hey guys welcome back to ebbs and flows where we talk about the highs and lows on and off the field
joined today by joey money what's up bro what's up bro how are you good bro
bro thank you for jumping on obviously been chasing around for a couple years don't normally
do podcasts so what's that about nah i'm not sure right i just yeah i just like laying low man just
um yeah really focusing on my footy and stuff but um yeah i just i don't know i just like chilling
you've always been low key eh what's that about like obviously like us toke boys a little bit
different you just like to chill what's that yeah yeah no i just i don't know i just feel like um
i guess with probably like people like you i don't mind giving my time with um you know someone from
home a good good friend of mine um but yeah just like anywhere else out there i just sort of just
try and keep to myself and um yeah if i don't if i don't need to talk then i don't really want to
talk so yeah it's sort of just i don't know
it's just the way i was sort of brought up um just stick it to myself and um yeah chilling
all you roosters boys are like pretty similar eh like to keep a sort of low profile like i reach
out to the boys all the time i was like break can you jump on can you jump on and i always ask them
i was like is that like a club thing or the older boys sort of drive their standard or is it just
who they recruit um i think i think yeah especially when i first came in or sort of like a lot of the
older boys are sort of like sort of that way where they just sort of you know we obviously we got
media stuff that we have to do but
other than that anything outside of that they're they're pretty low key and yeah even with the
media i think it's sort of um picked up a bit now with our media team and that but it's always been
sort of not really showing too much of the roosters and um i think the boys just that's
just the way they are and sort of like when you come into that club it's like a real i guess
sacred place like the history around the club it's you know something that um like a lot of
boys take pride of but i think yeah most of the boys just like um yeah not really doing stuff like
this i think too so yeah it's a bit different obviously i've been doing a bit of vlogging so
um i think getting the boys out there more too and some of them some of them don't like it and
some of the boys don't mind it so yeah it's good how's the vlogging experience been for you
it's been fun it's been good it's been um i enjoy just being around the boys it's it's not really
nothing forced um it's just it is wholesome eh yeah it's just that's fine this actually makes
it makes a good time you know um the boys some of the boys love having a bit of fun on the camera
personality and then you get some of the boys that don't like it but i still try to sneak them
in and they get angry when the camera's in their face but nah it's just all fun and i'm just yeah
just having fun with it yeah oh bro first before we dive into a little bit deeper i just want to
say like obviously you come from the same hometown cookie boy super proud of everything that you've
done and everything that you've achieved and i know like where we grew up like there wasn't too
many guys doing what we did and obviously snuck i snuck into the nrl you've come on and fucking
basically clocked the whole game bro so congratulations
on all your success and proud to be a top boy thanks bro i appreciate it yeah um so let's talk
about take a bit because um like people see you people see quade and think it's like this like
place that's got like a bit of special aura about it but what was it like growing up in toke for you
uh yeah man i was it was the best day i loved loved my upbringing um i think just you know
it's it's not it's not a big place it's probably just a little bit over 10 000 people and um most
of the people in there cook island as you know cook island or maori
and um a few like san juans in that uh but yeah growing up there man was it was a good spot it was
um you know everyone um everyone's family everyone's friends you go to school your teachers
are your uncles and aunties so the discipline they just when you're a bit differently there
yeah they're throwing drumsticks at you if you're not listening and stuff so man um it was it was a
good upbringing um you know you used to walk to school with your friends um one of the old mamas
breakfast or something on the way to school um and yeah that's how it sort of was a close um
close community um real humble people there um yeah a lot of them moved over from from the
islands to work there so a lot of tough tough workers and humble people yeah i always thought
that bro because i'm like when you grow up and you got heaps of cook island mates i just thought
there was heaps of cook islanders everywhere and it's not too you sort of leave can you realize
there isn't that like too many of us um did this this scared me when i was a little bit younger
but ending up in kinleaf and working in the mill was like i saw my dad work really hard and he gave
me a great life and he was always my coach but it was something that i never wanted to do what was
your motivation to one play sports and to potentially leave toke yeah i think it was
i think a bit of that um nothing against working in the bush yeah yeah it was like
it's too hard for me that's what i'm saying i had some of my mates doing it at school
at like school holidays they had this um thing called the
12 hours and they just want to make money it's good money for the boys but it was like tough
work they'll be waking up at like three in the morning and then get there like four or five and
then just grind all day and that was the lifestyle of um most of the the island um community where
they were just tough workers because they they want people in the bushes chopping down trees
and that and it's freezing in toke too so i was like bro i don't want to do that um but yeah i
think i just i think sport was just something like just all sport
for me like not just rugby league rugby league or rugby it was just um something that like a bit
of an escape for myself um where i got to play with my friends um but it was just there's not
much happening in toke it's it's just pretty much everyone's working um a bit of culture stuff um
church stuff but um on that on this on the side man i was just playing sport and it was just yeah
something that was fun for me it kills time hey man yeah i was because i was thinking about it
it the other day because there's like been a pretty good group of us that have come out and
done well obviously yourself quay like richie kahui um zane teravano as well from a concentrated
place sean maylin from a concentrated place but someone was asking me about it the other day and
me and quade were talking about it but literally like walk to school like got a foot in your hand
like passing across the road get to before school playing held up like you touch like yeah lunchtime
held up on the courts and then you go training in the afternoon and you play like rugby and league
like saturday sunday and hang on netball courts for a look after that was it man like sport was
everything hey it was i remember i was in high school i was in most of my subjects were all
sports they just changed the names for different ones i was at the gym like all day every day but
i think yeah just most of the teams were like the school other sports um teams at school were
pretty like low so i was just like my dad would just put me in like all the sports and i was just
playing everything there
sort of just like i guess love to love the sport and um yeah i just really enjoyed it
what about um like the way you play the game like where did that sort of develop from because of
like when we're in primary school we had this guy called hazely metu yeah and he was like the maddest
stepper like this was before benji and that come around and they used to play benji and like touch
finals and stuff and like i think that's where like quade sort of learned his sort of style from
where'd you learn yours from yeah probably this probably similar to them boys just in the backyard
really um and at school we used to play in the backyard and we used to play in the backyard
and we used to play in the backyard and we used to play in the backyard and we used to play in the
backyard and we used to play in the backyard and we used to play in the backyard and we used to play
a lot of touch um and a lot of different sports i felt like a lot of the other sports would help
like basketball um we used to have this thing called court touch at school where it was uh it
was on the courts and whereas they used to have like big like 20 v 20 games and probably used to
go harder like every lunch time it'll be it'll be on and then like um i mean we were coming through
as your juniors used to play like it was like big comps of it against the seniors so a lot of that
came through there where it was just like touch but it was it was like sort of that broken play where
you could you know throw long boards a lot of flick passes and just stepping on on on concrete
pretty much bro it's a joint now i'm thinking about that hey no i can't do it anymore but man
we went through some we went through a lot of shoes a lot of injuries on that court but um
yeah i think like playing all those we call too oh bro some of the some of the stuff that happened
on the court man boys running into fences and stuff it was funny yeah a lot of it came from
the different sports that i played um and they're just that sort of broken style um footy stuff
yeah because my mom used to tell me about you like coming through as well because i'd already
left toke and i was at like warriors and just like oh like joseph money's doing well so i'm
with the roosters how did all that sort of stuff start to come about um yeah sort of started in
high school because i didn't play league until i got to high school i was i was playing union
pretty much all when i grew up and i wasn't allowed to play um league on sundays because i was at
that's that's what they the sort of junior league was on and um and took and then yeah i got to high
school played my first game um actually i was an intermediate and my dad was um he was like the
high school um yeah the high school league team but they didn't have enough numbers and he's like
like just come play come play for us against uh against frostview yeah yeah sweet so i went up
there and just um played and then yeah ever since um that's that i sort of enjoyed the game i was
like i always wanted to play because these are my mates played but
once i got to high school i just started playing more it was like weekday games but it wasn't much
much off it and then obviously they had the um the second juice tournament and that was where they
sort of um that was like the big tournament and um in new zealand where it was all the best sort of
league schools which were mainly auckland schools and then there was like a few other schools
outside auckland but um yeah we'll go up to auckland and then we'll play and then um yeah
that was where the that's where they found me there we used to get to play auckland schools
when you're younger yeah
they were big dudes bro and i was like because i started when i was like four i just turned 15
like i was like 14 15 year 10 and bro i was like i remember like all these big um island schools
that come down and then i was like bro look it was like under 19s and they were like just massive
my first year at the tournament i wasn't meant to play but then i think my older brother got injured
and so i ended up playing a few games and i was like i was just scared i remember just being
scared as lucky i made a few good breaks and i was like i was like i was like i was like i was like
and stuff so it ended up working well yeah so who signed you straight away roosters yeah roosters so
that that first year um yeah i just made like i remember playing southern cross and they were like
they were big big dudes and then um yeah i remember like i was on the bench and then
like 15 minutes left i thought i wasn't going to get on so i was just mucking around on the bench
and then they put me on one one of the boys went down and then um i just remember yeah i was thinking
in my life bro if i get the ball i'm just gonna dummy just got the ball dummied around and then
that was all i done
um yeah the recruitment officer at the time came over and saw my dad and he's like oh like
asked how old i was and i was a bit young he's like i'll come back next year
yep came back the following year and then they were keen to sign me from there
oh that's cool yeah sort of started from there did you move straight over
nah so that that yeah they signed me okay i i was doing like i'll come over for the holidays
yep yeah just do that and then um i played su ball and i was just flying fly out um every weekend so
were you yeah i didn't know that yeah it was like
my first year of sg ball and i was um i'll fly out on a friday so like i'll do school all the way
to thursday and i'll go on friday and then play on saturday then come back sunday so like i was
i was mad at the weekends were fun as yeah i was getting paid as well oh i think so i was like oh
it wasn't that much yeah i wasn't getting much i think most of it was getting to my parents but
yeah i was just like i'll just pay for everything flights and that i was just but i was just happy
to like go to australia
back on the weekend with the boys at school and they're like how was it like it was mad
i was it was fun and you guys you guys were winning all those comms too way
yeah we lost we had a stacked team that year then we lost we lost that first year
who'd you have in that team we had like um willis mehan um tiny mill like a lot of the older older
boys and they were like yeah they were all gun back then and then um yeah we didn't do too well
and then the next year i came over we ended up winning that one yeah yeah so that was good
yeah that was trail um angus connor oh my gosh that's there basically your first yeah it's a good
side yeah well bro um i remember um like the first time i actually watched you play was at nines and
we had that photo out the out the back yeah because my mom was talking about your heaps and i remember
seeing you at the warriors hotel and i was like he's a lot bigger than than i remember then like
i pictured and then i watched you play nines and your first ball that you got those things out to
the right bro and you just went tink tink and i was like ah yeah he's got it he's got it
he's got it like that what was it like um obviously you were coming through the roosters
system but go to a club such as big as that and then move into your first grade debut
yeah nah like because i don't really know much about um like the clubs in there and the league
and obviously about australia because i've never really been here so i was sort of um yeah when i
came i didn't really like i didn't realize how lucky i was to come to a club like the roosters
i was just like i don't really watch much league i watch my new super rugby and stuff but yeah like
obviously like 10 years down the track i was sort of like brows i'm so blessed to be at this club
like man they're they're the best they look after you the people in the club is what makes the club
and um for all the way from the top uh and then down to the bottom from where i was at issue ball
and that everyone just looks after you so um yeah i was pretty fortunate to to land in the club like
the roosters and yeah it was an awesome journey to the debut and um yeah i've just loved every bit of
it what was your what was your like um sort of um what was your what was your um sort of um sort of
a surreal nrl moment when you walked into first grade was there like a certain player was that at
a stadium um you didn't watch much footy growing up too late no not really i think i think when i
came over in um 2013 i think for like uh the holidays hey bro they had a stacked team yeah
and i remember i was watching them train like jared and that that was the best that was like
the best thing i mean like i was like bro this is crazy like just seeing all of the all of those
dudes that you sort of watch on um tv and um yeah i think that was like that was crazy and then
obviously a few years later i got to do pre-season and train with them and yeah and that's when i
sort of like kicked in a bit yeah for sure i remember when i was like um like i was like
thirsting and all that and i used to like line up and he'd be sick and i'd be sick
i used to wig myself out on the team sheet hey i'm like i'm gonna get carved up here
i think because i watched too much footy so like used to always wig myself out uh bro winning comms
like i was a stack team and what was that like bro obviously got nowhere near that so yeah that was
crazy yeah it was um yeah sort of i was still pretty like fresh into um nrl um into first grade
there and um yeah we had a i remember koops came over and i was like bro like this like man playing
with um cooper cronk what made him so good i think just just this talk a like just he just yeah he's
he's like a coach but it's relatable because he's a player when he's when he talks to you on the
field you know like he he wants you to do your job and he pretty much knows everyone's job around them
and obviously knows his business he does and um he just makes you feel confident when you're out there
yep yeah um i remember when i played with like more experienced centers when i was a young half and
like same thing like the amount of chat that would happen during that time and like you said it just
gives you way more confidence yeah yeah um yeah sorry keep going about roosters and winning comps
good team um and i was yeah like i was just young and i was just like i was just going hard so like
um we had a good um good year and then obviously when it came to the finals it's sort of just like
but everyone just switched on and it was like it was a mad run and um yeah i think yeah obviously
like it sort of just felt like it just like um happened pretty quickly like the two those two
years where yeah we were like we're going hard and then so just felt like it was normal to win
is this like this how it always is like yeah good good times in there obviously we're club trips
so we're doing a lot of traveling and stuff and um yeah no i was about like that team there was
a good team and um yeah it was it was good to be a part of what i mean to your family
yeah and i was big for them um i think yeah they said they all flew over uh stayed in my house so
it was like just a big like everyone was there sort of felt like um like just a big occasion and they
uh they were more like pumped than me bro i remember i was just i was i'm a pretty chilled
person so i was just you seem to yeah i was just like chilling and like but they're doing the most
day they're coming big like big fees and i was just like trying not to eat too much before before
the before the finals i probably just relaxed yeah but these guys are staying up late like
doing everything and i'm just i'm just sitting in the house like yes uh
i left like a few days earlier into camp yeah just stay in hotel just to focus
otherwise i'll be eating chop suey and raw fish but okay
um bro so your style obviously like you've got your own sort of style um it's hard to like
obviously defend against but how was trent robinson's coaching helped you with that because
you look at the roosters they play quite a structured style of play
like all their kicks always seem to be that bomb that lands on the 10 meters
and they've always done that kick but have you how has robber coached you and have you tried to
because you just do
basically whatever you want
but still do your own thing
how does that work?
I think I sort of had
always sort of had
the attacking ability
it was sort of just
that I wanted to work on
like halfway through the year
I remember that yeah
mainly around my defence
which they're probably
two of the biggest
and the communication
and obviously having
with like talking
I felt like when I was
I didn't really talk too much
but when I was younger
I didn't really talk
and yeah like you said
you notice those players
that's next to you
when they're talking
they make you feel confident
and I sort of had to
build that into my game
with a lot of talk
really I feel like
it's a lot of space
people don't realise
there's a lot of space
you're usually defending
up against the most
one on one battles
you're the last decision
it's either a try
or you're going to stop it
yeah because the wing
is going to follow you
you come stand out here
like give me some
or we have to make
couple key points
that he brought up
like talk's a big one
but like action wise
when you got dropped
were you just like
or what was happening
I don't really know
because I was just
so I don't really
we have principles
but there's a lot
like being a good
I think it was just
obviously I wanted
to get back in the team
I remember watching
that final series
I want to be a part of
is the final series
you know did a lot
of reps in pre-season
after doing a lot
you're getting confident
in yourself there
matching up against
but you're probably
matching up against
probably not right now
older at the time
probably my favourite
I was pretty skinny
dramatic back in the day
caught one of these
winning which was
but yeah that was
probably one of my
favourite matchups
when you match up
him up on defence
position where you
can actually get a
and bump each other
the boys around them
bro centre is one
yeah nah for sure
I sort of go hard
if I get a chance
to get early ball
and the one on one
obviously do a lot
what their strengths
nah I'll do a bit
I'm just thinking
about defending it
fuck that's annoying
so as you started
develop your game
because you come in
and then it becomes
is this something
yeah you just get
and then put away
when I first came in
I was stepping like
so now when I get
in those situations
what to do a bit more
sometimes I don't
or sometimes I don't
take the right option
but I sort of know
when you think about it
because you play right
if you step your centre
and then the half
comes stepped again
ten people coming
really think about that
interesting space
watch too much of him
I knew who he was
but once I seen him
bro this dude's fast
trying to get him
I was just trying
if there's a little
a little bit of space
even if that winger
speed to get around
have to win this year
kind of your team
got some new guys
it's kind of like
are these conversations
you guys are having
behind closed doors
really talked about
like just because
the boys are leaving
I think every year
something we want to do
the last few years
that we've been playing
Roosters Instagram
again like we play
obviously from the
outside but on the
everyone's trying
I wasn't out there
nah it looked good
fuck he was up for it
he's crazy that dude
why are you getting
I've been at the Roosters
can't really do much more
but yeah for myself
I'm not saying that
I'm not being challenged here
you're saying NRL's too easy
hardest comms there is
I think the challenge
something different
a bit of travelling
and just enjoying life too
trying to achieve
something different
yeah I'm looking forward to it man
get over not playing fullback
been able to play that
roam around a bit
made it enjoyable for myself
I feel like if I was
just that stock standard sender
where I just stay there
I probably would be bored
they've really allowed me
to express myself
so you could have gone
to a few other clubs
and potentially come
in the highest play player
conversations like
did you go take those meetings
never took a meeting
yeah I sort of knew
scared of Nick eh
obviously there was a lot of talk
with the other clubs
and everyone's asking you
like I think the challenge
of moving to a new club
and trying to take another club
would be pretty cool
but I just didn't see myself
leaving the roosters
yeah imagine playing
yeah the way they
they've treated me
I've just seen myself
as a rooster for life
being around the boys
I just couldn't really see myself
in another jersey
if I'm in the NRL really
so does Steve Hansen
I think he's like a
or something like that
and then they got
they just signed Ian Foster
so they've got the two
all black coaches over there
see if you like it
potentially head to New Zealand
or are you just gonna
nah I don't think
I think I'll just
I just want to go over there
learn the game again
because I haven't played in
ever since I've been in
ever since I came here
so it's been over 10 years
since I've played rugby union
and I haven't watched
I just want to go there
learn my craft in rugby
they're pretty skillful
and it's a good competition
talking to a lot of
you know union players
like Quade and that
you know trying to
you know improve it
because I've got to
improve it pretty quickly
I'm not really young
yeah just trying to learn the game
yeah I'm not too sure
where I'll end up after that
yeah that's just the first step for me
anywhere in there
certainly in a big house
like always look at that
but the hard thing is like
just depends how you get the ball
and who you get the ball off
15 would be cool too
I think would be my go
don't want those crash balls
I used to play there
get smashed on the flank
I was talking to Aaron Smith
he was just talking about golf
he's part of your team
good guy to learn off
is Bodie back there next year
nah he's back in um
that would have been nice
having him as a TNA
Aaron Smith there
would be pretty cool
I've sort of had a few
conversations with him
he seems like a good dude
they're all so nice
like I guess most Kiwis are
but they're so humble for like
international status
I've spoken to a few
of the all black boys
a lot of them love
they've been real nice
I spoke to him a bit
I think I've seen him
he came over for the 2013
they had a reunion
I was speaking to him about it
I spoke to him a bit more
he gave me a few things
that he didn't enjoy
it was good to hear
from someone that's sort of
made that switch too
yeah I was talking to Quade
and we're talking about you
you'll go good over there
because you can create
like opportunities
so like when all blacks
they have systems
and stuff like that
if you can put a great
system player over in Japan
a lot of them struggle
because they're not going to get
that they get from
like playing over here
but you can create on your own
hopefully you kill it
it looks like they're fun
it's a bit more open
you're saying like
the average points
are like 80 points a game
feeling good too bro
you won't have to like
do too much tackling bro
I think they've improved
it's a pretty solid comp now
it's definitely going to be
I'm just looking forward to
learning the new skills
hiking up in Japan
would be pretty cool
he just loves it there
the lifestyle there
the culture and that
you can play for a long time
like thing as well
all blacks would be
fucking pretty cool
that would be cool man
I don't mean it as like
and you guys have
great success from there
the international game
only go like so far
you know what I mean
so if you look at
the international game
it's basically just
but everyone just plays
for like their country
where you look at
international game
like they play England
and you're playing
against like Marcus Smith
and people that you've
before you heard about
and they have like
these test matches
and like all black seasons
are like 14-15 games long
going to San Diego
a northern hemisphere tour
it's just pretty cool
like that's the exciting
yeah the international game
obviously rugby league's a bit
the international game
is not really there
let's play Aussie
it's good for the Polynesian
like the boys are like
and stuff like that
it just doesn't stack up man
that World Cup was like
and you watch Ireland play
and then go play South Africa
fuck that's cool bro
yeah it's good competition
like every team's good eh
they're doing well
in the rugby union there
can I have a little jam
before you take off
or are you allowed to
yeah I'm not sure
I've got to be over there
not long after the season
start of September
yeah start of September
we're still playing here
extra few weeks off
I'll try to get a game in
is Carmichael in yet
I've talked to him
but sort of the only thing
I haven't really done
if we get a good team
and it all works out
I'll be happy to get in there
I played Kiwis as well
I remember when I played
a little bit different
I had the opportunity
to play for Kiwis
but I would have just been
you know the backup half
that plays against like
you know that random one
would have made like
30-40k in that tourney
we were trying hard
to get our cookie team
into the World Cup
and we made it in
the main halfback
I'd just rather play cookies
but it hit different
boys are trouble though
growing up in Turkey
was a lot of Cook Island
that's where I pretty much
my Cook Island side
there to represent
around all those people
that's real proud
the culture a lot
why I want to play
was way more proud
were just a little
what are you into
you're doing the vlogging
bit of music stuff
is that just all fun
or do you want to
take it a bit more serious
what's that all about
play a lot of games
do a bit of streaming
a bit of vlogging
make a bit of music
nothing too serious
I just love learning
like something new
well with the music
it's good when the boys
it's just something
to hang out with the boys
it's actually pretty cool
I've been really enjoying it
to have a creative outlet
how much stuff goes into
actually making one song
a lot of different things
that you have to do
mix and mastering
who does all the producing
I've got one of my mates
mainly producing our beats
you've got to find
and master the beats
one of the other boys
mixing and mastering
so they mainly do
I sort of got into
a little bit of producing
coming up with lyrics
do it all ourselves
putting it out there
like imposter syndrome
or were you nervous
before putting it out
going to put it out
and then I played
were hammering me
because I played it
to a few other boys
and then after we won
just play the song
because they're a bit
put it on Spotify
after everyone split up
I'll just chuck it
I shouldn't put it off
I'm a league player
but I don't really care
well as long as you're
killing it on the field
I'm gonna get hate
but a lot of people
something fun man
who's got the worst
and then we've got a few
that try to get on too
but we've got a few songs
you're gonna put them out
we're gonna put them out
probably wait till
or after the season
we've got a heaps of songs
just some of them
need to be touched up
that's ready to go
I just want them all
he has to stack bro
he's got too many
I came a bit earlier
like a year or two
playing 20s together
it's gonna be a bit different
a lot of the boys
I'm not gonna be there
there's a few boys
that's been there
for the whole time
they've been there
I'm a bit different
just getting older eh
it was that part of life
everyone starts going off
in their own directions
but it makes you appreciate
how'd you get into gaming
I grew up playing games
what'd you grow up playing
rugby 08 and that
rugby league live
I played a lot of Halo
my uncle used to like
that's pretty much
how I got into music
like every weekend
we used to just jam
like playing Halo
when I got to high school
I started playing
everyone comes around
was sort of like a
when I was in primary school
all the high school students
were at our house
and it's been like that
ever since I grew up
man there was about
they won't even be in class
and like we'll just come
home after school
they'll be still playing
and they end up sleeping there
cause I was older
like just used to love
hanging out with the
and I would just be playing
like all the time
when we got to high school
that we did the same
we brought all our boys
all the boys there
like you play a game
that's how it was
it used to be funny man
probably last question
I always ask the boys
what do you want your legacy
to be as a footballer
and as a father now
are you too chill for that
is it the deep end
I don't really think
too much about it
I just want to be
known as a good person
yeah someone that
someone that just gives
and someone that just
and just enjoy a good time
too fussed about the
yeah I think I feel like
people just talk about it
they can talk about it
I feel like most of the stuff
that I want to be
you've already done it
clocked the game bro
you've clocked rugby league live
in real life though
but I just want to say
thanks for jumping on
we're right with you
to the end of the days
go win us a comp eh