Blake Austin_S Take On Origin The Raiders And Being True To Yourself

Hey guys, welcome back to Ebbs and Flows, where we talk about the highs and lows on and off the field.

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Published about 2 months agoDuration: 2:433548 timestamps

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Hey guys, welcome back to Ebbs and Flows, where we talk about the highs and lows on and off the field.

Today, joined by Blake Austin. What's up, bro?

Hey, bro. Thanks for having me.

Just got back from Super League. What are you doing now?

Working in high school. I sort of believe I'm where I'm supposed to be right now.

I remember chatting to Sefa Paulo.

Sef.

Sef, what a guy.

Sef's been a big sort of mentor and someone who's been in my life for a long time.

He's mentored kids from Western Sydney for a long time.

But I remember him saying, just say yes to as many things as you can and you'll find where you're supposed to be.

And I think what I've managed to sort of stumble across, yeah, I'm where I'm meant to be.

What's the weirdest thing you've said yes to that hasn't worked?

Nah, like I, it's so funny, like the way things panned out.

I managed to stumble across a job that was pretty cool and life's going pretty good.

I remember you've always sort of had this, I mean, remember you having a kid pretty young

and you creating like programs out for kids.

Out in Western Sydney, that's something you've always sort of had a passion towards.

Is that something you want to lean towards into the future?

Yeah, definitely.

I think becoming a sort of voice of mentorship, I think.

When I come back, obviously youth work, a lot of NRL players when they finish have a look at youth work

and that was something I was exploring.

But then a job come up sort of, which I consider it youth work.

I'm in a high school.

We're an elite level sports school that we're trying to create elite athletes.

Oh, cool.

But I've learned pretty quickly and I've sort of affirmed the ideas that I had that,

it's not the X's and O's that get me going.

It's the athlete.

It's the kid that's quiet over there.

I naturally see the best in people.

I've got staff members at school that I'm the running joke that, you know,

I think I could make an elite athlete out of anyone.

It's a bit of blind faith sometimes,

but I really want the opportunity for everyone to be the best version of themselves.

What do you love about Super League?

I love the country.

I love living there.

I think the time that I went there was a time,

that I was pretty exhausted by the NRL and the consuming nature.

I think I had two really good years and obviously 15, 16,

sort of everyone got to see the player that I always thought I could be.

But then I had two rougher years and I knew I needed a change

and there wasn't a bigger change than moving to England.

I always knew I wanted to go there.

Probably 27 wasn't the time I thought I wanted to.

But similar to what I said,

I've said just taking a risk,

taking a chance and it ends up being some of the best five years of my life.

I saw you sort of talk about this on James Graham's podcast,

but the difference between like the Super League and NRL

and obviously the game's changed so much already since you've left.

But what were the big changes that you found?

Well, it got clickbaited a bit from the James.

It's a tougher brand of footy.

I have no qualms saying that.

I think it is.

It's slightly slower.

It's a bit more sort of probably 90s,

early 2000s brand where you can still have big tough props that dominate matches.

I think, as I said,

it got clickbaited and all these people come for me saying,

what is this guy being smoking?

Because the NRL is a much better product.

NRL is a better product.

But I think Super League is a more pure version of the sport.

I think it's a bit more like the game we grew up loving.

I think NRL has become so fast.

I don't want to be the 60-year-old guy that keeps saying it's going to become touch football.

But it is a fast game, man.

There's not many opportunities.

There's not many opportunities to hurt people.

It's stick to your systems, do it for longer than your opposition,

and we'll win games of footy.

Yeah.

What do you like about the game right now?

Obviously, you've always been a student of the game and a fan of the game,

and you picked up the game pretty quickly,

and you could teach the game pretty well.

What do you like about the game right now, coming back?

I'm more impressed with the off-field stuff.

I think rugby league players, although, have been paid pretty well for many years now,

I think we're finally sort of starting to earn some of the money.

That other athletes have earned, I think it's about time.

I think it's a wonderful product.

I see Nathan Cleary on the front page of the paper the other week,

and he's on the front page in brand names that rugby league players wouldn't normally wear.

And I'm someone that got excited by that because, like, I've lived in England for five years,

and I've seen what them prima donna soccer players get paid and the lifestyles they live in.

You don't want to lose the fabric of our sport,

but to see them getting really compensated for what they put their bodies through is really cool.

Yeah, that's interesting.

I was thinking about driving in here and a lot of the conversations that we had in the past,

and they were just sort of coffee conversations and just normal convo's,

but I feel like you're always a lot older than what you actually are in terms of the way that you thought.

You always thought about, like, contract deals.

I remember the day when you told me that you're going to go West Tigers.

You were like, I need to have a good year this year so I can get my highest paid contract because I want to be 24, 25.

Where does that sort of mindset come from?

Proving people wrong.

I think being from out West,

money was, I've got no issue saying money was always a driver, sort of, of my career and probably to a negative in some areas,

but I've also had a 13-year career where I couldn't have earned anywhere near my money like what I earned doing anything else.

So, but I'm a pretty deep thinker.

I'm pretty, I'm pretty aware, like, I know how to understand what's going on around me.

I'm the son of a cynic.

So, my dad taught me to not take anything on face value and that can be negative as well.

Like, we'd sit at home and, like, my dad, everyone's out to get you.

Like, if you ask my dad and 80% of the time he wasn't too far wrong.

And that can be an exhausting process in itself because I can overthink a lot of things.

But yeah, I think that's where it sort of stems from.

What's it like seeing Penrith now?

Obviously, you come through that system.

You were a Penrith junior, but seeing that sort of success and like all you guys that come through were all, like, good players,

but you probably didn't have that first grade team that you could look up to or be proud of or be synonymous with success.

But you still had the best nursery getting around.

What's it like coming through that system?

It's weird because I'm at a school now where I'm teaching kids that, yeah, they hear that I played NRL,

but they don't have much of a clue sort of what I've done or where I'm from.

So, I tell them I'm from Penrith and you see their eyes light up like, oh, I spoke.

And I'm like, no, we were shit then.

Like, that wasn't the Panthers that I was involved in.

That's funny, I say that too.

Yeah.

Well, even at little things, like we used to train at the stadium under the grandstand.

Now, they've got a state of the art and they deserve everything they get.

But,

Western Sydney's always been such a nursery.

They need to be really commended and Gus and Matt Cameron and guys like that need to be really commended.

The foundations they've managed to lay so that they

reap the rewards of what that area brings for the game of rugby league.

If you look back on your time at Penrith, what would you change?

I'd change myself.

Everything was based around me.

I think

coming out of 20s into grade, I just assumed things would happen the way that they always have.

And

probably underestimated how hard you have to work.

I think

I always worked hard at training.

It's what you do away that counts.

And when I like that, I'm not saying I was a loose cannon or anything like that.

But

whether it was the KFC meal or the

yeah, I hated weights too.

Like that was fucking something to let me down in the end.

And

it was a bit of a laugh at the time.

And

but I'd be more professional.

I remember hearing a quote.

I think Rowan Smith told us.

He said the most, the bravest thing you can ever do.

Is prepare 100%.

And I was like, what's so brave about because if you fail, you're leaving yourself no margin for excuse.

Do you know what I mean?

And at the time I was like, what are you on about?

Like, there's nothing brave about trying your best.

And then

as I've unpacked my career, I probably always that guy.

I reckon I was I was too scared to to really find out what I could be because I didn't leave myself

margin for an excuse.

Yeah, that's a good way to I heard John Jones talk about this when even when he was going towards some of his biggest fights, like he'd go out.

Two or three nights before his main fight, just in case like and then on the flip side.

Well, then if he wins, he's like, haha.

Well, you know what I mean?

Yeah, and you know, there's probably many times he did do it and I was the same like my career still got to a pretty decent level.

I'm I'm more than happy with what I achieved.

But when I look back and and when I think about me on my best day, I probably had the potential to achieve a bit more.

Yeah, because I remember the first time game.

I played a few and like I come over and we're similar positions and I've kind of just gave me the go ahead and you'll play.

Now don't send them for us at Windsor and we'll play in Tedesco and you end up scoring a hat-trick on our first game.

And I was like, did you feel like you're a victim or your versatility around that time?

Yeah, and I at that time I had a lot of insecurities around being a half.

I think I was because of body size.

No.

Well, I think I was suddenly told on a few different occasions that I wasn't being going to be a half.

And when I say suddenly, no one said you're not going to be a half.

But like I remember I got to Harold Matz.

I've been a six my whole life and they said you're going to be a hooker and I was like, oh fair enough.

They do this funny thing in Harold.

Matz for Panthers.

If you're a club player, if you're playing for your club team hooker, you don't get picked in the rep sides as a hooker.

So halves get picked.

They pick four halves and they turn two into hookers.

Yeah.

And I was the kid they turned into hooker.

So then you're thinking in one sense.

I'm like, well, I'm starting for Penrith under 16.

That's a great thing.

But then I'm like, well, I want to be the half.

So a few insecurities sort of stemmed from there.

And then I was looking for this external fit.

Like I was like, oh, come on.

Someone tell me what I'm going to be and then I'll focus on that.

But I remember at the time.

Like Ivan was like.

You're six foot.

You're over six foot.

You're 90 kilos right now.

You could be a center.

You could be a lock.

You could be a back row.

You still could be a half.

And I was like, what do I do?

Give me one.

Hey, yeah, just give me one.

And then it wasn't till I was leaving to go to Tigers.

I was like, well, screw everyone.

I'm not going to keep looking for this.

This answer from everyone.

I'm going to be a six.

It's similar to what Josh Houston is doing at the moment.

I read that he come out and said, I'm going to be a six.

And that was kind of my mindset.

I'm going to be a six.

And if I, if you know, if I die by.

The sword, then at least it's going to be on my terms.

And I worked my ass off, man.

I trained so hard leaving Penrith and going to it.

Cause it was like, it was a, you trimmed right down.

It was a crossroad to like, it was like, I was 22 and I'd structured my contract

at Panthers in a way where I was like, if they're going to resign me, it was a

certain figure they were going to resign me on.

And if they weren't willing to take that figure, the contract, it was like that

basically.

And I never got anywhere near the ability of what that figure.

Was asking them to pay me.

So Penrith were like, well, you're going to go somewhere else.

And I was like, oh, that's okay.

Like there'll be clubs.

There was no one there.

Like I was like, where is everyone bro?

Yeah.

And then the Tigers ended up coming in last.

I had a good run sort of the back end of the year for Windsor.

We went to the grand final.

I don't know if you were there then.

Nah, I was there.

Yeah.

I missed the grand final.

You lost the grand final.

Yeah.

Against Sharks.

So I had a good back end of the year.

Mick Potter called and sort of said, we'll throw you a lifeline.

Basically.

My, my wage was like a third of what I was on at Penrith as a young kid.

But it's what made me for sure.

Yeah.

What was that West Tigers journey like?

Cool.

Really cool.

I forget that I was only there 12 months because so much went on.

Like when you're out in Penrith, like at that time you shielded similar to what I

said about Canberra earlier when we'll speak and like you shielded from a lot of

the media or going to Tigers like the Fox Sports.

Down the road.

They camped, well they camped outside training every day of the week.

We had, that was the time when Robbie Farrell went through a bit of stuff.

I think, I think he had a run in with Gordon Talis and Gordon Talis leaked something that

Robbie said in private about the coach.

It was about your coach I think.

Yeah.

But Mick Potter used to live above him, eh?

Yeah.

I don't know if it was that or yeah, I don't know something, but like I got thrown out

to media that day and they're like, oh, where's Robbie?

Why isn't he fronting up?

And yeah, it's Tigers fans everywhere and the media love them.

Yeah.

Obviously, I remember the last game you played for them.

I think you played fullback and you scored a pretty good try down the side.

Against the Sharks.

Sharks were talking to me at that point too to come over.

So you were going to go Sharks or Canberra and decided to go Canberra?

Yeah, no, it was pretty much, I had my mind made up with Canberra.

Why Canberra?

They had a big forward pack.

I'm not the most skillful half.

Like I can't, looking back, I can't create things off out of nothing basically and most

halves.

You don't reckon?

Well, let me finish like in a weird way.

I don't know.

I'm not a natural ball player.

I'm a ball runner.

The best thing to have when you're a ball runner is front foot footy.

I'm 95 kilos.

So you get me a defensive line that's retreating and I'd like to think I can have some joy.

What's your favorite look?

Like a wide fore?

Well, my whole career was made off big fours.

Wide fours, yeah.

Plan overs, wind up dummy, get the four man.

That's a big dummy too, eh?

I'm trying to teach kids at school.

I've got kids that like, they want to be on the long side.

I'm like, you don't want to be on the long side, man.

You're going to get the best midfield.

The best match you're going to look at on the big four.

And what they don't realize is you can get a big four from post, whether they know it or not.

And sometimes you'll get five from post, but that five man is so irrelevant that you just assume it's a four anyway.

You can beat them with a pass, eh?

Yeah.

And then foot speed.

Get them looking overs and come back.

Do you feel like you can build a career off a couple set plays?

You can build your career off one year, man.

I'll prove that.

The wide fours.

Definitely.

Looking back too, I think after my first year at Canberra, I had this real, I had a desire to prove to people that I could ball play.

Because everyone would be like, oh, he's a runner, he's a runner, he's a runner.

And I'm like, there's so much more to me than that.

Because I've always had a decent kicking game.

Yeah, you strike them nice.

But no one's ever, and I was like, I'll show you.

He's not a game manager.

He doesn't know how to build a game.

But I was also quite an astute thinker.

So then I went on this quest of trying to prove to people.

That I could be more than a runner.

And it probably took me away from my strengths, yeah.

What you're good at.

Yeah, that's always the trap, isn't it?

It is.

I remember, I just thought of this just then.

I remember when you were younger, you said to me that, because obviously, Ben Harv's defense isn't the most fun thing to do.

But when you were in your junior club, you used to always park yourself on the side where the crowd was.

I did, yeah, yeah, 100%.

That's a good memory, eh?

Yeah, that is an awesome memory.

And people think it's like an arrogance thing.

But I'm like, no, no, you're not going to miss a tackle if the crowd's right there.

And at kids' footy, obviously in stadiums, it's a bit different because there's crowds on either side.

But yeah, definitely.

Because I'm like, there's nowhere to hide when you miss a tackle.

Harv's such a, there's no margin for error, man.

Nah.

I've played hooker.

So I get in middles meetings.

I'm like, you guys, it's a piece of piss.

And they're like, oh, what would you know?

I'm like, no, it's all line speed.

Like, if you were as fit as I was, middle would be a piece of piss.

I said, we're out there on the edge.

You've got the biggest pitch.

You've got the strongest, most athletic guy running at your inside shoulder in the back row.

Always on the field.

He's the biggest, strongest.

Feet are ripping your inside shoulder off.

And then out the back, you've got the fastest, most athletic guy that you have to then go and get if that big behemoth of a thing doesn't get the ball.

And then if you get it slightly wrong, it's game over.

It's try.

And you're on video.

Greg Alexander's in the commentary box telling you you're a dud.

You don't like him?

No.

I don't know why I brought up Greg Alexander.

He's someone that came to mind.

I don't have any issues with Greg Alexander.

But he's just someone that came to mind.

Yeah, so true.

I heard Ben Teo bring up a pretty good point about when you play halves.

He goes, it's not fair.

So say you're Nathan Cleary and you've got Fafida or Olukawatu banging off your shoulder.

And then they can go off after 40 minutes.

And then Fresh Guy comes on.

And you still got to make all your tackles.

Do you think the game could survive with one sub?

Or the game's already too fast?

Oh, man.

I'd love to say yes.

But I mean, look at the hamstring issues.

I don't like reading into things too much.

But there's too many.

Too many to not look at it.

What's your old boy saying about the hammies?

He's not saying too much.

I've got a theory.

I don't think they're training hard enough.

I think there's been a real shift towards skill-based fitness.

We come from an era where kilometers were king.

You had to get through the caves.

Longer distances.

Boring as hell.

But I don't know what you were like.

But I was a pretty elusive type player.

And I never had any hammy issues.

I reckon the way we trained worked for me quite well.

Yeah.

When I first come into first grade, we wouldn't touch a football till January.

You wouldn't see it.

No.

And it was hard.

But it built resilience.

And I do believe that for injury prevention, there's no substitute for kilometers.

Yeah.

And fitness-wise too, there's no substitute for long distance.

You see a lot of the middles.

They train a lot of rowing and bars and power fitness type stuff.

But then you get them on the field and they're blown in five minutes.

But they're blown in a second.

There's some real science in long distance stuff.

Yeah.

That's interesting.

It's been interesting to see how it plays out.

I do think they'll adapt over time because it's kind of been the first year and a half

where everything's got really, really quick.

I feel like it got quick in 2020 when all those new rules come in.

But here's a question for you.

I know you're deep thinking.

We'll dive back into Canberra later.

Do you think guys like Tommy Turbo, Luttrell, they're too big to play that position?

I was speaking to one of the S&C guys at our school that we work at.

And he said, Tommy's not major.

He's not made for that position.

And I don't know enough about sports science to even really understand what he's saying.

But what about the guys?

The durable guys are like Teddy, Dylan Edwards.

They're kind of that shorter.

It's funny you mention Teddy because I like using Teddy.

There's a pandemic of ACLs, man.

I'm working in a school and it breaks my heart.

It brings me to tears when I meet a kid that's just done their ACL because I know what they're in for.

But could you remember a kid that done his ACL when we were young?

Anyone under 17 years old?

No one.

13, 14, 15-year-olds doing ACLs.

I don't know if we're...

Also, kids now go to physio.

I'm like, how old are you, bro?

What are you doing at physio?

We've got 13-year-old girls.

Physio said, I can't train today.

I've got a sore shoulder.

I said, how's it feel?

She said, not too bad.

I said, you'd be right for the skill.

She said, oh no, the physio said I shouldn't pass.

I'm like, come on, bro.

When I was a kid, you went to see your local doctor.

I have a funny story about that.

I went ice skating.

I was a state runner, fastest kid in my area.

I was the kid with the blue head gear.

Give me the ball.

I'd run around everywhere.

For two years straight, I ran with a limp.

I couldn't shake it, man.

Limp.

Like, literal limp.

And we'd get in the car every game.

And my dad would be like, it's in your head, son.

So they're telling me it's in my head.

Well, long story short, we ended up working out.

I'd been ice skating.

I had a fall at ice skating.

And when you, like, we just go and see our local doctor.

So we went and seen this lady that's a local GP.

And we're like, oh, we've got a sore shoulder.

We've got a sore knee.

And she sort of said, oh, give it a rest.

It'll be fine.

Well, I come to learn that I actually chipped, I chipped a bone in my kneecap.

And I went two years not knowing that I had a chipped fragment in my kneecap.

Because we didn't see specialists.

We didn't get scans.

We'd just seen some lady that said, take a pentadon, rest it up.

Put a walker and walk it off.

It wasn't until I made my first Panthers development squad that I mentioned it to a doctor.

And they were like, go and get a scan.

And they're like, yeah, you've got a bone that still hasn't healed.

Would you just have to take some time off?

Some time off.

Yeah, they were going to arthroscope it, put holes in it so it bleeds and heals.

But it ended up healing itself.

But yeah, kids go on a physio, man.

It's a new world, man.

Physios must love it, too.

It's easy dollars.

Yeah, just do this.

Come back next week and we'll change to this one.

Yeah, for sure.

That time at Canberra, obviously, like you took off and your name's getting tossed up.

You got down to five out of the year, did you?

Yeah, I did, man.

Yeah, it was pretty amazing.

It was a well win.

I touched on that.

I touched on it with Jimmy, too.

People sort of – well, I had two great years and I'd become, as I said before,

the guy that I wanted everyone to know that I could become.

I teed it until then.

I must have been 24 when I got that.

Obviously, I debuted at 20, so I had to lean for, I think, 12 games of NRL before then.

Yep.

In multiple positions.

So, yeah, to get that was – it was pretty unreal, man, to go to the Daly Ams.

I think that was the year that Brisbane and Cowboys played in the finals.

Cowboys had Michael Morgan, Brisbane, Anthony Milford, and I think James Maloney was the other nominee.

Yeah, some heavy stock there, eh?

Yeah.

I still think it's pretty incredible now, like, yeah, looking back.

Whenever I play half, I always look at nines because that's how you're going to get the ball.

You played with Josh Hodgson.

Now, like, I understand, like, he was one of the greats, but was he kind of hard to play with because everything was so ball dominant around the nine?

Yeah, I think it's – I've thought about this a lot.

I reckon spine – more important than playing styles in your spine.

Playing styles in your spine are personalities.

You need some – like, you can't have four guys that want to be the main man.

Want the ball, yeah.

You know what I mean?

Agree.

What ended up happening at Canberra was Josh come the first year and Josh was finding his way in the NRL.

Josh had a good year but wasn't reaching the heights that he got to.

Man, what about the heights that he got to?

One of the best English guys that's come over.

We signed Cees in the off-season.

Me and him played round one.

Now, we get – we get through, like, 50 minutes.

So, I do my – I set up the first training.

I scored the next try.

Cees scored a try.

The flow in the game was unbelievable.

Like, he was playing on the head here and I'd swing around.

Then I'd play on the keep-go.

We'll get nice little sequences together.

And it was a real seven-dominated game.

You know what I mean?

And then – so, he fractures his eye socket.

I do my medial.

So, I miss three or four weeks and he misses six weeks.

So, you pull your two halves out of the team.

And then what happens is then the coach says, Josh, we're going to need you to carry some of the load.

And then we turn into this team that's –

We're big anyway.

Yeah.

We turn into this team that's very nine central.

Ricky learns that we're probably better off getting through our sets rather than asking too many questions and making errors.

Let's just get through our sets.

Put fatigue in them.

If they keep tackling our big bodies, then we're going to have some joy.

And we just – we evolve into this team that's real based around the nine.

I think he does a wonderful job around the ruck.

But there were certainly times when you're not quite sure when the ball's spinning out the back.

And a lot of the times it is coming out the back when all his options are closed down.

Yeah.

I used to joke about it.

Like, I'm a right foot kicker.

So, out of nine, he can only kick on the right side.

And I'm right.

So, if he used to hear me screaming for the ball, he knew that there was space to kick.

So, instead of passing for my kick, he'd take the kick.

He'd nail his 40-20s.

But I think it's personalities.

I've been watching the Knights.

Knights went on a huge run last year.

It's because Phoenix Crossland was at nine.

Now, Phoenix was put there and never played nine.

So, Phoenix didn't have any real aspirations to become –

or didn't have all these subtleties.

But if you have someone there that has these aspirations,

and most spine players will, but too many subtleties,

and then the other guys, there's no connection.

I think it's personalities more so than playing styles.

Yeah.

What is the right balance between spine, you reckon?

There needs to be one main man.

It has to be like – you think of the Cowboys in their prime?

JT's the main man.

Michael Morgan, great player, awesome player in his own right.

But it was really clear that JT was the focal point.

And then around him, he had Lachlan Coote, who –

Coote went there – his career was at a bit of a crossroads before he went.

He was a brilliant young kid at Panthers,

and then went for an opportunity at the Cowboys.

And the nine would have been – who would the nine have been?

Granville.

Who they rescued out of the wilderness.

And he was a bit of a late bloomer as well.

But I used to say too, like, JT is one of the best players ever to play the game.

But JT also got 85 touches a game.

Yep.

And statistically, he has to come up with an extra try assist or an extra try or –

do you know what I mean?

So everything's a numbers game.

I was a bit different.

I didn't require many touches.

And truth be told, give me too many touches and I'll start creating shit that doesn't need to be done anyway.

Like, I looked back on some of my best games in my –

like, I could live off 35 touches because as long as I was getting it in the right spot

and as long as I knew exactly what I had to do in their moments,

then things would normally happen.

I heard you guys weren't allowed to kick on the fifth tackle.

Close to the line.

Is that a thing?

I don't think it got that bad.

But we –

You prioritised the run.

Bro, we had this – so me and Seas – me and Seas, like, any halves –

you know Normie.

I'm sure Normie's probably pretty similar.

But you have moments where you just – you become a bit of a sulker.

We were winning every week at Canberra.

But me and Seas are going, like, fuck, we're not – we're not, like –

You feel like you're not contributing?

No, we're not contributing.

So, like, that's where – like, I've got this theory that rugby league is a team game,

but it's not a team sport.

I think rugby league's 30 guys looking for their next contract.

No, you can laugh, but it is, bro.

Nah, it wouldn't be that deep, I reckon.

I think it's a team game.

Yeah.

But I reckon everyone will do whatever they need to do to get their contract

because at the end of the day, we're all just trying to feed our kids.

I think the coaches are all trying to do the same thing.

And we're all caught – anyone that's still caught in this fantasy land that it's a team sport,

we're way past that.

There's too much money involved in rugby league now.

I reckon people start to feel like it's a team thing when they start to win

and they start to get into finals.

They're like, oh, it's about the team.

Yeah, but then I look at guys now that have won grand finals and I'm like, fuck.

Like, there's guys that have won grand finals that earn $80,000 a year.

So I'm like, which one –

Yeah, give me money over a ring.

Which one are you going to take?

You know what I mean?

But, yeah, so go on.

Where were you at?

You're not allowed to kick on fifth tackle.

Nah, as I said, I don't think I got that.

But me and Seas – so Seas was a bit more – he wanted the touches.

We actually – Seas done some research.

And you can actually find the stats.

And, like, it was, like, around 16.

And me and – mine and his touches combined were, like, astronomically lower

than any other halves pairing.

So remember we were sat down in the – oh, we'd been moping a bit

and we kept going up and asking how we can contribute more.

And in the end it got to the point where I was like, well, shut the fuck up.

Aren't you just happy we're winning?

Like, we won 13 of our last 15.

But it comes back to, like, contributing and job enjoyment.

Like, if you're not contributing, like, I don't know,

you feel like a bit of a passenger.

Yeah.

Which sounds so selfish even when I listen to myself say it now.

But as a half, you want to have a bit of a bearing on the game.

So anyway, we sat in the sheds.

And our assistant coach, he comes down and he says,

he says, Blake, Aidan, my office now.

And, like, there was boys there.

But he just said it and walked out.

So me being me, I'm like, oh, no, we've been summonsed to the principal.

Like, I make a bit of a joke out of it.

We get upstairs and this guy just tears shreds off us.

I end up getting emotional upset.

Like, I'm an emotional guy.

Like, we're either going to fight or I'm going to cry.

Like, it's one of those type of things.

So I end up, like, just saying, like,

I don't feel like we're contributing like we can.

But then do we need to?

We're winning.

So it was this weird thing.

And then Aidan was on his chair.

I remember Aidan, like, say, this is the coach yelling at us.

And Aidan just turns like this away from him.

And then he's like, Aidan, look at me, mate.

So he turns back.

And Faye was the weirdest.

He's like, what the fuck is your problem?

We're winning this, that.

How can you not be happy?

And, yeah, so it was a pretty funny chat.

What was the adjustment for you?

What do you mean by that?

You just become, like, another running back rower or, like, an extra center?

Like, because you're not really playing as a half as a half would normally play?

No, well, I struggled a little bit.

Rowan Smith at Leeds actually taught me how to play in a style

where I could still contribute but not be an actual natural half.

And I really enjoyed it.

How did he do that?

So me and Cees were at Leeds.

And, yeah.

He had this theory that – and I think he wanted someone to produce a stat

of how many tries happen on the back of halves getting tackled.

And I reckon it happens quite a lot.

But so I'm 95 kilos.

I don't think I'm the best ball player anyway.

So he wants us running the ball in the backfield.

So he wants us – we're an extra ball runner coming out of our own end.

And Aidan's like, I'm the fucking halfback.

33 years old, I'm in England playing Super League,

and some 35-year-old coach is going to tell me I have to run the ball out of the backfield.

So he struggled with it.

Whereas I was like, well, if I don't do this, then I'm not going to be doing anything anyway.

So I enjoyed that.

I enjoyed the way Rowan asked me to play.

It's funny because I'm obviously good mates with DCE.

And me and one of the boys used to watch him play.

And we could tell he was on early if he would take a carry.

But he takes the weirdest carries.

He'll take a carry out of dummy half on like second tackle down like a blindside.

Yeah.

I mean DCE's a different kettle of fish all again.

You know what I mean?

Crazy – like nothing about him screams halfback.

He can come across so helter-skelter, yet he just comes up with play after play.

I think Nico Hines reminds me of someone similar.

I kept him out of my Origin team the other night and watched him play on the weekend.

He has to play Origin.

And I was thinking like the reasons why people haven't had him in their Origin team

is because he's not a natural game-managing number seven.

But there we go again, like trying to – Daily Cherry Evans is not that.

And he's been Queensland's best number seven for years on end.

So I think we've all got this idea of how the game should be played.

Just let people be their version of their position and see how they go.

Yeah, it's a good way to put it because like I look at –

and I know I brought up Luttrell when Tommy about body figure and stuff like that before.

But like I think because we're so super coach-driven at the moment

where everything is about stats and numbers and you look at Dylan Edwards,

he makes 300 metres a game.

But like if you look at Luttrell, he's going to make 90 to 150 a game,

but he might have three try assists off the back of that.

But it sort of still takes over the scoreboard which –

Yeah, I mentioned Greg Alexander.

He said something brilliant about Luttrell and it goes back to what I said about JT.

Luttrell doesn't get the touches that other full-backs get

because that's the way he plays.

Whether that's because of physical attributes or lack of fitness,

I'm not 100% sure.

Do you think it's because naturally he's a centre

so he seizes opportunities on those outside edges?

I don't know what it is.

I wonder if –

Yeah.

I wonder if he's so far into playing his style

that he doesn't want to fold to everyone's opinion of how he should play.

I think he's headstrong enough to be a bit like that.

I reckon like if I become that other prop, then everyone goes,

well, what's he been doing for the last five years?

Like where's this guy been?

I reckon there's a little bit of that to it.

But like he's still a great player.

But Brandy said like he puts pressure on himself

because if you're only going to have 15 touches a game,

then you have to have three try assists.

Now to find them three try assists in 15 touches, it's not easy.

If he expanded his work rate and he got his 30, 40, 45 touches like most full backs,

imagine the damage that he could do.

Yeah.

I remember Ivy used to say that about me

because I used to get stuck playing traffic cop

and he goes start to look for opportunities in different parts of the game,

like offloading.

Could he be on the ruck?

Yeah.

Could he do this and do that?

And if something wouldn't happen, it would almost fuck up my whole set for me.

But he goes good halves can sort of not only make the game easier for everyone else

but provide opportunities.

But provide opportunities for themselves.

Yeah.

I'm working with kids at school and it was a chat I was having today.

But like how many times you see a coach on the sideline screaming at kids saying halves,

take control.

Like fucking what does that mean?

You know what I mean?

What have you taught him?

If he's not taking control, he's got no idea what you're talking about in the first place.

So have a think about what you're talking about.

And take control looks different to different halves.

Like what I said about DCE.

Like he does come across like a headless chook at times.

Like he just said about his first carry out of dummy half.

He might show there and come down a short side.

And you're like why would a number seven be doing that?

But it's what gets him into the game.

And that's the brand of footy that he plays.

Yeah.

I always watch him.

I've heard this theory about like Queensland halves just being naturally more gifted than New South Wales halves.

And I've put it back to it's very broad but like temperature.

Like the style of football they play in Queensland.

It's a lot drier.

They sort of pass it around.

Where I think maybe guys from out in Penrith, maybe besides Jerome Lua, get put into systems.

A little bit too early.

You're playing against Islanders all the time.

So it's kind of just passing.

You can score tries pretty easy.

Do you have a theory on why?

Anyone?

Nah.

I think.

You know when people talk about robots.

I push back on that a little bit because I needed a form of.

I needed a very clear structure.

And then my personality took over.

And my flair and my confidence.

You need structure.

Like I used to struggle as a half because I couldn't.

You know at training when you do unopposed.

Remember?

Like there was this real time in rugby league where unopposed working up and down the field

as a third team was like a thing you did.

I couldn't think on the spot that quick.

Oh really?

Well there was no ruck.

Yeah.

So a guy would take a hit up.

Then he'd play the ball and like everyone's going Blake what's next?

And I'm like fuck.

So like some of them were my insecurities early on too.

Yeah.

But in a game you get an eight second ruck where you can put guys here and put guys there.

But you need a structure and then you need to allow them to fail.

I think.

Halfs kind of have fear of failure.

And I think there's too much of that in the kids game.

I see coaches on the sideline.

There's an element of shock in their voice when a kid's dropped the ball for the third

time trying to throw a flick pass.

I'm like do you not watch NRL?

I've played with guys that.

It happens all the time.

Like people think professional sports this wonderful fantasy land of absolute perfection

and oh just when I get there it's going to be.

Like it's not.

We have shit days.

If you come into training and watch an NRL team train on the wrong day.

You're thinking like how?

How's that happened?

I was chatting to someone about Josh Mantle the other day.

Now I don't know if you remember Josh in his time at Penrith.

But all summer he was the guy at the end of the line where you'd put this beautiful back line movement on.

He dropped the ball and everyone goes sauce.

Or there'd be a bomb go up and he dropped the bomb and everyone goes sauce.

But then they put him in in round 10 and they're like fuck he just ran for 250 meters.

He can't be stopped.

He finds his front every time.

This guy's a machine.

Like for him at Penrith it almost didn't happen.

Because we had this opinion of him that.

Through training?

Yeah.

Fear of failure.

Don't put a fear of failure on kids.

Sorry to loop this back to Canberra because I think it's a pretty dominant time in your career.

But was it hard one not getting ball from the middle?

And then also having probably one of the best strike edges on your right side with Leilua and Jordan Rapana?

Yeah and they were really good.

I struggled big time with B.

Yeah.

When I say struggled big time we were.

Our partners would get along.

They'd come to my house for.

So we were.

What would you call it like.

Not jovial like.

We talk.

Yeah.

I had no issues with him off the field.

But on the field he was not someone that I enjoyed playing with.

I think.

I think he had a bit of a.

A bit of a Pacific Islander sort of big kid sort of arrogance about him.

And I.

I understood the Islander boys enough to know that.

Some of them were really good.

Some of them weren't.

Some of them weren't good.

Some of them weren't.

The other boys were.

They were just being a bit fresh.

Sure.

I'm not.

No no.

He's.

He's been a bit arrogant.

Mm hmm.

And I struggle with that side of him a little bit.

We.

He's put so much pressure on me on the field.

I used to go to Ricky like.

Every few weeks.

I'm like.

Mate.

I can't.

I can't deal with this guy.

And Ricky's.

Ricky had always come back and say mate I played with Mal Meninga and he.

Used to put me through the same stuff.

I'm a confidence guy

I've played in games where

On the field

He's told me I'm the worst

Number six

That he's ever played with

And I'm like

Oh fuck

I know man

You're not helping me

We'd concede a try

And we'd get beyond the trial line

You'd see Joey

Watching the replay

He's like

Three or four metres

Away from the huddle

And he'd watch the replay

And then he'd come back in

And he'd go

Not my fault

Yeah

You're like

Fuck

Yeah cool

But then Rapper

Was like

Mediator

Rapper knew when to tell him

To pull his head in

But then Rapper also knew

When to tell me

Fucking toughen up

That was a shit miss

You need to be better

Yeah

So it was

And he's a freak man

Like that run we went on

Was unbelievable

Yeah

They're special to watch

Because they're hard to defend

Because you don't know

What they're going to do

Unbelievable

But that was another thing

Jordan Rapana

Had scooted down a short side

On play five

Yeah

And then

He still does

Yeah but then

So that was all good and well

Because they were like

That's the team we want to be

But then when we go away

From our structure

And we're not getting to our kick

And we're not finishing in a corner

Who do they turn to then

Yeah

Halves

Like why aren't you taking control

I'm like hang on a second

You've got to take the good with the bad

You want to be that team

Well then we've got to

You've got to be willing to understand

That it is difficult to

We were making errors

And they're like

We've got to rein it in

And I'm like

Well which one do you want to be

Yeah

Do you want to be expansive

Or do you want to be

Boring

We had a

We had a numbers guru come in

And I say numbers guru

Because he

I think he

He'd come to us from a betting agency

And I think

From what I understood

He made algorithms

Oh he was trying to money ball it

He was bro

But so

That year that we went on the run

We were in 16

Or like 14 of our last 15 or something

He gets us in a meeting

And he says

Guys I've done the numbers

So we're sitting like

12th or something

He goes

I've done the numbers

If we get our unforced errors

Not errors

But unforced

Down by

1.2

We'll be third

And we're like

Okay

So get our errors down

We'll be a better team

Yep

It's not really rocket science

But anyway

We ended up getting

So we targeted unforced errors

We created a system where

When we'd come to video

They'd say

That one we can live with

This one we can't

Getting up to play the ball

That shit

An opportunity to score a try

We'll live with that

We get it

We get it down

Sort of how much he tells us to

And we win 14 of our last 15

Oh wow

We get to within one game

Of the grand final

That's Joel Carbone

I think he's head of recruitment

Now with the Raiders

He's a pretty cool story for

Not a fan

But a sort of nerdy kid

That come into the sport

I'm not sure what his background was

In actual rugby league

Yep

But

I think a year or two ago

He coached

The Premier League team

And now he's head of recruitment

So he's

That's pretty cool

Yeah

He's made his way up

Yeah

I was talking to Alex McKinnon

One time

And he'd had this system

From there

And the way that they'd done it

So say someone like

Josh Mansell

Who would have been on

Say like

Round numbers 500k

Origin winger

Representative winger

And he's getting this amount of stats

But then we could pay this guy

Who's a young kid coming through

Like maybe Brian To'o

150 up front now

And get him on a 250

350 type of contract early

And he can do the same sort of numbers

Yeah

And he goes

You plug it into an Excel spreadsheet

And it gives you the data there

Yeah

I think people started looking at England

For those reasons too

I mean Josh earned a

Like Hojo earned a

Massive wicket

By the back end of his stay

But I'd imagine they got him at a price

That was a bit more appealing

Than some of the nines

What the nines were asking for

When we got him

Super League

How come they keep winning the club challenge?

It means more to them

First of all

I don't get it

I like it

I can't like fathom it

It sounds weird

Penrith this year man

Like what were they doing?

I think the weather got in their head too much

They were doing those weird

Turn back in

I feel like they still play that now though

They did for about the first five rounds

And everyone's going

What are they doing here?

And then they

I don't know if they were just trying to make it interesting

And let everyone get a bit closer to them

But

No it means more to them

You don't

Well you would understand

You've been over there

But they put their

They put the NRL on this huge pedestal

They understand that

Like NRL's the pinnacle

They don't like you talking about it

They'll tell you to fork off

Back to where you come from

If you talk about it too much

And they all think they can make it too eh?

Bearing

I remember I had a young kid at Leeds

He's like

Oh Blake what do you reckon

Are my chances of going over?

And I said well what

What's your reason?

Why do you want to go over?

And he goes well

You know if it doesn't work out

I can always come back

I said well NRL's not university

You're not going over there to

To do a course

You might get better

But you need to understand that

If you go there

And

You're not firing

You'll fall back in the squad

You'll be training every week

Not playing and

Everyone will forget about you basically

Yeah

But then he thinks

Well I'll come back on

Bigger money

Because

Oh man it's

It's heart breaking

Some of the money

Some of the players earn over there

But

I remember when I was there

Some of the guys were getting paid

5,000 quid a year

Some don't get paid

Oh don't they?

We had a kid

Decent player

Won a challenge cup with Warrington

Re-signed for like 17,000 pounds

It's like

How?

But at the same time

You

The jobs you work in England

Are

You're only earning 20,000 pounds

So if you're

Doing something you love

Rather than something you

Yeah I don't know

It's a

I think the gap between the rich and the poor

In the UK is very evident

Do you reckon you have to get in early

To succeed in NRL?

Or like with guys like

Yeah I think

Yeah I think so too

I think

Dom Young's a weird one

Like I know

Seas was at Huddersfield with Dom Young

And

It wasn't

A real plan to use him at Huddersfield

Seas used to tell me about this

Freak of an athlete

But then you talk to the English boys

And they're like

He's alright

He wasn't really

He was the guy on the reserves team at training

That

Was just

Just doing his part

But

I think for

I'd love to get young halves over young

Take the sort of Herbie Farnworth route

Yeah

Entrench yourself in the game

And then they're right

They can go back

But

In saying that

They have pretty good scholarship systems in the UK

They're almost like

Military operations

It's

They're so tough man

Yep

I think

NRL clubs

If they are going to be recruiting kids

It has to be out of the Wigan system

Because

You talk about military operations

Them kids are raised tough

That's what we've seen

That's funny when I went to Wigan

Because I always heard about the club

When I was like

And you see them when

Everything

And you go to Wigan

And you're like

Fuck this is a little

Little town

It's random as fuck

But tough as hell man

George Williams

John Bateman

Gareth Hock was there when I was playing

Yuck

He come to Parra didn't he

But they're just tough as nails

And the reason they are is

Like I remember

We'd always joke at

At training

But at Wigan

Dick on dick buddy

That's how they train man

Get tight

Get your head in

You know you're in for a match

I remember Tommy Lulawai playing there

Yeah

Tommy's the man

Didn't he

Didn't he find my lungs one game

Fucking drove straight through me

I couldn't breathe for

He's up at three man off the kickoff too

You know those ones

Yeah

Being winded is one of the worst experiences

For a short period of time

That 30 seconds is awful

Yeah

I had one the other day

It was like get up get up

Yeah and you're like

Give me a second

You're trying to find air

But yeah it's not very pleasing

What's the big difference

Between the wire and leads

Was it a culture shock

When you first went there

To Warrington

Nah

Nah Warrington's

I loved my time at Canberra

Ricky and Don Ferner

Were awesome for me

So it's hard to top them

But

The people that were

That run Warrington

Loved it

I get to speak from the best possible

Case scenario

Like I went over at 27

I went over at a time

When I was paid

Pretty comfortably

For that league

Like I remember

My agent saying

Do you want to go to Warrington

I was like

Fucking what do you want about

I'm 27

I'm not

But then he went

Oh Warrington's keen

And

A few of my contacts

Reckon you can sort of

Write your own contract

So I said

Give me this this this this

And this

And I'll

I guess I'll go

What was on that contract

Besides money

Oh well it was

Nah

It was all financial really

Oh okay

Yeah it was

It was mostly financial

And then he come back

And said yeah

You got everything

Like you got everything

You wanted

And I was like

Oh fuck I guess I'm gone

You know what I mean

And

But I also went at a time

When I knew I could

Switch my allegiance

I knew

I had this like

I had this

Inner belief

That I could go to England

And further my career

Like a lot of guys

Go there to wind down

Their career

I was going at an age

Where I thought

I could play some

International football

Really contribute

I was going to Warrington

Where they hadn't won

A Super League competition

So I was like

That's

That was exciting

And the people

Involved in that club

Are some of the best people

I've ever met

Very Western Sydney

Type of

Yeah

Real honest

Working class people

But they also have

Millionaires that have

Made it rich

From Warrington

That now still reside

In Warrington

Their owner could be

On the

Most exclusive

Street of London

But

He loves where he's from

And he loves putting

His money back in

They've got a chairman

That's the same

Another guy

Mike Lomax

Who

They

called the

Poorest millionaire

Because compared to

The two owners

I don't think he's

Quite on their level

But

This guy's

He puts the most money

Back into the boys

He's always putting

Functions on

And dinners

And just loves

Absolutely loves

The town of Warrington

I always found

When I lived in England

Because I went from

Wakefield to Penrith

Where you guys were

But like the boys

The crew that we had there

Was like nothing

And I've grown up in New Zealand

And been around

The Islander boys

There's nothing like it

They're a different crew

Over there

Yeah well they're just

Just knockabout dudes

You know what I mean

Absolute knockabout

And that country

I think they're a great

You say race

I mean they're a great people

Yeah

What I've found is

In Australia

Everyone's trying to

Climb the ladder

It's a rat race

Everyone wants that

That extra

You know what I mean

Whereas in England

I think there's a

There's a lot more

Of an understanding

Of where you sit in society

And instead of trying

To fight back against it

You just sort of go with it

As long as they can

Nah and

That's so true

That sounds like giving up

Don't get me wrong

Because I can't be that person

Like I was talking to

Someone the other day

And they're like

You're 33

You must be

And I'm like

Nah man

Even for my kids

They need me to keep

Keep chasing

Because otherwise

I'll just be a

Thing

But in England

I think they understand

As long as they can

Pay their rent

Cheer for their

Footy team at the end

Of the week

Like soccer

And have a pint

Comfortably have a pint

Maybe buy a bit of

Fake

Clubber

Fake tan as well

But a bit of fake clothes

The amount of fake

But

They don't give a shit

That's another thing

You imagine when we come through

If you come in a training

With a Gucci shirt on

Nah

What kind of

You just get ripped eh

But over there

It's like

Nah this is what we do

You know what I mean

Yeah it might be fake

But

You know what I mean

But

Yeah

Really

Really cool

I've made some of the best friends

Like Darryl Clark's

One of my best friends

He could've made it here eh

Big time

What's stopped him from coming

He's a real

He's a really well paid

English player

For starters

He come pretty close

To the Titans

A couple of years ago

But when you really

Weigh everything up

As I said

He's paid well for

For an English guy

People don't realise

Over there

He's won nearly every trophy

There is to win

Legend

Talk about like

Personalities in spines

We used to have spine meetings

And

He'd say

Look I don't care

What yous wanna do

I don't even know

Why I'm in this meeting

Tell me what you need from me

And I'll do it

Yeah

I'll run when I get a quick play

The ball

If not I'll give you the ball

When you tell me to give you the ball

And I was like

Just made it that easy eh

Yeah

And he was a freak man

Freak of a player

I remember

We'd get on the piss

And I was like

You were the

You were one of the only ones

I knew before I come over

I used to watch you for England

Yeah

I didn't know most of the other boys

But

No he's one of my best friends for sure

Who could make it from there right now

I was actually having a chat

To someone at

Souths the other day

He does like a little bit

Of analysing stuff

And I said

Have a look at Sam Walters

Six foot seven

He was at Leeds with us

Plays prop

In his head

He thinks he can still mix it on the edge

I think he's a prop

Fittest

Fittest bloke you'll ever see

At six foot seven

Six seven

Lean

Six pack

Trains his backside off

I reckon he would have announced himself

To the world

In the club chat

Because he signed with Wigan from Leeds

Yep

Wigan sort of scouted him out

But does his Hemi

Like a week or two before

Oh okay

Wigan just beat

Hulk Hayar

In the semi-final of the Challenge Cup

So I think this will be his moment

He played in the semi

You'll see the last try

Where he

He supports in areas

That props shouldn't be supporting

He has this knack of

Of popping up where he needs to

Sam Walters

Sort of like

Like Payne Haas sort of one

Yeah

Big minute sort of prop

And

Me and C

Used to say about him

Like he has a

He has an Australian mentality

On the game

Yep

And that's why

Why I think

Like I was talking to Seahouse

Because obviously they're a middle forward

They need middle forwards

And I was like

Man you gotta look at this guy

I mean Wigan won't like me saying that

But

Yeah

I think he'd go really well

Who else?

Ooh good question

You know what

You know what's beautiful about it

You don't know which ones

Yep

Like think about going the other way

It's like

Oh we got this guy

And then he's shit

Yeah

Well then this other kid comes in

That everyone's like

Oh I'm not too sure about

But then he kills it

I reckon

Going that way

You need to get the guy

That's around 25, 26

Still has this desire

To maybe come back

And the reason why you get them

Is because they're still

Going to train in a way

Where they want to play well

Yeah

They go for a lot of

The bigger Islander boys

And no offence to them

But

If you can't control your weight

In Australia

You're not going to win England

No and

You're laughing

Yeah I know

But when the sun goes down

At 3.30

Yeah

And then it gets to 5 o'clock

And you're thinking about

Having your fifth tea

For the afternoon

And you've had four biscuits

With every tea that you've had

And

You've got to get out in the cold

And drive to the gym

I reckon

So for recruiters

Going that way

You've got to look for

The professional guys

That's your

That's your number one

Coming back the other way

I'm not sure

Could any other

Jack Welsby's the

He's a once in a generational

Player over there

Like pretty crazy

Fullback

Fullback yeah

I was pretty blase about him

At the start of his career

But

He continues to do it

Week in week out

You can't

You can't deny the

Jake Wardle's another one

Wigan centre

Big left foot

Comes down hard

Off his left foot

I think he just

Re-signed at Wigan

Yeah

I think it's a real good

It's awesome for the game

When you see those ones

That are very close to

Or could come over

But then they recommit

To their clubs

In the English game

I think that's really cool to see

Yeah I think they need to though

Don't they

Have to

Yeah

It's scary if they let them go

That strengthens

Their international team too

So it's

It's a catch 22

You're weakening your domestic game

But does it give England

A better chance of

Because England compete

But let's face it

The last three or four

World Cups

No one's ever gone

And gone

Well England's going to win this one

I mean Sean Wayne

Tried to win this one

To play this real positive

Talk

Positive reinforcement game

To the media last year

But

Yeah my son

My son enjoyed watching

Samoa beat him

At Arsenal

And we sort of followed

The Samoan team around

In England

That was a

Such a cool experience

For my son

Sort of a half-caste kid

That's grown up in Canberra

And then England

Been starved of a lot of his culture

To then have this

Yeah for sure

For sure

This Samoan team

That come over

And his heroes in Crichton

And Luai

And he gets to follow them around

Go to the games

We're at the hotel

With them after

That's cool

Yeah we're proud

I was so proud

And happy for him

That he got to experience it

And my

As it panned out

My mother-in-law was over

At the time too

And if you've seen

If you've seen an island

She was like the proudest

I remember

Josh Papaletti

Gave him

Gave her

His big coat

After the match

And there must have been

42 Facebook photos

Of all the family

Back in the islands

That she got the

Got the jacket

And it was just a really cool

Six weeks for

For myself

For my family

How does

Changing topics

How does New South Wales

Win origin

I think we do

I think

I think we're finally

In this position where

We've wanted to be

Because every year

We try and pick the best

Blues side that we can pick

This year our best players

Can't be picked

So now we're going to have

17 guys that are told

They can't get a job done

And I think that's the most

Dangerous

You know

The best position

You could ever be

And I think

We've always picked

The best player

We need a pick on personality

And I think

Because that's what

Queensland have kind of

Figured out huh

Yeah

You pick

Your two or three star players

And then you build

You pick the right personality

I left Latrell out

Of my origin team too

But my brother

Sort of said the other day

Latrell's like

A bit like Dane Gayguy

At origin level

Put him in the centres

And he's going to

He's going to cause some havoc

So he's another one

Michael Jennings always killed

In an origin

Probably should play

Luke Lewis is the best

Origin player the Blues

Have had in

You know the last 20 years

This pick and stick

Like I think it's a bit

Of a myth

People keep saying

Queensland picked and stick

Well they didn't

They had the best players

Not only at origin level

But they all fired

At club land

They've always had

A couple of players

That haven't fired

But they've still put them in

But they've never been

In key positions

Like when's the last time

Someone's questioned

One of the

One of the picks

For Queensland's spine

No they've picked themselves

And it's been so obvious

Whereas we're like

Oh we need a pick and stick

No we tried that

Like Mitchell Pearce

Was our seven every year

And don't get me wrong

He was the best seven

That the Blues had

By a country mile

But we tried that

Pick and stick thing

And it hasn't worked

We tried Hodkinson

And Reynolds

Something

A little bit left field

And they were two guys

That were told

That couldn't get the job done

And what do they do

They go and do it

Yeah

It'd be interesting

To see how they played out

Who would you pick

As your spine right now

Do you know what

I've copped so much flack

Mitch Kenny's my nine

Yeah I'd pick Mitch Kenny

Because Arby Corris

Has my bench

Yeah me too

Because I'm like

You don't need him on the field

In the first 30 minutes

And there's no better player

To get up and rail a few cages

Than Mitch Kenny

I don't understand

How I've copped so much flack

For this

Oh really

So much man

I'm in a few different

And they're like

Like we're just checking

On you mate

Like you've picked Mitch Kenny

And I'm like

Who's everyone else

Picking Rhys Robson

They want Arby to start

Which is fair enough

I just don't think

He's a starter

Well he is a starter

But he doesn't need to be

We'll bring him on

When the game softens up

Yeah

Because you have to go

For the double nine rotation

You feel

In origin

I think you've got to

Have the cover

But Arby can cover seven as well

So he can

Nine, seven, thirteen

So that's enough cover

Yep

How do you

How do you not pick Edwards

Nah

I'd pick Edwards as well

And my

My opinion on this

Is with Teddy

Obviously one of the greats

But like the way

He sort of plays football

For me

When I asked about

The Josh Hodgson conversation

When I think about

Playing with Teddy

Like it'll be great

Because he can get you

Out of situations

But like if he's

Calling

When you say that

What do you mean

Get you out of situations

Because I think

He's had some big moments

Yeah

But I think the way

That Edwards plays

And the way that Tedesco plays

Is almost identical

Yep

Like you think

Ponga, Walsh

They're out the back

Causing drama

On three V2s

Yeah

Teddy doesn't play three V2s

Teddy's never been a

It's through the middle third

Oh he makes

Tied forwards

Miss

Yeah

But I think Edwards

Is just a younger

More fitter

Version

That's now

He played a grand final

On one leg

He was nearly the best player

Like if he retired tomorrow

I said it last week

But if he retired tomorrow

If he had a blues cap

To his name

It'd be the biggest

Injustice ever

Like it's ridiculous

I have

I'd pick Edwards

Yeah

I wouldn't have Yo there

I said this the other week

You'd go Cam Mario

I think he gets in the way

In Origin

I don't think Origin's

A pass first kind of game

And I think he's too much

Pass first

Is Carey still

Good

I don't know if it is

You don't reckon

I don't know

I think because he's

Such a like

Tall body

Like you kind of

Have to jump up

Over the board

To get a decent

Shot on him

Maybe

But I think when he

Shows and goes

And he digs back

Into that soft spot

Of the A

I think is Carey

Still strong

Be interesting to see

His post contact

Meters

I think we're so

Blinded by

His passing ability

Yeah

And that's what we

Think he always does

Might get caught up

In it

I had Trebojevic there

Just as a

Sort of heart of a lion

Won't let anyone down

Has he got enough

Leg speed

For Origin

No but

Once again

He can't do it

And he has that

I reckon he has that

Place he can go to

Where

He's that like

He's that Dallas Johnson

Mould where

People pick him

And they go

What are they thinking

There

But he just gets it done

Nate Miles was like that

He was the best

He was the best at Origin

Yeah

You gotta go

Nico Hines

I didn't have him there

But you gotta go in

Has he got too much

Footy in him for Origin

Do you reckon

Well that's been

The knock on him

But like I said

About Daily Cherry Evans

I think

Obviously Nico Spent

Come through the

Manly system

But I think

If you had to

Liken him to anyone

I reckon it's DC

He doesn't have that

He's not Adam Reynolds

He's not kicking

He's not kick happy

But he can kick

Who do you put next to him

I don't know

That's the

That's the catch 22

That's the Origin

Deciding question isn't it

You gotta go

Luai or Burton

With whatever's left

I think Luai

Has copped a bad rap

At Origin level

I reckon

That's cause his personality

Off the field

Like gives him an easy target

Easy target

Well I think

When he's next to Nathan

I think

Yeah

Right or wrong

Nathan can

Be shielded from

A lot of the criticism

And a lot of the feedback

After a loss is

How do we free Nathan up

Where sort of

Luai can get a bit of

Blame for that

When you're such a

Dominant duo

A lot of the questions

Are about

How do we help

Things for Nathan

Rather than

Admiring what

What Jerome does as well

I doubt

Soverburton has a six

Probably start of the year

Yeah but

I said the other day

He's not a club land six

Nah

I'm watching him at club

Gone

There's not a

He's put down six

On his resume

Cause you get paid

But he's a centre

In a good team

Oh 100%

But at origin

Maybe he's a six

Big left foot boot

Almost like when

Sean Timmons

Come on

Sean Timmons-esque

That's what I said

The other day

I think

Big left boot

Can get us out of trouble

Does his D stand up

I don't know

But I reckon in that arena

I reckon 80% of people

Their D stands up

Cause the arena

Brings the best out in you

Yeah for sure

I missed out on origin

And like

It's still a bit of

Like I'm still filthy

That I did

I had a good enough year

Probably to

To go pretty close

I was in the discussions

Scored a hat-trick

At City Country

And I get why

They didn't throw me in

But then I'm like

That might have been

The occasion

That sent me on my path

To greatness

You know what I mean

I guess we'll never know

More money too

Yeah

But I think

The burden

Conversation is like

I watched him

The game was on the line

And Magic

It was probably

The only part of football

I watched all weekend

But the game was on the line

And they had like

A good ball set

And he was just sort of

Parked on one edge

Didn't get one touch

No he's a

Six

So this is what I said

The other day too is

If he's going to be a six

He needs a premier half

Next to him

Yeah

But you can't get paid

A million bucks

If you need another

Million dollar player

Next to you

That's why

In club land

In salary cap land

He can only be a centre

I think

You can only pay

One half

Mega dollars

Panthers have

That's what's happened

At Penrith

You know what I mean

Lewis played backseat

For a little while

But after a while

You go well hang on

I'm going to go get mine

Fair enough

Nathan's got his

And it's been great

While it's lasted

But I'm going to go

And it's a challenge

For him

Like he said

But it's also a

Nice little pay rise as well

Yeah for sure

Fuck I'm excited for Origin

It's going to be good

Yeah man

Who takes over Munster

Dearden or Ezra

Dearden

Yeah I think so too

That game that he played

In COVID

I was like

What

How are they putting

This kid in there

But he was unbelievable

Yeah

And he's only gone

To bigger heights

Chasing down blokes

Tough as nails

He's quicker

Than I thought he is

Just

Or that chase down

Yeah

Yeah that was huge

Where he like

He got to the 20 meter line

It was like he was done

And then he just

Goes again

Yeah he's

Pretty impressive man

That's exciting

I like Drinkwater

In that team too man

I don't know what's

Happened to that team

They just remind me

Of like that good

Attacking side

Like we'll just

Attack our way

Out of this

Like offense

Is the best form

Of defense

So they just

Can't seem to get it done

He's a good player man

I like him

I've always been

A big fan of him

And even when he was

Playing six

Yeah

Imagine if he stayed

In Melbourne

Or if Cowboys

Could just back up

What they done last year

Yeah

That'd be

That'd be good

Who's some other

Halves that you

Sort of like to

Watch at the moment

I love watching

Jerome Hughes

Sort of what we

Talked about before

With Cherry Evans

He's a fullback

But he sets up

His shape

To set up his run

Yeah

Like I used to go

Look at my shape

See what I've got

And if nothing was on

My run was always

Kind of like my last option

Where you're probably

The other way around

But like he'll set up

Like a shape

Of a 7-4

Or 7-3 split

Or 6-4 split

And just go

Crank right

And just go straight through

You look at systems too

But like I

This is where decisions

You make around your career

Are everything

Like I look at someone

Like Munster

And I think

Like I could have been

A Munster

We're very similar

In the way we play

But Munster found himself

In a system where

From the outside

Looking in

The coach is really

Hard on him

Loves him

You can tell he loves him

But he's also really

Hard on him

Expects a lot from him

Maybe I thrive in a system

Like that

Do you know what I mean

So I think

It's really important

Money's cool

But you know

If you want long term success

You've got to put yourself

In the right environment

Well obviously

Coming back to the game now

And there's a lot of things

Going on

A lot of players

Doing

A lot of things

A lot of players doing

Podcasts

In terms of media

You said you love everything

Outside the game

What do you like

Outside the game the most

At the moment

What's a couple of things

That stick out

We live in a day and age

Where it's

You've got to be brave

To be yourself

I admire Latrell for that

I think he shows up

I don't like the way

He plays his footy

I can say that comfortably

But

As a fullback

I mean

Like Origin and that

He's a freak

And he is a freak

And he's this big

The game

Whether they like him

Or hate him

The game loves him

Because he gets people

Talking about rugby

League

But he's allowed

To be himself

As I said I think

I'm a father of four kids

And I just want my kids

To be brave enough

To be themselves

Even in times when

It's not cool to

You know

To go against the grain

I'm someone that

Likes swimming upstream

When everyone's floating down

And

Yeah I think

I really enjoy

Watching players

Be themselves

Jerome Luai's

A big inspiration

Cops it

But

Doesn't

Mind feeling the fire

And fighting back

And like the things

He's done post Origin

And that

Like brilliant

Why not

Why can't he do that

Makes it entertaining

Doesn't it

Oh man brilliant

Because I always feel like

If everyone like

I say this a lot

And like

If you look at movies

If you look at a movie

It's always like

Starts good

Goes bad

And then finishes on the happy end

And that's kind of like

The natural structure of it

But within movies

And superhero movies

And entertainment

With sports

Naturally is

You've got to go on the journey

But there's got to be bad guys

Imagine if everyone was a good guy

Imagine if the Avengers

Had no one to fight against

Yeah 100%

Like you know what I mean

And makes heroes heroes

Makes villains villains

Well it's theatre

It is bro it is

I was a year 12 drama student

So I can

No I wasn't

I can

I enjoy theatre

You know what I mean

It's what sells

And

Yeah like

I've said before

That I enjoy now

Because I get to be a fan

It's because I was too scared

To share my

You can't share your real opinions

While you're a player can you

Nah

But some people do

Obviously they get a lot of

A lot of flack for it

But you know

In a day and age where

You've got to just go with the title

You know

Cancellation can happen

Pretty quick

I admire anyone

That stands up for what they believe

Do you reckon in Fox Sports

Like say Paul Kim for example

Or anyone along that line

Do you reckon they should be held

As accountable as players these days?

It's a question I asked a while ago

I got

I've been thinking about

Where I go with this

And I've seen

What's the buzz

I actually like Buzz Rothfield

I'll start by saying that

But I read an article

He wrote about Latrell

On the weekend

And there was a

Couple of sentences in there

And it said that

Former players should be allowed to

Critically analyse players' performance

Without fear or favour

So it was based around Latrell

Confronting Bray Finaster

Buzz is saying that

Anyone on that TV

Should be allowed to say

Whatever they like

Without any fear

Or without any favour

What a load of

What a load of shit

We've grown up in areas where

You have to be mindful

Of what you say

Because it only takes

It only takes one person to

I grew up in a household

Where if you say the wrong thing

Your dad's clipping you over the head

And that teaches you

A natural filter

I think

There's become this

And it's

It's the good with the bad

It's give and take

Like they

They pay a lot of money to be

Showing our game

And they

They have to be controversial

I get that

They have to get eyes on the screen

Or else

You know

Our TV deal doesn't look the way it does

But

There needs to be consequences

To things you say

You can't control

How someone perceives what you say

So when there is a bit of backlash

Instead of having the arrogance

To say

No no

This is our job

And this is what we have to do

That's what they fall on

Yeah

See

See it from their

See it from their side

And there have been a few

But there's also been this real narrative

Of oh Latrell was way out of line

But

And to Brave's credit

I haven't seen Brave come out and

Nah he wouldn't

Seem real upset about the tough conversation

Because that's what we've had our whole life

Rugby league players know how to

Have tough conversations

It's

Coming back into the real world

I'm like

Why can't we just

You know

Have it out

And then we'll carry on

That's what you do in rugby league

You know what I mean

But

Yeah this idea that you can

You can say what you want

Just because you're creating

Like I think they think

They're just creating content

Yeah

Forget that there's people involved

And

The other part of it is

And I was thinking about this the other day

It's funny that you brought this up

But like I thought

I feel like this type of stuff

Is going to happen

A bit more often

Where people are going to get started

Getting called out

Especially because I've seen the reaction

That they've got

Yeah so this will be the natural filter

This is going to be the natural filter

So once again

Latrell's taken the

You know

He's taken the firing squad

But on the back of that

You know

The next

Lot of players coming through

They're now going to be coming through

In an era where

You know

Presenter's

Presenter's will have to think

A little bit

And I don't even think

Latrell had an issue

With what Braith was saying about him

It was about the club

Oh okay

Braith went really hard

At Blake Solley the other week

And Braith

I thought Braith missed the mark

When he went at him

Because he wasn't coming at him

From a 360 point of view

He was a scorned agent

He's upset with

The treatment of Lachlan Ilias

And he should be

Because

I don't agree with how

They've treated him

Yeah that's been rough

But he come

At Solley from a petty point of view

Now I reckon

Solley's

Had Latrell's back

In all the stuff

That he's had to deal with

And now Latrell's

Seen an opportunity

To repay that

And give it back

Here's what I think

Is going to happen

And like we see

We've grown up in rough areas

And I grew up in a town where

Talk shit get hit

Talk shit

But like someone

Will come knock on your door

Like they know

Where everyone lives

And stuff like that

But what I think

Is going to happen

And this is just a

Like there's going to be

An indigenous kid

Or an indigenous person

That goes Latrell's my guy

And then if they see Braith

And he's like

I've got kind of nothing

To lose here

You know what I mean

It's the same way that

It's not going to be

American style

We're not saying

There's going to be

But there's going to be

Confrontation

100%

It might be an argument

It might lead into a conversation

Which potentially leads into

A fight like that

And I remember Paul Kent

Talking about

And this is 2013

He goes I don't really care

About the Samoan and Tongan game

Like it's not interesting to me

I remember George Tafua

Was like blowing up

About it at the time

But if he said

Something like that now

Like you'd get the reaction

Of that

And the reason why I know this

Is because when Jordan Simi

Almost got cancelled

With all his stuff

Like the Mount of Islanders

That were turning on us

And hanging outside the house

And taking photos

And death threats

And stuff like that

Because they felt

A connection to a certain community

And they got access

To these people

Now I feel like

That's going to happen

Especially with reporters

And as I said

If Luttrell's the one

That has to wear the brunt

For everyone else

He'll continue to do that

And he's done that

On many

I feel for him that

And it's in his personality

I'd love for him to

Just let it all go

And be himself

But that's the role

Maybe that's him

That's him

It is him

He's a protector

Yeah for sure

What don't you like

About the game

What hasn't changed

That you're like

I'd love to change this

Well that stuff

That stuff

I think we've become

There's so much money in it

You know what I mean

We've become a real

Young man's game

It's a business

But this business stuff

Like I think the clubs

Hold all the power

Like a player

Has to ask the club

For a release

From their contract

Who's got the power there

Yeah the club

But so the reason

Why the clubs don't mind

Letting them go

Is because when the clubs

Got that other recruitment issue

They got that wrong

So then

Then they want to

Tap him on the shoulder

And say you're going to go

So they let it happen

One way so that

They can rescue themselves

For the bad recruitment decisions

They make the other way

If they just said

You're not going

And we're going to work with you

And make you a better player

Issue's solved

But it's such big business

Recruitment managers

Are getting decisions wrong

Everywhere

No one ever hears

About the name of the person

That decides to recruit people

Nah

They just blame the player

They blame the coach

And then we all

Pick up the pieces

But there's a table

Of four or five people

That have made a decision

To sign this player

So either make him better

Or send him to Reserve Braid

And let him see

How he's going to do

With his contract

Yeah

But because they get it wrong

So often

They tap him on the shoulder

So that when he comes

And asks for his release

They say

Well we'll let you go

Because it'll come back around

And work in our favour

Would you love a draft system?

Yeah but

I'm not qualified enough

To know how that would work

Is this a draft?

I'm not sure

But even if

You can only request

Your release as a player

At the end of the season

Yep

So if every player knew

That you had to be there

That year

But if you're that

If you hate it that much

At the end of the year

You can knock on the

CEO's door

And say

I want to leave

You might be disgruntled

In May

But if the club

Then knows

That this kid has to

Stick around for another

Eight months

Well what are the club

Going to do then?

Well let's work with him

Either we're going to

Work with him

Because he's on our books

For another

Who minds I use him up

We males will work with him

Make him better

Get his mental state right

And then

Then what happens

After eight months

That kid then goes

Well I'm really appreciative

Of the way you've treated me

And what you've done for me

I don't want to go

I'm sticking around

But we have this system

Where

Yes

Just get away

Use him

And abuse him

Yeah

That's interesting

You sort of talked about

I don't know if you want to talk about

What you want to do in the future

Are you open to talking about that?

I want to stay busy

I think

I really enjoy my job

At the school

I want to touch on the school too

I think it's

It's an awesome

It's an awesome environment

It's a

It's a funny school

Because it doesn't really fit

Anywhere at the moment

It's a private school

Which means you pay fees to go

But it's also a sports school

So historically in Australia

Sports schools are government funded

But this is a

A private version

So you pay to come to

To school

You try out for your

We have rugby league

Netball

Tennis

Soccer

Maybe

Dance

So you come

So my son's in the rugby league

He does basketball on a Monday

He's in the basketball program

And then the other three days

He does rugby league

He's

He does two hours of training a day

For each sport

But where I think it gets really cool

Is the education

System

They've

They've finally broken away from

This system of memorising information

And doing a test at the end

They

They do what's called

The big picture program

In the senior school

So you study what you want

How you want

You

It's a

Basically a process of

Elimination

You

You think what you might want to do

You explore it

You either continue exploring it

Or you pivot at the end of every two terms

People

It's not suitable for everyone

Because it's very

The onus is on you

But that's

That's what creating adults is

Ain't it

Like it's

The onus is on you

If you're not going to do it

No one's

No one's going to do it for you

And we've got kids in our school

That I can tell

It's not the best situation for them

But if they weren't at our school

They'd be at another school

Doing the same shit anyway

So at least at our school

They're with like-minded kids

They're all great kids

I haven't met a

Dickhead yet

They're all wonderful kids

And they're doing their sport

So they're

They're progressing in their sport

And

I've just come

I got to sit

So I'm a rugby league coach

So I basically stand on the field

And the

Seniors come down in the morning

Middle group come down in the

Middle

And the young kids come down in the arvo

It's a K-12 school

You do sport from 3 to 6

So I basically

I'm their coach

They have their teachers and stuff

But what I got to sit on

Sit in on recently was

It's called their exhibition

So at the end of every two terms

They have to

They have to put a presentation together

They have to present to their parents

Their teacher

And their coach

Now

They present their LTI

Which is their work placement

And we all chat and explore

Is this what you thought it was

Is this what you want to continue with

Are you going to pivot

And the magic happens

At the end of the presentation

Because some of them are shit

Don't get me wrong

But we

Like in normal high schools

You do shit assignments

But they just hand you back

The piece of paper

With a number at the top

This one at least

If you are going to present a shit one

You've got to face your teacher

Your parent and your coach

Straight off the bat

Yeah straight off the bat

And then we're going to explore

How you do better next time

Why didn't you do good this time

Where you're going to be

Where are you at with your goals

Where you're at with your mental

Like the magic happens at the end

Man I've been so blessed

And proud to

To sit in on them

Man I've sat in with

14 and 15 year old kids

That

You can see

They just want to explore

Certain topics with their

You know with their mentors

At the end of the

The exhibition

And I just think it's

It's where education needs to go

It's interesting

I've never heard of it

Yeah

It's so outdated

The education system

My son's

Been back

And my son is naturally

A quiet kid

Yep

He's first exhibition

And he's

So he's a bit different

He does projects

Every two terms

Because he's in year 7

He's not looking to see

What he's going to do

He just does projects

And his first projects

Were some on culture

So a kid that's been

Starved of a lot of it

He got to

Put together a presentation

For me and mum

About who he is

As a person

And what his culture is

And a kid that doesn't talk

To see him at the front

He was so nervous

I remember saying to him

Look your goal for this one

Is speak loud and speak clear

I don't care what

What else you're going to do

But just let's focus on that

I was so proud of him

It's

So I'm going to

I'm just in awe

Of this education system

I think

It's

I think it's where school

Needs to go

How to be a good dad

Oh good question man

Good question

I don't think

There's any such thing

Because I think

Even when you're doing

The wrong stuff as a dad

I think you want to raise

Kids that are

Aware enough to know

To highlight

And recognise the wrong

And the good

Like I think

Back to my dad

And

He wouldn't have read

Any handbooks

Some of the stuff

He'd done

You know

It creates trauma

And things like that

But

Look at where I'm at

I'm more like

If someone told me

At 33

This is where I'm going to be

Yeah I take it

Every day of the week

And

You can't have an appreciation

For your parents

Until you are a parent

And

Not just a young parent

But as your kids grow

And hit them stages

And

Yeah

What a dad I had

And as I said

It was

Not even all the great stuff

He'd done

Sometimes it was the

The stuff that I didn't agree with

That I look back now

But

That's what

Teaches you

I mean trauma's a big thing

But

Do you have any trauma?

Oh we've all got trauma

I'm sure

I'm sure you carry some too

But

Yeah it makes you who you are

It really does

Like I wouldn't

I wouldn't change a thing

I'm so blessed to have

To have had the parents

That I've had

Is it hard being

Like being successful

In your area of life

At NRL

And you've got a kid

Who plays football

Yeah

He hates it

Yeah

He hates it

And this is something

That I want to explore

Hates it to bits

But I was the kid that

Talks shit

About him

Cause I was like

I played against kids

That had famous dads

And I was like

They're only making it

Cause of this

And fuck him

Why aren't they looking

But

Like it's like

Swings and roundabouts

Like now I've got a son

That's that kid

And now I have to understand

He hates it

Like to tears

I've got three daughters

I'm the apple of their eye

They're like

My dad's famous

One of the coolest things

You can have

Is a daughter

That thinks you're famous

Like it's

I don't believe

My daughter tells people

That her dad's famous

You know what I mean

But my son's always struggled

With it

How are you going to balance that

We're working on it

And it's a

It's a battle

It's

I'm in this real battle

Of trying to create

This tough situation

But also giving my son

All the things

That I didn't have

And it's

It's so hard

It's fucking difficult

Because I want

And my son longs for this

Like Mount Druitt experience

Cause like

He knows I'm from Mount Druitt

Yeah

And Mount Druitt's cool now

So like he's like

I'm like you're not even

From Mount Druitt bro

You've grown up in Canberra

And Warrington bro

But

Nah there's a Pete like

Yeah he longs for it

Yeah

Oh man I'm so in awe of my son

It's

He's the coolest cat

Without even knowing

How cool he is

That's what's so special about him

At the moment

There's

Parts of that

Is to his detriment

But I think in the long run

It's like

I watch him in some games

And he's

Everything's by the book

And if coach says do this

He's doing that

And I just want to shake him

And say like

Be a bit more arrogant

And cocky

But in the long run

He'll get there

He listens to everybody

He's not like me

I fucking

I was a coach's nightmare

It's one of the reasons

I don't want to coach

Cause I don't want to deal

With folks like myself

Yeah

But

I'm so in awe of him

Then my oldest daughter

Is different again

She's me

She has this confidence

That she probably shouldn't have

Like I watch her play soccer

And she wants the ball

Every chance she gets

But then at the same time

That's a skill in itself

It's like when kids

They get accused of being hogs

Well they're not hogs

They just know how to get the ball

Your son hasn't quite learned

That's a good way to look at it

Hasn't quite learned

How to fight his way in

And ultimately

It's a dog eat dog world

And you've got to find

Your place in it

I'm this big

I'm a big believer

That you

You

Your job is to bring your kids

Into the world

And then your job after that

Is just to be there

When they fall

I think

I think they have to figure

A lot of it out on themselves

Because I had kids

And I

Me and my missus

Were still growing up

You know

How old were you

I was 20

Not 16

Come on

Yeah 20

So like

I mean

My oldest son's seen

Seen me and mum grow up

I've come through

You know

Some of the years

That I've come through with Carter

Was

Some of the years

That I had

You know

Too many tickets on myself

And people told me

That I was the best thing

Since sliced bread

And

So he's had to watch me

Grow up too

And it's

Yeah it's been this beautiful

Beautiful journey

I think

Going to Canberra

And going to England

Has been

Been one of the best things

That could have ever happened

To our family

Yeah travel's so important

Isn't it

Well you

You pulled away from

Every little bit of

Support you've got

So then what do you do

You lean on the people

That are around you

And

Although rugby can be consuming

And I'm

Not always as present

As I'd like to be

But

Yeah

Really happy

Where we're at as a family

And where

We're

Got a podcast coming soon

I'm working on it

Yeah

I'm trying not to talk about it too much

Because

Hindsight's taught me that

For probably 10 years now

I've always had the right ideas

Lack of

Execution

How many times I said

That place needs a cafe

And then it gets one

And it's fucking pumping

How many times

You might be an entrepreneur bro

Oh mate

No I'm a deep thinker

As I said

I've got good awareness

I'd like to think

You know

I'm clever

I know a little bit

About a lot

I want to be known

As a bit of a mentor

Working in the school

Has really affirmed for me

That

I like to see people

Like I like to get the best

Out of people

Not in an elite sense

Like I think other people

Are

Equipped to do that

The whole elite thing

Is not for me

I think about coaching

And people are like

Do you want to coach

And I say

I'd love to be a head coach

But this 10 year journey

Of an assistant

X's and O's

And setting up

Like that's not me

Put me in the hot seat

And I reckon

I could keep everyone

Happy

I know what every member

Of the squad's going through

And how to keep them happy

But this journey of coaching

Is not

Not for me

It sounds

Baz tried to get me to coach

When I was at Manly

He goes

Fuck you'd make a great coach

So come along with me

And same sort of thing

Like the way I thought about it

At the time

Is like

I can only influence

Like maybe 25 to 30 people

At a time

And I was doing podcasting

And vlogging

You've got to be a

Yeah

You have to let people down

Like I've seen Rowan Smith

Oh you get that in business too

Yeah I guess so

I guess so

But I've seen

Rowan Smith come in

To Leeds

And the nicest person

I've ever met

And I walked out the door

And I was like

That fucking shit

The only difference

Between Rowan and the others

Was he did it with a smile

On his face

But that's what the business

That's what the business

Does to you man

Sports

Yeah

And that's back to

Rowan's doing what he needs

To do to feed his kids

And I'm walking that way

Because I'm trying to do

The same thing

I think

We're all in the same

Rat race mate

Appreciate that

Alright bro

I just want to say

Thank you for jumping on

Appreciate your time

Cheers bro

I look forward to the podcast

I genuinely think

You've got a great opinion

And take on

A lot of things

And I've always respected

Your opinion

So I look forward to it

Thanks man

Cheers

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