WEBVTT - Aaron Woods | I’m a little bit scared 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:02.880 On this episode of the Fox League Podcast, we're talking 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:18.640 great retirements thanks to host Plus that's a plus. Hello 0:00:18.760 --> 0:00:21.279 and welcome to the Fox League Podcast. My name is 0:00:21.360 --> 0:00:25.119 Darcy McDonald and joining me to reminisce his very decorated 0:00:25.200 --> 0:00:28.080 career and chat all things retirement after hanging up the 0:00:28.080 --> 0:00:30.320 boots recently is Aaron Woods. 0:00:30.400 --> 0:00:33.000 Welcome, Thanks Darcy, thanks for having me. 0:00:33.159 --> 0:00:36.480 Thanks. Sure you got to ask fresh off your very 0:00:36.720 --> 0:00:40.480 last Mad Monday is a full time professional rugby league player. 0:00:40.920 --> 0:00:43.559 How are you feeling? Do they get any tamer or 0:00:43.640 --> 0:00:44.680 the older you get? 0:00:45.680 --> 0:00:48.440 Oh? I think they get a little bit easier as 0:00:48.479 --> 0:00:52.479 you get older, especially what would you say the landscape 0:00:52.479 --> 0:00:56.000 that we live in this day and age, you tend 0:00:56.000 --> 0:00:58.160 to not get away with things like you used to 0:00:58.360 --> 0:01:02.240 so and there's a lot more to put it risk 0:01:02.280 --> 0:01:04.039 if you do want to carry on like a pork chop, 0:01:05.120 --> 0:01:05.840 there's a lot more. 0:01:06.880 --> 0:01:08.920 I want to say, there's more risk than reward at 0:01:08.959 --> 0:01:12.000 the moment. So it was pretty tame. Let's just say, 0:01:12.080 --> 0:01:13.880 stuck to the mid strength beer and that was it. 0:01:14.080 --> 0:01:16.399 Lovely love to hear it. Well, no rest for you. 0:01:16.400 --> 0:01:20.280 You're on radio today in at Fox Tonight. What are 0:01:20.319 --> 0:01:21.800 your plans now that you're retired. 0:01:23.200 --> 0:01:26.479 Honestly, I didn't really want to come out in sales 0:01:26.520 --> 0:01:27.000 and retire. 0:01:27.040 --> 0:01:28.679 I sort of just wanted to float off into the 0:01:28.720 --> 0:01:33.120 sunset and just do it nice and quietly. But you know, 0:01:33.360 --> 0:01:36.800 John Bonaserah merely, he's sort of our football manager and 0:01:36.840 --> 0:01:39.000 operations there. He was just like, hey, you need to 0:01:39.000 --> 0:01:41.039 do something. We want to do something for the club. 0:01:41.160 --> 0:01:44.640 So they were lucky enough to do something for myself 0:01:44.640 --> 0:01:46.240 and Brad Parker who was retiring as well. 0:01:46.280 --> 0:01:48.640 In the last game, they just give us a little 0:01:48.640 --> 0:01:50.320 bit of a shout in front of all the fans 0:01:50.320 --> 0:01:54.200 and the family and our friends and family. Sorry, and 0:01:54.240 --> 0:01:56.280 all the fans of Brookie are enormous, so that was 0:01:56.320 --> 0:01:58.920 good to sort of say goodbye. And with that, it 0:01:58.960 --> 0:02:02.480 didn't really get to float away to the sunset like 0:02:02.520 --> 0:02:04.320 I wanted to. So there's a lot happening in the 0:02:04.360 --> 0:02:08.560 next obviously Grand Final week there will do such a great. 0:02:08.320 --> 0:02:10.320 Thing with the retiree players. 0:02:10.360 --> 0:02:13.720 So everyone that's sort of retiring, we're staying in the 0:02:13.760 --> 0:02:16.080 city and you do all these seminars, you get to 0:02:16.080 --> 0:02:19.560 bring your wife and you do just I'm not too 0:02:19.560 --> 0:02:20.799 sure exactly what we're doing yet. 0:02:20.800 --> 0:02:23.359 But they just said there's a lot of formal. 0:02:23.040 --> 0:02:27.000 Meetings just to help when you do transition, because you know, 0:02:27.040 --> 0:02:29.280 some players it could be out of the blue, and 0:02:29.360 --> 0:02:31.600 other players they could be preparing for it pretty much 0:02:31.600 --> 0:02:34.480 like I have myself, so you don't fall into much 0:02:34.480 --> 0:02:37.680 of a hardship. But it's good initiative for the world 0:02:37.680 --> 0:02:38.960 to help us with those sorts of things. 0:02:39.760 --> 0:02:41.600 We're in the unknown. We've played fully. 0:02:41.720 --> 0:02:44.200 I've played fully for fourteen fifteen years since I've finished 0:02:44.240 --> 0:02:46.800 high school. Now I've got to go out and go 0:02:46.840 --> 0:02:50.160 and get a proper job, so it's a different you know, 0:02:51.080 --> 0:02:52.600 I'd be live, I was saying. I was a little 0:02:52.600 --> 0:02:55.480 bit nervous and scared because you know, it's you're going 0:02:55.520 --> 0:02:56.160 in the real world. 0:02:56.200 --> 0:02:56.280 Now. 0:02:56.360 --> 0:02:58.680 We've always been that, you know, that rugby league player, 0:02:58.720 --> 0:03:01.679 where you know people done our health insurance, they've done 0:03:01.760 --> 0:03:02.919 in our pay and all. 0:03:02.760 --> 0:03:03.440 That sort of stuff. 0:03:03.480 --> 0:03:06.079 Now you know, if you haven't sort of looked into 0:03:06.080 --> 0:03:07.720 that way you're playing, you've got to go out and 0:03:08.040 --> 0:03:11.200 really know what the real world's all about. So in 0:03:11.240 --> 0:03:14.120 that circum circumstance, you're sort of going to realize that. 0:03:15.600 --> 0:03:17.320 It's going to be different, and there's going to be 0:03:17.400 --> 0:03:17.919 some hardships. 0:03:17.919 --> 0:03:19.560 There's going to be some good times, but you know, 0:03:19.600 --> 0:03:20.760 there's a lot of people there. 0:03:20.600 --> 0:03:20.959 To help you. 0:03:21.040 --> 0:03:24.720 Support you depends which you're sort of what we call 0:03:24.760 --> 0:03:26.720 a village that you've got people around your lot, a wife, 0:03:26.760 --> 0:03:28.200 you know, I've got a couple of family friends that 0:03:28.280 --> 0:03:30.760 really help. So there's going to be moments that it's 0:03:30.800 --> 0:03:32.480 going to be great, and there's many moments where it's going. 0:03:32.440 --> 0:03:32.920 To be like wow. 0:03:33.200 --> 0:03:35.840 You know, it's a lot different without footage, and they're 0:03:35.880 --> 0:03:38.440 going to just try and help us, you know, guide 0:03:38.520 --> 0:03:41.240 us through these sort of stages of our life because, 0:03:42.160 --> 0:03:44.480 as I said, we haven't been in this before and 0:03:44.520 --> 0:03:45.720 we're luckily they're there. 0:03:45.520 --> 0:03:46.640 To help us to come through it. 0:03:46.880 --> 0:03:49.600 You talk about being a little nervous, I feel like 0:03:50.120 --> 0:03:52.520 it might sink in for you the most when you know, 0:03:52.600 --> 0:03:55.400 when it comes to November December and everyone's going back 0:03:55.440 --> 0:03:57.760 to pre season training and we're your first time in 0:03:57.840 --> 0:04:00.880 like fourteen fifteen years that you're spending an November December 0:04:01.080 --> 0:04:01.960 not getting flogged. 0:04:02.960 --> 0:04:04.240 Well, you're right, Darcy. 0:04:04.840 --> 0:04:07.560 I left school at seventeen, so I finished in you twelve, 0:04:07.600 --> 0:04:10.520 and I've done pre seasons ever since. I'm thirty three now, 0:04:10.560 --> 0:04:14.640 so I've done sixteen pre seasons. Pre seasons when it 0:04:14.680 --> 0:04:17.200 does get to that November second and third, when you're 0:04:17.440 --> 0:04:21.440 you're normally getting that anxiety and you're getting very nervous 0:04:21.480 --> 0:04:23.320 to go back. And I wonder if all the work 0:04:23.320 --> 0:04:25.279 I've done in the break has been enough. And you 0:04:25.279 --> 0:04:27.680 know you've got six or seven weeks pre Christmas block 0:04:27.720 --> 0:04:28.640 that you're going to have to do. 0:04:29.360 --> 0:04:33.039 I don't have to do it, so, but in saying that, I'll. 0:04:32.880 --> 0:04:35.159 Still want to keep myself physically in a good shape 0:04:35.240 --> 0:04:36.679 because I don't want to be one of those bugs 0:04:36.720 --> 0:04:39.120 that blows out. And I don't think it'll happen in 0:04:39.120 --> 0:04:42.760 my life because my wife's a personal trainer and honestly, 0:04:42.839 --> 0:04:45.440 she just worries about what she eats and what she 0:04:45.480 --> 0:04:48.440 puts into a system. So I dare say that she 0:04:48.480 --> 0:04:50.200 won't let me fall off track. She let me have 0:04:50.200 --> 0:04:53.080 a couple of moments, but she'll pull me in quick. 0:04:53.080 --> 0:04:53.400 Smart. 0:04:53.640 --> 0:04:55.240 You don't want to be the unfit bloke in the 0:04:55.279 --> 0:04:59.320 coms box you're criticizing players, do you no, Mate? 0:04:59.320 --> 0:05:02.120 You don't want people to go Jesus, lettingself go look 0:05:02.160 --> 0:05:02.520 at him? 0:05:02.560 --> 0:05:05.080 But you also you know I still would love to 0:05:05.120 --> 0:05:07.839 be around it. Trying to talk talking mainly still at 0:05:07.880 --> 0:05:10.000 the moment about maybe having sort of a certain role. 0:05:10.520 --> 0:05:13.920 And the club had five different clubs, so you've got 0:05:13.920 --> 0:05:17.440 to pick one club to work for, so hopefully one. 0:05:17.320 --> 0:05:21.760 Of them like you more options. Right. That's well between 0:05:21.800 --> 0:05:24.480 the two hundred and seventy odd games you played State 0:05:24.520 --> 0:05:27.159 of Origin tests for Kangaroos, I feel like there's so 0:05:27.240 --> 0:05:28.600 much we could talk about, but I want to take 0:05:28.600 --> 0:05:31.920 you back to the very, very very beginning. You said 0:05:31.920 --> 0:05:35.040 you left school at seventeen. What do you remember from 0:05:35.080 --> 0:05:37.640 your very first NRL pre season. 0:05:39.320 --> 0:05:41.360 I'll tell you one of the funniest things I remember 0:05:41.920 --> 0:05:45.160 was two of my favorite blokes to play with, Keith 0:05:45.200 --> 0:05:46.680 Galloway and Bryce Gibbs. 0:05:46.880 --> 0:05:50.520 They punched it on a training It was like one. 0:05:50.360 --> 0:05:53.040 Of the funniest things because I'm the young kid like 0:05:54.520 --> 0:05:56.560 and remember the year is a lot different to when 0:05:56.600 --> 0:05:58.400 I come through to when these young guys come through now. 0:05:58.440 --> 0:06:02.200 So it's basically speak when spoken to. So I was 0:06:02.240 --> 0:06:04.560 too scared to say anything and we're just doing this 0:06:04.640 --> 0:06:07.400 simple just a catch past drill. You know, you have 0:06:07.480 --> 0:06:11.039 a sort of a one line across and there's three. 0:06:11.560 --> 0:06:13.680 There's lines of three and you just do it through 0:06:13.720 --> 0:06:16.960 the hands. Tim Sheen's loved his fundamentals. Loved just catch 0:06:17.000 --> 0:06:19.919 pass name on the past, you know, Keith catch it, 0:06:20.080 --> 0:06:23.599 Bryce catch it. And it was this moment in the 0:06:23.680 --> 0:06:27.040 in the drill gives he was just taking the pisce 0:06:27.080 --> 0:06:29.960 a bit of Keith kept throwing real low and Keithy 0:06:30.040 --> 0:06:32.160 kept sort of either dropping it or just catch it. 0:06:32.160 --> 0:06:35.640 And Keith, he's a very proud man, doesn't like the 0:06:35.760 --> 0:06:37.559 pull and shown especially in front of the young guys 0:06:37.560 --> 0:06:39.680 that you know, he's supposed to be the leader for 0:06:39.760 --> 0:06:42.240 me and he's a guy do look up to, the 0:06:42.240 --> 0:06:44.400 same as same as that Brycey. But Bryce was a 0:06:44.480 --> 0:06:47.479 funny man. And then he did about three times and 0:06:47.560 --> 0:06:49.599 keep He's just like, mate, if you do it one 0:06:49.600 --> 0:06:52.200 more time, I'm going to rip your head off. And 0:06:52.240 --> 0:06:54.640 then what his gold give give gives you do he 0:06:54.760 --> 0:06:57.000 just goes bang froze at his feet next to you know, 0:06:57.160 --> 0:07:01.200 Keith town boom, and it was on poor on Roastie Simmons, 0:07:01.240 --> 0:07:04.280 the little like little gardeners in between trying to grab him, 0:07:04.279 --> 0:07:05.960 and it was just made It was. 0:07:05.960 --> 0:07:06.599 An eye opener. 0:07:06.800 --> 0:07:11.200 Wow, welcome to first grade. Hey, like you. You were 0:07:11.200 --> 0:07:14.120 so young when you entered that system, and I'm sure 0:07:14.160 --> 0:07:17.000 your dreams were enormous, but I'm curious, did you have 0:07:17.080 --> 0:07:20.080 a Plan B in case, you know, everything didn't go 0:07:20.120 --> 0:07:20.480 to plan. 0:07:22.320 --> 0:07:24.280 Look, I was doing some sort of work. I've always 0:07:24.400 --> 0:07:26.760 even through footy, I've always done courses. If the club's 0:07:26.800 --> 0:07:28.520 offered stuff to do, I've always put my how to 0:07:28.560 --> 0:07:31.320 do it. I didn't really think at a time out 0:07:31.360 --> 0:07:33.040 of plan B. I was signed a three year deal 0:07:33.040 --> 0:07:35.920 when I was in year twelve at high school. But 0:07:35.960 --> 0:07:37.880 what happened was I did end up doing a pretty 0:07:37.880 --> 0:07:41.280 serious injury with my hamstring, and basically the doctor just said, look, 0:07:41.280 --> 0:07:43.520 you might not be able to run at a top 0:07:43.600 --> 0:07:45.880 level anymore. And you think about that. Look, I'm not 0:07:45.920 --> 0:07:48.200 the quickest spoke of that at the time, and it 0:07:48.280 --> 0:07:50.800 was like wow. So you walk out of that meeting, 0:07:50.840 --> 0:07:52.320 It's like, what am I going to do now if 0:07:52.360 --> 0:07:54.800 this all doesn't work? But I just gave it one 0:07:54.880 --> 0:07:57.440 hundred and ten. You know, everything I did, committed to it. 0:07:57.440 --> 0:07:59.360 It was the best thing for me because it's really 0:08:00.000 --> 0:08:01.680 I would be how to look after my body was 0:08:01.680 --> 0:08:05.360 in preparation. It's not just about doing the what is 0:08:05.360 --> 0:08:06.800 it the sixty or seventy minutes you do on the 0:08:06.800 --> 0:08:09.360 field of training. It's about getting there, doing your prehab, 0:08:09.400 --> 0:08:11.920 doing your rehab, just working so hard on your body 0:08:11.920 --> 0:08:13.880 to get it right and just little like you know, 0:08:14.040 --> 0:08:15.400 do I go out in the night of the boys 0:08:15.440 --> 0:08:17.120 getting the bees or do I just sit home and 0:08:17.200 --> 0:08:19.520 relax and just make sure you recoverage. Your body is 0:08:19.520 --> 0:08:23.600 a lot better, probably maybe grow up a lot quicker. 0:08:23.960 --> 0:08:26.360 And you know there's times where geez, I wish I 0:08:26.360 --> 0:08:27.880 had have gone out and had a good time with 0:08:28.000 --> 0:08:30.120 where was my schoolmates or the footy boys? But I 0:08:30.160 --> 0:08:31.840 knew if I did that and set me back a 0:08:31.840 --> 0:08:33.600 couple of days, and you know, it's not good for 0:08:33.640 --> 0:08:37.000 what the injuries I had at the time. So look, 0:08:37.120 --> 0:08:38.920 I didn't really have a plan B because I just 0:08:38.960 --> 0:08:40.760 wanted to. I always wanted to be RUGB belief. I 0:08:40.760 --> 0:08:42.760 wanted to be RUGB belief player. It was funny I 0:08:42.800 --> 0:08:46.440 got my year six like it's like a you know, 0:08:46.800 --> 0:08:49.600 a farewell. They do a booklet on each person, and 0:08:49.720 --> 0:08:52.319 mine at the time was I want to play rugby 0:08:52.360 --> 0:08:54.959 league and it's sorry it said where do you see 0:08:55.000 --> 0:08:55.439 yourself in? 0:08:55.559 --> 0:08:57.520 I think it was ten years time. 0:08:57.640 --> 0:09:00.040 So I was twelve or eleven at this stage, and 0:09:00.040 --> 0:09:02.280 I said, I see myself playing for the Northern Eagles, 0:09:02.440 --> 0:09:04.720 because I was a mainly supporter now of Northern Northern 0:09:04.760 --> 0:09:08.560 Negles at that time. And most funny, I don't know 0:09:08.559 --> 0:09:09.839 where I got up. I think my mum might have 0:09:09.880 --> 0:09:11.160 brought it out of the week and look at this. 0:09:11.760 --> 0:09:13.400 It was all right except for the wrong club. 0:09:14.559 --> 0:09:17.000 So funny you say that that brings back my memory. 0:09:17.000 --> 0:09:18.719 I put in my year six year, what what do 0:09:18.760 --> 0:09:19.760 you want to be when you grow up? And I 0:09:19.760 --> 0:09:24.960 said a Bulldogs cheerleader. I also said Bulldogs premiers in 0:09:24.960 --> 0:09:26.520 two thousand and four and I got it right. 0:09:27.160 --> 0:09:28.120 Oh geez, that's good. 0:09:29.480 --> 0:09:32.120 Anyways, have you ever like stopped to think throughout your 0:09:32.120 --> 0:09:34.080 career and go what would I be doing if I 0:09:34.120 --> 0:09:35.240 never played NRL? 0:09:36.840 --> 0:09:37.600 Yeah? 0:09:38.000 --> 0:09:39.960 Many times, because I was sort of like you know 0:09:39.960 --> 0:09:42.800 when you cash up your schoolmates, it's like there. I 0:09:42.840 --> 0:09:45.160 was like, Jesus, I know I'd be able to do it. 0:09:45.200 --> 0:09:48.200 Something I can't sit still. But for me, I'd always 0:09:48.240 --> 0:09:52.040 loved it. I love coffee, I love just chewing the 0:09:52.040 --> 0:09:56.240 fat with anyone. I love talking to people. So what 0:09:56.360 --> 0:09:58.040 I really wanted to do while I played, but I 0:09:58.080 --> 0:09:59.960 just didn't. I didn't have enough time. Was I'd love 0:10:00.040 --> 0:10:02.480 to open up a coffee shop and just get to 0:10:02.520 --> 0:10:04.800 meet people in the local area. Like it's just I 0:10:04.880 --> 0:10:09.120 love just talking, Like just get to know people, just 0:10:09.160 --> 0:10:11.280 seeing how their day was, what they've been up to, 0:10:11.520 --> 0:10:14.199 and it's just something I love doing. And if you 0:10:14.240 --> 0:10:16.520 speak anyone at probably all the five clubs I've been at, 0:10:16.520 --> 0:10:18.199 they'll tell you the big fellow loves the coffee of 0:10:18.240 --> 0:10:20.960 the Yarn And so I probably would have said maybe 0:10:21.000 --> 0:10:23.480 trying to. I've done my barista course as well. We 0:10:23.480 --> 0:10:25.400 were lucky enough to do that while we're playing footy. 0:10:25.800 --> 0:10:28.959 That was at the West Tigers. And yeah, honestly I 0:10:29.000 --> 0:10:31.960 would have. And I've always bought about the possibility of 0:10:31.960 --> 0:10:34.079 either opening up your coffee shop or cracking my own 0:10:34.120 --> 0:10:35.760 be I. 0:10:35.679 --> 0:10:37.760 Love that idea. We could see with this coffee shop. 0:10:38.440 --> 0:10:41.040 How good is that to be the Bristol I think 0:10:41.040 --> 0:10:42.520 that's already done. But that's already been taken. 0:10:43.440 --> 0:10:46.600 Now, your West Tiger's Junior made your debut twenty eleven. 0:10:47.000 --> 0:10:49.320 Do you remember much from your your debut? I assume 0:10:49.320 --> 0:10:50.880 you probably remember everything right. 0:10:50.920 --> 0:10:53.479 Oh, remember it was a Monday night against the Bulldogs. 0:10:54.520 --> 0:10:55.840 You know, I think it was the same night Sam 0:10:55.880 --> 0:10:59.319 Casiana debuted and he started and I come off the bench. 0:11:00.040 --> 0:11:01.760 I only got told I was playing the day before. 0:11:02.040 --> 0:11:04.360 Oh wow, on the Sunday. Yeah, so I think I 0:11:04.400 --> 0:11:06.199 was in jersey number nineteen or twenty. 0:11:06.840 --> 0:11:09.840 Bro Gibbs was in a bit of injury doubt, and 0:11:09.960 --> 0:11:12.080 I think Chansy knew a week was when I played me. 0:11:12.480 --> 0:11:14.360 I didn't tell me until the day before the game, 0:11:14.440 --> 0:11:16.280 just said, you want me to get too nervous all week. 0:11:17.200 --> 0:11:18.959 I got on for the last twenty minutes and as 0:11:19.080 --> 0:11:20.840 Tim said, he said I wouldn't gone to the second 0:11:20.880 --> 0:11:23.920 half and probably the last twenty or fifteen minutes. I 0:11:23.960 --> 0:11:26.360 remember warm up in the sheds. Benji was straight across 0:11:26.360 --> 0:11:28.920 from me. He just kept looking at me. And remember 0:11:28.960 --> 0:11:30.040 asking him off the game, like, w what do you 0:11:30.120 --> 0:11:31.520 keep looking at me? Because just like I've seeing how 0:11:31.559 --> 0:11:33.960 young kids handle their debut, they're all different. 0:11:34.880 --> 0:11:36.200 I never forget my first carrier. 0:11:36.200 --> 0:11:38.959 I carried the ball straight into Corey Payne and Andrew Ryan, 0:11:39.760 --> 0:11:41.520 and I was like, wow, first grade is a lot 0:11:41.520 --> 0:11:45.800 different to what twenties and reserve grade is. So it 0:11:45.880 --> 0:11:49.959 was a great aitiation we'd got beat that night, but jeez, 0:11:49.960 --> 0:11:52.280 you couldn't wipe the smile off my face. So you know, 0:11:52.480 --> 0:11:54.600 when you're on the sideline, I'm not big to sort 0:11:54.600 --> 0:11:56.920 of do too much warm before I go on, but geez, 0:11:56.960 --> 0:11:58.680 that night I reckon. I did nearly seven k on 0:11:58.720 --> 0:11:59.959 the sideline trying to get ready again. 0:12:00.160 --> 0:12:04.240 Gone, oh that's too funny. A couple of years later, 0:12:04.280 --> 0:12:07.199 you make your Stay of Origin debut. Of course, it's 0:12:07.240 --> 0:12:10.679 every kid's dream. But you must look back at that 0:12:10.800 --> 0:12:13.440 time in the Jersey with so much pride, like you 0:12:13.520 --> 0:12:16.280 made the team early in your career and you held 0:12:16.320 --> 0:12:18.480 your spot for like five or so years. 0:12:18.920 --> 0:12:20.480 Yeah, it was, it was, it was. 0:12:20.520 --> 0:12:22.960 It was a good squad and the hardest thing about 0:12:23.000 --> 0:12:25.480 it was the Queensland side that we come up against Darcy. 0:12:25.800 --> 0:12:28.440 They had so many I think looking the other day, 0:12:28.480 --> 0:12:33.840 they had four Hall of famers already Greekingless Kronk, Slader Smith, Like, 0:12:33.960 --> 0:12:36.520 that's four that have been only retired for two or 0:12:36.520 --> 0:12:39.600 three years. So shows you have well in Thurston as well. 0:12:39.679 --> 0:12:42.440 Sorry there's five, Like, it's just the side they had. 0:12:42.480 --> 0:12:44.400 And then look you look at it now that they 0:12:44.440 --> 0:12:48.000 had I think it was Matt Scott maybe seven deceiver 0:12:48.200 --> 0:12:52.720 up front, Nate Miles, Hawgols it Origin level. Even Matt Gillette, 0:12:52.720 --> 0:12:54.439 he doesn't get their recognition like a lot of players 0:12:54.480 --> 0:12:56.400 because he retired so early with the neck injury. But 0:12:56.840 --> 0:13:00.200 they had so many great players in that side. You know, 0:13:00.240 --> 0:13:03.400 for me to even be mentioned in the Blues you 0:13:04.280 --> 0:13:06.680 frame of selection, that was awesome. But then when you 0:13:06.720 --> 0:13:09.120 finally get that call off Laurie, I never forget he 0:13:09.160 --> 0:13:11.960 called me on a Sunday morning. It was when James 0:13:12.000 --> 0:13:13.839 Samato got himself in a little bit of trouble and 0:13:14.360 --> 0:13:19.240 he got suspended. So the next game two he wasn't 0:13:19.240 --> 0:13:21.480 allowed to play. I got the call. But the worst 0:13:21.520 --> 0:13:22.960 thing was I had to plan on the Monday night 0:13:23.640 --> 0:13:25.679 and I had to play up against Brisbane up the 0:13:25.840 --> 0:13:28.480 un called stadium. So you go on into a game 0:13:28.480 --> 0:13:31.000 against Brisbane on Monday night knowing that you've already been 0:13:31.040 --> 0:13:33.360 selected for Origin. It was one of the hardest games 0:13:33.360 --> 0:13:34.600 I've ever played in my life. 0:13:34.800 --> 0:13:39.800 Yeah, because you don't want to get injured exactly exactly, 0:13:39.920 --> 0:13:42.320 but you also want to show you that. 0:13:41.880 --> 0:13:44.800 You're basically not carrying the book or not making tackles 0:13:44.800 --> 0:13:46.440 with your shoulder. He's just trying to catch and not 0:13:46.520 --> 0:13:47.080 get it hurt. 0:13:48.480 --> 0:13:52.079 That's too funny. Your kangaroo's debute didn't come too long 0:13:52.120 --> 0:13:55.400 after twenty fourteen. I feel like we probably don't talk 0:13:55.440 --> 0:13:58.160 about the international game with the same respect and intensity 0:13:58.200 --> 0:14:00.720 that we talk about origin. But I mean, like pulling 0:14:00.720 --> 0:14:02.760 on that green and gold jersey. That must have been 0:14:02.880 --> 0:14:04.640 so special to play for your country. 0:14:05.240 --> 0:14:09.200 Oh it's you know a lot of people say, what's 0:14:09.240 --> 0:14:11.280 the biggest recognition. You've got to sort of say Australia. 0:14:11.320 --> 0:14:14.760 Because you're playing for your country, you get picked. It's 0:14:14.800 --> 0:14:17.320 like the best of the missiles in Queensland. I never 0:14:17.360 --> 0:14:19.720 forget the first moment we got into camp. I was 0:14:19.800 --> 0:14:23.400 up at the Soft Hotel in Brisbane. You know, I'm 0:14:23.560 --> 0:14:25.640 just sort of get putting my gear on. You're in 0:14:25.640 --> 0:14:28.120 a gear room getting thing fitted, and like Camera Smith 0:14:28.160 --> 0:14:31.640 walks in, you know, Burst and walks in. Slater made 0:14:31.640 --> 0:14:33.800 blokes that I've idolized. I got the room with Matt 0:14:33.800 --> 0:14:36.640 Scott like like just things like that as wow. And 0:14:36.680 --> 0:14:38.840 then next thing you know, we'll have a team meeting 0:14:38.840 --> 0:14:40.880 and then they go I think it was Camera Smith. 0:14:40.920 --> 0:14:42.960 My boy straight down the bar, have a few beers 0:14:42.960 --> 0:14:44.320 and get to know over and OBVI sitting there having 0:14:44.320 --> 0:14:47.360 a beer on my left camera Smith, you know, on 0:14:47.360 --> 0:14:49.640 the right Robbie Farra blocks up playing with Paul gallon 0:14:49.800 --> 0:14:53.520 Great Birds Jesus Man, Like I can't. I'm actually pinching myself. 0:14:53.520 --> 0:14:55.760 It is like a I know, I'm an I was squad, 0:14:55.760 --> 0:14:57.360 but I'm actually a mad fan as well at the 0:14:57.400 --> 0:14:59.800 same time. So I was like, I was so lucky. 0:14:59.520 --> 0:15:02.120 To do what I've done in wa and to I mean, 0:15:02.200 --> 0:15:05.160 you get to play all these really cool nations as well. 0:15:05.200 --> 0:15:09.160 And I've heard a story about you guys. Are you 0:15:09.280 --> 0:15:14.080 in particular a game in Port Moresby and they let 0:15:14.080 --> 0:15:16.480 the fans on the field, the PG fans, and you've 0:15:16.520 --> 0:15:19.200 got stripped of everything but your budget smugglers and you're 0:15:20.240 --> 0:15:22.480 the vest that you wear under your jersey. Is that right? 0:15:22.720 --> 0:15:25.440 Yeah, So yeah, it's one of them. It's a tough 0:15:25.480 --> 0:15:27.160 situation when you go to Maresview as. 0:15:27.040 --> 0:15:31.200 Well, because they a lot of in the prep before 0:15:31.240 --> 0:15:33.120 you go over, they tell you not to give your 0:15:33.120 --> 0:15:36.160 clothes and your gear out to certain people because it's 0:15:37.200 --> 0:15:39.440 there the way they've been brought up a lot different 0:15:39.480 --> 0:15:41.560 wre we are here, but you just can't help it. 0:15:41.720 --> 0:15:44.040 There's young kids that love it. Like you know when 0:15:44.080 --> 0:15:45.640 you get to England and you just see the soccer 0:15:45.680 --> 0:15:46.680 players just get swarm. 0:15:46.880 --> 0:15:49.200 That's what it's like in Port Moresby and put New Guinea. 0:15:49.200 --> 0:15:51.320 I've been there five times, one of the great places 0:15:51.320 --> 0:15:54.440 that they had so many good times. I've even was 0:15:54.520 --> 0:15:57.440 luck enough the captain of preminise squad over there. But 0:15:57.520 --> 0:16:00.320 that one particular moment, Yeah, there was a I think 0:16:00.680 --> 0:16:02.520 it was like ten minutes ago in the game and 0:16:02.560 --> 0:16:05.280 that the something happened and then everyone just. 0:16:05.160 --> 0:16:07.560 Swarmed on the field. It was pretty it was a surreal, 0:16:07.720 --> 0:16:09.480 scary moment. 0:16:09.680 --> 0:16:12.440 Yeah, and then they sort of I think we played 0:16:12.440 --> 0:16:14.080 another five minutes and the game was over and the 0:16:14.120 --> 0:16:15.400 next next thing, you know, we're going out to steal 0:16:15.440 --> 0:16:16.360 with the fans take all that. 0:16:16.560 --> 0:16:18.920 Like they asked for things and they try to do 0:16:19.040 --> 0:16:20.480 like a swap for you, and I was like, ah, 0:16:20.640 --> 0:16:21.360 you just have all. 0:16:21.280 --> 0:16:23.040 My stuff, And as you said, I'd come back in 0:16:23.080 --> 0:16:26.200 with my budgets, muggers and the GPS. Vest couldn't get 0:16:26.240 --> 0:16:28.400 rid of that because then boths of the Aussies would 0:16:28.440 --> 0:16:28.760 kill us. 0:16:28.800 --> 0:16:31.760 Yeah, I've heard how expensive they are. That must be 0:16:31.880 --> 0:16:34.000 kind of you mentioned surreal. But it must be a 0:16:34.000 --> 0:16:36.600 moment as well that you realize just how privileged you 0:16:36.680 --> 0:16:40.440 already playing for Australia going to a country like that 0:16:40.520 --> 0:16:42.600 and being able to be in a position to be 0:16:42.640 --> 0:16:43.840 able to hand out all that stuff. 0:16:44.360 --> 0:16:47.160 Oh definitely, but it's also like you know your respect 0:16:47.160 --> 0:16:50.280 to that we're a rug belief player. But a funny story. 0:16:50.480 --> 0:16:53.560 When I was captain of the Promeisters. You'll fly into 0:16:53.800 --> 0:16:56.680 two Moresby and then you check you in so going 0:16:56.760 --> 0:17:01.720 through the customs and for some reason I got taken 0:17:01.760 --> 0:17:04.520 to this other room like something was happening with my visa. 0:17:05.400 --> 0:17:06.840 And then I go in this room and like, man, 0:17:06.880 --> 0:17:09.480 I'm in Moresby and no one else is in the 0:17:09.520 --> 0:17:12.480 other room. I'm with all these officials. All they want 0:17:12.560 --> 0:17:15.000 to do is take photos. They didn't there's nothing wrong 0:17:15.040 --> 0:17:16.639 with the visa. They just took us in there to 0:17:16.880 --> 0:17:20.320 take photos. And I was like, honestly, I I was shipping 0:17:20.280 --> 0:17:22.160 myself because I was like, man, I'm in this third 0:17:22.280 --> 0:17:25.880