So, like, that was a bit of a slap in the face for those boys.
Like, coming off, you know, Christmas.
Yeah.
Over the...
Off the New Year's break.
Like, coming straight into day one testing and then day two, you're on Army camp for three days.
Like, those boys found it pretty rough.
But, yeah, literally, it wasn't until that moment.
Like, obviously, after that camp, it wasn't until we kind of actually came together as a team.
You know, all the younger boys got together, all the older boys got together.
But we were all, you know, probably a little bit still, you know, pretty distant at that time.
But it wasn't until that Army camp, like, it was funny.
Wayne actually said to us before going into that Army camp that, at the moment, we're still all individuals.
You know, we're not a team yet.
And that's the reason why we're going on this.
Army camp.
You know, I want yous to come out of this camp not only as a team, but yous have...
You guys have built trust.
You know, you guys have built the trust to go out there and, I guess, portray that on the field.
So, it wasn't until that Army camp that, you know, we actually came together as a team.
And once, yeah, once we finished that Army camp, man, that was...
I guess that was when we just clicked together and just knew that, you know, not only can we, you know, give it a good crack this year.
But, you know...
We've got no pressure on us.
We're a brand new team.
Everyone's coming from, you know, like, good clubs.
Like, so, you know, we don't have to put any pressure on ourselves.
Just go out there, have fun, man.
Like, play footy.
Yeah.
I go for the Roosters, too.
So, they play Roosters in the first game.
We're like, fuck.
How the fuck are we losing to these guys?
Bro, that was crack on that first game, man.
Bro, good on yous.
Bro, what was the debut like, bro?
Oh, honestly, it's still one of the best days to date.
Like, I think back to it.
I remember everything.
So, clearly, just from the day we had Brekkie or from, like, from the moment I got told,
sorry, which was also a pretty funny story.
Like, you know, like, NRL debutants, you know, you get sat down by the coach.
You might go into, you know, the coach's room and the coach will be like, blah, blah, blah.
You know, are you going to make your debut this weekend?
The way I found out was we had obviously the week off going into round one.
We all came into training and coach goes, I'm going to name the team today.
And literally just reads it out one to 13 and my name pops up at six.
And I'm like, did he say that on accident?
Like, I'm sitting there like, oh, like, did he actually mean to say that?
Or, like, did he, you know, did he make a mistake on accident?
Like, and then.
What were the boys doing?
And, like, the boys just, like, we were all, because we're, like, standing in a huddle on the field.
Yeah.
Literally about to, you know, start training and he names the team.
And everyone's, like, looking at me and I'm like.
Like, they're, like, they're, like, did he tell you?
Yeah.
And I go, no, like, he literally didn't say anything to me.
Hasn't spoken to me.
Like, didn't give me any, like, clues or hints that I was going to be debuting this week.
So, you had a two-week lead time until a debut.
Yeah.
So, I pretty much had, like, a whole week to, I guess, sit on it and be, like, far out, like.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
I actually saw it as a good thing.
Yeah.
Like, I, just knowing a whole week earlier, I was, like, bye.
Monday.
Tuesday.
I was, like, all right.
You know, the news is out.
Like, I'm going to be making my debut.
What's my job?
Like, you know, what am I going to do?
What do I need to focus on?
And, I guess, if he probably told me a little bit later in the week, I probably would have
had those nerves going into the game.
Yeah.
You know, still hanging around.
But, because he told me a whole week earlier, I had the weekend to sit on it.
Like, obviously, I had the training week.
We didn't play until the following Sunday.
So, we were pretty much the last game of the week.
So, I was, like.
It's a long time.
It's a long time.
Yeah, it is.
It is.
So, by Wednesday, Thursday, I was, like, it's just me playing footy now.
Yeah.
Okay.
Got you.
Yeah.
I feel like some people could, like, throw themselves off.
Yeah.
Because, like, a two-week lead time is, like, a long one.
Yeah.
Exactly.
They're probably just sitting on it.
Yeah.
Start playing the game earlier.
Yeah.
And, exactly.
They could probably start playing the game a bit too early.
But, that's something Wayne did, you know, speak to me about was we don't play until
a whole week later.
Like, go tell your parents.
You know, enjoy the moment.
But, don't think about the game.
You know.
We've still got a whole week.
We've still got a whole week of training to go take it day by day.
And, yeah, for me, that just settled the nerves straight away.
And, bro, it was pretty, it was just funny, like, because I obviously made my debut with
Kurt Donahue, too.
So, he, and he was the exact same.
Oh, okay.
Coach didn't tell him anything.
So, it was pretty funny.
We just, like, we always laugh about it.
Like, he does it.
He won't come up to you.
And, it's probably pretty old school of him.
Like, just, like, won't come up to you and say, you're making your debut.
We'd just be, like, all right, I'm going to read out the team list, blah, blah, blah.
You're playing.
Yeah.
And then, like.
Bit of theatrics, too.
Yeah.
It's pretty cool.
Yeah.
So, yeah, what was the game like, bro?
Does it feel, like, a lot faster than you thought it was going to be?
More physical?
Yeah, it was, bro.
It was a lot faster and a lot more physical than I expected.
Yeah.
I definitely expected it to be, you know, up-tempo.
I knew it was going to be physical.
But, I guess, right from my first tackle, like, I had so much adrenaline running through
my body.
And, like, my first tackle, I was, like.
Holy moly.
Like, I think it was.
I think it must.
It might have been, like, Lindsay Collins or something.
Oh, yeah.
Like, someone.
One of their middles, bro, like, ran it at me.
And I was, like, fire up.
This is sick.
Yeah.
Like, this is sick.
And right from that moment, like, it got me straight into the game.
Like, just having a middle forward run at me as the, you know, little halfback trying
to be hiding behind Fuss.
Like, I was, like, all right.
Like, I've got to get my head into the game here.
Yeah.
Like, you know, it's happening now.
So.
But, it was cool.
Man, like, running out to warm up, seeing all the fans, like, seeing my family in their
t-shirts, bro.
It was.
Oh, yeah.
I remember that.
Yeah.
All the teams and stuff.
It was, bro.
It was unreal.
Like, just to, I guess, see so much people just happy, not only to see myself in the
NRL, but to see a new club and the Dolphins in the NRL.
Like, it was an awesome day, man.
So, what about from your debut to now?
Like, your growth's been, like, pretty crazy, bro.
Especially over this past couple weeks.
Bro, it must feel pretty good.
But, what's it been like behind the scenes as being the person?
Yeah, bro.
It's been, like, I look back.
I always look back at myself and see where I need to work on and see what I need to improve.
And, I guess, looking back at myself, like, this time last year.
Yeah.
Like, where I've come from, you know, the development that I've made in, you know, just
a year.
Like, I'm obviously very proud of it and that's come off a lot of hard work and a lot of extra
stuff there.
But, I guess, you need to do as, not only as a halfback, but just as a young kid coming
through the grades.
Like, you probably need to do, you probably do need to work a little bit harder.
I guess, you know, a lot of first graders are in and around that, you know, between
24 and 28.
Like, that's, you know, the peak age and I'm still 20 at the moment.
So, for me, I knew that physically I needed to probably put on a bit more weight just
to, I guess, hold my own.
How much do you weigh now?
At the moment, I'm weighing between, like, 92.
92, 93.
Last year, I was, like, or last year, I was even, like, 89, 90 and I just knew, like,
I probably, obviously, speaking to the S&C staff and our dietician, you know, 92 was
probably a comfortable weight that, you know, I could probably play at.
So, yeah, obviously, over the pre-season, just knowing that I did need to put on a few
kilos, but I needed to be good weight and it wasn't.
The island of weight.
No, it wasn't the island of weight that you're just eating KFC and McDonald's every day
and trying to put on, you know, bad weight and ends up becoming, you know, just body
fat.
Yeah.
It was, you know, good weight, making sure I was putting on muscle, making sure.
You can carry it, eh?
That's a big one.
Exactly.
That you can carry it.
So, that was, yeah, that was my focus over the pre-season.
But then, obviously, skill-wise, it was, I guess, working on my kicking game, which has
been a massive part.
You know, over my development over the last year.
And I guess the most important one for me was my defence.
I pride myself on my defence and just looking at last year, you know, obviously, you're
going to get targeted as a young kid coming into the NRL, but being able to hold your
own is something that, you know, I wanted to be and something that, I guess, I wanted
to work towards.
And that's something, you know, to this day, I'm still working on.
You know, you're going to get targeted by back rollers.
You're going to get targeted by, you know, big middles.
You know, wanting to get out the halfback to, you know, to try and throw you off the
game.
So, for me, that was my focus over the pre-season was making sure that I was doing the extra
work with, you know, our defensive coach, Wolfie, to make sure, you know, whether it's
my tackle tech or, you know, whether it's just making sure I'm, you know, working on
hitting and sticking or, you know, all those little things is, you know, something that,
I guess, looking back at it now, it's something that I wasn't too happy with how it went last.
I'm someone that, like, will hold myself to, you know, some pretty high standards.
And if I don't meet them, I'll work, you know, extra hard to make sure I'm, you know, at
least trying to get to that point or trying to get to that stage.
So, yeah, and obviously, Wolfie, he's obviously, having Wolfie and Wayne, you know, they're
very, very similar.
And he's always on to me about my defense as well.
And he always tells me, you know, the attack stuff will take care of itself.
And, you know, it's...
As a halfback, you need to get your defense right.
And that's something that, you know, has sat with me.
The hard thing about being up at three, man, is, like, the variations of types of tackles
you have to make.
And a lot of people won't realize this.
And then the other part of it is, like, you might have a back rower who's punching off
your inside shoulder and they swap off and another one comes on.
Exactly.
So, you're usually tackling, like, some of the most athletic people in the game.
And, like, tackle selection is, like, really important.
Especially when you're just trying to strip your shape.
Right.
Definitely.
Like, I remember...
Oh.
A couple weeks ago, actually.
Like, we were just talking about, you know, the different, like, lines back rowers can
run on halves and, obviously, what tackles you need to make and, you know, different
scenarios.
Like, obviously, if you're having a back rower that runs a, you know, a real deep, you know,
and hard inside shoulder...
Like Britain and Cora.
Like Britain, like, you're going to have to, you know, probably sacrifice yourself and
sacrifice your body just to get a little bit more in front.
You know, in terms of, like, tackle technique, you know...
So, I guess, whether he's an offloader or not is, you know, whether you want to be on
ball or tackle underneath.
And a perfect example was, like, who was it?
Last year, I remember in the Newcastle game, Fitzgibbon.
He runs a line.
He runs mad, like, drift lines, too.
So, like, on the outside where, you know, he pops.
But what makes it hard to defend is he's got a hit and spin at the same time.
So, even if you tackle his legs, he, like, spins with you and will offload.
And he did it in that game against Newcastle.
And I remember just looking back at the video, you know, the following week, I was like,
oh, like, Wolfie, like, how do I...
Stop it.
How do I stop that?
Like, you know, like, I thought, like, drift, you know, if someone's running a drift line,
just try and make a leg tackle.
Obviously, because it's a bit more of a reaching tackle.
You know, he's not right in front of you.
Especially if your center's gone.
Yeah, and if your center's gone, you know, it's pretty much a one-on-one.
And he was like...
That's when we kind of, you know, spoke about...
You know, whether I needed to tackle on-ball.
You know, whether I needed to, I guess, get my movements right to make sure, you know,
I can be in a better position to make an on-ball tackle.
Yeah.
And little things like scanning, like looking in, looking out, just keeping an eye on, you know,
if he's starting to drift to my outside shoulder.
Like, making sure I'm just, like, staying in front of him.
In front of him, yeah.
So, like, little things like that, bro.
Like, that's...
I guess that's something I'm still working on at the moment.
Because, bro, literally, like, two weekends ago,
Mark's got me with it again.
So, bro, like, it's something that, I guess, as the game evolves,
you've got to evolve with it, too.
So, you know, something I'm still working on and something that, you know,
I guess if I understand, like, if I keep putting in the work,
like, it's going to pay off in the end.
Yeah.
Start putting on some shots early, eh?
Exactly.
And then come back.
Exactly.
Like, try and get up and try and, you know, put one into him early.
Hopefully, like, later on, he starts running at me or something like that.
Or you know when you're shifting from far and you're up far air,
so then, like...
Yeah.
Get right in front of your back row, like, just try and cut it off.
Drop under, drop under.
Just all those little tricks.
Yeah, literally, bro.
So, no, it's been good.
It's been a great learning curve and something that I guess I find...
It's probably the best thing I find, you know, about rugby league
is there's always something that you can learn.
There's always something that you can better yourself at,
whether it's, you know, in attack, in defence.
Obviously, if you play halfback, kicking game, passing selection,
like, you make that many decisions
in a game, like, whether you're going to get it wrong or right is, you know,
not, you know, the biggest thing.
It's always about, you know, if you do get it right, all right, what went wrong?
Or, you know, sorry, what did you see in it?
You know, what made you make that decision?
Or if you got it wrong, all right, what's probably the better decision to make there?
So, that's something that I've always loved about, I guess, being a halfback.
And just playing in the halves is, you know, I understand that you're not going
to get every single decision right, but if you can, you know, make,
like, nine out of ten decisions right in a game, like...
Oh, it's heaps.
100%, like, you'll take that.
Like, even seven out of ten.
Seven out of ten, you'll definitely take.
So, yeah, bro, it's been awesome.
You seem like a student of the game.
Who are some of the players you like to watch currently
and some from the past that you look up to?
Bro, I guess currently, like, you know, obviously,
I'm still pretty fresh into the NRL.
So, you know, the players that are playing now is...
Same dudes.
Same dudes that I was, you know, looking up to
and wanting to, I guess, base my game off.
And, hey, it's just being a parent.
When I was a junior, like, Nath was a massive part.
What did you love about Nath?
Just the way he goes about his business.
Like, him himself, like, he prides himself on his defence as well.
You know, I remember watching probably a couple of years ago,
like, it was a game at home and I'm pretty sure he was coming off
like a shoulder injury or something.
And we're playing against Cowboys and, like, the first couple of sets,
like, Cowboys were sending traffic.
As you would, like, sending traffic right at...
Yeah, for sure.
At Nath and, bro, like, he was up for it.
Like, he was like, you know, if you're going to run at me,
like, I'm going to be here to make tackles.
And I think he put a shot on one of the middles
and I was just like, far out.
Like, he's playing with an injured shoulder right now
and, you know, everyone targets halfbacks.
For him to just put his body on the line, you know,
for his team in that moment, like, that's something
that I was just always like, far out.
Like, that's cool.
I want to, you know, I want to kind of implement that into my game.
And, obviously, like, you see all of this.
Like, stuff he doesn't attack, whether it's his kicking game,
his running game.
It's been developed over time, too.
Or he's the exact same.
Like, he's such a student of the game.
Like, you look at it from a, you know, from opposing team.
Like, you obviously watch a video on Nath.
You're like, all right, he's running this play.
What can we do to defend it?
So, in Nath's mind, he's like, all right,
they're going to think like that, too.
So, if they're going to think about how do I defend it,
he's got to think of another way to...
I guess, combat that.
And that's something that I've always, I guess,
cherished about his game and have always admired.
Like, he's always willing to learn something new,
develop his game, work on his craft,
whether it's his kicking game,
coming up with little different kicks,
coming up with different shapes that, you know,
will pull apart, you know, teams, like, stuff like that.
Which is, yeah, I guess he's probably one of the bigger,
I guess, influences in my career,
just being a Penrith junior.
Like, obviously,
you just look up to him.
But it has been, like, Mitch Moses,
I've always admired his kicking game,
especially long kicking game.
He hits them sweet, eh?
Hits them so sweet.
Like, goal kicking, he's got a boot on him.
Like, just, I guess, seeing little things like momentum
that he uses into it, his positioning, you know,
to give him enough time to, you know,
get a great kick away.
Like, all of those little things.
And, like, he's a little bit similar to Nathan.
Like, he's got a running game.
Like, his passing game, like, you see on the weekend,
like, in the origin, coming up with four tries.
Yeah, that's crazy.
In an NRL game, like, that's unreal.
But to do that in the origin, like, that's something, like,
you don't really, you know, you don't really hear about.
Like, he's something, he's someone that I've, I guess,
obviously, based my game off.
And, like, one guy that's obviously, you know,
at our club at the moment is Kobe.
And he's been an awesome part in my career.
And not only, I guess, not only the way I go about a game
and the way I control a game, but just the way I see the game.
Like, he's such a smart player.
Like, just the way he can read, you know,
what defenders are doing.
And he's always tipping me up about, you know,
what a foreman is going to do.
Like, if he's going to double defend well enough
or, you know, if a winger's jamming or if a center's jamming,
like, you know, what they're doing
and coming up with a play of, you know,
how we can, you know, probably attack that.
So, he's been awesome in terms of, I guess,
just my mindset around, you know, early on the game,
let's just kick the corners.
You know, let's just grind it out.
You know, build pressure, complete sets.
Later on in the game, later in the halves,
that's when we, you know, free up, play a bit more footy.
You know, play what we see.
And he's big on, like, playing what you see in front of you.
And that's something that, like,
I've always loved as well.
Like, I've always been, like, an eyes-up type of player.
Like, if I see a fullback plug, you know,
and there's no one in behind, like, grabber, kick in behind,
like, little things like that.
So, and he's big on, you know, playing what you see.
Like, no matter, you know, if you call a play
and you see something different, like, back yourself
and, you know, go with your gut instinct.
And he's big on that.
So, he's been awesome in terms of just giving me confidence
to, I guess, make it happen.
Make those decisions.
One cool thing about Nathan, when I interviewed him last year,
and I've known him since he was, like, a little bit younger,
but which has been cool to see him grow.
But, like, he's always, and Ivan's very similar,
where, like, they sound like they're always a shooter
and they're always asking the next question.
And it's like they've almost got an element of doubt
in their ability.
Because I was like, oh, do you get, like,
I guess I'll get, like, nervous before games.
And I'm like, what the fuck?
Like, how do you get nervous before games?
Right, exactly.
So, it's pretty cool.
Arm up.
And when you watch Penrith play, like,
obviously they've had that system or shape for a long, long time.
And it's hard to replicate.
But the way they sort of adjusted it this year,
when they keep dropping off their back rollers,
I was like, why do they keep doing this?
And then, obviously, round three, four, double drop.
Exactly.
Takes it straight over.
Like, opens it up.
Exactly.
Like, that's what I mean.
Like, one thing I've learned about Penrith
is they're not doing, like, they won't drop off
just for the sake of dropping off.
Like, it's to suck in defenders, suck in defenders.
And then later on the game, they'll dummy it
and play, like, to the open.
And, like, that's how they, I guess, break teams down.
And that's something that I'm obviously trying to, I guess,
develop and get into my game is how can I break teams down?
Like, I remember watching, I think it was Matty Johns
and Cooper Cronk, like, talk about how they break teams down.
Like, they'll drop and then they'll be like,
because someone has to tie in from the open side,
they'll swing back that way.
Obviously, they've had to get a middle to fold in
or something.
Or someone has to tie in.
There's got to be, you know, an opportunity down the edge.
So, like, little things like that, bro.
Like, they do that on purpose.
And that's something that I've understood now is, like,
they're not just dropping off for the sake of it, bro.
Like, they've got a purpose.
Like, they're doing it that next time they come,
their defense is probably going to compress up.
Obviously, you know, the threat of dropping someone under.
And then, you know, look what they do.
They shoot a part team, you know, going on the edge.
Just walk tries out.
Yeah.
Yeah, walking in tries.
So, that's pretty cool, man.
How do you like to play the game?
So, say we're in good ball.
What percentages do you like to play off?
Like, oh, it depends.
Like, obviously, you do your video during the week
and see, you know, where teams are kind of letting in tries
or, you know, what edges, you know, defend, you know,
a certain way.
And, like, that all changes.
Like, I'm very, I guess the way I am is,
I'm very easy to adapt, you know, to different defenses.
Like, I'm not always, has to, we have to play from, you know, 50.
Like, we have to play from the middle and go five, six split.
Like, I'm always like, all right, you know, where can we, you know,
where's the, obviously, the weakness in their defense
and how can we kind of exploit that?
So, some teams that might be on their right edge.
So, we'll be like, all right, let's get to, you know, maybe just outside post.
You know, just outside right post.
You know, just outside right post.
You know, set up there to go back to the left side.
Or, sometimes, it might even be like, all right, let's set up here,
play to the left edge, but because they're right edge,
I'm not good off the, you know, right off the sideline.
Let's play like a coast to coast shift and see if we can break it down then.
Like, just like little things like that.
And, obviously, like, we work on it with, you know, assistant coach,
you know, attack coach Feeney.
Yeah.
He's been awesome.
And, I guess, just looking at those.
And Nathan Feeney.
Yeah, Nathan Feeney.
Is he, is he good?
Is he good?
He's a real coach, isn't he?
Yeah, yeah, he's our attacking coach, bro.
He's awesome in terms of that department.
Just, I guess, looking at where teams are, obviously,
where we can, you know, seek opportunities in other teams
and what we can do, you know, what plays or, you know,
what structure we can, you know, kind of play to, I guess, exploit that.
So, it's a learning curve and it's something that I think you have to be adaptable
because not every team defends the same.
Mm-hmm.
Every team, you know, there's all, obviously, individuals and teams
that like to do some, you know, some things different.
And, for me, that's, that's just a way of, I guess, learning your craft.
You know, what pass selection you need to do or, you know,
if a wing is jamming, maybe even kick him behind to sit him.
Yeah.
You know, next time we go to that edge, he won't jam.
Like, getting opportunities like that to, to, to see how you can, you know,
break teams down is something that is, is pretty cool about rugby league.
When Wayne leaves, like, how hard is that going to be?
For the club?
And, obviously, you've got a pretty handy replacement in, in Wolfie.
Yeah.
What's that experience going to be like?
Oh, it's going to be, like, I'm not, I'm not, not confident.
Mm-hmm.
I'm, I'm actually very confident that nothing is going to change, you know, majorly.
The way Wayne coaches is very, very similar to the way, you know, Wolfie coaches.
All about doing your, your, your basic stuff and making sure you're doing that to a high percentage.
Mm-hmm.
Completing sets, you know, putting teams in bad spots.
Um, you know, winning the cycle, um, you know, attacking the game with a defensive mindset, um,
is something that those, I guess, both coaches are, are really big on.
And it's, it's funny how, how similar they are, um, because, like, obviously, losing Wayne is not ideal.
But at the same time, like, nothing, in terms of our structure, nothing really is going to change.
Yeah, I got you.
Yeah.
So, it's pretty much, like.
Like, you take, like, an injury for, for example, like, if we, obviously, you know, if we lose Hammer or something, we just bring in Trey.
Like, we don't expect Trey to come in and be Hammer.
Like, we want Trey to come in.
Be Trey.
Be Trey, be yourself, like, play the way you want to play.
And we'll obviously mould our game, you know, to, to, to kind of suit him.
And, and that's the exact same mindset that we have with Wolfie.
Like, Wolfie's, you know, he's, he's been with us for the last two years.
So, he obviously knows.
He knows what we are, how individuals are, you know, what our team needs.
And it's something that is pretty exciting.
Like, he's, it's, it's going to be his, you know, first official coaching gig as a, as a head coach in the NRL.
Like, he's obviously had, you know, some success over, over in England and, you know, with St. Helens.
But to come over here with, you know, we've got a pretty young squad.
Like, obviously, having Jesse in that, that's, that's our leadership group and, and the older, older boys in our group.
But to have, you know, the likes of, you know.
Myself, Jack's still, you know, really young.
Hammer's still young.
How old's Hammer?
Hammer's only, Hammer's 22 at the moment.
Oh, wow.
Or.
That's scary.
20, no, 23, sorry.
Yeah.
20, 23.
So, like, he's still very, very young.
And, like, you know, you still have, like, Max Plath, you know, burst onto the scene.
He's young.
Like, he's a gun.
Like, obviously, we still got Tom Flegler, Tom Gilbert.
They're still very, very young.
But, you know, they're, they're players of the, of the, of the future.
Yeah, for sure.
Not only for our club, but for Queensland, for Kangaroos.
Like, those, those two, if anything, those two live and breathe, you know, standards.
They drive it.
Obviously, losing them, you know, for the rest of the year is not ideal as well.
But just to see them, you know, they're still sitting in team meetings.
You know, they don't have to.
Like, they're pretty much in a rehab program now.
So, they don't have to come and sit in team meetings.
And, and, and just be around the team.
But they're always, you know, wanting to just be around the team.
Trying to lift the aura of the team up.
You know, whether it's with just joking around.
All of those little things, you know, they all add up.
They all add up.
And they, I guess, you know, filter into what you want to build as a team.
And what you want to build as a club.
And that's something, I guess, when I was re-signing, Wolfie spoke to me about.
Is the culture we have at the moment, you know, where everyone gets along.
You know, everyone's always.
Wanting to do stuff on their days off together.
Like, it's, it's a pretty, you know, tight-knit and close group.
And that's something that you don't always find at every NRL club.
No, no way, bro.
And it's something that Wolfie wanted.
He, like, he spoke to me about.
He's trying, he's going to try and keep, you know, as many of us together as possible.
Because he knows how we get along.
He knows, you know, the way that we trust each other.
And he obviously knows that that's going to, you know, transfer onto the field.
And, yeah.
It's exciting times for us.
Like, obviously, Wayne's important.
And I don't think anyone can coach like Wayne.
And can have the, I guess, impact or influence that he has on players.
But at the same time, we're looking forward to, you know, Wolfie taking over when he does.
What's it like hearing Joey give you some raps?
That's pretty cool.
That's pretty cool, bro.
Like, it was actually my, it was my, my sister that sent it to me.
Yeah.
And, like, like, my family's always big on.
And, like, they, if anything, they're the first people to bring me straight back down to square one.
Like, they make sure that I never, ever get ahead of myself.
And, you know.
It's still nice to hear.
Yeah.
Yeah, exactly.
But, yeah.
So, when she sent it to me, I was like, oh.
Like, normally she doesn't really.
Like, she knows to keep the media stuff away from me.
And as much as I can avoid it, try to, you know, not read into it, not listen to it.
But just listening to someone like Joey Johns, I guess, just speak.
You know, so Harley O'Meara is something that, like, not many kids.
He doesn't give out raps too easily, bro.
And he doesn't, exactly.
Like, he doesn't give out raps too often.
Especially for a seven.
Yeah, exactly.
From, you know, from my point of view, like, I looked up to him as well.
Like, just obviously the success that he had, the way he played the game, you know, the way he went about his business.
And to listen to him, I guess, speaking about me in a good way is something that I'm like.
Wow, that's pretty, that's pretty sick.
Like, sometimes I just have to, like, sit back and, I guess, just appreciate, you know, those little things.
And, but then at the same time, I'm like, I better not cake it.
I better not cake it this week.
Now, like, he's just giving me a big rap.
Like, I better.
My next minute kickoff.
I better, like, you know, keep going in that trajectory.
So, no, it's, bro, it's awesome.
Like, to, like, not even just Joey.
Like, if it was anyone else, like, I'd be like, oh, that's, like, that is pretty cool.
But at the same time, I'd be like, oh, that's cool.
But, you know, for the other side, what I need to work on is the things I need to be focusing on.
But just listening to Joey Johns, like, speak about myself like that, I was just, yeah, I just sat back and I was like, that's pretty cool.
He spoke about New South Wales.
Is that something that excites you?
Definitely, bro.
Like, I've got a couple, you know, like, pretty big decisions to make.
Yeah.
I can.
I represent a couple different, you know, countries or, you know, I can even go down the origin pathway.
But at the moment, yeah, I'm not really, I guess, leaning towards making a decision at the moment.
At the moment, I just want to focus on playing footy, focus on, you know, making sure I'm improving my game.
I'm getting better every week, you know, looking at, you know, the weaknesses in my game that I can improve at.
And I guess, yeah, for me, it's more so.
Just letting the footy do the talking itself.
So, for me, I really haven't made a decision on whether I want to, you know, go down the New South Wales pathway or go down, you know, the Kiwis pathway.
It's a tough question, eh?
It's a tough question, bro.
Because, like.
Probably the one thing I think about it a lot, and obviously being, like, a pal Kiwi, is, like, you do get to do that.
But then, like, you see guys, like, say, like, imagine Joseph Manu in the Origin Arena.
Exactly, bro.
Like, you know what I mean?
Like, all those guys.
Like, and I know those guys are pal Kiwis, and I know you are, too.
But, like, just that challenge of that arena.
Exactly.
It's almost too hard to turn down, man.
Bro, like, the game on the weekend, 90,000, you know, at the game in Melbourne, too.
Like, it's not even one of the states.
Yeah.
Like, to see that, bro, like, if that doesn't excite you in footy, like, if you're a footy player, like, I don't know if you're playing the right sport.
Like, it's definitely something that, you know, has been in the back of my mind.
And I understand.
Like, sooner or later, I've probably got to make a decision and make a call on what I want to do.
But at the moment, I'm just focused on, you know, what I need to do for the Dolphins and what I need to do for myself to get me playing my best footy that I can, you know, week in, week out.
And another thing I have to toss up is, you know, Tonga as well.
Like, I love playing for Tonga.
I love representing Tonga.
But at the same time, if I play for Kiwis, I can't represent Tonga.
Yeah.
So.
So you can represent Tonga.
Yeah.
Yeah, I don't know what the ruling is, but I think you can play.
Yeah, I think you can play New South Wales and play Tonga.
Yeah.
But you can't play, like, you won't be able to do New South Wales and Kiwis.
Yeah, no, no way.
Like, you can't, or you can't do New South Wales, or you can't do Tonga and Kiwis.
Like, it's got to be, I guess, New South Wales and Tonga or just Kiwis.
So that's what I've got to, I guess, weigh up.
But at the same time, like.
All pretty good options.
All pretty good.
You're going to be all right, bro.
I look around and I'm like, it's not the worst decision to make.
Yeah.
Like, depending, like, no matter what road or, you know, pathway I go down,
it's going to be a pretty cool ride and pretty cool journey to go down.
When I look at Pacific Island teams and, like, a lot of our time,
our biggest weakness has always been, like, we've missed a half.
Yeah.
And, like, I know they can get by on great four-packs,
our talented outside backs in Tonga and some more.
Yeah.
Do you feel like you're the guy that could.
Potentially take them all the way?
They've got that with Jerome, you know what I mean?
Like, he's a part of Samoan.
Yeah.
They made the final.
You guys aren't far off.
I wouldn't say myself individually would be the guy,
but I guess if I can do anything, not only to help the team,
but just to, I guess, influence young, not even just Tongan kids,
Polynesian kids, Maori kids, to go and represent where they come from,
you know, they don't.
They don't always have to, you know, go and play for Australia or New Zealand.
Like, you know, if there's Samoan, if there's Fijian, you know,
wanting them to actually go and play for those little countries
because I guess you don't realise it, but when you get to that stage,
you don't understand how much it means,
how much more it means to the people from back home in Tonga, in Samoan, in Fiji.
You know, those people appreciate it more than, you know, more than anything,
and you might not even be related to them.
They look at you like kings, you know.
They look at you like you're the biggest influence.
You know, you want to sacrifice going and playing for Australia
and Kiwis to come and play for our little island countries.
Like, that's something that they would definitely appreciate,
and that's probably my biggest thing, I guess, for me going down the Tongan pathway
is I want to kind of, I guess, in a way, leave a legacy
where kids want to go and play for Tonga or want to go and play for Samoa.
I think it's already there.
Yeah, right.
And, like, I definitely know it's going in that direction
because I remember going to one of, like, one of these Tongan tournaments
and, like, kids come up to me and they're like, oh, like, I can't wait.
Like, I always, all I want to do now is just play for Tonga in the future.
And to listen to that, to listen to that come out of, you know,
young kids' mouths is pretty awesome.
So just to be a part of that and, I guess, influence,
you know, Tongan kids or Polynesian kids in that way
is something that I see pretty special.
How do you see the rest of your year sort of going out as a team and as an individual?
Hopefully good.
Hopefully good.
Like, hopefully, you know, by the end of the year, we're still sitting in top eight.
That's a, I guess, realistic goal that we set ourselves.
You know, last year, sorry, last year pre-season was, you know, we believe with the team
that we've got and if we can work hard enough to, I guess, play good footy week in, week out
and be consistent enough, we can definitely be a top eight team.
And that's something that, you know, we're still driving.
Like, we always look at, we always go back to team meetings and look at where we can improve.
Like, we're, I guess, you would know with Wayne, like, he's one to give you pats on the backs,
but he's also one to rip you to shreds.
Oh, is he?
Even when you, like, sometimes you might...
You might win a game and you go to the team meeting and you're like, oh, this is going to be good.
Yeah, good videos are just coming out.
We're going to get, you know, all the good raps and then Nick Minahee's like, blah, blah, blah.
What the F did you do this?
Like, and straight away, I think everyone knows that just because he's like that,
everyone's standards lift as well.
So everyone's always looking to improve themselves.
And if we can all improve ourselves individually, like, it'd be awesome to see, you know,
where we can get to.
As a team and as a collective.
So, yeah, hopefully if we're, you know, looking back at the year, you know, at the end of the year,
like, we're looking back at a year that we can be proud of.
And, you know, a goal that we set for ourselves, you know, right from the start was top eight.
And, you know, up until last week, we were still sitting in top four.
So for us, that's awesome to, I guess, you know, be mixing and mingling with, you know,
the top teams at the moment.
But at the same time, we're like, all right, what else do we need to do to not only stay,
you know, stay up there, but also give those teams a good run.
For sure.
Teams like Stormy, teams like Penrith, Broncos, teams that have, you know, a lot of success.
Like, how can we, you know, better ourselves to, you know, eventually win those games?
What's the battles against Bronx like?
Is that cool?
That's pretty cool, bro.
Like, the battle of Brisbane, it's so cool because everyone, like, gets up for it.
Like, it's just a different feeling.
It's probably, I guess, if you look at it,
it's a little bit like, you know, Souths and the Roosters.
It's just like the Queensland version of that.
Like, it's an awesome game and it's a game that no matter where we play, it's always sold out.
Like, it's always sold out.
Like, we played at the Gabba last year.
It was sold out.
We played at Suncorp twice.
It's been sold out.
You know, we have another one at the end of the year.
Like, I, you know, I don't doubt that that's going to be sold out as well.
But just...
Just knowing that you're playing against, you know, the boys down the road for, you know,
pretty much bragging rights.
Yeah, that's the main one, eh?
Bragging rights over the, you know, over the city is something that I think definitely
excites everyone.
Yeah.
And I guess the biggest part about it is, like, we have a lot of ex-Broncos boys too.
Oh, for sure.
Obviously, Wayne is a coach of the Broncos.
A lot of players that have come from that system, like, their biggest thing is just,
like, like anyone.
Anyone's like...
Like, just getting one up over your old club.
So, it's...
Yeah, it's an awesome rivalry that I think is only going to get bigger, you know, the
more games you play.
And it's a pretty intense game.
I'll tell you that for sure.
Yeah, it looks sick.
So, probably my last question I need to ask people is, where do you want your legacy to
be?
I know you're still, like, 20.
Yeah.
There's a long way away.
There's a long way away.
But, bro, for me, it's, I guess, obviously, I want to leave a legacy in footy and obviously
be a player.
I want to be a player that kids look up to and kids want to, you know, be like in the
end.
But, at the same time, for me, the biggest part about being a footy player is being a
decent human being.
The biggest legacy I want to leave is, you know, people come up to me and know that they
can just come up to me and have a normal conversation.
They don't have to treat me like an NRL player.
I'm just a normal person at the same time.
Like, I'd rather be a decent human being.
And, like, a shit footy player rather than a great footy player.
And, you know, the worst human that you could be.
Like, for me, that's the biggest thing.
And I guess that's just a bit about, you know, how I grew up and how I was raised is, you
know, I'm always a, I'm a person before I am a, you know, a rugby league player.
So, you know, for me, it's wanting to know that fans, you know, people in general just
know that I'm a great bloke and, you know, I'm a real down-to-earth bloke and, you know,
if you need a conversation.
You know, like, I'd always be, you know, happy to have that conversation with you.
Or if you want to just go down for a coffee or for a brekkie and stuff like that, I'd
always be, you know, down to do that.
And I guess the biggest thing that, it was something that Wayne said to me, you know,
throughout the year.
And it was like, the biggest honor you can get as a footy player is knowing that your
teammates want to play for you and want to play with you.
And I didn't really understand what he meant until, I guess, he kind of broke it down to
me.
Like, would you rather, you know, your teammates back you up on the field and know that they
can, you know, trust you and believe in you?
Or would you rather teammates that are just kind of going through the motions, just there
because you're a part of the club?
You know, they don't really care about you off the field.
Big difference, bro.
Yeah.
It's a massive difference.
Huge.
You know.
They won't look after you after, you know, after the games.
Like, little things like that.
They won't, you know, offer to, you know, take you out for brekkie and stuff.
And when he kind of explained that to me, I was like, far out.
Like, that does make a lot of sense.
That's a pretty awesome honor to have, knowing that people wanted to, you know, play for
me.
People wanted to play with me rather than just, you know, kind of being there right
next to me.
Yeah.
It's a massive difference.
When they respect you, it's easier to get them to run a line for you too.
Yeah, exactly.
Bro, like, when they respect me, it's easier to hide behind them and let them throw the
punches.
And I'm just like, yeah, yeah.
That's important.
All right, bro.
I just want to say thanks for jumping on.
It's been cool to meet you and, like, listen to your talk.
And obviously, seeing you as a student of the game and someone who's super humble, I
can see why you're so successful and why you're going to be successful into the future.
So, I appreciate your time, brother.
Thanks, bro.
Thanks for having me on the show.
Awesome.
Thanks, bro.
Sweet.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Cheers.
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