culpable for two soft crash-over tries that simply fall far below the standards that should be accepted at a club like Leeds Rhinos.
While there have been good performances in and amongst, Tetevano simply hasn't come close to justifying the marquee status that Leeds invested to secure him.
It's hard not to feel sympathy for him. The 31-year-old has spoken openly about his desire to curb his disciplinary issues, he has been his own biggest critic ever since his arrival. But unfortunately, things have not changed.
It's gotten to a point now where a large proportion of the fanbase has lost faith in seeing Tetevano ever live up to the hype that surrounded his arrival after signing. Some believe it is now time for Leeds to call it quits and try to free up the salary cap space so clearly needed for Rohan Smith's rebuild.
Ultimately, the chances of that happening appear slim. You'll struggle to find any club willing to take on his salary or keen to swap one of their players earning similar money in a trade deal. There are very few players in the same wage bracket anyway.
A more severe option would be to come up with a package that sees him leave as a free agent, but that would come at a substantial cost given he still has around half of his contract to run. People will cite Hull FC's split with Josh Reynolds but he had 12 months less on his deal at the MKM Stadium.
You also have to take into account that might not be a course of action Leeds want to take. There's no doubting that Tetevano still commands the respect of the coaching staff or his teammates either. He has been selected for every game he's been available for ever since his arrival. Clearly, all faith is not lost inside the four walls of the club.
But if Tetevano is to stay, it's clear something will need to change to make it a success. His achievements throughout his career prove there's a very capable player in there that Smith needs to unlock.
But what matters is actions on the field and unfortunately, there are significant changes needed once he makes his latest return to the field. Nobody, no less Tetevano himself, needs telling that.
