Reece Robson, Scott Drinkwater, thanks for taking time out of camp to come join the potty.
How are you boys?
Good mate, thanks for having us.
Yeah, going pretty good mate, yeah. Happy to be here.
Saved the day. I was telling you on the way here, I had Tyson Frizzell on standby
and obviously didn't make the team, but you and Reece, you've stepped in and saved me.
So I do appreciate it boys, taking time out of camp. Obviously, full on, how's the week been?
Been good to start with, yeah. I'm into camp, being pretty relaxed.
All the boys are looking fit and firing, ready to go.
A couple of quiet beers, Monday, Monday? Yeah, a couple of quiet beers, Monday.
Tuesday, wasn't wild, but yeah, just getting everyone was pretty good and a bit starstruck.
Latino night? Usually Latino night in at Ivy?
No, we just had a Clovelly hotel.
Oh, Clovelly, okay.
Yeah, didn't venture off anywhere.
Good little spot there.
Yep. Who leads the charge there?
Oh, a few other boys, yeah.
Yeah, there's this...
Probably Marto, Liam Martin.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Loves a beer, yeah.
Country boy, yeah.
He was looking pretty dusty, actually, the next day.
He needs some sleep.
What, and you didn't have to train the next day?
Yeah, we actually had a bit of a training session.
Nothing too serious, bit of a walkthrough, a bit light, so got into a bit of a jog, but...
Sweated out, pretty much, so yeah.
Into a very easy weight session.
What's, like, obviously coming from the North Queensland heat down to here, how's that?
Are you enjoying the change of weather, or you're missing the warmth in terms of training?
And, like, what do you do, like, because you've only got a week and a half to prepare for a game?
Like, what do they sort of put you through?
Yeah, the weather's been...
I like it a little bit, just a bit fresher, but got over it a little bit this morning.
It was a bit chilly, but, yeah, the weather's been great.
It's good to have some nice beaches, I guess.
Jumping in the nice sand, but training-wise, you might be a stick on that, you last camp?
Yeah, it's good just coming off the field and not, like, you've just jumped out of a pool, but...
Yeah, so it's been good, the weather, just training.
Yeah, and, yeah, session's been pretty good, like, obviously, like you said, there's only a
week and a half to sort of prepare, so they just sort of back the players they've got
in there, got some pretty high-quality players around us, so they all know what they sort
of need to get ready for the game next Wednesday, so they'll sort of just put in, I guess, structures
in place, just getting used to playing with each other, a few plays and that sort of stuff,
but generally just sort of gives the confidence to sort of play our own football, and, yeah,
it's pretty much team bonding from now till Wednesday.
How was your first Origin experience, Reecey?
Obviously, mate, you'll probably...
Nelly, the best-performed New South Wales player on the field, and probably went in
with the expectation to be sharing that hooker role with Cookie, and, obviously, Trebojevic
injured early, and you had to step up and play 80, and I know you're a fit guy from
my time with you, but how was that?
Were you sucking in seagulls up there, or how was it?
Obviously, losing turbo that early into the game really hurts, and, yeah, probably hurt
just as much, and when Cookie went out there, I knew I probably wasn't getting a spell,
so that was probably hard to swallow.
It was probably only two minutes into the game when I was really blowing.
I'm thinking I've got to get through another 78, if that's the case, but, yeah, I guess
probably first 10 to 15 minutes, yeah, I was struggling, getting a bit lightheaded there
when the ball would get kicked behind us, just making sure I should get back, but I
guess sort of once I sort of got into the swing of things and the rhythm of the game,
it sort of started to just treat it like a normal game and started to feel a bit better,
but, yeah, I was pretty concerned the first 10 to 15, how I was feeling, that I had to
go the rest of it, so...
And it is like, you always hear, it's such a step up in, obviously, I don't know, physicality,
but the speed of the game, was that real noticeable?
I guess, yeah, it could change from game to game, obviously, I've only had the one game
experience, but, yeah, to start that game, there wasn't too many stoppages, it was pretty
end-for-end footy, so, yeah, I guess in terms of speed and that, and just probably spent
a little bit of nervous energy, too, being the first hit out, so, but, yeah, it definitely
felt a lot quicker, just, but, yeah, I don't know whether that comes down to the game or
the way it turned out to start that game, but, I guess, yeah.
Yeah, I'll get a good, sort of, feel for it next week, as well, to see the speed of
that, and be able to, sort of, put them into context of that, compared to the NRL, so...
And then, what about you, Jinky?
Obviously, mate, being in exceptional form for the Cowboys, and, you know, selected now
for New South Wales as part of the squad, you know, is that humbling, and, you know,
what are you trying to take from the week?
Obviously, learning off one of the best full-backs to play in the last 10, 20 years in James
Tedesco, I think, yeah, you can, obviously, soak in a lot.
Oh, yeah, stoked when I found out.
I was actually on the rocking chair trying to come down, my daughter, and I got a call
of, like, 11.30, and I don't normally answer random phone calls, but I just thought, mate,
it could be, could have been a call, so I answered it, and, yeah, I was stoked when
I got told that, you know, I was coming to camp, yeah, and, obviously, you know, there's
some great players, you know, in this camp, Teddy, you know, I love watching Cody Walker
play, so, he's another one that, you know, I'd just like to tomorrow watch a bit closely
But, yeah, look, we've had one session, main sessions on Friday and Sunday, so I'll get
a, you know, a bit more understanding about, you know, how those guys play and, yeah, what
they have knowledge about the game.
Yep, and preparing for big games and, mate, take that back to the Cowboys.
You boys are starting to really hit form at the, you know, the peak end of the season
and got that experience last year, but something you can take back to the squad and hopefully
go a bit further this year.
Hopefully, yeah, it's good that we're getting our players back now.
A lot of injuries and suspensions at the start of the year and, yeah, definitely hurt us.
I mean, our depth's pretty good, but it chewed up a lot and we're going pretty deep.
We find some plays at times and, yeah, look, that continuity wasn't there, but I think
on the weekend was the first time we got to play that everyone played in the, whoever
played in the prelim last year was the first game we all played together again this year
was like round 18.
So, yeah, look, we're playing well at the moment.
We've had some good wins and we're just going to keep the ball rolling.
It's all about timing in rugby league, so I'll keep an eye on you boys over the back
Robbo, what about you learning off Cookie?
He's obviously been the mainstay in the New South Wales team and been a top level performer
in the NRL for a long time.
You know, did you pick up anything in that first camp and, mate, you're following him
around like a fart and seeing what you can pick up at training?
I've been, yeah, he's been great, especially for myself, being a hooker, like you said.
Yeah, I've just stuck to him like glue last camp and, again, this camp, just trying to
Like, yeah, you learn as much as you can at an NRL level.
But, yeah, it's not until you sort of get thrown into these sort of camps and that you're
playing your first game of origin, you stick to those blokes that have played there for
so many years and been so successful in that position and just trying to learn what I can,
how they prepare.
Like we just spoke about before, how those players prepare for big games and for myself,
yeah, he was great for me.
Just sort of a few things.
He just sort of gave me advice on that going into last game and, yeah, it helped me massively.
Mate, me young blokes on school holidays.
Matt, Rugby League fan, loves you too, boys.
So, I'll give him some homework while he's on school holidays and a few of his questions.
One of them was, who's both of your favourite origin players?
Mine, Anthony Minichiello.
Yeah, I wasn't a Roosters fan, but, yeah, I love watching Mini play when it come origin time.
Yeah, no, he was outstanding for both Roosters and New South Wales.
What about you, Robert?
I'd have to go between Danny Badiris being a hooker.
Yeah, he's someone I looked up to a lot.
And I actually like Beaver Menzies.
I hear you, what's it called?
He was obviously a massive Manly fan growing up.
So, I love the Snake, Brett Stewart and Beaver.
But, yeah, probably at origin level, Beaver was, yeah, my man.
How is it, like, even with Badiris around the team and then who else?
Mary McGregor's there.
Obviously, Freddie's coach, Joey Freddie.
How, like, yeah, you would have grown up idolising these guys.
What's that like being in camp?
And I know you said you were sort of sitting back and taking it all in the other night.
I could only imagine, you know, after seeing them guys do what they did for a long time
and then getting a little bit starstruck when you aren't having a few beers with them and
then on the training paddock trying to learn and take it all in while you've got stars
I was talking to Freddie and his first origin game was 1990 and we weren't even born then.
So, like, it's pretty weird.
That's how long he's been around for and how good he was.
So, yeah, it's the first time I've really ever met Freddie and had, like, a good chat
So, yeah, I've spoken to Joey a few times.
He's a legend, great fella, really easy to get along with.
He's a great fella.
But, yeah, it is pretty crazy, I guess, that you watch those guys grow up and be the best
players in a row and then your fans as kids and they are, you know, he's your coach and
you're kind of speaking to them like they're your good mates even though you've only known
them for a couple of days.
But, yeah, it's surreal.
Especially after a few schooners getting up next to Joey for the arm round me, bro.
And so, I mean, next question from my son.
Not me, I didn't word this.
Out of 10, how excited were you when you got the call up to play Origin?
Yeah, I could only imagine.
Yeah, not much tops that.
Yeah, obviously a lifelong dream come true.
Yeah, obviously always want to be able to get that chance to represent your state.
So, yeah, getting that call, even last year, just getting the call to be a part of the
camp was, yeah, stoked.
Just couldn't believe it.
And then, yeah, to be told, Freddie just said, bring your boots and mouth guard down.
And, yeah, just sort of, yeah.
I can't really put it into words, but 10.
I might have been the happiest person ever to be 18 for me.
And then even your family, like, how were they when you, I could only imagine.
I can only remember a debut at NRL level.
But, you know, when you told them that you're a part of the squad, like, how were the family?
Yeah, mum was proper stoked.
Yeah, dad was also obviously happy.
But, yeah, they were happy.
Definitely happy for me.
We actually had the bye and I was going home for.
You know, five days.
And then they were a bit sad that I wasn't going to be able to come home and see them.
But, yeah, they were definitely, you know, stoked for me.
Well, they come down and watch the game on Wednesday?
They're actually going to Bali, mum and dad.
They're going to Bali, so.
Sipping cocktails.
Sipping cocktails, having a few bing tangs.
So, they won't be coming, nah.
And then out of 10, how sweaty are your feet, Robbo?
That's why I got the shoes on today.
I'm not in my thongs, yeah.
Oh, shoot, that was the wrong question.
In Sydney, nice and cold, don't worry about it.
Mate, you happy down here?
He's bad up in town.
I remember locking next to him and sometimes I think he's just coming out of the shower.
Brother, like, I already had this question written down, but I've gone to one of your teammates, Vlad Stounstans.
I thought you were going to chat in here.
And he goes, mate, asking about the sweaty feet.
And I'm like, brother, I know all about it, mate.
They used to perspirate on the Dragon's bus going home from training, mate, honestly.
Yeah, they were bad.
You do a hydration test on him.
That's why I've got to stay hydrated, mate.
How many burps do you go through a year?
I've got to keep, yeah, probably, yeah, six monthly.
Keep them on rotate.
I heard there's actually a story involved with the sweaty feet, mate.
Drinky needed help moving a table, so he's called Townsend and Reesey up and he's come
over with the water skiing shoes on and ruined your pain on your back deck.
Do we want to put a date to this?
It's the middle of summer in Townsville.
You're probably weird if you're not sweating.
It was pretty funny.
I'm just joining the crowd up there.
What did Dunny say?
He's like, do you have a little pet dog running around here?
Because they're just a little sweaty feet running around.
Yeah, it's a bit gross.
So what are you running up there?
You're running burcos, thongs?
I've actually, I've got a, yeah, come good.
Can we find a market?
Maybe bring out like a fan for the feet?
That'd be lovely.
Design something like that.
The aircon will come through the bottom.
What do you reckon?
It would be nice.
I'll get onto that.
In fairness, I'm a shocking sweater.
So I could imagine if I was in Townsville, brother, I'd be under the Donald Trump.
Townsville, you fit in.
Weird if you're not sweating.
So let's go to Townsville.
So how long has both been up there?
You've been up there, this is your third year, Reecey?
So now fourth season.
And you were the year before?
Midway through 29, and it went up.
Obviously coming down, represent New South Wales as well.
So it'll be a fair bit of a bin.
We'll be sharing that when you go back.
But yeah, how have you transitioned to the Townsville life?
And you sort of touched on, when we're coming across here, how shit the traffic is, and
it is chaos in Sydney.
You love the lifestyle up there?
I am from the Central Coast, so it's not as busy as a city.
And yeah, it's more up there.
There's no hustle and bustle.
Everything's 20 minutes away, and it's cheap living.
One town team as well.
So I really love that about the place, is that we're the only rugby league team.
I'm up there, and they're just great people.
All hard workers.
We're kind of basically our identity around the people from North Queensland.
So I just love that part about it as well.
But yeah, when I was living in Melbourne, yeah, it was, it would take me an hour to
get training, and it's trying to take me 15.
So when I moved up there, when I first flew in, I thought, what the hell am I doing here?
Because it was dry as a butt.
And I've never really been there.
But then when I went down to the Strand, and went around all those nice places, yeah, I've
loved it since the other day dot.
What about you, Robbo?
I know you're a country boy.
You used to wear the RMs and the Cobra hat to train at the Dragons.
But how have you adjusted, mate?
Yeah, mate, like you'd expect.
Being a country boy, it's good to be home.
Mate, we used to always GR.
I used to try and claim I was more country than him.
And then he signed at the Cowboys.
I'm like, mate, you win.
Used to ride his horse to training sometimes.
Until I caught him cleaning the dirt out underneath his fingernails.
No, it's good, mate.
Five minutes of training.
Life to training.
Like you said, not having to listen to shit chat on the bus down to Wollongong.
Jim and Benny Hunt, mate.
Yeah, no, it's good.
What's it called?
You just get used to the lifestyle up there.
And it's hard to sort of, you come down here, and it's nice being in the cooler weather.
But it's just, yeah, like you said, the hustle and bustle.
Just don't have to worry about it up there.
It's just so easy going and such a cruisy lifestyle.
It's hard to beat.
And then hobbies.
I know you love golf, mate.
You picked up the golf?
I know Drinky said he went and played this morning.
You haven't got on board with that?
And then, yeah, I was turning in too many bad scorecards there for a while.
And just questioning myself why I still do it.
It's supposed to be a hobby, so I was supposed to be enjoying it.
And I just wasn't there for a bit.
So I hung the clubs up for a bit.
They're getting dusty in the shed.
But no, I love me camping and fishing and camping, that sort of stuff up there.
So obviously a bit hard through footy season.
But whenever we get a spare weekend or a Thursday night game or something at the weekend off,
yeah, me and my partner will try and get away camping somewhere, drinking his partner.
I always come away a bit too.
So, yeah, obviously a bit harder now.
Got a little bub and I got one on the way.
And so, yeah, it's probably going to be hard to get out as much as we used to.
But, no, I love that sort of things.
His hobby is buying something expensive, having it for two months and selling it.
Love marketplace.
Come up, bought a jet ski.
Realized that no one else would go on the jet ski with him.
Boat wasn't big enough.
Not doing it for him.
Then he bought like a PlayStation, Xbox, a gaming laptop.
And he went and bought a Land Cruiser to do up for his camping.
So he spent all his money on a Land Cruiser.
He just sold it the other day.
He's buying a ute now.
At a profit, though.
He made money on it.
Oh, mate, that's smart business.
It didn't do it for business, though.
It wasn't done for business, no.
But, yeah, I'm not losing money.
I had a jet ski for a bit.
Plogged that and then.
Make money on that?
Mate, inflation, inflation.
I can't help it that they're all indoor kids.
Like, I just want to be out on the jet ski and they're all stuck at home.
And I'm just, I mean, it's golf all day.
Yeah, I was about to say, hey, mate, hang out in that sun.
Are you wearing a long sleeve?
Obviously, you got the play.
You want to give the brand a shout out there, too, mate?
You got, obviously, me, Chad and Val started the brand.
Bit of a golf brand.
But, no, I love playing.
The heat doesn't bother me.
Some days I've played 2A.
I've played 18 and just gone again.
It doesn't bother me.
When I'm playing golf and having fun, the heat doesn't bother me.
Rolls into training is still pretty sleepy, I question it.
You're going to argue that?
Chad, Val, and I actually played all three courses in one day out there.
50 something olds?
In a cart, though?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But, yeah, look, it's been fun.
Chad does so much for it.
Val's got the followers and I'm just the community man.
I can get around, you know, the strangers around the pub.
We can chat to them for hours.
That was one of my questions, mate.
Chad had asked me to check in with you and ask what your input was to the players.
Well, actually, I've got these shirts done for us.
I've got all the samples done.
So, don't try and take my fame there, Chaddy.
He's a very smart dude and, obviously, he's always got an eye on the future with how he thinks.
And, mate, it's great to see you boys, obviously, leveraging, you know, that one team team
and doing a passion and a hobby because rugby league doesn't go forever.
Yeah, look, Chaddy's awesome.
He likes the, you know, his computers and all that stuff.
He likes to stay indoors most of the time as well.
Yeah, it's been great and Chad's got around it pretty well.
Yeah, a couple of great fellas up there that we've seen and met and become close to just
through the brand.
And then you touched on, when we're coming about, a few of the boys go shooting and that.
You guys go shooting?
I sort of got put to bed a little bit.
Like, yeah, a few of the boys that used to do a lot of it have sort of, I guess, left.
Like Josh McGuire and that sort of stuff.
He let the charge out.
He doesn't give me that sort of feel either.
When those sort of boys left, I guess, Macca, Jordan McLean loves it, but I guess he didn't
have those boys to go with as much.
Everyone's fishing, eh?
Probably more fish than golfers now.
Ocean or Barramundi?
Or Barramundi in the ocean.
I thought they were rivers.
No, they're both.
I think you do go get them more so on the river.
Because we've got the Great Barrier Reef, you know, two hours, an hour and a half away.
So you have the boys get out there and spearfish.
Yeah, Ruben Cotter gets in the water and spearfish.
And I wouldn't do it.
A few of the younger boys.
A few of the younger boys, yeah.
It's a big day out there.
It is a long day.
It's enjoyable when you get out to the reef.
So how far out is the reef?
I think it's two hours.
In a dinghy, too.
That's why I sold it.
Jet ski, ran out of petrol.
Turned around and come back.
So a lot of the boys have got some pretty decent boats.
Probably more so the staff and that.
Got some good boats.
It'll punch in out there off Townsville.
Probably about an hour and a half, two hours.
So it's too choppy.
You won't worry about it.
But a lot of people shoot up to Lucinda, which is just an hour north.
Not as far off there.
A few different options.
They get out there.
But it is a big day.
That's an hour and a half, two hours.
You touched before.
Three-month-year-old boy.
And then one on the way.
Obviously, I'll go you first, mate.
How has that changed your life?
How's your partner?
Is she dealing well with it?
And, you know, being a new mother?
It's awesome when she was born.
It's been awesome.
It's definitely probably quietened me down a bit, too.
I'm not as wild as I was.
Now that I have her.
It's enjoyable coming home.
And start of the year when we're losing.
Coming home was, yeah.
Made things a lot more easier.
Just being happy.
And so, it's been great.
I still try and play golf once a week.
But I just get a gauge on how the missus is feeling that week.
And if I should ask on the day off if it's been a tough week or not.
So, sometimes I won't even ask.
She's pretty good.
She does everything.
So, she wakes up in the middle of the night and feeds her.
And sometimes I'll sleep in the spare room if I have the game or training and that.
She's been a rock for us.
That was going to be my next question.
You snuck in the spare room.
Because I think, like, before you play.
Before you have a baby.
Like, I used to be a bit OCD with my sleep and stuff.
Then when I had a kid and they're refusing to fuck sleep.
And I'm coming in off a couple of hours, like, sleep.
And going to the game and playing better than before.
Like, you change your whole mindset, I reckon.
Well, you realize you can do things without sleep that you probably realize that you think you couldn't do.
So, I think, yeah.
It just makes it things that you can do hard things without having to sleep.
So, it's not that hard.
Like, I actually don't mind it too hard.
My missus does everything.
My baby sleeps much.
She only wakes up once during the night.
Four o'clock she'll wake up.
Been down for, you know, since eight.
You're a lucky one, man.
I think I just go in the spare room.
Just to get an unbroken sleep every now and then.
I probably could sleep in the room on game night.
One night she could have a tea and trim and.
Don't want to mess with that prep, mate.
Paying the bills.
You've got to get a good sleep.
How's your partner doing?
Is she doing well?
And how far along is she?
Just probably just over that 12 week mark.
Just on the weekend announced it to everyone.
So, that's pretty exciting.
First few weeks, obviously, pretty difficult trying to hide it.
That sort of stuff.
It's just good being able to, um.
Let everyone know now.
And, sort of, everyone be excited with us as we are.
And not have to, sort of, hide that with us and our family.
She's been great.
What's it called?
Can't wait for that.
Due end of January.
So, we're looking forward to that.
Out of footy season too.
Out of footy season.
We've got a good little.
But, hopefully, we get a good little sleeper like Lila.
Have they got that in there?
Parent leave, surely.
Is that why they're on strike?
That would be nice.
You'd think you'd rather go training sometimes.
It's a tougher carry.
A lot of respect for women and what they do with children.
So, shout out to all the mums out there.
We really respect what you do.
Might have a few extra training days.
I'll have to go in.
Mate, why are you going to work at six and getting home at six now?
Actually do recovery, like, well proper now.
Mate, you're a professional.
That's why he's there.
And then, like I said, grew up in Central Coast.
Grew up in Moorwoomba, the country boy.
Did you play any other sport other than rugby league as a kid or?
Oh, I guess at school.
Played a little bit of everything.
But, no, nothing seriously.
Like, I guess football sort of, yeah, took over for me pretty young.
But, yeah, I tried to get into whatever I could at school just to get out of class.
But, I guess cricket was another one I wanted to get into in summer.
But, yeah, Dad wouldn't drive me to cricket.
So, I had to find my own way there if I wanted to play cricket.
What, wasn't a fan of the game?
Oh, I just wasn't sitting there for eight hours in the sun watching me.
He loved me football.
Took me anywhere I needed to for footy.
But, yeah, me and my brother wanted to play cricket there.
He said, you can get your own way there.
Yeah, that's fair enough.
I did play cricket for a couple of years.
Wasn't that great at it.
You strike me as a person that would be good at everything.
You think, drinky?
Yeah, I was a good bowler.
I wanted to go for it straight away.
Like, I didn't get my eye in.
So, that was my issue.
But, I was tag, touch, surfing.
I was a pretty active kid.
Surfing was probably my favorite with footy.
I only lived around the corner from the beach.
I was at the beach every day with my mates.
So, surfing is a lot of fun.
And, obviously, in town, I can't do it.
So, there's nowhere you can go out to surf at?
You can go to Rockhampton, Yippoon.
There's waves there.
That's where Harry Grant's from, yeah?
That's where Harry Grant and Jake Granville's from.
So, you get a wave there, I don't know, three times a year, they reckon.
Storm comes through.
Nah, there's no...
You like Maggie Island?
A lot of waves over there.
Is it big enough for drinky?
Nah, I surf overhead.
Double foot overhead, bro.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
A little whitewash.
Mate, and you're both coming up to 100 games?
We're still together.
Nah, I got suspended.
So, I think there's a couple of games apart.
Well, you're 89 and you're 87.
We were on the same.
We were on the same, so we used to look at it because...
Played the same games, and then I got suspended this year.
Yeah, you'd have to tell me now, because you missed the original one.
Yeah, okay, yeah.
I don't know if we'll get 100 this year.
87, I don't think I will.
One of us might have to take a game off or something so we can hit it together.
That'd be pretty special, do it in Townsville.
Yeah, no, so, I'm not sure.
What did you say?
We're sitting around 80, Mark, are we?
87, 89, yeah, so, yeah, not too far off.
I won't get it off.
I don't think I will.
Yeah, so, nah, but, yeah.
Mate, played four games in the finals, you know what I mean?
Keep pushing through.
I mean, it's taken a while.
I feel like I've been playing in the NRL for a few years now.
Yeah, 100 doesn't seem like that much.
But you're, what are you, 25, 24?
Yeah, still babies, man.
In my first two years, I played, like, 12 games or something, so...
Yeah, it wasn't until the third year where I was playing every game.
Yeah, because you played one at Melbourne and then come here, so...
So you learned off Billy down there?
Yeah, how, like, obviously was it learning off him and...
Because then even you had Pappenhausen down there.
Nico would have been there as well.
You know, how important was that to your personal development?
Yeah, look, I don't think I would probably...
I didn't understand the game when I went down there.
I just played FG, bought Central Coast.
I was never really in the, you know, NRL-affiliated system.
I just got lucky enough that I played good in schoolboys footy and got picked up
and made the Australian schoolboys team and kind of that's how my name got out there.
And, yeah, when I walked in there day one,
I realised that I knew nothing about the game technical-wise.
And, yeah, I went down there as a halfback.
And then, yeah, soon, quick, they figured out that I'm probably a fullback more
and got to learn off Billy.
Yeah, it's nuts, just the analysis he can give you
and just little areas he doesn't even know about, like,
And he's always just into me.
He was always into me about trying to just call play all the time, get involved.
So, it was pretty, I guess, starstruck again learning off Billy Slater
and got to know him pretty personally well.
And, yeah, it was...
I loved my time down there learning off all those guys.
Obviously, Cam and Coop was there for a bit.
Probably a guy who goes under Will Chambers.
He taught a lot as well.
He was a pretty good mentor and helper whenever you needed him.
And I also learned that you've got to train really, really, really, really hard
under Craig Bellamy.
Look, I don't know if I could actually go back there and do the pre-season
after knowing what's installed there.
So, it's tough down there.
But, yeah, Billy, I admired him.
I still admire him.
You can sort of see with his...
Just when he's watching the game in origin and how into it he is
and, obviously, he's just...
He's picking people in that team on effort.
And I think that would be...
That would be one of the major things he'd push to young fullbacks, you know,
in your development.
Like, everything just looks like effort in the team he's coaching.
He doesn't try and, I guess, make you how he was.
He notices what your strengths are and tells you to back them
and just, yeah, make sure that, you know, your pendulum...
You're working with your pendulum and your wing as well
and trying to get as many kicks on the full.
Just being high involvement because we're not tackling.
And, obviously, you know, we should be a bit more fresher when we get the ball.
But he never really...
Defending the line.
Fullback wasn't doing that now.
I'm in the line of flat sticks.
He's changed a bit.
But, yeah, definitely effort.
He was the best at getting the ball on the full.
He'd, you know, really...
You know, I'd watch him before a meeting.
He'd go in and watch on Analyzer, watch all the kickers,
where they, like, put it in certain spots, you know,
wherever they are on the field.
And, yeah, you could tell how good he was at getting the ball on the full
because he just knew, you know, this person was at the 40, 20 year
and the ball was going there.
So that's something that I've taken off him really well.
It's, yeah, watching, trying to get a hold of what the kick's like to do.
And, obviously, you can see in the way Cam Smith, Kronk,
and then everyone who sort of comes through that system
and then goes to other clubs.
Nico went on to kill it.
Perhaps at the moment he's struggling with his injury,
but he'd come in and absolutely brained it.
Even Jerome Hughes before me.
He played a couple of games there and, yeah, he's killed it as well.
And Nick Meaney's playing great too.
And he's still still down there and doing a lot of work with all of them.
So, yeah, he's a great coach.
Doesn't matter whether you're a New South Wales fan or a Queensland fan.
Head to puma.com to get kitted out and support your state
as they go to battle on Wednesday night.
You touched on Will Chambers, mate.
One of the best sprayers of all time.
Did you play in the game at Cogger?
Remember when he said to Duffy, he goes,
hey, fucking Dufty, no one in your fucking team likes you.
So, anyway, in the game, we're behind the line for...
A drop kick and Duff runs over to Frizz and goes,
did you tell Chambers that you don't like me?
Frizz was like, fuck off.
I didn't say anything.
And then he ran back into the middle of the field.
I didn't play in that game, but I remember hearing that.
Yeah, I had a real good laugh over that.
That's funny, yeah.
He's the king of getting into people's heads.
And, mate, when you're playing in an RL game,
to get into someone's head like that and you go ask your team, mate,
that is one of the best I've heard of.
I've seen it in the locker room.
He was relentless.
And Brendan Smith,
copped it a fair bit when he first come down
because he was like lazy, leave his shit everywhere,
undies all over the locker room.
So, yeah, he's relentless, Will.
Like, does not stop.
It's funny when it's on at you.
You don't go at Will because if you go on his bad side,
he would be relentless.
Run you to the ground.
Oh, I'd be flat stick.
You don't want to leave the club almost.
And so he must be real...
And I know he left the club, he come back,
so he must be a real driver.
And you touched on him being a driver of standards.
And, obviously, sometimes you need to spray
some blokes to imprint it in their head
to frigging do shit right.
So, that's probably his mentality
and something Craig saw in him
and obviously loved him as a player and a bloke.
On field, he was like that.
Off field, he was a bit different.
But on the field, when it came to training,
yeah, he was pretty ruthless.
Just competitive.
But, yeah, he would spray a few players on the team.
And I guess a few of them are like that.
But, like, Jesse Bromwich probably did the same.
I think Kevin Proctor was down there doing it.
they're just all good mates.
And, you know, that's why they were so good.
They just held each other accountable.
And they were just running off the three goats.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, mate.
Reesy, mate, you started at the Dragons.
And you come through with Duffo,
a few of them boys.
You know, what, you know,
did that help your development down there?
And did you enjoy it?
Because you moved from Wombar to Endeavour as well?
Yeah, I went down and finished my schooling there at Endeavour.
Yeah, sort of come through the Dragons.
From SG Ball onwards.
So, yeah, exactly like I said,
I come through with a lot of great players there.
Yeah, even Lucci as well.
I got him back up at Cowes with me.
So, yeah, it's good to see so many of the boys
that come through from SG Ball
and played 20s with them
that pretty much most of the boys
are kicking on somewhere in rugby league.
So, yeah, I had a lot of great players there,
which I guess really helped my development coming through
and sort of gave me that chance to get an opportunity
with Mary actually being my coach then at the Dragons
and giving me that opportunity.
Sort of come in and train full time.
And, yeah, I think I played a handful of games there,
six, seven games for the Cowes,
for the Dragons before I moved up to the Cowes.
But, yeah, mate, I loved it.
I loved my time down at the Dragons.
Met some great mates there.
Mine is one sitting here.
Where's Jimmy Graham?
So, no, I loved my time down there.
And I do miss a lot of the boys down there.
It's obviously hard to keep in touch.
You sort of just...
Everyone's got so much on.
But, yeah, it's good to see so many of those lads
I come through with still going well and killing it.
And, yeah, definitely setting myself up
for good work ethic and that in rugby league.
Obviously having Dino up there too,
I had him from a young age.
So, yeah, he was great for me too.
Just, like I said, mentioned work ethic and that.
He's probably one of the best with that.
Just loves training hard and loves pushing you
and it's what I needed sometimes.
So, yeah, he's been great for me.
And him coming up north is...
He's really taken my game to another level.
I was going to get to the swimming cap brothers,
Dean Young and Todd Payton.
But quickly, James Graham, mate.
Any good stories for the listeners and watchers?
Hey, you probably have more stories than me.
Mate, on that bus, mate,
he was fucking a rollercoaster and up and down.
So, you were sweaty back.
You did sweaty back to me.
Do you remember sweaty back?
Do you remember that?
I thought it was you and you behind me.
And my back was all wet for a reason.
I don't remember, mate.
But I just remember, yeah.
What was your role?
Just the awkward guy on the bus?
No, bring energy, mate.
It was the flattest bus in the world, mate.
I was trying to bring the mood up.
That wasn't your role.
Mate, I think we're winning in 2018 as well, mate.
Like, I'm like, boys, we're going all right.
Like, don't be so sad.
You were the awkward one.
And then Corey Norman and...
We had a pretty good crew there.
It was a great crew.
Yeah, some funny stuff, actually.
Yeah, Duff, Duff.
He was either there or picking up seeds.
The day he had to get the train home.
Oh, mate, the roll of the dice.
Oh, that was the...
So, at least, I guess that's the beauty about Townsville.
You only got to freaking go, what, 10, 15 minutes to train?
And there's no train to get on.
What about the swim...
Yeah, so the Swimcat brothers,
you obviously were touching on Dino and, you know,
his work ethic and I saw it as a teammate
He was my assistant coach
and you've obviously had him, you know...
Has he changed much from...
Dragons to North Queensland
and then, yeah, I'd love to hear a bit more about Toddy Payton
and, you know, how he is as a coach
because he's obviously come up there
and, mate, you boys are going fantastic
and, obviously, the ladder doesn't reflect that at the moment
but, like we've touched on,
he's a starting hit form at the right time
and even six weeks ago, he's got teared up by the Tigers
but you went out and put an absolute clinic on him on the weekend.
Yeah, like you said,
obviously come through Dragons with Dino
and he was great for me there.
Defence has been pretty good.
So, yeah, it's really been an upwards for the club.
And I guess Toddy driving that too.
Since Toddy's come in, he's been a real advocate on the effort areas of the game.
And I guess really sort of displaying to us things that we probably didn't celebrate enough of before.
Yeah, like it's all well and good to go out and like you touched on after the game to go and score 74 points.
But what they're happy with is no tries.
And it's easy for a coach to say that, I understand.
But it's been from the start.
They've been driving that.
And I guess as players, we're not probably patting old mate on the back that's scoring three tries or running for 300 metres.
It's the guy that's turning up to save a try in the corner that probably shouldn't be in that position.
So I think that's probably been a big turnaround from our coaching staff.
And it starts with Toddy at the top.
Really driving that and celebrating those things that probably aren't getting celebrated on Channel 9 or on the media, on social media.
It's the stuff that we all notice it on the field.
And it's what we started celebrating.
We started celebrating back in 2021, I think, Toddy, and that got there.
And it probably took a little bit to sort of get that started.
And it definitely come to fruition last year.
And I guess off the back of celebrating those little things, it was driving boys to sort of work harder at those areas
and not so much the fancy plays that do come off the back of that stuff.
It was putting ourselves in the right position to win games.
And that stuff comes off the back of it.
Freaky blokes like me.
Yeah, I really enjoy Dean Young.
I think he, you know, there's a few head coach.
There was a few, I thought he might have got the Dragon's job.
I think, you know, in the near future, it won't be long before he's a head coach at a club.
As you say, he's got a great work ethic.
He's in there Monday to Friday, track suits, flogging himself in the gym, going to the sauna, doing crunches in the sauna,
and then enjoys himself Friday, Saturday, Sunday, comes in, weighs in, does it all again.
So he flogs himself.
And I guess when a guy,
a coach is asking you to do something hard,
you know, it's easy to say,
but when you see them doing things that are hard as well,
like then you probably have more respect and you're willing to do that more so
because, you know, they're also flogging themselves.
Toddy can't do much other than ride a bike.
He rides up Castle Hill a fair bit and just flogs himself that way.
So they're all pretty tapped in the head.
But great coaches.
You know, Young has got a very, he's very smart.
He's very good, great knowledge about the game, whether it's attack or defense.
You can go to him and talk to him about those things.
I love his footy.
And then Toddy, as a coach, he keeps you on your toes because, I mean, he doesn't like,
as a head coach, you can't get close to the boys like you are as an assistant coach.
It's a bit different.
So, yeah, you don't know whether you've played really well or bad.
He doesn't really give you a difference in his demeanor towards you.
So it's good to keep you on your toes.
And sometimes you walk past thinking, is he happy with how I'm going?
Avoid eye contact.
Yeah, stuff like that.
But, like, honestly, like, when you go to training, you think, oh, well, obviously,
he might not be impressed with the way I'm going.
So you just want to improve.
And he's real good like that.
He doesn't, he gets close, but doesn't let you get too close and comfortable with him.
So, yeah, he's been great.
Like, just, as you said, just effort areas, just celebrate effort areas.
And Tommy Didd is probably the best at, you know, the effort areas in our game.
And, you know, he does.
He does a lot for us that people wouldn't see.
You know, I know he throws nice passes, score tries, but his kick chase is our best.
Even with Cohen Hess, front rower, no one would probably notice the kick chase he does for us.
And the way he competes on bombs as a front rower.
So there's guys like that who, you know, internally, you know, Youngie and Toddy, you know, wrap them flat.
And I think when Todd first come to the club, there was a bit of media attention around the fact Tomololo's role changed in the team.
And, again, as an outsider, I got no idea what was going on.
But there was a bit of talk around he was trying to get more effort out of Tomololo.
And, you know, his minutes have got bigger and bigger.
And I think hearing that, that was probably because his effort areas weren't where they needed to be.
And you can see it in the way your boys play now, that that effort is everywhere.
And even big Tomololo, who, you know, he probably can take a bit of a rest here and there because of his powerful runs
and getting your forwards, your team over the ad line.
But he's obviously still doing that little shit that people at home,
on the couch, aren't going to notice.
But if you're in a video session, Todd and Dean are going to go,
what the fuck are you doing here, Tomololo?
We need you working hard.
Well, it was a bit blown out of proportion what happened through the media,
just because we weren't winning and that.
That's what the media does, mate.
They weren't off each other.
Like, Chase was our captain.
He was our coach.
So they weren't off each other.
It's just, as you said, Toddy, I think, you know, he even said he probably went out the wrong way
of what he said after our first game against Penrith.
So, yeah, little Chase, obviously, he used to run for 300 metres,
play big minutes, and then Toddy come in and changed it a bit.
But I think for the first year, I think last year,
Toddy kind of let him just go a bit again and he played more minutes.
And as I said, there's guys like, you know,
Cohen Hess who is willing to do the kick chase for Chase.
You know, this fella tackles a lot, you know, probably tackles, you know,
plays 80 minutes and might come up with a few scraps, you know,
so Chase can maybe have a little rest.
And so when he gets the ball, he's powerful and runs hard.
And I think, you know, he's been out for a while this year,
but his first game back, it might have been two weeks ago,
but like when Jase is demanding the footy, it's great for us.
I think he played his first game against Penrith and his first stint,
you know, he blew out a bit and come off and then second stint come on
and, you know, led from the front with his runs.
He demands a footy and, you know, it's the reason why he's our leader.
It's the reason why he's captain.
You know, he wouldn't be captain for no reason.
It's why he just leads with how he carries the ball
and how he's intent, you know, when we have the ball.
And I think, you know, the game's changed in the last few years
where when he first came to the game, it was a bit different.
It probably wasn't as fast at the ruck.
And that's, you do have that mixed right.
You touched on Reece, you know, doing that shit work.
Ruben Cotter's obviously still having 20 carries and doing that work.
Then you got Tomololo coming off the back fence, big Geordie.
And then even you got Nenoy and the flair and the stuff.
He's got an awesome mix and you two boys.
And then obviously Chad's won a grand final.
He's the leader, the ultimate professional.
And then Tommy Dearden, who you just touched on, he's F there.
So, and then you got guys that can finish out wide
and you got New Zealand and Australian representatives there.
So, you do have a great mix.
And yeah, it'd be really interesting to see if you can keep this momentum going
and you boys bouncing back into training after a bit of a origin exposure.
And then I've got an anonymous message off someone.
Someone's sending a nickname for Reecey Robson.
The Dessert King.
What's going on there?
Mate, treating yourself?
Are you in the sauna with Dino on a Monday morning sweating out the...
Yeah, definitely.
Obviously earned that.
He's not earning it?
What's it called?
Yeah, I do love a treat, especially after a game.
I think I could guess where this has come from.
You probably see it on his vlogs every week.
But yeah, do love a nice little choccy or a bit of dessert after a game.
Obviously, being from the Cowboys, we play a lot of away games.
So, we're generally in camp together the night after.
And yeah, if there's a little dessert joint just down the road,
it doesn't take too much for me and Scotty to wander down there.
Oh, you're throwing Scotty under the bus too?
I was referring to you as the Dessert King.
King, Prince, yeah.
I do love it as well.
When we're living together and Mocha Jordan's doco coming out every Sunday
when the episode would come out,
we'd get chocolate brownies and ice cream and melt the chocolate
and we'd really load up on it.
A few waffles as well.
A few waffles as well, mate.
Look, probably...
I get a little bit sloppy if I go overboard,
but for some reason, genetics, man, he's just ripped up no matter what.
Doesn't really do weights.
Doesn't really do weights.
Is Jimmy Maloney like it?
Jimmy was like that.
Not that bad, but...
First on there, last to leave.
So, Jeremy Latimer, Ken McGuinness mentality.
Sorry, Ken McGuinness.
But yeah, I have to watch myself a little bit more than what the genetic...
He's just got good genetics.
It's what I do when no one's watching, mate.
He's getting more chocolate.
I think because of the heat up there, mate, you sweat it out anyway, so you're fine.
That's where it's going.
That's the key, sweaty feet.
Google how to get sweaty feet so I can shred up.
Father time's against me now,
so I've got to work even harder.
What's the nightlife for the Mad Cowboys?
What's that like?
Obviously, I went there as an away player,
and frigging jeans were the first thing packed after the boots, obviously.
How is it as a local?
It's always a bit of fun up there.
Just like I touched on before,
at away games, we're generally going to dessert places.
We're not going out because it's just too fun going out at home.
So, the home games are generally where we'll leave it to,
especially myself.
I don't want to get on a plane hungover.
So, no, after home games,
especially a good win,
yeah, it's always a bit of fun.
You twist your arm saying you're not going to go to the Mad Cow,
but, mate, after you have a couple somewhere,
generally get the Ville or the Quarterdeck,
something like that.
The sports bet market.
The sports bet market comes in dollar 10.
It's a short walk down the street.
So, yeah, it's always a lot of fun.
When I first moved up there,
I got a flogging.
I don't know if I've even been this year.
As I said, I've quietened down a bit,
and it's been good for me,
but it is a fun joint when you go there.
And I don't know what about it is so fun.
It's just, they just play good tracks.
Good music, a bit of country music.
A bit of old school.
The boys are always in there, too.
You walk in there and you know someone.
You see, yeah, you're not,
yeah, you're never on your own up there.
Even if those boys are drinking.
Griffin Neames is the king of it at the moment.
Single, wild, young fella.
Yeah, a couple of years younger than me.
You roll the Yacouba and the RMs out?
Or are you wearing the Yacouba and the RMs?
Yeah, and the arseless chaps.
You've got Jordan.
So that's what the show I'd be doing.
Shut up, he's Ali.
You've got Jordan's or Haviana's.
Mate, slip out of it.
You'll burst a plug off of the show.
Blowing plugs out everywhere.
Flannelette shirt.
You are the fakest country boy ever.
You're ticking boxes.
Is this yours, is it?
Is that Supreme or some big American brand?
Not for me, mate.
Your brother, obviously, Josh.
You know, what effect has he had on your NRL career and, you know, being able to lean on
And I looked him up.
He's got me covered for clubs, but he's played 195 games.
That's a great achievement.
Yeah, he just crossed everywhere.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Which is awesome.
I guess for me, growing up, he made a lot of, like, sides and I had to travel.
I had to travel with mum and him because I was too young to stay at home because dad
worked some long hours.
So, I guess for me, growing up, I was just at a lot of, you know, touch footy events
or rugby league carnivals over school or if it was on the weekend and that.
So, I was always being around, you know, watching him and I got to, you know, I guess watch
a lot of touch and rugby league and I think it's helped me as well just as a kid being
able to just to, you know, I was constantly watching Josh play and, yeah, as a role model,
I guess probably didn't really.
I did look up to him probably to a point where, you know, I guess kind of being myself
but, yeah, as you said, what did you say?
Influence, influence.
Probably just both wanted to play in a role when we were growing up.
We always wanted to do it and, you know, once he reached the goal, then, yeah, I obviously
wanted to reach it as well and I never actually played a game with him.
So, one thing I would like to do is play.
We're going to rugby league with him.
Played a few touch games here and there with him but playing rugby league would be pretty
cool to play with him and for our family and, yeah, it'd be awesome.
We're trying to do it next year for Germany.
So, we'll see how that goes.
See how they go right in the World Cup, qualifies at the end of the year and then hopefully
we can play together.
Well, man, I've got a nines comp on the Gold Coast in Queensland in January.
If you and him want to put a team in, come along.
There could be some big names playing.
I think Willie Mason and Scope might be putting in a team.
Maloney might be playing.
Putting in my team.
I might have Tron in January.
I'll have a word with Todd and Dino.
We'll insure your contract.
And even your brother, he played low grades at Tigers.
Yeah, no, same sort of thing.
That's a cool, obviously, I guess, yeah, the competitive side sort of comes out when you
got your brother both striving for the same goal.
Yeah, he played a fair bit.
He was probably a lot better than me.
He's a kid coming through.
He got signed to come down to the Knights actually pretty young.
So, he moved down there on his own.
And I guess, yeah, it was a big reason for the move down here to Sydney for myself.
But, yeah, he was come through, yeah, played Australian school boys and all that sort of
So, yeah, but just come through as a young boy.
He was always so switched on with his training and that sort of stuff.
And the competitive side come out in me.
So, I was just trying to keep up with him and just do everything he did.
Just being my older brother, I always looked up to him.
Just anything he wanted to do, I wanted to do it with him.
So, yeah, obviously, probably a lot to him.
Getting as far as.
So, having rugby league, just the way he was coming through was so dedicated and such a
So, someone I always looked up to and he kept me competitive at a young age.
And that's what I think.
We're both younger brothers.
So, I think having that bigger brother, you know, sort of does rough you up and you get
exposed to playing with older kids.
And I think it does help you then look at you guys like superstars of the game without
pissing in your pocket.
And I think that does have an effect as a younger child.
Well, I think the best thing for me is.
I didn't make Harold Matz or the first year of FD ball.
And obviously, a 16-year-old.
You want to play Harold Matz, right?
Didn't deserve to make it either.
So, I was obviously disappointed.
And you kind of think then that, oh, I'm not going to play NRL.
But I think having him, you know, he's five years older than me.
And he's seen, you know, 16-year-old kids be the best players in the country.
And then three years later, you know, they're not even playing footy.
So, I guess that influenced him just telling me, like, don't worry about it, mate.
Like, look at this player that I played against and, you know, doesn't play footy anymore.
So, I think that was probably the best thing, advice I got from him was don't worry about it.
Like, just keep playing, keep tracking along.
And, you know, things do change.
And, you know, eventually got me first underarm hair when I was 18 and grew a bit.
And, yeah, definitely from there on, I improved a lot.
So, that's probably the best advice I got from him.
And that's so true, mate.
Like, even for you being exposed in the Endeavor system, I think.
And I made fuck all rep teams as a kid.
And that lit the fire under my ass.
And I was never the greatest player.
I'm nothing like you boys.
But I ended up playing over 10 years in the NRL.
But there was blokes who, when I come to Sydney, were fucking three times better player than me.
Then two years later after, you know, enjoying the shy life and getting too caught up in it,
they've gone out the back door and I just kept hanging around, hanging around.
And I eventually made first grade.
And you speak about not even making your Harold Matts team or SG ball team.
And then you've kicked on and you're now, you know, a part of the New South Wales squad.
And I think, I don't know, like if there's young kids watching, but I think that's something they can take away.
Just never fucking give up and keep working hard.
And if you, yeah, keep your head down, ass up.
Head down, ass up.
Is that the right thing?
Don't fuck that up.
You know, you can make it happen.
Well, Billy Slater is probably the best.
He stopped playing for you at 16.
And then decided to give another crack, maybe 18, back at North Stevels.
And two years later, he was playing instead of Origins.
So, yeah, definitely don't worry about not making rep teams at 14, 15, 16, 17.
Yeah, it means jack shit, really.
Do you know, is there a 27-year-old about to debut?
So, he was at Townsville Cowboys.
When we first got up there, yeah.
How awesome is that?
So happy for him.
Yeah, so happy for him.
He's a true country fella.
Just a bit more than me.
Just got you coming.
Yeah, I saw that.
I saw they tagged him on Instagram.
Yeah, or something.
My real Papua New Guinean.
But, yeah, stoked for him.
We let the dogs out.
I'm happy for him.
He's just the best.
Probably one of the best blokes I've ever met.
Mate, that's unreal.
And that's, you know, a lesson in persistence and keep chasing your dream.
Because as a kid, you dream of playing one game and he gets to live that out tomorrow
Tomorrow night, man.
Definitely be watching that game and good luck to him.
Because, yeah, he's a great fella.
I like what he's drinking, it's sad.
And I'm just so happy for him to get that opportunity.
What, um, alright, let's go.
Who's your most annoying teammate?
I reckon he'd have to be close, wouldn't he?
Oh, he's laying on the other end of the couch.
I'm putting Scotty aside.
We've got a lot of annoying blokes in the team.
Like, Mitch Dunn can get under a few people's skins and annoys a few people.
Probably a bit quieter past Mitch Dunn.
Yeah, quiet past.
Yeah, he's not as chirpy and loud, but yeah, just subtle things to get under people's skin
pretty slowly and over time.
He works his way under there.
You'd probably have to say Mitch Dunn.
What about your funniest teammate?
Um, funniest teammate?
Oh, I really love talking to Ben Hampton.
He, he, he's just off, he's just wild, man.
He's kind of a, he's a different funny, but, um, it's a different funny, but yeah, he,
Not jokes funny, just when you talk about life and that to him, it's just.
Just throw something at him.
Oh, the way he tells stories and that and delivers stories.
Um, he, he, he is so good for the team morale.
Like, he, he is honestly, yeah, he's one of the best blokes I've ever been part of a squad
He just, um, keeps everyone laughing the whole time.
And, um, most of the time he, he likes it, but he's, he's the butt of the joke and he'll,
He'll, um, he'll embarrass himself, um, just to make sure the boy's having a good time.
And, um, it definitely makes us all laugh and we love having him around.
Oh, Cohen Harris is funny too.
And he, I don't know where he, what he's eaten, but he's, mate, the energy he's got every
Like, um, I guess I, he's always up too, but I had the, um, I was living with him to see
he did switch off at night.
He's just out of energy.
I'd use it all up.
But yeah, I guess I don't see Hesse behind closed doors, but I don't think I've ever
He's, he's always up.
How important is that?
Like, and I was just going to ask that sort of finish.
How important is, you know, having them sort of people around a football squad and, you
know, when, you know, you weren't winning games there for a while, but he's obviously
bouncing the train and trying to pick the morale up.
Cause at the end of the day, it's, it's a game of rugby league, but we are paid professionals.
So you know, I'm not anymore paid professionals.
You, you, you want to go out and win on the field.
You want to win on the weekend, but sometimes that doesn't happen.
How important are them blokes to your football team?
And then even just touch on how you obviously one team town, but fuck, you look like he's
got a great group of mates up there and you all love playing together and hanging out.
It's unreal having someone like Hesse in the side and Benny Hampton.
Just, I guess when you sort of, you say one team towns and it's so easy playing up there
in towns and in front of a packed out stadium, no matter how we're going, they're just always
And it's, it's so good playing up.
But I guess, yeah, like you mentioned, when things aren't going as well, having someone
like Cohen Hesse in your side, when we're down in Sydney and you got everyone, everything's
No fans up there.
I reckon that's where it really comes into play.
Just the energy you, you sort of feed off that sort of stuff when, when the tough parts
of the game are around and you got someone like him just running out, being loud, celebrating
little things in the game.
It's sort of, it's a lot to feed off and when things aren't going so well, I know it's good
I dwell on stuff a lot, especially at training, if making sure we're getting everything right
and he sort of, yeah, influences just, it's just a game.
So it's sort of, and you can feed off that a lot because I definitely fall into some
categories sometimes where I feel like it's more than a game sometimes and I really dwell
So having blokes like that around to sort of, sort of keep that at bay is really good
What do you like drinking?
I only know Jimmy Maloney from the Central Coast and he fucking forgets about, he threw
an intercept pass to lose a game, but he's forgot about it 30 seconds later.
Are you a bit like that?
Are you like Robbo?
No, I probably, I'm not like Robbo as much dwell on it.
I do, like if something happens and I don't execute it well, I guess I can, sometimes
I will, but depending on the game, but more times than not, I'm pretty good at forgetting
about it and then moving on the next, we have it like everyone's saying, next job.
And I think, you know, when you watch the great players play, you know, they just, they
make an error or something, but you know, next job and they just, Jimmy Maloney, great,
great, great example.
No, he'd throw, yeah.
Three cutouts, intercepts, but then he'd throw the same cutout, so that wouldn't try.
So in my position, I guess it kind of makes my, who I am as a player, just, you know,
thinking just back of my first instinct and running with that.
And I know on the weekend, I kicked on first tackle on that trial on and Val dropped it
over trial on and went dead.
And the big fella here, absolute, he gave me an absolute sprain.
Accountability, yeah.
Only because I'm running back, don't have to tackle and he's got 27 tackles.
He's gone one set as he's running back.
That's probably more of the filthiness.
So yeah, I'll just back my instinct and yeah, if it doesn't come off, I'm pretty good at
Yeah, mate, I love that, eh?
Oh boy, fuck, D up, D up.
Mate, so easy for the back.
But like you said, he'll set up the win and try and I'll forgive him after that.
Mate, Josh Mansour fucking did it once and he could, because he was of European background,
thought he was a mad soccer player and that, and he tried to do a grubber.
It's fucking nearly gone to Mulgold Road.
We were playing the Knights.
I'm going, you fucking whatever, you fucking go back to your wing and he runs in field
as we're running back to the 30.
So, mate, you tackled your fat fuck and ran back to the wing.
I'm like, are you serious?
You can't say that.
You've just kicked the ball to frigging Mulgold Road and then you're spraying, runs in to
spray me and runs back to the wing.
That's, Feldy would almost do that sometimes.
Yeah, Feldy's good at that.
I think they're too used to have run-ins because they're both probably a bit tapped, are they?
Yeah, Feldy, yeah.
Loves a good spray.
Yeah, Feldy loves a good spray.
Sometimes you need it.
Yeah, no, mate, you do.
And that's, it's accountability, right?
You'll think twice after Robbo's given you a spray.
I'll be like, fuck Robbo, I'm going to kick it anyway.
If someone's going to score, if I think, Val should have scored it, mate.
But then that's the thing.
Like you said, you're an instinctive player like him.
You might kick, run.
That's, I think, what your strengths are as rugby league players.
So you wouldn't go away from that.
Don't listen to a frigging dummy ass.
So make tackles, mate.
Make tackles, mate.
Get some kick pressure from me.
Mate, you're attacking the whole game anyway.
Yeah, that's all it will be.
Just no kick pressure.
Well, you just have to tackle 20 sets on the weekend.
You just bloody attack the whole time.
Yeah, we did, yeah.
So, mate, it's all right.
You can have a crack.
You're not tackling for a game.
It makes you not want to tackle.
You go to the game and you're tackling from the first whistle.
You're into the game and you're tackling.
But there was, I guess, so long a period of not tackling.
I just didn't want to tackle.
Yeah, do it again.
That's fair enough.
It's like walking in the Tuesday morning.
You know, you've got to wrestle.
Oh, mate, there's nothing worse.
Thanks so much for obviously taking time out of your camp and coming along.
It's been an awesome chat and, yeah,
give a bit of an insight into first the Blues thing and then North Queensland
and, yeah, what your drivers are.
But good luck, Reece, on Wednesday night.
And I hope you learn lots, Scotty.
And, mate, might even see you there next year, obviously.
You know, we don't know what's going to happen in the future.
But, mate, you keep playing the footy you are.
And, you know, in the back end of the year with the Cowboys,
like I said, you're hitting your straps at the right time.
And, you know, Todd and Dean have been around for a long time.
They'll have you around when the whips are cracking.
I should bring those in.
Hey, you don't have a start.
But, no, all the best, boys.
And, yeah, thanks again.
It's been a great chat.