1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: Madge. I remember him coming back, gone, Madge, I can't 2 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:05,560 Speaker 1: do this in the origin class houses, I felt that 3 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: I'm going to stick up for us. Yeah, it's a 4 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:10,040 Speaker 1: really good question. Keep let's just get Maddie down because 5 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: I needed a little bit of later numbers A Madge. 6 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: Good to have you here. 7 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:21,319 Speaker 2: Mate, you're in the old place around the corner. We 8 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:24,279 Speaker 2: become one of the We've become these wankers that buy 9 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 2: a house around the corner and just move. 10 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 1: You know. I think we probably had to get away 11 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: from that place with the memories we had. He did 12 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:32,200 Speaker 1: you were Belly eight. Yeah, that was a long time ago. 13 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:35,519 Speaker 1: It was fourteen years ago. I tear what it was. 14 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 2: Magic it was it was you had just been beaten 15 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 2: forty l by Manly. He's went away in a fact 16 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 2: finding mission on to Boston. Yeah, and you were in 17 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:47,520 Speaker 2: Boston when Red Sox, when the Red Sox won first 18 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 2: World Series one hundred years Yeah, it. 19 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: Was, it was incredible. The streets were absolutely madness. Yeah, 20 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: it was a great, great time to be over there. 21 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: But we did a bit of a fact finding mission 22 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: and obviously came back to your palace. Yeah, a bit 23 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 1: fact finding at your Andrew I think it was. 24 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:05,400 Speaker 2: It was it was funny. We were knocking them down 25 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 2: belly because you know, you're very disciplined. 26 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: Man. 27 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 2: Bill was sitting there, He's had two beers and that 28 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:13,400 Speaker 2: was it. Me and Madge. We basically we found the 29 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 2: bottom of the bottle a few times. 30 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 3: Were playing music through the glass to just do on that. 31 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 3: That's what Dad used to do, match she used to 32 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:21,399 Speaker 3: rather because he never knew how to work a speaker 33 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:23,400 Speaker 3: blue tooth, so we used to just find a cup 34 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:25,399 Speaker 3: and then he's put his iPhone in the cup to 35 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:26,680 Speaker 3: try to amplify the music. 36 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 1: I think you were still using cas sits back then. 37 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 1: It was yeah, yeah, that's right. Yeah, just kicked us 38 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 1: off the bed. Yeah, a badge. 39 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 2: Stay with the state of origin stuff. State of origin 40 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 2: for players its next level of level as far as 41 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:43,119 Speaker 2: precures concerned. 42 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: What about as a coach, Yeah, man, I've obviously for 43 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: a long time, I've wanted to do it and I've 44 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: been in the coach again for a long time there. Yeah, 45 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: the enormity of origin is exactly what everyone talks about. 46 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 1: You know, I've always wanted to be in the arena 47 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: and obviously had the opportunity to coach and it was unreal, 48 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 1: like you, well, it's all about a result, but just 49 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: the whole build up, creating a campaign, getting the players together, 50 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:11,799 Speaker 1: getting your staff together. New South Wales a very you know. 51 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: They allowed me to basically bring in the people that 52 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: I wanted, which was really good. We had an exceptional 53 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: group of staff, the Plying group, all board in of 54 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: many different conversations that we had. So I guess when 55 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:27,959 Speaker 1: you talk about the pressure and things like that, I 56 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: actually had so many great people around in that space. 57 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:33,520 Speaker 1: I guess it takes away a lot of that. 58 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 3: How different is it preparing for coaching a full NRL 59 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:40,679 Speaker 3: season as opposed to that six weeks block of stat 60 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:41,080 Speaker 3: of origin? 61 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: It is different, Goop, Like you're basically in an origin campaign, 62 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: you've got the best of the best. When you're coaching 63 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:50,639 Speaker 1: an NRL campaign, you've got probably five to maybe ten 64 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: of the players that are the superstars of your team, 65 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 1: and then you've got the next level down that are 66 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 1: developing and they're trying to get to the next level 67 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:05,639 Speaker 1: and level I'll useid that So you're yeah, you are, 68 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 1: You're are coaching the best, so allowing those players, you 69 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 1: just got to make sure you don't get in the way. 70 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: You know, you've got a little bit of a plan 71 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 1: and you share that with the players, and the level 72 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: of conversations that you have with the players at their 73 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:19,359 Speaker 1: next level, like you is you know, you go, boys, 74 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 1: this is what I like to do, and they'll have 75 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 1: the conversation and they actually go and do it. Whereas 76 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 1: when you're at sort of club land, you're probably taking 77 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: two or three weeks to potentially get to where you 78 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: want to get to. So you can fast track things 79 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:32,639 Speaker 1: really quickly when you've got the best players. You know, 80 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: I've never been through all the ups and downs of 81 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: what it might take to get to an NRL player. 82 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: You know, they're now at the highest level. And what 83 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 1: you've got when you're coaching at that level is that 84 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: you don't have a lot of the peripheral issues that 85 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 1: are going on around the club, you know, the salary caps, 86 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 1: the various noises within your club, where the club sits, 87 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 1: you're basically walking in. You've got a clean slate in 88 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: the way here we go. So coaching at that level, 89 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: I really enjoyed it all, but I still really enjoy 90 00:03:57,680 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 1: the other side of it, you know, with the nareal stuff, 91 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: but when you get to coach at the highest level, 92 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: it's a nice place. 93 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 2: A question fair because it's human nature that the outcome 94 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 2: of something dictates how you look back on it. Tell 95 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 2: me about the two weeks when you're one kneel down. 96 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, I was really calm, or I felt I was 97 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:20,159 Speaker 1: really calm just because of the belief that I had 98 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 1: in the group of men that I had and the staff, 99 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 1: and just how we're evolving. I felt that the first week. Obviously, 100 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: like any campaign you walk in, you've got your first week. 101 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 1: Players are trying to work out how Madge goes about things, 102 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: how your staff go about things. We're trying to work 103 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 1: out how we play. So going into game one, I 104 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 1: still probably felt a little bit underdone knowing where we 105 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:43,920 Speaker 1: would be because of the nature of it's our first time. 106 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:46,360 Speaker 1: When you go into Origin, you've only got three lots 107 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,920 Speaker 1: of eight days. You don't have this long building. It's 108 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: basically day one. You've got to connect with everyone. Obviously 109 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: you've done a lot of work prior to going into 110 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 1: the campaign itself, and then you go about, right, o, boys, 111 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 1: this is how like to see us play. They have 112 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: their discussions and then you get it out on the 113 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: field and that does take a bit of time. But 114 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: what I did see with the group, because a lot 115 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 1: of them had been through various origins, they have periods 116 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 1: of time they didn't know each other, so that connection 117 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:16,040 Speaker 1: was there and we just tried to enhance what had 118 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 1: been done in the past and the way the players 119 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:21,600 Speaker 1: got about each other. I think that was the real 120 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 1: enjoyment part. 121 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:26,679 Speaker 2: One thing Queensland do match oftentimes is they win the narrative, 122 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:29,800 Speaker 2: which I think, you know, it's very important to win 123 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 2: that narrative, and the Morons have the Queensland call, which 124 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:36,360 Speaker 2: is iconic for them. 125 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 1: Class houses will. 126 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:42,719 Speaker 2: Be I think, and it's two shirt wearing worthy. I 127 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 2: think that you'll start to see two shirts. I think 128 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 2: it will be a catch cry for New South Wales. 129 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 2: And I know it sounds frivolous, it might sound far fish, 130 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 2: but I think it really changed the narrative of the series. 131 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 2: When you said that Madge, was it strategic or it 132 00:05:57,760 --> 00:05:58,279 Speaker 2: just happened? 133 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 1: It was actually the second part, but a lot that 134 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 1: led to that was probably what put me into that space. 135 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:07,920 Speaker 1: You know, the best way of explaining it was that, 136 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:10,600 Speaker 1: you know, I've been watching Origin for such a long 137 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 1: period of time. I had my own thoughts how as 138 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:17,120 Speaker 1: a coach, I'd like to be in that space, but 139 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 1: I wanted to make it very much more about us. 140 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 1: You know, forever we're hearing about what the other state's 141 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:25,280 Speaker 1: doing and what the coinszand are up to and things 142 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:28,479 Speaker 1: like that. So I completely just wanted to focus on ourselves. 143 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: And you know, the situation happened there in their game one, 144 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 1: and you know, I felt that, you know what, I'm 145 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 1: going to stick up for us. It's our state, it's 146 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:40,359 Speaker 1: our people, and it's the players. And that's definitely something 147 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 1: there that probably brought about the statement that I made 148 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 1: is that over the years, you know, when teams are successful, 149 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,280 Speaker 1: they probably have their own narrative, and now it's about 150 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: us building our narrative. And this is just the start, 151 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 1: you know, and I know that, you know, over the years, 152 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:58,600 Speaker 1: I went back and looked at the history of Origin 153 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 1: teams and through many of the great past players, I 154 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:06,320 Speaker 1: actually got a lot of information or space you call it, 155 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 1: about the success when New South Wales has been successful, 156 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: when they've had their challenges, even back into the early 157 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: eighties when Origin was sort of created, Greg Brentnell, Chrissy Mortimer, 158 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: you know, they told me and shared with me a 159 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: lot of the stories around what actually happened early days, 160 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:28,760 Speaker 1: and it wasn't until eighty five when I guess the 161 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 1: boys came together in the origin space in New South Wales, 162 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 1: and that's when Steve Mortimer in my mind, came to 163 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 1: me about what it meant to him, what it meant 164 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 1: to the people. And you know, I've been able to 165 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 1: talk to many of those players in that eighty five 166 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 1: team and the passion and the love for what they 167 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 1: did was something there that I wanted to try and 168 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 1: reflect into what we do. And that to me is 169 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 1: really when you're looking at moments in time throughout that 170 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 1: first game that you know, it just sort of came 171 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 1: to me that you know, I'm going to up from 172 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 1: a play. It's just the same way as those boys 173 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: did back then. 174 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:05,679 Speaker 2: We'll imagine. I'll ask you this question. I'm not asking 175 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 2: you to talk here about Billy specifically, as you and 176 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 2: Billy came through together that a great relationship with the 177 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 2: Melbourne Storm. It's the first time i'd seen Billy really 178 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 2: quite rattled by it, and it. 179 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 1: Did have an effect. 180 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 2: I've got no doubt. How's your relationship with billy now 181 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 2: to just talk afterwards, is it like, is it sweet? 182 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 1: It'll be fine, Yeah, it's fine. I mean for me, 183 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 1: I don't look at that side of it. You know, 184 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:34,120 Speaker 1: I was doing what we required as a state, you know, 185 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: and what I felt is where the state is going 186 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 1: with the team. You know, we're building. You know, we're 187 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:42,959 Speaker 1: still in the infancy obviously. You know they've had the success, 188 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:46,760 Speaker 1: the boys, but the hunger and what I felt is 189 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 1: something there that we've got to make sure that we 190 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:50,839 Speaker 1: take forward. And whoever's in the space that now we're 191 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 1: playing against, well that's just part of it. So yeah, 192 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 1: for myself personally, I take a lot of that emotion away. 193 00:08:56,679 --> 00:08:59,960 Speaker 1: Is it you know, it's we're representing one great state 194 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:02,240 Speaker 1: with so many people, and you know it's noine million 195 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 1: plus people. 196 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 3: You spoke about the connectedness before as a playing group, 197 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 3: and I imagine that's a huge part of the short block, 198 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 3: trying to get them connected and buying in together. How 199 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:15,720 Speaker 3: when you're picking a team, how important how I suppose 200 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 3: how much emphasis when you're picking that squad do you 201 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 3: put on in terms of trying to pick a squad 202 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:22,520 Speaker 3: that you think is going to gel personality? 203 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:26,439 Speaker 1: Was well, giving away a few secrets, but connection is 204 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 1: the number one thing that I look for, you know, 205 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 1: And you've got to look at the personalities that you're 206 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:33,360 Speaker 1: bringing in. And one thing I sort of stressed early 207 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:36,080 Speaker 1: days is that I wanted to be playing well because 208 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:38,200 Speaker 1: that brings your confidence and belief about what you're doing. 209 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:41,200 Speaker 1: So you need to be playing well. And look how 210 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 1: every player that I bought in was at the peak 211 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 1: of their game, you know. And I had to make 212 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 1: a couple of changes, but every time those players walked in, 213 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:51,559 Speaker 1: I believe that they were at their best. And that 214 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 1: connection then brings itself into the team. And it was 215 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 1: something there that someone like Jake Terbovich, he is our leader. 216 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:03,320 Speaker 1: He's one of the most passionate, nicest place you can find. 217 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 1: So I actually looked to him and I said, mate, 218 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:08,679 Speaker 1: we need that to build a team as quickly as 219 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 1: we can. You know, we don't have a lot of 220 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:12,560 Speaker 1: time to be able to think that it's just going 221 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:14,560 Speaker 1: to happen overnight. And I've got to say the old 222 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 1: boys once again, they shared, you know, we had Bennie 223 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:24,440 Speaker 1: Allis and blocker Chrissy Mortimer Crusher talk about how quickly 224 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 1: that team came together in a short period of time, 225 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:29,680 Speaker 1: because I think they're only in camp for four days 226 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 1: in eighty five. It's not like they had the eight 227 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:33,280 Speaker 1: days that we had and they had to come together. 228 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 1: So it was actually great for the current crop to 229 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:41,199 Speaker 1: hear that from those older players, and they sort of 230 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:44,200 Speaker 1: talked about how the love that they have for their 231 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:46,839 Speaker 1: teammates back then. So it was pretty easy for me, 232 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:50,800 Speaker 1: I said, boys, with this, imagine, let's talk about some 233 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 1: of the stuff that formed you as a coaching. 234 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,800 Speaker 2: What you're here now, Canberra. You came through a near 235 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:01,240 Speaker 2: at the Green Machine era what norminal I think one 236 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 2: of the greatest areas in eras in regul league history. 237 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 1: So you've got both. 238 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 2: You've got Sheen's, Meninga Furner, Lour Daly. 239 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:14,440 Speaker 1: Clide, Ricky Stewart. 240 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 2: Clyde Waters, goes on and on and on. But Sheen's 241 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 2: in particular, I see Sheens. I think Sheen's is one 242 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 2: of the best coaches in rugbul league history. This sort 243 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:26,120 Speaker 2: of gets a little bit lost. 244 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:28,439 Speaker 1: Around belly Ache and Wayne and whatnot. What did you 245 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 1: learn from those players and Sheens? Yeah, look, I was 246 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 1: an eighteen year old I landed with those players, So 247 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:36,640 Speaker 1: you only know what you know at the time. So 248 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 1: like anything, what you walk into is what you can become. 249 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:42,600 Speaker 1: So to land with those players turning up to tran 250 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:46,000 Speaker 1: and every day that they had an expectation, you know, 251 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:48,320 Speaker 1: they expected that you had to win. You know, there 252 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:51,840 Speaker 1: was all those the training ethics, so you actually learn that. 253 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 1: So the leadership of the organization plays a massive part, 254 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:58,240 Speaker 1: which resonates down and obviously sheens, he sets the platform 255 00:11:58,280 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 1: and then to watch mal Rick and Gary Belch was 256 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 1: a big influence back then. So you know, you had 257 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:06,960 Speaker 1: a lot of players that were playing Origin International. So 258 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 1: when you're learning off players like that as a young 259 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:12,040 Speaker 1: pub coming through, that's basically how I've learned what I'm 260 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 1: doing now. It was Lazzo there no, no, you're lucked in. Yeah. 261 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:20,200 Speaker 1: We used to get there with Origin Camp. 262 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:22,440 Speaker 2: We go down all the Newcastle wasats in the car 263 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:29,200 Speaker 2: and we'd all go everybody imagine if someone imagine if 264 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 2: you got Laso one of the boys, did I get it? 265 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 1: It was? 266 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 2: And they went up to the room and back in 267 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:35,920 Speaker 2: those days it was a double bed, single bed, and 268 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:38,600 Speaker 2: you used to toss the coin for it and they 269 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:40,560 Speaker 2: walked in and the Laso's just laying on the double bed. 270 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 1: I just leaving there now. 271 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:43,760 Speaker 2: They said we're going to toss for it. 272 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: He just went at the big bed. I've actually got 273 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:50,840 Speaker 1: the No Laza quite well over this last little period 274 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:53,199 Speaker 1: at a high level, obviously through camera and things like that. 275 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 1: And you know, he was a competitor and he was 276 00:12:56,360 --> 00:12:58,080 Speaker 1: one of the best front rollers that's played the game. 277 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:01,199 Speaker 1: But to hear him talk about the origin and what 278 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:04,440 Speaker 1: it meant to him, it's the you get to find 279 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:06,559 Speaker 1: out about people at a deeper level when you sort 280 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:08,360 Speaker 1: of doing one on one with someone. And that's what 281 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:09,680 Speaker 1: I've been able to do with a lot of the 282 00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:11,520 Speaker 1: older boys and even the current crop, where you just 283 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:14,320 Speaker 1: sit down with them and just talk footy. And yeah, 284 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:15,720 Speaker 1: it's a shame with the probably don't do a little 285 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:19,080 Speaker 1: bit more of that, especially as a coach. Now that's 286 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:21,400 Speaker 1: something that I have done a lot of, but especially 287 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 1: in this last twelve months where I've been able to 288 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:25,440 Speaker 1: actually get to know people at a high level. You know, 289 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:28,240 Speaker 1: when you're talking about using Lazo as an example about 290 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: what he's done and how you achieved it, and you know, 291 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 1: it's a lot of sacrifice and to win four Grand Finals, 292 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:35,920 Speaker 1: origins and all the other parts of the game that 293 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:38,719 Speaker 1: he's been excelled at. So tell me you want to 294 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:42,200 Speaker 1: win a competition, you get la it's you said, well, 295 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 1: you know, I was an eighteen year old walking into 296 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:47,319 Speaker 1: players like that. So they have one comps. So that's 297 00:13:47,360 --> 00:13:48,960 Speaker 1: a bit like the I guess you know, you talk 298 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:52,080 Speaker 1: about my time there at Melbourne Storm where prior to 299 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:55,280 Speaker 1: Cameron Smith and you know Pride our Cooper Krown, they 300 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:57,800 Speaker 1: had twit in Nick here, they had Laso. So the 301 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:01,720 Speaker 1: platforms of that organization you have been set, you know, 302 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:04,040 Speaker 1: and then it's about upholding those things. And you know, 303 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:06,679 Speaker 1: obviously when Belliate landed, I'm sure that he looked back 304 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:08,599 Speaker 1: on a couple of those players and the standards of 305 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:10,960 Speaker 1: that organization just lifts. And then those young players come 306 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:12,480 Speaker 1: into that and the way it goes and evolves and 307 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 1: you've experienced that. Yeah, just curious match. 308 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 2: You went to Adelaide with the Adelaide Rams. We gave 309 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:20,359 Speaker 2: up on Adelaide. 310 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:21,160 Speaker 1: And moved out. It was too hard. 311 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 2: But looking back in those things, Jesus had some good 312 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 2: results here. 313 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:25,640 Speaker 1: It was strong. 314 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:27,800 Speaker 2: So do you think if we if we hung out 315 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:29,720 Speaker 2: there and played the long game in Adelaide. Do you 316 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 2: think that could have been a Melbourne storm they had that. 317 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:35,640 Speaker 1: Sort of impact. Definitely. Yeah, one team town. You know, 318 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:38,040 Speaker 1: they actually got right behind the team. I guess the 319 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:40,680 Speaker 1: thing that we probably needed at that time was a 320 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 1: couple more senior players like Melbourne, I guess started with 321 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:47,840 Speaker 1: those names that I spoke about we had yeah, yeah, 322 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:50,840 Speaker 1: and like the Mariners fell apart and I think the 323 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 1: Western Western Red Yeah, so they grabbed a few. 324 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:56,400 Speaker 3: Of the players who were the marquee signings at the 325 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:57,040 Speaker 3: Rams that. 326 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:02,240 Speaker 1: Kard Walters, Carod was the young Goldthorpe, Yeah, Nol Goldthorpe, 327 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:04,800 Speaker 1: Roady maybel One. Yeah, So we had a few, but 328 00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: it was we probably just needed a few more, Like 329 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 1: we had a very very young team, Like it was 330 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 1: really young. Yeah, I was a young kid going across 331 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:14,720 Speaker 1: here as well, so I guess yeah they all be that, 332 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:17,960 Speaker 1: you know. And it happened really quickly, so we didn't 333 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:20,320 Speaker 1: have a long preseason. So it started, then it fell apart, 334 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 1: then it came back together again. But I honestly believed 335 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:26,480 Speaker 1: it would have kicked if they persisted at it. We're lucky. 336 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:28,400 Speaker 2: One day it was right at semi finals, I was 337 00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 2: ninety eight. We played as in Newcastle were beating US 338 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:33,600 Speaker 2: twenty two dollars a half time, and you've Bloke's got 339 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:35,720 Speaker 2: a couple of injuries and we actually called our way 340 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 2: back in one. 341 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 1: But I remember coming. 342 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:39,840 Speaker 2: Off the field yard Jesus, I wasn't expecting that. 343 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 1: Well, that's where you have if you have your senior players, 344 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 1: that those guys can guide you through you know, those times, 345 00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 1: and I guess we lacked a little bit of that, yeah, 346 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: sort of you know ice games at times. 347 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:51,120 Speaker 3: Is there still hope now for it? Do you think 348 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 3: an Adelaide team, like I know they're talking about bringing 349 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:56,640 Speaker 3: more team, expanding the game even more. Is Adelaide spot 350 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 3: Jack in the game could go to now? 351 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 1: Oh? I think they could. You know, There's probably a 352 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 1: few other areas in Australia that I'd probably have to 353 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:06,000 Speaker 1: look at, but look, I think it definitely in time, 354 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 1: it could definitely make a mark there because there was 355 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:11,720 Speaker 1: a massive following. I mean our first few games, we're 356 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:14,520 Speaker 1: getting fifteen to twenty zerosand like it was, it was 357 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:16,880 Speaker 1: unbelievable by wad at the Adelaide Oval and you know, 358 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:18,680 Speaker 1: and then they end up moving to hind Marsh Stadium 359 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:21,320 Speaker 1: I think it was. Yeah, yeah, I'm packing it out. 360 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:23,080 Speaker 1: So yeah, there's something between. 361 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 3: Some places they don't know what rugby league is, but 362 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:27,280 Speaker 3: they just enjoy live sport. Melbourne's a little bit like that. 363 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:29,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, well that's that's Adelaide sport. You know, they had 364 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 1: the Formula one and they reckon it was the most 365 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 1: incredible Formula one. But you know, there's not a whole 366 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:36,920 Speaker 1: heap to do over there, so I get behind the times. 367 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 2: Like you don't realize, like you and Jack have grown 368 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:43,320 Speaker 2: up in an era where to a certain extent, sports 369 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:46,880 Speaker 2: being homogenized across Australia, you know, even though one's more dominant. 370 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 2: When I first went down to Melbourne in the early nineties, 371 00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:52,600 Speaker 2: it was like going to a different planet. It was 372 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:56,440 Speaker 2: a different country culturally everything, but particularly sport. Like, honestly, 373 00:16:57,240 --> 00:17:01,840 Speaker 2: I don't think basically if you if you mentioned rugby league, 374 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 2: you may as well be talking about lacrosse. Yeah yeah, 375 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:08,840 Speaker 2: but just hanging in there roofs and all the stuff they. 376 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:10,919 Speaker 1: Did just changed. Ye. Well, they had good people to 377 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:14,199 Speaker 1: start which got into the business world, the high end 378 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:17,119 Speaker 1: of Melbourne, and that then created this world. But you 379 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:18,760 Speaker 1: are right, man, I remember getting off the plane down 380 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:21,240 Speaker 1: there when I was an assistant coach and no one 381 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:24,920 Speaker 1: like you walk past and they'd have no idea what was. 382 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:27,600 Speaker 3: Which is not the worst thing for an NRL club 383 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:29,399 Speaker 3: away with you. 384 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 1: Are to enjoy yourselves. 385 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:32,720 Speaker 2: Talk about that the things they did to sort of 386 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:36,399 Speaker 2: promote it in the first that first season. When we 387 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:39,639 Speaker 2: went down to play them, they're like, oh, this is 388 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:41,560 Speaker 2: the warm up area. This is where we went the 389 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:44,479 Speaker 2: day before, and we're like, what and what it was? 390 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:48,400 Speaker 2: It was like an indoor cricket for into a cricket 391 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:52,520 Speaker 2: cricket pe yeah, and what the next minute and there 392 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:54,480 Speaker 2: was a pitch of glass and there was all these 393 00:17:54,520 --> 00:17:56,960 Speaker 2: people having a meal. So all the corporates would sit 394 00:17:57,080 --> 00:17:59,840 Speaker 2: and watch you warm up. And we said, when I 395 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:01,800 Speaker 2: do than that. So we found out there was an 396 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:04,280 Speaker 2: oval which we thought was about one hundred meters away, 397 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:07,400 Speaker 2: like a Richmond's Old ground. So we went warmed up there, 398 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:10,200 Speaker 2: and once we taped and warmed up there, we realized 399 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:15,520 Speaker 2: it was two k's away. They had to kick off 400 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:17,840 Speaker 2: because it took us that long to get to the ground. 401 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:20,479 Speaker 2: We're walking through parked with our gear on in the dark. 402 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:24,680 Speaker 3: Oh well, we asked. We had Cameron Serrado on last week, 403 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:26,359 Speaker 3: we asked him the same question I did, ask you, 404 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:28,400 Speaker 3: how would you have coached yourself? 405 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a really good question. Keep look, I would 406 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:34,359 Speaker 1: I like to get a lot off a coach. I 407 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 1: really enjoyed. You know, I've got a fascination about the 408 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:38,800 Speaker 1: garment a coach, So I want to know the ins 409 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 1: and outs of every single position and you know what 410 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:43,320 Speaker 1: the far center might be doing or the far half 411 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:46,080 Speaker 1: might be doing. So I guess for myself personally, I 412 00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:47,719 Speaker 1: wanted a coach to actually give me as much as 413 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:50,159 Speaker 1: they could, and then you know, I'd be able to 414 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: dissect that. And I'd love to have the conversations with 415 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 1: a coach and pull the game apart. And because one 416 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:57,199 Speaker 1: thing I have learned over the years is that you know, 417 00:18:57,240 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 1: the greatest players can see further ahead than where the 418 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:02,880 Speaker 1: game is currently right now. So and that's knowledge, that's 419 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:06,240 Speaker 1: a player understanding that the long, long part of the game, 420 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:09,240 Speaker 1: playing the long game, because that's what pressure brings. And 421 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:11,440 Speaker 1: so being able to understand the game at a higher 422 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:14,840 Speaker 1: level with something there that I definitely I enjoyed doing 423 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:17,119 Speaker 1: that with coaches and I enjoy doing that with the 424 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:19,200 Speaker 1: players that obviously landed with the camera and when I 425 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 1: used to pest of them and you ask them about 426 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:23,960 Speaker 1: questions about it because I wanted their knowledge. I didn't 427 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:25,720 Speaker 1: know at the age of nine when I was sort 428 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:28,119 Speaker 1: of playing with those guys that it had helped me 429 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:29,920 Speaker 1: down the track as a couch or. I thought I'd 430 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 1: always be a player, but that has helped me immensely. 431 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 3: It's funny you say that the best players look ahead 432 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:39,440 Speaker 3: and see where the game's going before anyone else. I 433 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:41,880 Speaker 3: remember when I was at the when I was at Melbourne, 434 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:44,800 Speaker 3: Billy Slater and Cameron Smith. When a lot of clubs 435 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:46,320 Speaker 3: now of people that don't know do a lot of 436 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:48,919 Speaker 3: things in the preseason, like conditioning games, which is like 437 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:52,439 Speaker 3: a lot of sort of fast paced fitness games similar 438 00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:54,160 Speaker 3: to the rules of rugby league, but they just speed 439 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:56,119 Speaker 3: the intensity up to make the game seem slow when 440 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:58,760 Speaker 3: you're playing it. But they had different rules to make 441 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:02,720 Speaker 3: it harder, like when your training and those two not 442 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:05,640 Speaker 3: just it shows you don't talent isn't just the best thing. 443 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:08,360 Speaker 3: But they would find loopholes in the actual rules that 444 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:11,199 Speaker 3: Craig Bellamy would create for the games to make it 445 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:13,640 Speaker 3: easier for themselves and to get away with. 446 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:16,640 Speaker 1: Chicken wings no wrestling. 447 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:19,639 Speaker 3: But it's the same thing in the game, like the 448 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:22,960 Speaker 3: amount of rules that actually got changed because of Slatsy 449 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:25,959 Speaker 3: and Smithy in the NRL, because they'd find small loopholes 450 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:28,080 Speaker 3: that the referees wouldn't even think about, like. 451 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:30,639 Speaker 1: Well, they'd be understanding momentum coop. So the momentum you 452 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:32,520 Speaker 1: have in a game of rugular leagues, the kay in it, 453 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:34,879 Speaker 1: the quicker the game, the quicker the pressure putting on 454 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:37,800 Speaker 1: the opposition, so you're coming up with ways where you 455 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:40,960 Speaker 1: can actually get a quicker ruck. So that's the detail 456 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 1: that those players. You know, I was fortunate to run 457 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:45,200 Speaker 1: around behind them as a coach through the years where 458 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:48,639 Speaker 1: those guys were developing, and it was incredible just to 459 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:50,919 Speaker 1: watch the development of those players, you know, matter you 460 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:52,320 Speaker 1: came down or seen and spent a few bit of 461 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 1: time creating little players that would help those players. And 462 00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:58,960 Speaker 1: that's something there, I guess you know with the coaching 463 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:00,439 Speaker 1: now that I do, I look at player, look his 464 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:02,680 Speaker 1: talents and go, well, what can I actually utilize from 465 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:05,879 Speaker 1: his talents that's going to then help connect all the 466 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:08,600 Speaker 1: other players together. So and That's something there when I 467 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:10,399 Speaker 1: was running around out the back of those boys where 468 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:13,800 Speaker 1: they'd be they'd be turning off on someone in five minutes, 469 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 1: but what they'd be doing is they'd be setting him 470 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: up for five minutes, make sure that he was in 471 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:19,400 Speaker 1: two or three more tackles than what most players are. 472 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:21,560 Speaker 1: Then all of a sudden they see the fatigue and 473 00:21:21,600 --> 00:21:23,160 Speaker 1: then they'd go right, and now we've got our play. 474 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:25,800 Speaker 1: So those things that you're talking about are what the 475 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:27,560 Speaker 1: great players are doing all the time. Is when they're 476 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:29,960 Speaker 1: pulling apart someone and you don't even know it, but 477 00:21:30,119 --> 00:21:31,639 Speaker 1: in about ten minutes time, you know what they're going 478 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:32,440 Speaker 1: to get you. 479 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:35,920 Speaker 2: So magic with your coach and create you're with the matter. 480 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:37,959 Speaker 2: Elliott is assistant there at Canberra. 481 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:39,760 Speaker 1: I think it made a. 482 00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:44,200 Speaker 2: Fist for there you were with Billy Ache with country origin. 483 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:46,520 Speaker 2: We're both in the country Origan camp and. 484 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:48,359 Speaker 1: Then you go off to Melbourne. 485 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:51,159 Speaker 2: I remember going to Melbourne for the first time and 486 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 2: all these guys now, of course of household names, but 487 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:55,840 Speaker 2: they were just young guys at the time. Kid and 488 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:58,000 Speaker 2: I remember going down and watching and Blake said, how 489 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 2: do you reckon? They'll go and I said, I think 490 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:06,399 Speaker 2: this team said they are unbelievable. What is about to happen? 491 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:08,920 Speaker 2: Did you get the same sense when you walked in there. 492 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:13,080 Speaker 1: Definitely, yeah. I mean when I walked in there, one 493 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:15,800 Speaker 1: thing that really probably resonated with sort of where I'd 494 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:18,920 Speaker 1: come from and moved down to Melbourne was the amount 495 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:21,480 Speaker 1: of chatter that they talked about when in competitions. So 496 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:25,320 Speaker 1: that was part of the fabric of the organization, is 497 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:28,440 Speaker 1: that there was an expectation that they won. They won competition. 498 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:31,000 Speaker 1: So that hit me right between the eyes because it 499 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,240 Speaker 1: took me back I guess from the early days in 500 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:36,119 Speaker 1: the nineties where I was hanging around these unbelievable players, 501 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:38,040 Speaker 1: some of the best that's played the game, but that's 502 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,480 Speaker 1: all they spoke about. They spoke about that, So I 503 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,159 Speaker 1: guess that's something there that I've definitely felt throughout the 504 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:46,360 Speaker 1: coaching is that the group of players and their men. 505 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:48,239 Speaker 1: You've got to remember that as much as we call 506 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:50,920 Speaker 1: them kids, that they're men and if they choose to 507 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:54,680 Speaker 1: go on the path. You could sense down there that 508 00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 1: there was an expectation about how we go about things, 509 00:22:57,880 --> 00:22:59,399 Speaker 1: how we achieve, and what we're going to do. 510 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:04,000 Speaker 2: What a great grounding for you, Madge that when you 511 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 2: first got that two thousand and sixth season, is that 512 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:10,439 Speaker 2: you have to do the preseason because belly Ache was 513 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 2: away as assistant coach with the Australian side. 514 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:14,760 Speaker 1: It was ricky, So you go. 515 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:18,440 Speaker 2: In there was yourself and like Steve Kearney and Run. 516 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:20,480 Speaker 1: I was doing dean Land at the start. Steve came 517 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:23,120 Speaker 1: in the following year, but I never forget I think 518 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:26,480 Speaker 1: went off to an Australian tour. Yes he did. He 519 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:29,440 Speaker 1: tends not coming off till after Christmas, but sun baking 520 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 1: and doing something like But he said I'll see in 521 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:35,800 Speaker 1: Au in a month stime, and I literally landed the joint. 522 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:39,320 Speaker 1: I'm thinking, well, what's this all about? So then all 523 00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:41,639 Speaker 1: of a sudden it was more opportunity to jump in 524 00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:44,320 Speaker 1: and start coaching those players and Maddie Guyer, Robbie Kerns 525 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:47,639 Speaker 1: and great Scottie Hill. There was a great group of 526 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 1: players down there and they enjoyed themselves, but they also 527 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:52,640 Speaker 1: trained really hard and it sort of was something there 528 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:54,280 Speaker 1: that I really do you remember manage. 529 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:56,399 Speaker 2: It was an awkward moment because I went in there 530 00:23:56,400 --> 00:24:00,480 Speaker 2: and I was coaching Cooper Kronk and then I went 531 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:02,800 Speaker 2: so we went and started doing a bit of stuff 532 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:05,240 Speaker 2: and we started looking and one thing that struck me 533 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:08,760 Speaker 2: was that flat attack was a dirty wood because they 534 00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:10,960 Speaker 2: traditionally played flat and then the game had changed and 535 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:12,040 Speaker 2: everyone's like flatter tack. 536 00:24:12,040 --> 00:24:12,800 Speaker 1: You don't get out of there. 537 00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:14,880 Speaker 2: I remember going there and they were sort of playing 538 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:17,040 Speaker 2: bronco ball little bit whether they're getting deep and running 539 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:19,960 Speaker 2: on and imagine I were talking and we said, mane, 540 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:22,360 Speaker 2: you know they should be playing flatness. Get up there 541 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 2: and just you know, lots of different you know, bodies 542 00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:27,560 Speaker 2: of motion. Don't give him thinking time. Get on top 543 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:32,000 Speaker 2: of me. I remember doing lands, saying to me and 544 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:36,200 Speaker 2: you go, belly, you won't like this. He won't like this. 545 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 2: And I said to madagine, what do you reckon? He said, Mate, 546 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 2: when he sees the results will be fine. So he 547 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:44,760 Speaker 2: comes in first training session and we go. He sits 548 00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:46,800 Speaker 2: down and we're showing into some of the clips. 549 00:24:46,840 --> 00:24:49,399 Speaker 1: He goes, what the fuck's this. 550 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:54,920 Speaker 2: And we just said, we said, listen, let's Mad showed 551 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:59,480 Speaker 2: a clip. This is what we were doing before. This 552 00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:00,320 Speaker 2: is how we're playing. 553 00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 1: Now. 554 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:02,600 Speaker 2: Look at the difference and listen to what he did. 555 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:04,679 Speaker 2: He went, sweet, that's what we'll do. 556 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:07,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, And that was that was something there that just 557 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:10,080 Speaker 1: changed the game, didn't it. Man? I mean we sat 558 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:12,560 Speaker 1: down and talked about how does the gnawing change, you know, 559 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:14,920 Speaker 1: and you obviously having someone like a Cameron Smith and 560 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:16,920 Speaker 1: the past players that we looked at, and you know, 561 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:19,960 Speaker 1: Smith is coming out and isolating markers and then they're 562 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:22,800 Speaker 1: jumping over over the adline and I do I'll take 563 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:25,199 Speaker 1: you back to that is that. I do remember. I 564 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:27,159 Speaker 1: was sitting there in the office prior we actually got 565 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:30,200 Speaker 1: to that conversation which fell out and he was spluttering 566 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:31,560 Speaker 1: and all the rest of it that comes out of 567 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:34,920 Speaker 1: belly ache, and I said, oh, look, let's just get 568 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:36,680 Speaker 1: Maddie down because I needed a little bit of a 569 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: way to numbers. It was two on one rather than 570 00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:41,119 Speaker 1: we're just going here, this is what we're doing. But 571 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:43,399 Speaker 1: to his credit, Ee bought straight into it, didn't he. 572 00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:46,960 Speaker 1: And I remember when like Smithy started jumping over the 573 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 1: adline trying to catch the arkers and he went off 574 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:53,320 Speaker 1: to the Origin campaign and I can't remember exactly which 575 00:25:53,359 --> 00:25:55,960 Speaker 1: year it was, but I remember him coming back, gone, 576 00:25:56,119 --> 00:25:58,439 Speaker 1: mad I can't do this in the Origin because a 577 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:01,200 Speaker 1: lot of players weren't used to getting it over the adline. 578 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:03,639 Speaker 1: I said, just persist at it, Smithy, because you know 579 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:06,080 Speaker 1: it will come. And then I remember I think he 580 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:07,879 Speaker 1: came back and said, made a big petro. He's jumping 581 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:10,000 Speaker 1: over the adline now. And so you know, from a 582 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 1: player that was getting out off the back fence, the 583 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:14,119 Speaker 1: game started to evolve. And then that's when you know, 584 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:16,960 Speaker 1: obviously started outing new Coopers and you do it. And 585 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:19,359 Speaker 1: we had a lot of fun there with the various 586 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:22,160 Speaker 1: players that were able to come up with and you. 587 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:26,119 Speaker 2: Go down and we just throw hats out ABC at 588 00:26:26,119 --> 00:26:27,720 Speaker 2: the side of the ruck and teach him to do 589 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:29,760 Speaker 2: bodies of motion, don't miss the kick. 590 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:30,280 Speaker 1: Now. 591 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 2: The reason we had to do that is that Cooper 592 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:36,919 Speaker 2: went into half bag and he wasn't natural halfback. So 593 00:26:37,119 --> 00:26:39,800 Speaker 2: if you to traditionally play traditional football and say Cook 594 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:41,640 Speaker 2: just get out there pushing around the park, it would 595 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:42,119 Speaker 2: have been. 596 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:44,919 Speaker 1: He wasn't ready for that. So basically the focal point 597 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:48,480 Speaker 1: had to be smith and so it was make everyone 598 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:51,440 Speaker 1: nice and flat bodies of motion, don't give them time 599 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:55,200 Speaker 1: to recognize the play. Yeah, oh definitely. And when to 600 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:57,440 Speaker 1: keeps his credit money he built himself, didn't off all 601 00:26:57,440 --> 00:26:59,439 Speaker 1: the different drills that you spent time man and we 602 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:01,800 Speaker 1: all spent time. I'm out, and I think he was 603 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 1: sort of going to be a lock. At one stage 604 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:06,240 Speaker 1: you might have earned a center. I remember Maddy Orford 605 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:08,320 Speaker 1: had sign with Manly and he was moving on and 606 00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:10,680 Speaker 1: I remember the sitting everything and well we don't have 607 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:13,760 Speaker 1: a half back, you know, and then basically said well 608 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:16,600 Speaker 1: let's give Coops again. We'll see where it goes. And 609 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:20,080 Speaker 1: he basically built himself. Yeah, even if we bought him 610 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:21,879 Speaker 1: by a mechanists and all sorts of different people that 611 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:24,320 Speaker 1: come in and help him out, but he just worked. 612 00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:27,359 Speaker 1: But I think that was the nature of what that 613 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:30,680 Speaker 1: club represented, and it still obviously represents that. It's something 614 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:32,240 Speaker 1: you put the work in, you get a reward, and 615 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:35,320 Speaker 1: you know, it's no different to any successful club. You know, 616 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:38,959 Speaker 1: if they're prepared to do the work, they'll get rewarded somewhere. 617 00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:43,160 Speaker 3: The knock on Melbourne was always that once the Big 618 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:46,200 Speaker 3: three goes, they were going to fall off a cliff. 619 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:50,160 Speaker 3: And they've shown that the club itself and the environment 620 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:53,280 Speaker 3: development they've had, it's more than just the Big Three. 621 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:55,640 Speaker 3: I wanted to ask you as a coach who left 622 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:57,800 Speaker 3: Melbourne as an assistant and went on to other clubs. 623 00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:01,040 Speaker 3: How hard is it to replicate that kind of environment 624 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:01,959 Speaker 3: at other clubs. 625 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:04,119 Speaker 1: I'll give you an example of what I saw in 626 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:08,040 Speaker 1: their last game. The attention to detail, I reckon that's 627 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:11,440 Speaker 1: been passed down by players to players is something there 628 00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:14,159 Speaker 1: that people don't recognize. So there was a play in 629 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:18,119 Speaker 1: the game on the weekend where monster the ball was 630 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:20,720 Speaker 1: placed on the left edge right over on the sideline. 631 00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:24,600 Speaker 1: Monster's caught the ball, but he's looked in and he 632 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:27,639 Speaker 1: played right in really deep, and then they played to 633 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:29,920 Speaker 1: the outside and scored in the corner. And everyone goes, oh, 634 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:32,159 Speaker 1: they shifted the ball, But what months they did? As 635 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:35,080 Speaker 1: he went and squared up, he literally stopped the defensive line. 636 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:37,240 Speaker 1: So then all of a sudden, there's a whole new look. 637 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:40,239 Speaker 1: But that attention to detail that he does at that 638 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:43,640 Speaker 1: moment in time helps his teammates out here. So that's 639 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:45,920 Speaker 1: what people don't really pick up on as the art 640 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 1: of being able to set teams up by what you do, 641 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:50,960 Speaker 1: And that to me is something there that if you 642 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:54,960 Speaker 1: can create that within your organization, and that's the little detail. 643 00:28:55,160 --> 00:28:57,640 Speaker 1: And so when you're talking about trying to build an 644 00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:01,120 Speaker 1: organization to the highs of that when it's being passed 645 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:04,600 Speaker 1: down continually through generations or through the next players. That's 646 00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 1: where you can find yourself getting that. But you've got 647 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:08,200 Speaker 1: to have the players that are willing to set the 648 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:10,800 Speaker 1: tone at the time, you know, And that's the expectation 649 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:12,720 Speaker 1: of the club. That's what goes on in the front 650 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:16,360 Speaker 1: office and above you and the hierarchy. Everything it all takes. 651 00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:19,240 Speaker 1: Everyone is involved. Like the Origin series that we just 652 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:21,640 Speaker 1: went through, it was the organization that won that. And 653 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:25,560 Speaker 1: now I mean that by that. You know, from the 654 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:28,400 Speaker 1: board all the way through, everyone's got to be aligned. 655 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:30,720 Speaker 1: And then I look at that one little player that 656 00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:32,920 Speaker 1: months they did, and I go, well, there's the reasons 657 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:36,640 Speaker 1: why he's buying into that, because everyone's buying into where 658 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 1: they want to go. And so I look at that 659 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:41,760 Speaker 1: and I just go, well, wait, that's what a club represents. 660 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:43,840 Speaker 1: The little detail of what he did in that one 661 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:46,040 Speaker 1: play they score in the corner and they wonder why 662 00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:47,400 Speaker 1: they're one of the best teams for such a long 663 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:47,920 Speaker 1: period of time. 664 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:50,600 Speaker 2: Isn't like you can have an assistant match, right you 665 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:52,640 Speaker 2: can sit there and you can listen everything you say, 666 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:55,440 Speaker 2: there's a lot of Chinese whispers. People that want to 667 00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:58,520 Speaker 2: totally emulate someone. They go and they just Jack and 668 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:00,160 Speaker 2: I were to it this the other day, you know, 669 00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:03,160 Speaker 2: about rugby league and tactics and little thing walked out 670 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:06,400 Speaker 2: to a brick wall and I said, it's not the bricks, 671 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:08,840 Speaker 2: it's that stuff in between. It's the subtlely. It ain't 672 00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:10,720 Speaker 2: the bricks, it's the mortar. And that's what we talked 673 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:13,320 Speaker 2: about there. Munster score on the far corner. It's just 674 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:15,000 Speaker 2: a little subtly he does in front. 675 00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:17,239 Speaker 1: Well, it's the character of the person. Like I've been 676 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:20,200 Speaker 1: able to work with Jerome dream Hugh and like the 677 00:30:20,280 --> 00:30:23,160 Speaker 1: evolution of your own. But I've been able to see 678 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:26,480 Speaker 1: him work every day when we've burn away in campaigns 679 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:29,080 Speaker 1: and it's not just his game, it's his leadership, it's 680 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:31,800 Speaker 1: taking control. And to me, he's up there with one 681 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:33,600 Speaker 1: of the best players in the game at his present moment. 682 00:30:33,800 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 1: And if he was in Sydney, he would probably be 683 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:38,240 Speaker 1: classed as one of the best players. He'd be he'd 684 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:40,120 Speaker 1: be in the Cleary bracket. You know, the fact that 685 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:41,920 Speaker 1: he's not in the Origin arena, you don't get as 686 00:30:41,960 --> 00:30:44,400 Speaker 1: much publicity, you don't get all the hype around your game, 687 00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:48,000 Speaker 1: but you go back over the last four or five years, Well, 688 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:50,880 Speaker 1: he's the main stuff, and he's the one that's driving 689 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:54,080 Speaker 1: those little moments in a game that builds pressure, which 690 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:56,040 Speaker 1: is your kicks or he has a decision to run 691 00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:57,840 Speaker 1: it and he did one on the weekend where I 692 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:00,200 Speaker 1: think he ended up running on last play and they 693 00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:02,160 Speaker 1: ended up going down the sideline and scoring and try 694 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:04,480 Speaker 1: and everyone goes, oh, that's a good play. But he's 695 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:05,760 Speaker 1: the one that makes the decisions. 696 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:09,400 Speaker 2: So Madge, you're at Melbourne, an organization that's got so 697 00:31:09,560 --> 00:31:12,800 Speaker 2: much moment. I'm going understands the morton, not the bricks. 698 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:15,960 Speaker 2: And then you get a Wigan right, and Wigan for 699 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:18,840 Speaker 2: people that don't know, Wigan were basically like the Saint 700 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:22,560 Speaker 2: George back in the day of in England, won multiple 701 00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:25,560 Speaker 2: competitions in the row, the complete powerhouse that lost their 702 00:31:25,560 --> 00:31:28,960 Speaker 2: way a little bit, but big club and a lot 703 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:31,400 Speaker 2: of pressure. So you're at a club like Melbourne that 704 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:34,360 Speaker 2: understands all these things, and then you go to Wigan. 705 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:38,040 Speaker 2: What was Wigan like? What it was your initial impressions? 706 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:42,080 Speaker 1: I thought, what have I walked into it? Yeah? But 707 00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:44,800 Speaker 1: it was a massive club. I actually know. I'll say 708 00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:47,720 Speaker 1: that differently. I actually was that excited about a head coach. 709 00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:51,360 Speaker 1: I thought, now here's my opportunity, and I just went 710 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:53,880 Speaker 1: to work. I literally I went over there. I was 711 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:55,320 Speaker 1: over there on my own for three months because the 712 00:31:55,320 --> 00:31:57,520 Speaker 1: family had come over later. And I literally just every 713 00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:00,000 Speaker 1: day I was up there in there at early hours, 714 00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:02,840 Speaker 1: leaving late. But what I did, I had a playing 715 00:32:02,840 --> 00:32:05,720 Speaker 1: group that really brought in And yeah, I got a 716 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:09,480 Speaker 1: great story about Piggy Rodell Mark Radell, who he was 717 00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:11,320 Speaker 1: a bit larger than life when he first arrived and 718 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:13,240 Speaker 1: he won't real keen on the training side of things. 719 00:32:13,280 --> 00:32:15,800 Speaker 1: So I had to old Piggy end of year and 720 00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:18,640 Speaker 1: we had a few headbuts along the way, but someone 721 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:21,320 Speaker 1: like a Piggy Rodeal like I had a moment with 722 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:24,360 Speaker 1: him when he was lead because you retire that year 723 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:27,960 Speaker 1: and we got the competition, we had our presentation. I'll 724 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:30,200 Speaker 1: never forget standing with Piggy and we had a schooner 725 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:32,600 Speaker 1: in our end and just well done and good luck 726 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:33,760 Speaker 1: and all that sort of stuff. And he had the 727 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:36,720 Speaker 1: ring on his finger and he goes, man, this is 728 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 1: the best. And I remember him saying something, he goes, 729 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:43,320 Speaker 1: I wish at some stages I probably trained like we 730 00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:45,520 Speaker 1: have here and we've been able to create what we 731 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:47,680 Speaker 1: have because who knows what my career could have look like. 732 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:50,760 Speaker 1: So the circumstances are where you end up plays a 733 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:54,920 Speaker 1: massive part. So but that was also then too, like 734 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:59,840 Speaker 1: Sean a laughlan Andy Coley, I had these more senior players. 735 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:02,160 Speaker 1: Well Lockers probably wasn't as old at the time, but 736 00:33:02,480 --> 00:33:04,520 Speaker 1: I had a good senior group that led the way 737 00:33:04,760 --> 00:33:08,360 Speaker 1: and they were ready to win. They I landed at 738 00:33:08,360 --> 00:33:11,080 Speaker 1: the time where they'd sort of probably been there about 739 00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:14,520 Speaker 1: the times and bumbled around, and because they got super fit, 740 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:18,640 Speaker 1: they literally from game one they just destroyed everyone. And yeah, 741 00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:20,520 Speaker 1: I bought a little bit of the Melbourne Wales across. 742 00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:21,400 Speaker 2: I guess it's funny. 743 00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:24,040 Speaker 3: How do you make Brian Carning? 744 00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:26,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, Phil, Phil Bailey. 745 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:30,040 Speaker 2: Phil Bailey, he told me a funny story. When you 746 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:34,440 Speaker 2: just had the camp right and a bust in their backside, 747 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:37,680 Speaker 2: Ye really working hard and Piggy wasn't used to a 748 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:40,840 Speaker 2: piggy and Piggy's going, I can't do it match, and 749 00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:44,080 Speaker 2: you're going telling your pig you get out there and 750 00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:44,560 Speaker 2: it's going. 751 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:50,320 Speaker 1: For back seased up Caesar Salad, Sizar Salad. I never 752 00:33:50,360 --> 00:33:52,760 Speaker 1: I never forget that one. Obviously at the moment, Pig 753 00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:55,400 Speaker 1: myself and I remember looking over and all the English 754 00:33:55,400 --> 00:33:57,240 Speaker 1: players are there thinking what's he going to do to 755 00:33:57,400 --> 00:33:59,760 Speaker 1: obviously one of the fellow Australians that are there, and 756 00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:02,880 Speaker 1: you either get out of there or you know what, 757 00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:05,280 Speaker 1: and he went you know what. So he ended up 758 00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:10,120 Speaker 1: doing a bit extras and I think he went from 759 00:34:10,120 --> 00:34:13,040 Speaker 1: about one hundred and five k down to about ninety five. 760 00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:16,480 Speaker 1: But it just transformed his game and he was a 761 00:34:16,520 --> 00:34:19,920 Speaker 1: major part of helping build the game and getting the 762 00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:22,560 Speaker 1: English guys to understand various ways of doing things. So 763 00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:25,120 Speaker 1: but yeah, it was It was a great time. The 764 00:34:25,120 --> 00:34:26,200 Speaker 1: Wigan people were the best. 765 00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:26,440 Speaker 3: You know. 766 00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:29,239 Speaker 1: We obviously had success in the first year and what 767 00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:32,520 Speaker 1: a town like, the town just goes off when their 768 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:35,319 Speaker 1: team's winning. They get right behind it. I remember we 769 00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:38,000 Speaker 1: did a derby we played against Saint Helen's on so 770 00:34:38,640 --> 00:34:40,920 Speaker 1: you plan on the Friday over the Easter, you're plan 771 00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:42,279 Speaker 1: on the Friday on the Monday. So on the on 772 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:45,839 Speaker 1: the Friday we played Saint Helen's. We were behind most 773 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:48,560 Speaker 1: of the game. We literally won in I reckon the 774 00:34:48,640 --> 00:34:51,600 Speaker 1: last two seconds of the game, Liam Farrell crosses scores 775 00:34:51,640 --> 00:34:55,640 Speaker 1: of Troy and it was like a rock concert. The 776 00:34:55,680 --> 00:34:58,680 Speaker 1: stadium was packed and where you stand over there as 777 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:00,560 Speaker 1: a coach and get right up the top ilishual. He 778 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:02,880 Speaker 1: sat for half an hour and just listened to the 779 00:35:02,920 --> 00:35:05,880 Speaker 1: crowd scene. It was the most incredible moment of just 780 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:08,719 Speaker 1: listening to this town and just going off because they 781 00:35:08,719 --> 00:35:11,920 Speaker 1: could feel the team was really starting to roll. So 782 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:14,360 Speaker 1: once that momentum got going, obviously off she. 783 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:17,760 Speaker 3: Went, Hey, Maudge, you talk about Pig Rodell then somebody 784 00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:20,880 Speaker 3: who probably isn't known for his training hard more of 785 00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:23,799 Speaker 3: an on the field kind of guy. How do you 786 00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:26,160 Speaker 3: as a coach, because you are renowned for being a 787 00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:28,239 Speaker 3: hard working coach, you drive your players hard, you make 788 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:30,440 Speaker 3: them work hard and they read the rewards at the end. 789 00:35:30,960 --> 00:35:33,960 Speaker 3: Have you how have you had to man manage some 790 00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:37,640 Speaker 3: players who probably don't respond well to that coaching staff. 791 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:41,120 Speaker 1: I mean, as much as I'm hard on more, I 792 00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:43,200 Speaker 1: tend to work with him and I just share with 793 00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:45,000 Speaker 1: him about well, if you're going to get to hear 794 00:35:45,600 --> 00:35:47,480 Speaker 1: here's where you can get to as a player, you know, 795 00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:49,920 Speaker 1: and I can talk about that off many a different 796 00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:52,120 Speaker 1: walks of what I've done as a coach, So it 797 00:35:52,239 --> 00:35:54,440 Speaker 1: really becomes a decision for the player, you know, and 798 00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:55,960 Speaker 1: if they don't get there, well we're not going to 799 00:35:55,960 --> 00:35:58,960 Speaker 1: have success. So yeah, you and their men, you know. 800 00:35:59,200 --> 00:36:01,000 Speaker 1: So when I'm talking to Mom, talking to him as 801 00:36:01,040 --> 00:36:03,400 Speaker 1: men and going, well, this is what it's going to 802 00:36:03,440 --> 00:36:06,319 Speaker 1: take to get this team successful. So we need to 803 00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:09,240 Speaker 1: get to in and around this area of part And 804 00:36:09,280 --> 00:36:11,480 Speaker 1: it's someone like Piggy and he bought in, Like you know, 805 00:36:11,480 --> 00:36:13,959 Speaker 1: I took time and I was patient with him because 806 00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:16,160 Speaker 1: I knew you just don't lose weight overnight and you 807 00:36:16,320 --> 00:36:20,440 Speaker 1: can't just get super fit overnight. So we over periods 808 00:36:20,440 --> 00:36:22,840 Speaker 1: of time I work with using Piggy as an example, 809 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:26,120 Speaker 1: by halfway through the season, you know, I had to 810 00:36:26,120 --> 00:36:27,840 Speaker 1: work my way through to get him to where I 811 00:36:27,880 --> 00:36:30,239 Speaker 1: wanted to get him to. But he was outstanding so 812 00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:33,160 Speaker 1: and that he believed in that, you know, he started 813 00:36:33,160 --> 00:36:36,080 Speaker 1: to really see the rewards. So I guess it's not 814 00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:38,040 Speaker 1: so much about trying to be hard on someone. It's 815 00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:40,040 Speaker 1: about trying to take someone on the journey to go, well, 816 00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:42,719 Speaker 1: here's an opportunity for you to be successful. It's in 817 00:36:42,760 --> 00:36:46,359 Speaker 1: your hands. There's plenty of people lined up to jump 818 00:36:46,360 --> 00:36:49,320 Speaker 1: into the shoes of players running around and you know, 819 00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:51,600 Speaker 1: if you if you're willing to get fit and healthy 820 00:36:51,640 --> 00:36:54,040 Speaker 1: and do the right thing, well went in a Grand 821 00:36:54,040 --> 00:36:56,640 Speaker 1: Final and like the story we just did. Like I 822 00:36:56,719 --> 00:36:58,160 Speaker 1: get to share that with Piggy all the time. We 823 00:36:58,239 --> 00:36:59,799 Speaker 1: get on the radio and have a laugh about it. 824 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:02,640 Speaker 1: I know all the stories and he knows all the 825 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:05,880 Speaker 1: stories of what we went through. We had some challenges, 826 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:08,399 Speaker 1: but it was also too Now he's a great made 827 00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:12,200 Speaker 1: of mine, Madge. Okay, so let's talk about souths. 828 00:37:13,520 --> 00:37:15,800 Speaker 2: You've been lucky because you said you're in a football 829 00:37:15,800 --> 00:37:19,240 Speaker 2: mad city like Wigan, and then you go to South Sydney, 830 00:37:19,280 --> 00:37:23,359 Speaker 2: which incredible, strake water based, so good magic. You could 831 00:37:23,400 --> 00:37:25,520 Speaker 2: walk on Mercury tomorrow, first man to walk on Mercury 832 00:37:25,680 --> 00:37:28,360 Speaker 2: primarily the other bloke who broke the Dutch first competition 833 00:37:28,480 --> 00:37:33,400 Speaker 2: since seventy one. When you go into South's what was 834 00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:33,960 Speaker 2: Souse like? 835 00:37:35,120 --> 00:37:39,600 Speaker 1: Big club? Massive club. As soon as I landed, I 836 00:37:39,640 --> 00:37:42,080 Speaker 1: felt the enormity of it, and I was on a 837 00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:45,000 Speaker 1: bat with a board and obviously meeting people at Russell 838 00:37:45,040 --> 00:37:49,160 Speaker 1: Crowe and bet Arms of Court and so there's all 839 00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:52,240 Speaker 1: this hype around obviously SOUSE, and I've grown up obviously 840 00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:54,319 Speaker 1: understanding what SOUSE is all about. But I always saw 841 00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:56,520 Speaker 1: SOUSE is a bit of a bumbling old club because 842 00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:58,760 Speaker 1: of just my age bracket to where I was coming through. 843 00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:02,280 Speaker 1: But the one thing I did when I first landed 844 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:05,360 Speaker 1: was I wanted to know what the fabric of the 845 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:08,399 Speaker 1: organization was. And I guess you know, over the years 846 00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:10,920 Speaker 1: I saw where it was challenged and I thought, well, 847 00:38:10,920 --> 00:38:12,520 Speaker 1: how do I find out about this? And it was 848 00:38:12,560 --> 00:38:15,800 Speaker 1: all the old boys. So even yesterday I was actually 849 00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:18,239 Speaker 1: with a few of the old boys. So I went 850 00:38:18,239 --> 00:38:21,960 Speaker 1: and met George Piggins. Now I wanted to know or 851 00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:24,719 Speaker 1: be that there was what was going on in the background, 852 00:38:24,719 --> 00:38:26,440 Speaker 1: but I just wanted to know what the fabric of 853 00:38:26,520 --> 00:38:30,200 Speaker 1: the And then I met Bobby McCarthy, Johnny Sadler, Ronnie Coot, 854 00:38:31,280 --> 00:38:33,799 Speaker 1: my Cleary and I could just go on name after name, 855 00:38:33,840 --> 00:38:38,719 Speaker 1: and I wanted to get their thoughts on what they 856 00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:40,560 Speaker 1: saw the club as and what they felt when they 857 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:43,680 Speaker 1: were successful at the club, and it was incredible. It 858 00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:45,680 Speaker 1: was something that I take now into what I do. 859 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:48,600 Speaker 1: Is it when you're you're wanting to take someone towards something. 860 00:38:48,680 --> 00:38:50,799 Speaker 1: We'll look back in history and if if the history 861 00:38:50,880 --> 00:38:54,120 Speaker 1: is there, Well, those old boys just talked about what 862 00:38:54,160 --> 00:38:56,319 Speaker 1: that club meant. So it gave me a real good 863 00:38:56,320 --> 00:39:00,879 Speaker 1: sense of what that area was. And then yeah, well 864 00:39:01,160 --> 00:39:02,360 Speaker 1: off to where we went. And then you know, I 865 00:39:02,440 --> 00:39:05,080 Speaker 1: landed with some good people at the club, like Michael Crocker. 866 00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:10,200 Speaker 1: I'd had a relationship with Kroc. Greegor English was there, 867 00:39:10,760 --> 00:39:12,680 Speaker 1: so I had a relationship with those guys, and I'd 868 00:39:12,680 --> 00:39:15,160 Speaker 1: actually had phone calls with those boys before I came back, 869 00:39:15,840 --> 00:39:17,799 Speaker 1: you know. And I had someone like Sam Burgers coming 870 00:39:17,800 --> 00:39:19,680 Speaker 1: through underneath. So he was still a young pup too, 871 00:39:19,719 --> 00:39:21,680 Speaker 1: so he was being guided by a few of the 872 00:39:21,680 --> 00:39:26,400 Speaker 1: guys in front of him. Kroc was an unbelievable trainer, 873 00:39:26,840 --> 00:39:30,400 Speaker 1: like incredible. We also probably enjoyed his social side at Thoms, 874 00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:33,160 Speaker 1: but I can't play. Yeah, but he was coming through 875 00:39:33,200 --> 00:39:36,680 Speaker 1: that era. I remember Kroc walking out onto the field. 876 00:39:36,680 --> 00:39:39,120 Speaker 1: He could not walk, like, he literally couldn't get out 877 00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:40,840 Speaker 1: onto the training field, and I'd walk past it and 878 00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:42,960 Speaker 1: I wonder whether the Croc's going to train today, But 879 00:39:43,080 --> 00:39:45,160 Speaker 1: as soon as he crossed the white line, mane he 880 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:47,600 Speaker 1: was just a completely different person. So when Kroc was 881 00:39:47,640 --> 00:39:49,560 Speaker 1: doing that, I had all these young blows. I'd look 882 00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:51,600 Speaker 1: at them and it made if I feel sorry for himselves. 883 00:39:51,600 --> 00:39:53,799 Speaker 1: I just go have a look at that. And that 884 00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:57,680 Speaker 1: literally just changed the way we trained. And yeah, and 885 00:39:57,840 --> 00:39:59,719 Speaker 1: I was able to bring someone like Matt King back. 886 00:40:00,080 --> 00:40:04,120 Speaker 1: Mt King had understood the pass of obviously the clubs 887 00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:07,359 Speaker 1: he'd been out that have been good, and so those 888 00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:11,680 Speaker 1: guys helped develop the training ethic. And then you know, 889 00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:13,719 Speaker 1: I then went down and looked through the club and 890 00:40:14,239 --> 00:40:16,600 Speaker 1: you know, at some stage, you know you're going to 891 00:40:16,600 --> 00:40:18,160 Speaker 1: bring these young kids through. So I went down to 892 00:40:18,200 --> 00:40:22,520 Speaker 1: the juniors and just give Dylan Walker, Alex Johnson, Kyle Turner, 893 00:40:23,360 --> 00:40:26,359 Speaker 1: these great young players that were just young kids. They 894 00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:29,239 Speaker 1: were literally rolling around in the juniors, and I thought, 895 00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:31,880 Speaker 1: if I can upscue these younger kids, well we're going 896 00:40:31,960 --> 00:40:34,080 Speaker 1: to get one of these coming through. Because they were talented. 897 00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:36,600 Speaker 1: You could see the talent, but they weren't probably as 898 00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:36,960 Speaker 1: fit as. 899 00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:46,440 Speaker 3: What I would talent in spades out there. 900 00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:43,280 Speaker 1: He used to bring. 901 00:40:43,680 --> 00:40:47,120 Speaker 2: You brought Dylan, Dylan, Dylan Walker, Luke carry All. 902 00:40:48,360 --> 00:40:51,000 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, And it's funny with Luke. 903 00:40:51,160 --> 00:40:54,800 Speaker 2: Because with Luke, when you brought him over. He doesn't 904 00:40:54,840 --> 00:40:59,319 Speaker 2: get like he was expressed so fast. So again talking 905 00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:03,120 Speaker 2: about playing that you had to Luke, go slow up. 906 00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:04,719 Speaker 1: They can't keep up with there. He was that quick. 907 00:41:04,920 --> 00:41:07,719 Speaker 2: But the first two sessions when he came over. At 908 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:10,600 Speaker 2: the end of the second session, I'm walking to the 909 00:41:10,640 --> 00:41:13,919 Speaker 2: car and I'm talking to Luke and I'm going, yeah, 910 00:41:14,120 --> 00:41:17,799 Speaker 2: listen John, you know, And as he put the he 911 00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:19,239 Speaker 2: put his boots in the k turns. 912 00:41:19,640 --> 00:41:20,960 Speaker 1: I can't just say one thing. 913 00:41:21,160 --> 00:41:23,399 Speaker 2: Said yeah, and I'm thinking he might say, oh, mate, 914 00:41:23,400 --> 00:41:26,399 Speaker 2: that was unbelievable, you know, and I'm thinking, go Freddie goes. 915 00:41:26,640 --> 00:41:28,000 Speaker 2: My name is Luke, not John. 916 00:41:28,239 --> 00:41:28,919 Speaker 1: I called him. 917 00:41:29,080 --> 00:41:34,800 Speaker 2: I told him John felt like to like two sessions 918 00:41:34,800 --> 00:41:37,239 Speaker 2: with John think about this. I said, Mate, you should 919 00:41:37,280 --> 00:41:39,080 Speaker 2: have told you. 920 00:41:39,360 --> 00:41:41,000 Speaker 1: But those blakes like help him. 921 00:41:41,320 --> 00:41:43,800 Speaker 2: But that manch like for you to coach that club, 922 00:41:43,880 --> 00:41:46,000 Speaker 2: you know, such a great club. A woman said to 923 00:41:46,040 --> 00:41:48,480 Speaker 2: me yesterday, she goes, oh, what team do you support? 924 00:41:48,800 --> 00:41:52,080 Speaker 2: And I thought, silly question. Now I've played Sale Newcastle, 925 00:41:52,080 --> 00:41:55,279 Speaker 2: but sounds about It's like I'm criminating myself here. But 926 00:41:55,640 --> 00:41:59,120 Speaker 2: the first club that came to mind was South and 927 00:41:59,160 --> 00:42:04,359 Speaker 2: I said to her Newcastle, but also South. Yeah, what's 928 00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:06,359 Speaker 2: my tie to South Jack had a bit of time. 929 00:42:06,400 --> 00:42:09,320 Speaker 2: Then I just love the club. It's very very special. 930 00:42:09,440 --> 00:42:12,440 Speaker 1: Well everyone, I mean everyone's at that time it was 931 00:42:12,480 --> 00:42:15,600 Speaker 1: like their second club. Yeah, they've been booted out, they've 932 00:42:15,600 --> 00:42:17,680 Speaker 1: come back, they had the march. It was just like 933 00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:20,400 Speaker 1: this incredible story of a club that had been on 934 00:42:20,440 --> 00:42:22,400 Speaker 1: its knees, that found its way back and then it 935 00:42:22,440 --> 00:42:25,279 Speaker 1: was climbing and I reckon over time, everyone could see 936 00:42:25,320 --> 00:42:28,680 Speaker 1: it was just slowly getting itself together. And yeah, and 937 00:42:28,719 --> 00:42:32,520 Speaker 1: there's changes, and you know, there's various fights I guess 938 00:42:32,600 --> 00:42:34,600 Speaker 1: or whatever you call it in the background to get 939 00:42:34,640 --> 00:42:37,279 Speaker 1: them to where they got to. And you know, and 940 00:42:37,320 --> 00:42:39,439 Speaker 1: I remember I was over in Wigan and I didn't 941 00:42:39,440 --> 00:42:41,600 Speaker 1: have a half back I did so was it going 942 00:42:41,640 --> 00:42:44,920 Speaker 1: to be Adam, Adam Reynolds or Ryan Carr and you know, 943 00:42:44,920 --> 00:42:46,720 Speaker 1: and then I landed on someone like a John Sutton. 944 00:42:46,840 --> 00:42:49,800 Speaker 1: Like John Sutton, he's probably one of the smartest players 945 00:42:49,960 --> 00:42:54,000 Speaker 1: players off coach, like just how he could understand and 946 00:42:54,040 --> 00:42:56,759 Speaker 1: control the game. And I guess the environment that you 947 00:42:56,880 --> 00:43:00,680 Speaker 1: land in sometimes creates your path. And I said to John, 948 00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:02,000 Speaker 1: I said, mate, we've got a chance here where we 949 00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:04,880 Speaker 1: can really do something. When I got back, and to 950 00:43:04,960 --> 00:43:07,400 Speaker 1: his credit, he knuckled down. And I can't remember a 951 00:43:07,480 --> 00:43:10,080 Speaker 1: day where John didn't train or be he might have 952 00:43:10,120 --> 00:43:12,440 Speaker 1: been busted. He was one of those players that just 953 00:43:12,480 --> 00:43:15,319 Speaker 1: got out on the training park and showed to these 954 00:43:15,360 --> 00:43:18,160 Speaker 1: younger players what it's going to take. And he had 955 00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:20,000 Speaker 1: to learn that a little bit too, because he hadn't 956 00:43:20,000 --> 00:43:23,000 Speaker 1: been sort of probably in an environment where we went 957 00:43:23,040 --> 00:43:26,000 Speaker 1: pretty hard early to create the establishment of where we 958 00:43:26,040 --> 00:43:27,200 Speaker 1: were going to be and what we were going to 959 00:43:27,200 --> 00:43:27,760 Speaker 1: be as a club. 960 00:43:27,960 --> 00:43:30,719 Speaker 2: You told me once a bit say this amazed amazed 961 00:43:30,800 --> 00:43:33,520 Speaker 2: me that he would almost card count. 962 00:43:34,040 --> 00:43:35,279 Speaker 1: Oh so yeah. 963 00:43:35,360 --> 00:43:37,600 Speaker 2: What he'd do he'd look and he could he could 964 00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:40,959 Speaker 2: say to Madge, mate the edge the edge back rower. 965 00:43:41,360 --> 00:43:43,439 Speaker 2: He's made about twenty five tackles in the first half. 966 00:43:43,640 --> 00:43:46,120 Speaker 2: This Plagu's made it like he could stand on the 967 00:43:46,120 --> 00:43:48,879 Speaker 2: field and card count and know who was starting for two. 968 00:43:48,960 --> 00:43:50,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I mean he could look across the line 969 00:43:50,719 --> 00:43:52,400 Speaker 1: and go, that's where we've got to go. I remember 970 00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:55,160 Speaker 1: doing meetings and go Helm, let's just go back here 971 00:43:55,160 --> 00:43:56,800 Speaker 1: a little bit. Can we have a crack at this 972 00:43:56,880 --> 00:43:58,440 Speaker 1: high game? Man? That's exactly what we're going to do. 973 00:43:59,120 --> 00:44:01,080 Speaker 1: Because he could sense and feel that. And that's what 974 00:44:01,120 --> 00:44:03,760 Speaker 1: we were talking about before COEPS, where the best players 975 00:44:03,800 --> 00:44:07,279 Speaker 1: can sense what's going to play out by what they're 976 00:44:07,280 --> 00:44:08,799 Speaker 1: going to create and how they're going to do things. 977 00:44:08,880 --> 00:44:12,600 Speaker 1: And Suck was a very quiet, I suppose leader, but 978 00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:16,759 Speaker 1: inside the change room he held court. So everyone asked me, well, 979 00:44:16,760 --> 00:44:19,120 Speaker 1: why would you give John Sutton and the captaincy I said, mate, 980 00:44:19,160 --> 00:44:20,960 Speaker 1: I get to see him every day in and around 981 00:44:20,960 --> 00:44:23,319 Speaker 1: this group of players, and we had like see him 982 00:44:23,360 --> 00:44:26,279 Speaker 1: and we had these big name players, Greg and you know, 983 00:44:26,360 --> 00:44:29,040 Speaker 1: but what Sada was he was just a calming effect 984 00:44:29,040 --> 00:44:31,480 Speaker 1: amongst all those because you know, those guys tend to 985 00:44:31,480 --> 00:44:35,960 Speaker 1: live in a different world outside in Sydney, and sut 986 00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:38,360 Speaker 1: was just that quiet bloke that just went around. He 987 00:44:38,400 --> 00:44:40,480 Speaker 1: was like the glue. So it was nice to see 988 00:44:40,520 --> 00:44:42,359 Speaker 1: him hold the trophy up there the way he did, 989 00:44:42,400 --> 00:44:47,400 Speaker 1: and because he's true and through South Sydney man. You know. 990 00:44:47,560 --> 00:44:49,839 Speaker 2: Really, one of the things really impressing about the club 991 00:44:49,880 --> 00:44:54,840 Speaker 2: match was that when it was announced that you're being appointed, 992 00:44:55,920 --> 00:44:59,960 Speaker 2: I got a phone call from of Blake, who was 993 00:45:00,120 --> 00:45:02,719 Speaker 2: a big identity in Maruba, always been a Souse fan. 994 00:45:02,760 --> 00:45:05,000 Speaker 2: He's making me catch up and I was like, yeah, 995 00:45:05,080 --> 00:45:12,200 Speaker 2: no worries. I said, I only want money. 996 00:45:08,080 --> 00:45:10,160 Speaker 1: Which I did. 997 00:45:10,320 --> 00:45:15,240 Speaker 2: Of course, I don't pay people back tension people with problems. 998 00:45:16,040 --> 00:45:18,879 Speaker 2: But he said you, I say yeah. So we went 999 00:45:18,920 --> 00:45:22,840 Speaker 2: and caught up and he said, do you know Madge, 1000 00:45:23,000 --> 00:45:23,960 Speaker 2: I said no, ma as well. 1001 00:45:24,719 --> 00:45:26,160 Speaker 1: He handed a. 1002 00:45:26,080 --> 00:45:28,360 Speaker 2: Piece of paper to me and he wrote on the 1003 00:45:28,520 --> 00:45:31,799 Speaker 2: piece of paper a lot of the guys that had 1004 00:45:31,840 --> 00:45:35,560 Speaker 2: had problems, varying problems, and he said, till Madge this, 1005 00:45:36,280 --> 00:45:39,080 Speaker 2: so I run you and said, this bloke has tipped 1006 00:45:39,120 --> 00:45:42,200 Speaker 2: me off. This guy's got a problem with this governor 1007 00:45:42,640 --> 00:45:45,200 Speaker 2: and you went in. And but for me, for a 1008 00:45:45,239 --> 00:45:49,800 Speaker 2: guy to do that, it's almost grass up his mates, 1009 00:45:50,960 --> 00:45:53,879 Speaker 2: knowing it would be the for the betterment of the team. 1010 00:45:53,880 --> 00:45:56,120 Speaker 2: But also then I think that says a lot about 1011 00:45:56,120 --> 00:45:56,560 Speaker 2: the area. 1012 00:45:56,640 --> 00:45:59,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, Oh, look, it was an interesting area when 1013 00:45:59,680 --> 00:46:01,560 Speaker 1: I first moved in there. And look, I actually literally 1014 00:46:01,600 --> 00:46:04,440 Speaker 1: moved into Ruba. I was in that area. So I 1015 00:46:04,520 --> 00:46:06,720 Speaker 1: wondered in body what was going on around the place. 1016 00:46:06,719 --> 00:46:10,120 Speaker 1: And when I turned up in twenty twelve, look, to 1017 00:46:10,160 --> 00:46:11,680 Speaker 1: be honest, like a lot of the fans, I were 1018 00:46:11,719 --> 00:46:14,120 Speaker 1: just literally living in hope. It was you know, I 1019 00:46:14,200 --> 00:46:17,319 Speaker 1: hope our team and will be successful, and you know, 1020 00:46:17,400 --> 00:46:19,319 Speaker 1: we used to have people coming past a man, there's 1021 00:46:19,360 --> 00:46:22,839 Speaker 1: been forty one years, and you know, and that first year, 1022 00:46:23,480 --> 00:46:27,040 Speaker 1: to the players credit and Mustaff's credit, they lump jumped 1023 00:46:27,040 --> 00:46:29,439 Speaker 1: from basically burned outside the finals to bring one game 1024 00:46:29,480 --> 00:46:34,160 Speaker 1: away from being in a Grand final, ran to Hamstream. 1025 00:46:34,280 --> 00:46:37,040 Speaker 1: Yeah it still rings a bell, use it was a 1026 00:46:37,040 --> 00:46:39,359 Speaker 1: tough day, but because we were just starting to get 1027 00:46:39,400 --> 00:46:43,480 Speaker 1: back into the game. So but the area itself really 1028 00:46:43,520 --> 00:46:45,400 Speaker 1: sort of had that hope. But once all of a 1029 00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:48,239 Speaker 1: sudden they leapt into the next level where one game away, 1030 00:46:48,320 --> 00:46:51,960 Speaker 1: people started going actually we were marching and now all 1031 00:46:51,960 --> 00:46:54,040 Speaker 1: of a sudden, we're one game away. So the whole 1032 00:46:55,239 --> 00:46:58,200 Speaker 1: district in the area, they literally changed. You could feel 1033 00:46:58,239 --> 00:47:00,640 Speaker 1: it within the community and so that was really enjoy 1034 00:47:00,719 --> 00:47:02,040 Speaker 1: what to be a part of. And then obviously then 1035 00:47:02,040 --> 00:47:05,320 Speaker 1: we ticked into the following year and I still remember 1036 00:47:05,600 --> 00:47:08,720 Speaker 1: one game away again mainly tobled us. We were in control, 1037 00:47:08,760 --> 00:47:11,360 Speaker 1: We had a triscoore right four half time, and I 1038 00:47:11,480 --> 00:47:13,440 Speaker 1: good sense they even at half time they were just 1039 00:47:13,960 --> 00:47:16,080 Speaker 1: they weren't quite ready for whatever reason. You know, when 1040 00:47:16,080 --> 00:47:18,600 Speaker 1: you can look back at things, and we missed that one. 1041 00:47:18,600 --> 00:47:21,680 Speaker 1: But going into two thousand and fourteen, that club just 1042 00:47:22,080 --> 00:47:24,560 Speaker 1: it was ready to go all be We probably had 1043 00:47:24,560 --> 00:47:26,120 Speaker 1: a couple of challenges throughout the year. I remember we 1044 00:47:26,120 --> 00:47:30,319 Speaker 1: played against the Raiders at Homebush. It was the first 1045 00:47:30,360 --> 00:47:32,640 Speaker 1: time we actually got booed off. It was in twenty fourteen, 1046 00:47:32,840 --> 00:47:35,280 Speaker 1: around five or six. It was incredible. I've just gone 1047 00:47:35,600 --> 00:47:39,120 Speaker 1: I can't believe this. We've got this unbelievable momentum happening. 1048 00:47:39,120 --> 00:47:41,400 Speaker 1: And then all of a sudden, now we didn't play 1049 00:47:41,400 --> 00:47:43,959 Speaker 1: well and now we deserved to. Actually we were pretty poor. 1050 00:47:44,520 --> 00:47:48,040 Speaker 1: So we had our review and literally from that review, 1051 00:47:48,160 --> 00:47:51,120 Speaker 1: the senior players took control and we were just a 1052 00:47:51,160 --> 00:47:54,239 Speaker 1: different to him. And we played Saint George at the 1053 00:47:54,239 --> 00:47:57,239 Speaker 1: Sydney Cricket Ground, blew them away, and I just thought, Hey, 1054 00:47:57,239 --> 00:47:59,120 Speaker 1: the boys are back here. So this is We're on 1055 00:47:59,160 --> 00:47:59,640 Speaker 1: a ride now. 1056 00:48:00,160 --> 00:48:03,080 Speaker 3: That Grand Final. What was that feeling like twenty fourteen 1057 00:48:03,320 --> 00:48:06,080 Speaker 3: when the when the buzzer went off, you know, g 1058 00:48:06,280 --> 00:48:08,520 Speaker 3: I scored that iconic try, you know, the game's won. 1059 00:48:08,600 --> 00:48:11,160 Speaker 3: What was that feeling like for you and for South Oh. 1060 00:48:11,080 --> 00:48:14,320 Speaker 1: Look, I'm just so happy for everyone. You know obviously 1061 00:48:14,400 --> 00:48:16,520 Speaker 1: knew the fabric of what the whole club had been through. 1062 00:48:16,600 --> 00:48:20,200 Speaker 1: To get to that point. I remember walking around the stadium. 1063 00:48:20,280 --> 00:48:21,839 Speaker 1: You have a family there, and you know you could 1064 00:48:21,880 --> 00:48:23,800 Speaker 1: look up and literally there were that many tiers in 1065 00:48:23,840 --> 00:48:25,919 Speaker 1: the in the grandstand, I think because it was more 1066 00:48:26,320 --> 00:48:29,560 Speaker 1: about just the joy of actually doing it. So it 1067 00:48:29,600 --> 00:48:32,640 Speaker 1: was it was a massive moment for everyone in the area, 1068 00:48:32,719 --> 00:48:35,640 Speaker 1: the people that supported and you know, it's nice to 1069 00:48:35,680 --> 00:48:37,439 Speaker 1: actually every now and then you walk past and you'll 1070 00:48:37,480 --> 00:48:39,120 Speaker 1: have someone give me a nod and you know that 1071 00:48:39,120 --> 00:48:42,719 Speaker 1: they're a house supporters. It's that is special and you 1072 00:48:42,719 --> 00:48:45,480 Speaker 1: don't have to say anything, but because everyone understands what 1073 00:48:45,480 --> 00:48:48,239 Speaker 1: that place had been through. So it was it was 1074 00:48:48,280 --> 00:48:52,960 Speaker 1: a great moment, you know. And obviously you're climbing to Everest. Yeah, 1075 00:48:53,239 --> 00:48:55,400 Speaker 1: so you know we got the Everest, and you know, 1076 00:48:55,520 --> 00:48:57,839 Speaker 1: you look at things now and you go back and go, well, 1077 00:48:57,880 --> 00:48:59,799 Speaker 1: I probably should have reset and had to look at 1078 00:48:59,800 --> 00:49:01,680 Speaker 1: what we should have taken the place and all that 1079 00:49:01,719 --> 00:49:04,239 Speaker 1: sort of stuff. But you know that that's by the 1080 00:49:04,239 --> 00:49:06,080 Speaker 1: way now because it's sent me on a great journey. 1081 00:49:06,120 --> 00:49:06,960 Speaker 1: With the other stuff I've done. 1082 00:49:07,040 --> 00:49:11,400 Speaker 2: It must be unbelievable match for you what what a 1083 00:49:11,480 --> 00:49:14,759 Speaker 2: gift to go through and achieve that you must get 1084 00:49:14,920 --> 00:49:17,640 Speaker 2: like days where you just go, you know, feel a 1085 00:49:17,640 --> 00:49:20,719 Speaker 2: little bit down, just drive over to Root and walk 1086 00:49:20,760 --> 00:49:23,000 Speaker 2: the street. And I imagine if you walk the streets. 1087 00:49:22,680 --> 00:49:26,640 Speaker 1: And Redfern, everyone would be going that bloke, that's what 1088 00:49:26,680 --> 00:49:29,319 Speaker 1: he did. That must be That must be the most 1089 00:49:29,680 --> 00:49:32,480 Speaker 1: Probably don't really look at it like that, but you 1090 00:49:32,600 --> 00:49:34,800 Speaker 1: do see a lot of people that the Great so 1091 00:49:34,840 --> 00:49:37,319 Speaker 1: House support us. Yeah, they are. They stick when you're 1092 00:49:37,920 --> 00:49:41,440 Speaker 1: in what they've been through. Lock. I completely understand what 1093 00:49:41,480 --> 00:49:44,320 Speaker 1: they've been through, the ins and outs and all the 1094 00:49:44,400 --> 00:49:46,600 Speaker 1: challenges they've had and to be able to sort of 1095 00:49:46,960 --> 00:49:49,680 Speaker 1: achieve that with such a big iconic club. 1096 00:49:50,000 --> 00:49:55,520 Speaker 2: Russell Russell's famous for getting you know, like inspirational people, 1097 00:49:55,680 --> 00:49:57,120 Speaker 2: celebrities in to talk to the boys. 1098 00:49:57,120 --> 00:49:58,440 Speaker 1: Who are some of the ones, who are some of 1099 00:49:58,440 --> 00:50:01,200 Speaker 1: the ones over there? Did you get the Snoop dog experience? No, no, 1100 00:50:01,280 --> 00:50:03,680 Speaker 1: we didn't get Snoop or Pamela Anderson or anything like that. 1101 00:50:05,719 --> 00:50:07,680 Speaker 1: We didn't have any of those. But every now and 1102 00:50:07,760 --> 00:50:11,319 Speaker 1: then we get someone sort of through the organization. But 1103 00:50:12,239 --> 00:50:14,799 Speaker 1: he was he was great. You know, he respected what 1104 00:50:14,800 --> 00:50:17,440 Speaker 1: I was trying to create there. And you know, I 1105 00:50:17,480 --> 00:50:20,600 Speaker 1: guess young footballers, you know, we've got to achieve before 1106 00:50:20,600 --> 00:50:23,600 Speaker 1: you get to all these other higways, so and something 1107 00:50:23,640 --> 00:50:25,279 Speaker 1: there that you know, I wanted to make sure that 1108 00:50:25,320 --> 00:50:27,399 Speaker 1: we sort of put into the joint. You know, you've 1109 00:50:27,400 --> 00:50:28,719 Speaker 1: got to be humble and all the rest of it, 1110 00:50:28,800 --> 00:50:31,759 Speaker 1: all those words that people use, but because you know 1111 00:50:31,800 --> 00:50:35,279 Speaker 1: the connections of that club has, it's top of the town. Look, 1112 00:50:35,800 --> 00:50:38,480 Speaker 1: you've got a blood lot Russet and basically get into 1113 00:50:38,520 --> 00:50:40,920 Speaker 1: whatever it is that he wants, you know. And he 1114 00:50:41,480 --> 00:50:43,080 Speaker 1: he bought into the way that we wanted to do 1115 00:50:43,120 --> 00:50:46,000 Speaker 1: things through that period of time. And because you know, 1116 00:50:46,120 --> 00:50:47,799 Speaker 1: young men, we can get ahead of ourselves, you know, 1117 00:50:47,840 --> 00:50:50,399 Speaker 1: and that's making sure that we've got to You've got 1118 00:50:50,440 --> 00:50:52,160 Speaker 1: to do all the hard yards on the figure. 1119 00:50:52,480 --> 00:50:56,920 Speaker 2: He's looking at you, and I swear everyone's got a 1120 00:50:56,960 --> 00:50:59,120 Speaker 2: weird sort of first encounter with Russell. 1121 00:50:59,160 --> 00:51:02,239 Speaker 3: Who's been at South heard it from various people. What 1122 00:51:02,400 --> 00:51:05,759 Speaker 3: was your first ever encounter with Russell Krucht because he's 1123 00:51:05,760 --> 00:51:06,440 Speaker 3: a quirky. 1124 00:51:06,280 --> 00:51:10,759 Speaker 1: Kind of cacter that one. But oh I actually met him. 1125 00:51:10,880 --> 00:51:13,560 Speaker 1: He came to Wigan. That's what was something there that 1126 00:51:14,160 --> 00:51:18,000 Speaker 1: told me a lot about the club mate. I had 1127 00:51:18,040 --> 00:51:21,000 Speaker 1: to see the gem and Russell all come to Wigan 1128 00:51:22,520 --> 00:51:25,920 Speaker 1: to meet who was going to be the coach. That 1129 00:51:26,080 --> 00:51:28,920 Speaker 1: was something there that was really telling when I reflect 1130 00:51:28,920 --> 00:51:31,040 Speaker 1: back on it now, Like he turned up at a 1131 00:51:31,080 --> 00:51:34,200 Speaker 1: little hotel in the middle of nowhere on the outskirts 1132 00:51:34,239 --> 00:51:38,360 Speaker 1: of Wigan. It wasn't flash but we sat down and 1133 00:51:38,400 --> 00:51:42,960 Speaker 1: we chatted for probably two or three hours about you know, 1134 00:51:42,960 --> 00:51:44,960 Speaker 1: where he'd like to see the club go, and obviously 1135 00:51:45,000 --> 00:51:47,640 Speaker 1: shared my thoughts and when he shook me and he said, 1136 00:51:47,760 --> 00:51:49,960 Speaker 1: I'll see you when you get back. So it was 1137 00:51:50,000 --> 00:51:54,319 Speaker 1: actually a really good conversation about what he wanted to 1138 00:51:54,360 --> 00:51:58,840 Speaker 1: create for the club, you know, and understanding the history. 1139 00:51:58,840 --> 00:52:00,680 Speaker 1: He was very big on the history of the and 1140 00:52:01,040 --> 00:52:03,400 Speaker 1: all those people that we've spoken about with all the 1141 00:52:03,400 --> 00:52:04,640 Speaker 1: things that they had to go through to get to 1142 00:52:04,640 --> 00:52:06,160 Speaker 1: where they got to. He had a lot of respect 1143 00:52:06,160 --> 00:52:07,560 Speaker 1: for what went on. 1144 00:52:08,120 --> 00:52:10,680 Speaker 3: Sam Burgess, she spoke about him being young as a leader. 1145 00:52:11,000 --> 00:52:13,080 Speaker 3: I wanted to talk that Grand Final when he breaks 1146 00:52:13,120 --> 00:52:16,120 Speaker 3: his cheekbone straight off the kickoff with James Graham. How 1147 00:52:16,120 --> 00:52:17,799 Speaker 3: proud of you as a coach at the end of 1148 00:52:17,800 --> 00:52:20,359 Speaker 3: that game, seeing what the pain he put himself through, 1149 00:52:20,360 --> 00:52:22,440 Speaker 3: because that's ed is a tough injury to get through 1150 00:52:22,480 --> 00:52:22,959 Speaker 3: eighty minutes. 1151 00:52:22,960 --> 00:52:24,680 Speaker 2: I just jump in there for a second, and what 1152 00:52:24,800 --> 00:52:25,759 Speaker 2: was he like at half time? 1153 00:52:27,200 --> 00:52:29,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, I'll go back a little bit just on 1154 00:52:29,719 --> 00:52:32,640 Speaker 1: the Sam story, because you know, I think that whole 1155 00:52:32,680 --> 00:52:36,080 Speaker 1: group was able to create what Sam was able to do. 1156 00:52:36,120 --> 00:52:38,080 Speaker 1: What I mean by that was the connection of that 1157 00:52:38,120 --> 00:52:41,760 Speaker 1: group was so tight. You know, they were a really 1158 00:52:41,800 --> 00:52:44,520 Speaker 1: tight unit and they were going to do anything it 1159 00:52:44,640 --> 00:52:48,920 Speaker 1: took for that organization. So it became bigger than each individual. 1160 00:52:48,960 --> 00:52:51,520 Speaker 1: So it wasn't about one person, was about we just 1161 00:52:51,560 --> 00:52:55,040 Speaker 1: got to achieve for everyone. So then someone like a 1162 00:52:55,120 --> 00:52:58,279 Speaker 1: Sam and iconic player, he was unreal to coach. He's 1163 00:52:58,480 --> 00:53:00,440 Speaker 1: one of the chance of a lot of time to 1164 00:53:00,800 --> 00:53:04,239 Speaker 1: someone to coach because if I go back, sorry, if 1165 00:53:04,239 --> 00:53:07,160 Speaker 1: I go back, we played against the Bulldogs. So this 1166 00:53:07,239 --> 00:53:10,440 Speaker 1: is interesting how he got himself into the psyche of 1167 00:53:10,480 --> 00:53:12,200 Speaker 1: being able to do what he did in the Grand Final. 1168 00:53:12,440 --> 00:53:14,560 Speaker 1: I think James Graham got him in a game. I 1169 00:53:14,600 --> 00:53:17,399 Speaker 1: think it was about around twenty or something or other 1170 00:53:18,520 --> 00:53:20,319 Speaker 1: he got he got to see him in the ribs 1171 00:53:20,360 --> 00:53:23,319 Speaker 1: and he cracked two rips. So at halftime or I'll 1172 00:53:23,360 --> 00:53:25,239 Speaker 1: never forget, Sam was sitting right in front of me 1173 00:53:25,360 --> 00:53:29,160 Speaker 1: and I could see he was in complete agony. And 1174 00:53:29,200 --> 00:53:30,839 Speaker 1: I'm sort of looking at him. I said, God, Sam, 1175 00:53:30,920 --> 00:53:32,960 Speaker 1: hope you get and he looked as though he was 1176 00:53:32,960 --> 00:53:35,160 Speaker 1: going to kill me. He sort of willed in his 1177 00:53:35,200 --> 00:53:38,600 Speaker 1: seat and obviously finished my halftime talk, and I saw 1178 00:53:38,640 --> 00:53:42,160 Speaker 1: Sam disappear and he ducked off to another part of 1179 00:53:42,200 --> 00:53:44,680 Speaker 1: the change room. So I walked over and I said, mate, 1180 00:53:44,880 --> 00:53:46,239 Speaker 1: what are you going to do today? You're going to 1181 00:53:46,320 --> 00:53:48,279 Speaker 1: go out there and play, or you're going to sort 1182 00:53:48,320 --> 00:53:52,880 Speaker 1: of soft it up and stay inside. I took a 1183 00:53:52,880 --> 00:53:55,000 Speaker 1: punt what I said, and he looked at me and 1184 00:53:55,000 --> 00:53:56,920 Speaker 1: I thought he was going to kill me, but his 1185 00:53:57,000 --> 00:53:59,920 Speaker 1: eyes just roll back. He walked outside and he played 1186 00:54:00,000 --> 00:54:02,120 Speaker 1: one of the best halves I reckon I've seen him play. 1187 00:54:02,560 --> 00:54:05,480 Speaker 1: He had two broken ribs. He was in absolute agony. 1188 00:54:05,920 --> 00:54:08,080 Speaker 1: So I look at that and then I fast forward 1189 00:54:08,120 --> 00:54:10,160 Speaker 1: to you know, it's just the practice of what he 1190 00:54:10,200 --> 00:54:12,359 Speaker 1: did with his mentality in his body. And I could 1191 00:54:12,400 --> 00:54:14,840 Speaker 1: talk about many of other players and even saying with 1192 00:54:14,880 --> 00:54:18,000 Speaker 1: other incidences like that. So when he did his chin, 1193 00:54:18,280 --> 00:54:20,640 Speaker 1: it was just like, right, we'll play on where you 1194 00:54:20,760 --> 00:54:23,480 Speaker 1: go because of what we've been through as a group, 1195 00:54:24,719 --> 00:54:26,040 Speaker 1: you know, and to do what he did is just 1196 00:54:26,160 --> 00:54:32,120 Speaker 1: it's historic. It's incredible and to see that he committed 1197 00:54:32,200 --> 00:54:34,359 Speaker 1: at a really high level in forte, you know, and 1198 00:54:35,239 --> 00:54:37,600 Speaker 1: he really pushed that group to the next levels the 1199 00:54:37,600 --> 00:54:39,960 Speaker 1: way he did things, and he had to change a 1200 00:54:39,960 --> 00:54:42,399 Speaker 1: little bit about how he was playing the game. He's 1201 00:54:42,440 --> 00:54:44,600 Speaker 1: given away a few too many penalties and you know, 1202 00:54:44,840 --> 00:54:47,520 Speaker 1: a player at that level sometimes the misted rise and 1203 00:54:47,840 --> 00:54:50,520 Speaker 1: he'd probably tip over. So he had to change himself. 1204 00:54:50,560 --> 00:54:53,040 Speaker 1: So he is a player. He went down and saw 1205 00:54:53,120 --> 00:54:54,920 Speaker 1: Mick mold House, he saw other people, so he went 1206 00:54:54,920 --> 00:54:58,880 Speaker 1: out of his way to learn different things about himself, 1207 00:54:58,920 --> 00:55:02,319 Speaker 1: which then obviously put himself into that situation of when 1208 00:55:02,400 --> 00:55:02,920 Speaker 1: on the conference. 1209 00:55:04,000 --> 00:55:08,280 Speaker 2: Okay, before we move on, you just said something that sparked. 1210 00:55:09,520 --> 00:55:14,319 Speaker 1: Question. Watching that game back, Matge, I didn't really have 1211 00:55:14,360 --> 00:55:17,799 Speaker 1: an appreciation of how tired it was, the final score was, 1212 00:55:17,800 --> 00:55:19,960 Speaker 1: and no indication it wasn't utill about the seventy minute mark. 1213 00:55:20,000 --> 00:55:22,239 Speaker 1: You broke away watching the game back and I'm going, 1214 00:55:22,880 --> 00:55:25,319 Speaker 1: this is nearly all of the game. This is touch 1215 00:55:25,360 --> 00:55:26,160 Speaker 1: and go either way. 1216 00:55:27,120 --> 00:55:30,600 Speaker 2: When Pennuth won their first Grand Final, they go into 1217 00:55:30,640 --> 00:55:34,719 Speaker 2: the sheds, they're behind in ninety one by camera and 1218 00:55:35,080 --> 00:55:38,160 Speaker 2: the story is Roycey Simms is the standard his final 1219 00:55:38,200 --> 00:55:44,359 Speaker 2: game and Gus went. Everyone walked past and touched that 1220 00:55:44,400 --> 00:55:48,200 Speaker 2: bloke and you just think about this bloke and what 1221 00:55:48,239 --> 00:55:50,239 Speaker 2: he's done for this club and what it would mean 1222 00:55:50,239 --> 00:55:51,960 Speaker 2: to win this Grand Final, and the way and win 1223 00:55:53,480 --> 00:55:55,440 Speaker 2: the game was so tight. Do you remember what you 1224 00:55:55,480 --> 00:55:58,080 Speaker 2: said at halftime, Madge, or anything that happened at. 1225 00:55:58,000 --> 00:56:01,080 Speaker 1: Halftime, Yeah, that's that's a good one, Maddy or Tee. 1226 00:56:01,120 --> 00:56:03,719 Speaker 1: What I did remember. What I do remember is I 1227 00:56:03,719 --> 00:56:06,600 Speaker 1: walked into the charge room and Sam was sitting on 1228 00:56:06,640 --> 00:56:09,600 Speaker 1: the seat in the semi circle. Because normally they'd grab 1229 00:56:09,680 --> 00:56:11,600 Speaker 1: the player and they'd take him outside and they'd go 1230 00:56:11,640 --> 00:56:14,840 Speaker 1: and try and assess him. Sam wouldn't let the doctors 1231 00:56:14,880 --> 00:56:16,480 Speaker 1: and the physias take him, so he was sitting in 1232 00:56:16,480 --> 00:56:18,440 Speaker 1: the semi circle with the players. I remember looking at 1233 00:56:18,440 --> 00:56:20,799 Speaker 1: Sam and his face was obviously what it was, but 1234 00:56:21,000 --> 00:56:23,440 Speaker 1: every player was looking at Sam, so I didn't really 1235 00:56:23,440 --> 00:56:26,399 Speaker 1: have to say too much. I actually just went, these 1236 00:56:26,440 --> 00:56:28,160 Speaker 1: boys know what they need to do, and all I 1237 00:56:28,280 --> 00:56:30,319 Speaker 1: just talk about it. You've got to go the long game, 1238 00:56:30,320 --> 00:56:32,839 Speaker 1: he was, You've got to go to it's we've got 1239 00:56:32,880 --> 00:56:34,640 Speaker 1: to get out there and we've got to build it 1240 00:56:34,680 --> 00:56:37,360 Speaker 1: all again. And there was a There was a massive 1241 00:56:37,360 --> 00:56:39,360 Speaker 1: play where they I think it might have been grubby. 1242 00:56:40,760 --> 00:56:43,239 Speaker 1: He rolled it through and Sam lift. She stuck out 1243 00:56:43,280 --> 00:56:45,160 Speaker 1: his right hand and he picked up a loose ball. 1244 00:56:45,200 --> 00:56:47,640 Speaker 1: We're right on our line. The game could have tipped 1245 00:56:47,680 --> 00:56:49,560 Speaker 1: at that moment if we ended up getting a back 1246 00:56:49,600 --> 00:56:52,080 Speaker 1: to back set. We were under the pump. So the 1247 00:56:52,120 --> 00:56:54,120 Speaker 1: game was on that tipping edge right at that moment 1248 00:56:54,160 --> 00:56:56,839 Speaker 1: in time. So there's plays like that you remember as 1249 00:56:56,840 --> 00:56:59,680 Speaker 1: a coach, where he just the ball stuck in his hand. 1250 00:57:00,040 --> 00:57:01,719 Speaker 1: We got it. We ended up getting down the other end. 1251 00:57:01,760 --> 00:57:05,279 Speaker 1: Pressure changes, but at that instance Canterbury were climbing. They 1252 00:57:05,320 --> 00:57:07,680 Speaker 1: were coming for us, and I'm thinking this is going 1253 00:57:07,680 --> 00:57:10,040 Speaker 1: to be a big moment of the game here. So, yeah, 1254 00:57:10,080 --> 00:57:10,880 Speaker 1: we're under the pump. 1255 00:57:11,560 --> 00:57:14,360 Speaker 2: Jack Gibson one of the great Jack Gibson isms. 1256 00:57:14,560 --> 00:57:15,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, he used to. 1257 00:57:15,840 --> 00:57:19,120 Speaker 2: Say winning starts in the front office without going to 1258 00:57:19,160 --> 00:57:21,480 Speaker 2: do much details. I know you don't like to talk 1259 00:57:21,480 --> 00:57:23,520 Speaker 2: about it in hinswlightten shows you what a great job 1260 00:57:23,560 --> 00:57:26,480 Speaker 2: you did. But how difficult was the Tigers? How difficult 1261 00:57:26,520 --> 00:57:27,280 Speaker 2: was that experience? 1262 00:57:27,520 --> 00:57:30,720 Speaker 1: Look, when I took on the roll, I knew what 1263 00:57:30,760 --> 00:57:33,120 Speaker 1: I was walking into. Probably not to the deglory of 1264 00:57:33,440 --> 00:57:35,120 Speaker 1: the depths and things like that, because you don't know 1265 00:57:35,240 --> 00:57:37,400 Speaker 1: until you really get in there. And I got to 1266 00:57:37,440 --> 00:57:41,440 Speaker 1: say that club could be anything. It could be anything. 1267 00:57:42,560 --> 00:57:45,320 Speaker 1: So when it gets going, it'll get going. And I 1268 00:57:45,360 --> 00:57:48,640 Speaker 1: did enjoy my time. Like they're like fans of other 1269 00:57:48,680 --> 00:57:51,400 Speaker 1: clubs because of the historic Like you've got Wes and Balmain, 1270 00:57:52,200 --> 00:57:54,400 Speaker 1: two historic clubs. You've got people walk on the streets 1271 00:57:54,440 --> 00:57:56,800 Speaker 1: that have been following those clubs all their lives. So 1272 00:57:57,240 --> 00:58:01,120 Speaker 1: when you've got that, your influence in and around community 1273 00:58:01,120 --> 00:58:02,480 Speaker 1: and all that, you hear it all the time. Like 1274 00:58:02,480 --> 00:58:04,640 Speaker 1: everywhere I walk, they go, oh, wish that club would 1275 00:58:05,040 --> 00:58:08,480 Speaker 1: get going because it could be anything. But I guess, 1276 00:58:08,640 --> 00:58:12,560 Speaker 1: as you just said, everything's got to aligne and to 1277 00:58:12,600 --> 00:58:14,400 Speaker 1: be able to climb to the top of the NRL. 1278 00:58:14,440 --> 00:58:17,240 Speaker 1: At the moment, there's only a few clubs that have 1279 00:58:17,320 --> 00:58:19,600 Speaker 1: been sitting around that top end. For probably the last 1280 00:58:19,640 --> 00:58:23,960 Speaker 1: ten years. In Melbourne, Roosters Penrith House have been bobbled 1281 00:58:23,960 --> 00:58:25,919 Speaker 1: in and out of there a bit, so there hasn't 1282 00:58:25,960 --> 00:58:28,040 Speaker 1: been too many other clubs that have actually bobbled up. 1283 00:58:28,080 --> 00:58:32,400 Speaker 1: So working your salary cap, working your lists, working your club, 1284 00:58:32,560 --> 00:58:36,360 Speaker 1: how you treat people all that is the reasons why 1285 00:58:36,360 --> 00:58:38,640 Speaker 1: the top clubs are sitting where they are, and when 1286 00:58:38,640 --> 00:58:40,640 Speaker 1: you're further down the bottom, you know you've got to 1287 00:58:40,640 --> 00:58:42,560 Speaker 1: try and draw a marquee players, so it's a bit 1288 00:58:42,600 --> 00:58:45,200 Speaker 1: of a different challenge. So everyone's got to be swimming 1289 00:58:45,200 --> 00:58:45,920 Speaker 1: in the same direction. 1290 00:58:47,360 --> 00:58:54,280 Speaker 2: New Zealand thirty, Australia nil. Pretty incredible. Where does that 1291 00:58:55,320 --> 00:58:58,960 Speaker 2: result sit in your career in rugby. 1292 00:58:58,760 --> 00:59:02,360 Speaker 1: League with all the you know, I had six years 1293 00:59:02,440 --> 00:59:04,040 Speaker 1: and I know we had a little bit of COVID 1294 00:59:05,360 --> 00:59:07,240 Speaker 1: through the period of my time with the Kiwi's, but 1295 00:59:07,280 --> 00:59:09,840 Speaker 1: that was a very special time. You know, the Kiwi's 1296 00:59:09,920 --> 00:59:12,000 Speaker 1: rolled out of a campaign in seventeen where you know 1297 00:59:12,080 --> 00:59:14,800 Speaker 1: they they know they probably didn't get to where they 1298 00:59:14,800 --> 00:59:16,720 Speaker 1: wanted to get to. So I was walking into an 1299 00:59:16,800 --> 00:59:19,240 Speaker 1: organization that was sort of in a bit of a change. 1300 00:59:19,600 --> 00:59:22,959 Speaker 1: We had a change of CEO, change of coach, change 1301 00:59:22,960 --> 00:59:25,280 Speaker 1: a thought pattern about what they were doing, and you 1302 00:59:25,360 --> 00:59:29,280 Speaker 1: had to the senior players credit in Jabragar's, Jesse Bromish, 1303 00:59:30,440 --> 00:59:34,320 Speaker 1: Sean Johnson. Yeah, there was a lot of those players 1304 00:59:34,560 --> 00:59:37,440 Speaker 1: they're probably not quite sure where you know, this bloke's 1305 00:59:37,440 --> 00:59:39,200 Speaker 1: coming in and he's Australian where's this going to go? 1306 00:59:39,360 --> 00:59:42,320 Speaker 1: But to their credit, they brought in and they wanted 1307 00:59:42,480 --> 00:59:44,439 Speaker 1: they wanted to have New Zealand as number one because 1308 00:59:44,440 --> 00:59:46,160 Speaker 1: they don't have the state of origin. They don't have 1309 00:59:47,320 --> 00:59:49,640 Speaker 1: the highs of what I guess the Australian players do. 1310 00:59:49,760 --> 00:59:51,919 Speaker 1: And you know, even someone like the tong And players 1311 00:59:51,960 --> 00:59:53,880 Speaker 1: and the Smale players that they can still play our origin. 1312 00:59:54,280 --> 00:59:56,600 Speaker 1: So it is the pinnacle, you know, So you've got 1313 00:59:56,600 --> 01:00:00,720 Speaker 1: to understand that's their pinnacle. So it's everything. So when 1314 01:00:00,760 --> 01:00:02,440 Speaker 1: you get an understanding. I'll spent a lot of time 1315 01:00:02,480 --> 01:00:04,360 Speaker 1: on the ground over there getting to know the people. 1316 01:00:04,600 --> 01:00:06,640 Speaker 1: I used to enjoy going over to New Zealand and 1317 01:00:06,720 --> 01:00:09,760 Speaker 1: just finding out about culture. You know, I'm an Australian 1318 01:00:09,800 --> 01:00:12,800 Speaker 1: coaching the Kiwis. I need to know the people. That 1319 01:00:12,920 --> 01:00:15,400 Speaker 1: was the most important part for me. And what I 1320 01:00:15,480 --> 01:00:18,560 Speaker 1: learned through the Kiwi's and the maories and just how 1321 01:00:18,560 --> 01:00:22,280 Speaker 1: they live their lives. I've learned a lot. And you know, 1322 01:00:22,720 --> 01:00:26,120 Speaker 1: I think the Kiwi players because I could see them 1323 01:00:26,160 --> 01:00:29,000 Speaker 1: growing every single time we'd come back into a campaign, 1324 01:00:28,800 --> 01:00:31,240 Speaker 1: you know, and I went from sort of probably not 1325 01:00:31,280 --> 01:00:34,600 Speaker 1: talking about beating Australia saying well we can actually do 1326 01:00:34,640 --> 01:00:37,200 Speaker 1: this and we should be you know, I had some 1327 01:00:37,240 --> 01:00:39,840 Speaker 1: of the best players in the world. You know, it's 1328 01:00:39,880 --> 01:00:41,360 Speaker 1: just that they probably aren't put up in lights like 1329 01:00:42,440 --> 01:00:43,160 Speaker 1: the guys are you. 1330 01:00:43,200 --> 01:00:46,200 Speaker 2: Like International rugby league. When I heard that result, it 1331 01:00:46,280 --> 01:00:48,920 Speaker 2: was very UnAustralian of him. But you beauty because in 1332 01:00:48,960 --> 01:00:52,240 Speaker 2: my mind, international and I'm saying to this the set 1333 01:00:52,280 --> 01:00:55,960 Speaker 2: of origin coch International rugby League must be the pinnacle 1334 01:00:56,240 --> 01:00:59,560 Speaker 2: in my opinion, But it used to be play club level, 1335 01:01:00,120 --> 01:01:02,520 Speaker 2: the country origin jersey play well, you get a state 1336 01:01:02,560 --> 01:01:05,600 Speaker 2: of origin jersey and if you play good there you 1337 01:01:05,640 --> 01:01:09,280 Speaker 2: get the Australian jersey. And for whatever reason that has diminished. 1338 01:01:09,320 --> 01:01:12,720 Speaker 2: You can when the kiwis and the poems start firing 1339 01:01:13,080 --> 01:01:16,240 Speaker 2: and what we're seen with Samoa and Tonga, it's. 1340 01:01:16,120 --> 01:01:18,800 Speaker 3: Just a merg particularly particularly New Zealand. You said match 1341 01:01:18,880 --> 01:01:20,800 Speaker 3: like that is a I'm close with a lot of 1342 01:01:20,800 --> 01:01:24,240 Speaker 3: those boys of Stream Hughes, Brandon Smith, but seeing when 1343 01:01:24,240 --> 01:01:28,200 Speaker 3: they go into New Zealand camps, seeing how connected and 1344 01:01:28,240 --> 01:01:30,480 Speaker 3: proud they are to play for their New Zealand heritage, 1345 01:01:30,480 --> 01:01:35,160 Speaker 3: but particularly the Mauldi boys, like they're so they're completely 1346 01:01:35,160 --> 01:01:38,000 Speaker 3: different people when they really connect back to their culture 1347 01:01:38,120 --> 01:01:39,040 Speaker 3: and I imagine. 1348 01:01:38,680 --> 01:01:40,280 Speaker 1: That must be because of the tongs. I mean, we're 1349 01:01:40,280 --> 01:01:42,560 Speaker 1: starting to see that, so it's awesome. We've got to 1350 01:01:42,560 --> 01:01:44,480 Speaker 1: look at the game and go, well, how do we 1351 01:01:44,480 --> 01:01:47,840 Speaker 1: create the international game at a high level or put 1352 01:01:47,920 --> 01:01:50,360 Speaker 1: up into that high level? So then it is a 1353 01:01:50,360 --> 01:01:52,600 Speaker 1: pathway and look, I'm having that we can get a 1354 01:01:52,600 --> 01:01:54,440 Speaker 1: lot of new South Wales players picked in the Australian 1355 01:01:54,440 --> 01:01:58,440 Speaker 1: team over the next few weeks, because yeah, that's what 1356 01:01:58,520 --> 01:02:03,600 Speaker 1: Origin really was and you've got to applaud or give 1357 01:02:03,640 --> 01:02:05,840 Speaker 1: those guys that have had success an opportunity. 1358 01:02:05,880 --> 01:02:08,400 Speaker 2: So looking forward to match, I know you coach in 1359 01:02:08,400 --> 01:02:10,160 Speaker 2: Origin and that's where your focus is at the moment. 1360 01:02:10,240 --> 01:02:12,080 Speaker 2: Are you Are you keen in the next couple of 1361 01:02:12,120 --> 01:02:13,320 Speaker 2: years to get back into club land? 1362 01:02:13,640 --> 01:02:17,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, definitely many. I'm hungry to win another competition. So 1363 01:02:18,000 --> 01:02:25,440 Speaker 1: who's who's your club? You'rer I got a couple. You know, 1364 01:02:25,480 --> 01:02:27,360 Speaker 1: I've obviously seen what it looks like, you know, when 1365 01:02:27,600 --> 01:02:29,680 Speaker 1: the club's up and running. I've also seen the other end, 1366 01:02:29,680 --> 01:02:32,480 Speaker 1: and you know, I'm well adverse to sort of having 1367 01:02:32,480 --> 01:02:34,680 Speaker 1: a look at a club now to go. I believe 1368 01:02:34,720 --> 01:02:37,640 Speaker 1: that one is ready to go, and you know, if 1369 01:02:37,720 --> 01:02:41,640 Speaker 1: I jump in again when I jump in again. But 1370 01:02:41,760 --> 01:02:43,160 Speaker 1: I'm going to believe that club can win. 1371 01:02:43,320 --> 01:02:45,520 Speaker 3: Is there any that you don't have to name? Obviously 1372 01:02:45,560 --> 01:02:47,200 Speaker 3: you can do the sound of the mascot if you want, 1373 01:02:47,200 --> 01:02:53,000 Speaker 3: But are there any Are there any that have reached 1374 01:02:53,040 --> 01:02:55,760 Speaker 3: out and just seeing if you're interested in the future. 1375 01:02:55,920 --> 01:02:59,960 Speaker 1: Coop, I don't Yeah, I won't sort of delve into that. Yeah, 1376 01:03:00,360 --> 01:03:01,800 Speaker 1: you know, you talk to a lot of people across 1377 01:03:01,800 --> 01:03:04,320 Speaker 1: the game and look at the moment. Mate, I'm loving 1378 01:03:04,360 --> 01:03:07,320 Speaker 1: the origin, but also too, like you know, I have 1379 01:03:07,360 --> 01:03:10,560 Speaker 1: a passion each week where I love the coaching. I 1380 01:03:10,720 --> 01:03:13,960 Speaker 1: literally love enjoying help and grow a young man. You 1381 01:03:14,200 --> 01:03:16,240 Speaker 1: walk into a club, all of a sudden he's playing 1382 01:03:16,280 --> 01:03:18,040 Speaker 1: first grade. Then all of a sudden he's playing started, 1383 01:03:18,200 --> 01:03:19,800 Speaker 1: or you might be playing for his country like Edgar 1384 01:03:19,880 --> 01:03:23,160 Speaker 1: was that? So I do have a passion for being 1385 01:03:23,200 --> 01:03:23,800 Speaker 1: in clubland. 1386 01:03:23,960 --> 01:03:25,080 Speaker 3: Is that short? 1387 01:03:25,200 --> 01:03:25,720 Speaker 1: Is that short? 1388 01:03:25,760 --> 01:03:29,000 Speaker 3: Origin period? Just it's not boring, But. 1389 01:03:28,920 --> 01:03:31,080 Speaker 1: It's a sugar scratch. It's a bit of a scratch 1390 01:03:31,080 --> 01:03:32,680 Speaker 1: for what I like doing. And you've got a member. 1391 01:03:32,680 --> 01:03:34,040 Speaker 1: I've been doing this for a long time, Coop. So 1392 01:03:35,120 --> 01:03:37,680 Speaker 1: the day, daily stuff, the weekly stuff, I actually get 1393 01:03:37,680 --> 01:03:41,000 Speaker 1: a kick out of Origin. Maybe it is unbelievable. I 1394 01:03:41,080 --> 01:03:43,000 Speaker 1: can't tell you how big it is is a you know, 1395 01:03:43,200 --> 01:03:47,160 Speaker 1: and you know what it's like. But you know, if 1396 01:03:47,200 --> 01:03:50,000 Speaker 1: I could stretch that Origin campaign out over twenty weeks, may. 1397 01:03:50,200 --> 01:03:52,560 Speaker 2: Be the best who can win this competition. 1398 01:03:54,240 --> 01:03:56,240 Speaker 1: At the moment, I sort of see Melbourne in a 1399 01:03:56,240 --> 01:03:59,280 Speaker 1: bit of a box seat. They've got a healthy spine. Yeah, 1400 01:04:00,120 --> 01:04:01,800 Speaker 1: you know, I think that to me is a really 1401 01:04:01,840 --> 01:04:04,440 Speaker 1: important part where you know, you look at Penrith and 1402 01:04:05,600 --> 01:04:07,800 Speaker 1: you can never write them off. You know, everyone said 1403 01:04:07,800 --> 01:04:09,600 Speaker 1: that after the one, and they said two and then 1404 01:04:09,600 --> 01:04:12,720 Speaker 1: now three, so they've got some special players Penrith, you know. 1405 01:04:12,800 --> 01:04:17,720 Speaker 1: And Nathan comes back in and I was really rapped 1406 01:04:17,720 --> 01:04:23,040 Speaker 1: to see how Jerome went. Jerome's Everyone has their own 1407 01:04:23,080 --> 01:04:26,200 Speaker 1: sort of thoughts about players, but to actually have Jerome 1408 01:04:26,400 --> 01:04:29,160 Speaker 1: in the Origin, he's he's a class player. 1409 01:04:29,160 --> 01:04:37,120 Speaker 2: He's on the same trajectory trajectory. Trajectory helped you MAT's. 1410 01:04:36,600 --> 01:04:39,160 Speaker 3: You're on the right, You're on the right trajectory. 1411 01:04:39,600 --> 01:04:40,080 Speaker 1: That's good. 1412 01:04:41,960 --> 01:04:46,360 Speaker 2: Jerome's going that way. But he's very similar to Stephen Crichton. 1413 01:04:46,600 --> 01:04:48,919 Speaker 2: Watching Crichton come out of State of Origin last year, 1414 01:04:49,120 --> 01:04:52,840 Speaker 2: he went popump and he's kept going, I'm seeing that 1415 01:04:52,880 --> 01:04:55,640 Speaker 2: with with Jerome at the moment. What was it like 1416 01:04:55,760 --> 01:04:57,320 Speaker 2: coaching Stephen Crichton. 1417 01:04:57,200 --> 01:04:59,439 Speaker 1: Yeah, he was. He was brilliant, just on your own. 1418 01:04:59,640 --> 01:05:03,120 Speaker 1: It's in if we've seen a player sit in a 1419 01:05:03,160 --> 01:05:08,120 Speaker 1: certain style, you know, and he's respected that style, so 1420 01:05:08,160 --> 01:05:10,560 Speaker 1: they win comps, you know, and so you know you've 1421 01:05:10,560 --> 01:05:13,080 Speaker 1: got Nathan, You've got Jerome, and so he's played his part. 1422 01:05:13,120 --> 01:05:14,840 Speaker 1: So I'm really looking forward to sort of seeing him 1423 01:05:14,880 --> 01:05:18,640 Speaker 1: go out into a club and then take control because 1424 01:05:18,640 --> 01:05:20,480 Speaker 1: I saw a lot of that within what we did 1425 01:05:20,520 --> 01:05:23,160 Speaker 1: in the origin space. But you've got to practice that. 1426 01:05:23,360 --> 01:05:25,680 Speaker 1: So if you don't get that practice, you can't actually 1427 01:05:25,880 --> 01:05:27,880 Speaker 1: sort of become that. So then you go to someone 1428 01:05:28,000 --> 01:05:31,320 Speaker 1: like Stephen, Oh look at you. He was great. He's 1429 01:05:31,320 --> 01:05:34,240 Speaker 1: just a real pro. That's a bit like what I 1430 01:05:34,280 --> 01:05:37,080 Speaker 1: spoke about where you land as a young bloke like 1431 01:05:37,200 --> 01:05:41,880 Speaker 1: I landed with now and Inger, Laurie Darley, Ricky Stewart. 1432 01:05:42,040 --> 01:05:45,080 Speaker 1: You know, he's just leading like those players, but he's 1433 01:05:45,080 --> 01:05:46,720 Speaker 1: doing it at a younger age. So that to me 1434 01:05:46,880 --> 01:05:48,520 Speaker 1: is that you know, where he can go with his 1435 01:05:48,560 --> 01:05:49,840 Speaker 1: career is going to be pretty amazing. 1436 01:05:50,040 --> 01:05:53,360 Speaker 2: Ken Okay, you spoke by Jerome. There can Penrith win 1437 01:05:53,440 --> 01:05:56,280 Speaker 2: this competition if Nathan doesn't return. 1438 01:05:57,080 --> 01:05:59,479 Speaker 1: I think it's going to be a challenge for him. Yeah, 1439 01:05:59,720 --> 01:06:02,200 Speaker 1: I do. I look with respect to the players they've got, 1440 01:06:02,840 --> 01:06:05,880 Speaker 1: but I go back to that Grand Final last year 1441 01:06:05,920 --> 01:06:09,840 Speaker 1: where they played the Roncos. Like you know, I look 1442 01:06:09,840 --> 01:06:12,040 Speaker 1: at that game and I go right out, they start 1443 01:06:12,040 --> 01:06:14,320 Speaker 1: the game, Penrith put a heap of pressure on the Broncos. 1444 01:06:14,760 --> 01:06:16,440 Speaker 1: So for the first twenty minutes, so I think there 1445 01:06:16,480 --> 01:06:19,240 Speaker 1: was two or three drop brawls, drop ball, sorry, they 1446 01:06:19,240 --> 01:06:23,120 Speaker 1: put the pressure on that came back and rewarded Penrith 1447 01:06:23,120 --> 01:06:24,640 Speaker 1: at the back end of the game. I say that 1448 01:06:24,760 --> 01:06:26,840 Speaker 1: is that all be that the Broncos came at them. 1449 01:06:27,280 --> 01:06:30,000 Speaker 1: Those players like a Nathan Cleary, they know that there's 1450 01:06:30,000 --> 01:06:32,240 Speaker 1: that much fatigue that's been put into that position team 1451 01:06:32,360 --> 01:06:34,720 Speaker 1: in the first twenty minutes, So he's going at the 1452 01:06:34,760 --> 01:06:36,000 Speaker 1: back end of the game, we're going to have an 1453 01:06:36,000 --> 01:06:39,080 Speaker 1: opportunity here. So the best players can feel that pressure 1454 01:06:39,400 --> 01:06:41,720 Speaker 1: of what's going on through a game. And I would 1455 01:06:41,920 --> 01:06:45,560 Speaker 1: be bottom dollar that throughout that game nath would have 1456 01:06:45,560 --> 01:06:47,920 Speaker 1: been going. I know that there's a lot more fatigue 1457 01:06:47,920 --> 01:06:50,160 Speaker 1: in the opposition. All b they've probably jumped us a 1458 01:06:50,200 --> 01:06:52,600 Speaker 1: little bit here, but we will get a chance. And 1459 01:06:52,640 --> 01:06:55,320 Speaker 1: then that little bit of chance comes to the best 1460 01:06:55,320 --> 01:06:57,200 Speaker 1: players and sure enough he goes about and does what 1461 01:06:57,240 --> 01:06:59,840 Speaker 1: he does. So when you don't have that player in 1462 01:07:00,080 --> 01:07:02,520 Speaker 1: the biggest game that has the under knowledge or the 1463 01:07:02,560 --> 01:07:05,760 Speaker 1: belief around what they can do, that's the differences. And 1464 01:07:05,800 --> 01:07:08,160 Speaker 1: then you look at someone like Melbourne where they've got 1465 01:07:08,400 --> 01:07:12,120 Speaker 1: Jerome Hughes, Munster, Harry Grant, whatever fullback they want to 1466 01:07:12,120 --> 01:07:14,680 Speaker 1: pick out of all the crew they have down there, 1467 01:07:14,520 --> 01:07:18,040 Speaker 1: there's the smarts. So that's why I'll probably say at 1468 01:07:18,080 --> 01:07:19,520 Speaker 1: the moment they're a little bit in the box. And 1469 01:07:19,520 --> 01:07:21,480 Speaker 1: then the rooster is obviously with what they've gone through 1470 01:07:21,520 --> 01:07:23,160 Speaker 1: now I've got a bit more pressure on themself. 1471 01:07:23,400 --> 01:07:25,360 Speaker 3: Just a couple more questions for you, Mage, who is 1472 01:07:26,040 --> 01:07:29,160 Speaker 3: you know everyone's saying it's Penrith or Storm. That's a 1473 01:07:29,240 --> 01:07:31,840 Speaker 3: lot a lot of people a saying who, in your opinion, 1474 01:07:32,520 --> 01:07:34,680 Speaker 3: has the most who's the dark horse in there? Is 1475 01:07:34,680 --> 01:07:37,120 Speaker 3: there somebody in there you look at potentially outside the 1476 01:07:37,120 --> 01:07:39,800 Speaker 3: top four that you go that squad if it all 1477 01:07:39,800 --> 01:07:41,680 Speaker 3: comes together to forum, they could do it. 1478 01:07:42,200 --> 01:07:44,000 Speaker 1: A lot of the other ones. Woromi coop because they 1479 01:07:44,000 --> 01:07:46,640 Speaker 1: don't defend the way that those two top teams are. 1480 01:07:47,160 --> 01:07:49,480 Speaker 1: You know, it's defense when you get into those games. 1481 01:07:49,600 --> 01:07:52,080 Speaker 1: It's like you look at our Origin campaign. You know 1482 01:07:52,120 --> 01:07:54,480 Speaker 1: we had two players. It was the difference. That's what 1483 01:07:55,120 --> 01:07:57,640 Speaker 1: That's what a Grand Final is. So I looked at 1484 01:07:57,680 --> 01:08:00,360 Speaker 1: the teams that are defending at a high level, which 1485 01:08:00,760 --> 01:08:03,160 Speaker 1: could be a cannabury, But do they have the smarts 1486 01:08:03,200 --> 01:08:06,120 Speaker 1: attack boys to be able to keep that sort of 1487 01:08:06,160 --> 01:08:09,720 Speaker 1: attack play on. I mean not, canab have been outstanding 1488 01:08:09,760 --> 01:08:13,120 Speaker 1: defensively this year? Does that hold them instead? Because you've 1489 01:08:13,120 --> 01:08:14,680 Speaker 1: got to have the other part. So you know, this 1490 01:08:14,800 --> 01:08:16,200 Speaker 1: by one is going to be challenged when it comes 1491 01:08:16,200 --> 01:08:19,400 Speaker 1: down to the pressure match to finish with it. 1492 01:08:19,439 --> 01:08:21,880 Speaker 2: I don't know, this is not really a question to 1493 01:08:21,880 --> 01:08:24,480 Speaker 2: put the button on it, but I think it's through curiosity. 1494 01:08:25,160 --> 01:08:27,680 Speaker 2: You know, it's always it's always not kosher to talk 1495 01:08:27,680 --> 01:08:31,160 Speaker 2: about another person's marriage. But the Broncos and Kevy, you know, 1496 01:08:31,200 --> 01:08:33,519 Speaker 2: and I really feel for keV at the moment as 1497 01:08:33,560 --> 01:08:37,719 Speaker 2: a coach. How difficult is success sometimes? And I asked 1498 01:08:37,760 --> 01:08:40,519 Speaker 2: that question because in my mind, I've been in teams 1499 01:08:40,560 --> 01:08:44,080 Speaker 2: that have had success and then the next year you. 1500 01:08:44,160 --> 01:08:45,320 Speaker 1: Go off cliff a little bit. 1501 01:08:45,760 --> 01:08:50,240 Speaker 2: How different, How difficult is it sometimes with a playing 1502 01:08:50,240 --> 01:08:53,400 Speaker 2: group that has great success and then what happens the 1503 01:08:53,439 --> 01:08:55,400 Speaker 2: following year to get them back on the horse. 1504 01:08:55,760 --> 01:08:57,720 Speaker 1: It can be a challenge, man. And look, I've been 1505 01:08:57,760 --> 01:08:59,680 Speaker 1: through it. I went through it. Its house like you know. 1506 01:09:00,000 --> 01:09:03,320 Speaker 1: I remember we won in fourteen. I lost Sam Burgess, 1507 01:09:03,600 --> 01:09:07,320 Speaker 1: been to Lodi de Giarry bow champion Joel Ready. I 1508 01:09:07,400 --> 01:09:12,599 Speaker 1: literally lost all this first grade experience and talent literally 1509 01:09:12,640 --> 01:09:15,120 Speaker 1: going into the next year. I also lost a fair 1510 01:09:15,160 --> 01:09:17,439 Speaker 1: bit of the front office. You know, I had some 1511 01:09:17,520 --> 01:09:21,679 Speaker 1: people in CEOs and CFOs. They all changed literally leading 1512 01:09:21,680 --> 01:09:24,840 Speaker 1: into the next season. So at the time I thought, no, no, 1513 01:09:25,000 --> 01:09:27,200 Speaker 1: we'll be right, We'll be for We'll just kick on 1514 01:09:27,320 --> 01:09:29,840 Speaker 1: and keep the momentum going. And I remember rolling into 1515 01:09:29,840 --> 01:09:33,160 Speaker 1: the next season and we got the Nines, and I 1516 01:09:33,200 --> 01:09:34,960 Speaker 1: think we ended up getting the World Club Challenge. We 1517 01:09:35,080 --> 01:09:37,759 Speaker 1: beat Saint Helen's and we got to about round four 1518 01:09:38,800 --> 01:09:41,519 Speaker 1: and then I remember Gus So I think he said 1519 01:09:41,560 --> 01:09:43,679 Speaker 1: a comment on one of the commentary goes, this team, doesn't 1520 01:09:43,720 --> 01:09:46,240 Speaker 1: he how to lose? We literally lost the next three. 1521 01:09:46,400 --> 01:09:48,479 Speaker 1: But I also lost Adam Reynolds and I lost John 1522 01:09:48,520 --> 01:09:51,120 Speaker 1: Sutton in that same game. So all of a sudden, 1523 01:09:51,479 --> 01:09:54,400 Speaker 1: those two players ended up coming out. So I just 1524 01:09:54,439 --> 01:09:56,559 Speaker 1: had this young crew. I had this young group of 1525 01:09:56,600 --> 01:09:59,120 Speaker 1: players that went right, oh, I've got to rebuild. And 1526 01:09:59,520 --> 01:10:02,720 Speaker 1: so the art of, you know, making sure that the 1527 01:10:02,800 --> 01:10:05,040 Speaker 1: longevity of your club and all those sorts of things 1528 01:10:05,040 --> 01:10:05,879 Speaker 1: you need to continue. 1529 01:10:05,920 --> 01:10:09,519 Speaker 2: Do you see the Broncos bouncing bouncing back quickly? 1530 01:10:09,960 --> 01:10:12,080 Speaker 1: Do you see that? I don't know the makings of 1531 01:10:12,120 --> 01:10:15,120 Speaker 1: the club, so it's hard to say where you see 1532 01:10:15,960 --> 01:10:17,800 Speaker 1: the club's at. Obviously they've got plenty of talent. 1533 01:10:18,280 --> 01:10:20,280 Speaker 2: So okay, on that, I asked you a different question 1534 01:10:20,280 --> 01:10:25,040 Speaker 2: in the match. Reese Walsh's such a charismatic, gregarious character. 1535 01:10:25,240 --> 01:10:28,040 Speaker 2: Everywhere he goes like there's at tension. They told me 1536 01:10:28,080 --> 01:10:31,920 Speaker 2: that the Broncos training sessions, it's like Walshromania. 1537 01:10:32,280 --> 01:10:32,920 Speaker 1: There he goes. 1538 01:10:33,760 --> 01:10:35,720 Speaker 2: Peter Adell the Journal told me story the other day. 1539 01:10:35,760 --> 01:10:38,120 Speaker 2: They said, after a training session, he walked to his 1540 01:10:38,160 --> 01:10:40,960 Speaker 2: car and two girls had broken into his car, was 1541 01:10:41,000 --> 01:10:42,439 Speaker 2: sitting in the car, refused to get out. 1542 01:10:42,800 --> 01:10:48,200 Speaker 3: It's like Justin Bieberst. If you know who that is, Okay, 1543 01:10:48,720 --> 01:10:50,400 Speaker 3: how do you like that? 1544 01:10:50,560 --> 01:10:53,960 Speaker 2: That is a very difficult scenario. For that player, for 1545 01:10:54,080 --> 01:10:57,400 Speaker 2: the coach and also his teammates. How do you how 1546 01:10:57,439 --> 01:10:58,479 Speaker 2: do you handle that match? 1547 01:10:58,560 --> 01:11:04,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, Sam Burgers or all the different players that I've 1548 01:11:04,360 --> 01:11:06,720 Speaker 1: coached over to time. You know, there's big names there. 1549 01:11:06,960 --> 01:11:08,960 Speaker 1: That's how you deal with those players in the background, 1550 01:11:09,920 --> 01:11:12,080 Speaker 1: and that's part of being able to find the success 1551 01:11:12,120 --> 01:11:14,439 Speaker 1: when you're that telling. That's actually really good. Catching those 1552 01:11:14,479 --> 01:11:17,400 Speaker 1: players I really get a kick out of, you know, 1553 01:11:17,800 --> 01:11:19,840 Speaker 1: wanted to catch that style of player, of that person, 1554 01:11:19,880 --> 01:11:22,280 Speaker 1: because you know, you bottle them and you get them right, 1555 01:11:22,280 --> 01:11:26,880 Speaker 1: they're the game changes. So yeah, look, I've experienced those 1556 01:11:26,880 --> 01:11:28,639 Speaker 1: type of players, so I actually find that quite easy. 1557 01:11:28,640 --> 01:11:31,439 Speaker 1: I actually really enjoy catching players at that level. Ryan. 1558 01:11:33,000 --> 01:11:36,639 Speaker 1: I love developing players. But those players that have that 1559 01:11:37,080 --> 01:11:43,200 Speaker 1: incredible and Nate DNA or they're they're the ones that 1560 01:11:43,240 --> 01:11:46,000 Speaker 1: if you get them right, they're amazing people. 1561 01:11:48,040 --> 01:11:50,520 Speaker 3: Thank you, mate, that's phenomenal. 1562 01:11:50,640 --> 01:11:51,360 Speaker 1: Thank you much. 1563 01:11:51,400 --> 01:11:53,040 Speaker 3: Thanks for coming into our humble of vode. 1564 01:11:53,400 --> 01:11:56,160 Speaker 2: Always good to catch, Yeah it is, mate, we're in 1565 01:11:56,240 --> 01:11:59,519 Speaker 2: the master right here, red sheets. 1566 01:12:00,439 --> 01:12:01,920 Speaker 3: So taking shirt off his. 1567 01:12:02,040 --> 01:12:06,680 Speaker 1: Balcony one day, like your last place around, good on 1568 01:12:06,760 --> 01:12:07,800 Speaker 1: you imagine your man 1569 01:12:12,760 --> 01:12:12,800 Speaker 2: M