WEBVTT - #151: Nathan & Ivan Cleary reflect on the Penrith Panthers' Legendary 4-Peat 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:03.240 Hi, my Boris, and this is straight talk. Wow, I 0:00:03.240 --> 0:00:05.560 have under Nathan theory. We welcome straight to a Boys. 0:00:06.040 --> 0:00:08.159 Thanks for having us. Thanks Mark good Seed mate. Now 0:00:08.240 --> 0:00:10.920 you see each other aftergrad one two years ago. I 0:00:10.960 --> 0:00:12.239 think miss three. 0:00:12.400 --> 0:00:14.080 That was after the first one. You said you couldn't 0:00:14.120 --> 0:00:18.239 believe it actually one one, so might take back? 0:00:19.960 --> 0:00:20.720 Is there a secret? 0:00:23.120 --> 0:00:24.280 Not that you get secret. 0:00:25.760 --> 0:00:26.960 I wouldn't tell you that. 0:00:27.480 --> 0:00:30.280 I'm a big gliver in just preparation giving me confidence. 0:00:30.440 --> 0:00:32.839 Always got doubts coming in. But if I prepared the 0:00:32.840 --> 0:00:34.400 way I wanted to, then I get to gamed down. 0:00:34.440 --> 0:00:38.440 I've got no excuses. I just got to a point 0:00:38.479 --> 0:00:41.240 where if we hadn't have succeeded in the twenty twenty season, 0:00:41.360 --> 0:00:42.360 I would have left the game. 0:00:42.440 --> 0:00:46.080 So actually, what's interesting met Lebron Janes and his son 0:00:46.120 --> 0:00:48.519 they played together. I mean it wasn't there wasn't much 0:00:48.520 --> 0:00:54.840 in it a couple of years. Wow, I haven't er 0:00:54.920 --> 0:00:57.560 Nathan theory. You were went straight to a boys. Thanks 0:00:57.560 --> 0:01:01.880 for having us, Thanks Mark good Seed mate. Again you 0:01:01.920 --> 0:01:04.560 see each other after Grand Final two years ago. I 0:01:04.560 --> 0:01:06.560 think I missed last year three. That was after the 0:01:06.560 --> 0:01:08.760 first one. But the first one was it? Yeah? 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:11.479 It was you said you couldn't believe it actually won one. 0:01:11.560 --> 0:01:17.000 So well, I have to say thanks for coming to 0:01:17.040 --> 0:01:19.080 likes this only a couple of days after the Grand 0:01:19.080 --> 0:01:22.520 Final and one of my major Both still stand up, 0:01:22.560 --> 0:01:24.920 or at least Nathan will still stand up. 0:01:25.440 --> 0:01:28.560 Yeah, it's been a tough couple of days. She sore heads, 0:01:28.560 --> 0:01:31.280 but feeling pretty good now and you're happy to be 0:01:31.319 --> 0:01:32.560 here and sort of reminiscent. 0:01:33.000 --> 0:01:36.199 Yeah, it's well, I guess congratulations mostant. There's pretty obvious, 0:01:36.200 --> 0:01:41.600 but I think that's I just be great if you 0:01:41.600 --> 0:01:44.560 could talk us through, Nathan, if you could just talk 0:01:44.600 --> 0:01:47.840 through what what does it mean? Not mean to win 0:01:47.840 --> 0:01:49.960 the Grand Final, but what does it mean to celebrate 0:01:50.080 --> 0:01:53.800 post Grand final? Many people we've ever experienced even go 0:01:53.920 --> 0:01:55.880 to the fan day that not many people ever get 0:01:55.920 --> 0:01:59.680 to do that. Some clubs in the young person's lifetime 0:01:59.760 --> 0:02:03.559 River actually win a Grand Final. You guys have won four. 0:02:03.920 --> 0:02:08.880 What is it like for you attending those events? Because 0:02:08.880 --> 0:02:10.359 it's a bit of an any climax. 0:02:11.200 --> 0:02:15.480 It's well yesterday, so usually we do the fan day 0:02:15.800 --> 0:02:18.800 the day after the Grand Final, and like everyone's just 0:02:18.840 --> 0:02:21.280 in the worst state. So this year we changed it. 0:02:21.320 --> 0:02:24.840 We did it yesterday instead had a little went on 0:02:24.880 --> 0:02:27.480 stage and saw all that and then we just signed 0:02:27.520 --> 0:02:31.000 jerseys for about six hours. So it's that part of 0:02:31.040 --> 0:02:33.120 it is like, yeah, it's tough when everyone's hung over 0:02:33.160 --> 0:02:35.600 and all that, but the few days following the game 0:02:35.720 --> 0:02:38.440 is like it's just euphoric, like surreal feeling. 0:02:38.440 --> 0:02:40.480 Like a blur too, I guess, honestly, Yeah, it is. 0:02:41.040 --> 0:02:42.480 One of the coolest things we did this year was 0:02:42.560 --> 0:02:44.240 went straight back to the Leagues Club and it's the 0:02:44.240 --> 0:02:46.120 busiest I've ever seen the Leagues Club. But you couldn't 0:02:46.160 --> 0:02:48.520 see any part of the ground, just just people everywhere 0:02:48.960 --> 0:02:52.160 going crazy. So that part of it was, yeah, it 0:02:52.200 --> 0:02:54.280 was amazing to sort of share that and feel what 0:02:54.320 --> 0:02:58.079 it's like for people at pen to experience another Grand 0:02:58.120 --> 0:03:00.880 Final win. And yeah, it's it's an amazing feeling. 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:03.679 It's sort of like just some extent, you guys are 0:03:04.360 --> 0:03:06.480 sort of keep the community together a little bit, like 0:03:06.840 --> 0:03:10.080 there's something everybody hangs out for him in not just Pendrith, 0:03:10.120 --> 0:03:14.440 but the whole area that that your club encompasses. There's 0:03:14.480 --> 0:03:17.200 a little bit of a responsibility for you to some extent, 0:03:17.360 --> 0:03:21.720 like extra pressure, not just with your teammates family in 0:03:21.760 --> 0:03:24.320 case of you Tube, But I mean who carries that 0:03:24.360 --> 0:03:25.400 responsibility do you? 0:03:25.680 --> 0:03:28.760 Yeah, definitely it is a responsibility than one that we 0:03:29.760 --> 0:03:33.440 take really seriously and drives us. Like I keep hearing 0:03:33.440 --> 0:03:38.160 stories about people that you know, they've got kids, are 0:03:38.560 --> 0:03:40.760 six seven years old, and they only know of us 0:03:40.760 --> 0:03:47.360 winning Grand Viinals. So it's just yeah, it's just it's 0:03:47.400 --> 0:03:49.800 just amazing, you know, and it's just so good to 0:03:49.840 --> 0:03:52.560 see to be able to have that ability to make 0:03:53.200 --> 0:03:57.119 so many people so happy, you know, it's just yeah, 0:03:57.160 --> 0:03:59.640 it's crazy. But that one that certainly drives us. 0:04:00.240 --> 0:04:02.920 But that the flip side of it is merely obligation 0:04:03.120 --> 0:04:07.480 to some extent. I mean, like you might feel just 0:04:07.520 --> 0:04:10.000 as disappointed for the fans, like in a real sense 0:04:10.040 --> 0:04:10.960 of disappointment for them. 0:04:11.160 --> 0:04:13.480 Yeah, But the thing is that we don't. It's not 0:04:14.240 --> 0:04:16.279 all about winning for them. We just want to you know, 0:04:16.480 --> 0:04:18.400 we want to just make them proud of us or 0:04:18.520 --> 0:04:21.680 make them proud of themselves. So that's that's the main 0:04:21.720 --> 0:04:23.560 thing that drives us, and that's more than winning. So 0:04:24.279 --> 0:04:26.560 I think as long as you know, we're playing and 0:04:26.960 --> 0:04:30.520 acting in a certain way that they makes them proud, 0:04:30.560 --> 0:04:31.960 then that'll be enough. 0:04:32.560 --> 0:04:34.320 I can't believe both of you. By the way, I 0:04:34.400 --> 0:04:38.680 just I'm just sitting here. What the fuck too clear, 0:04:40.160 --> 0:04:45.600 It's it's pretty mad like there's all these levels of responsibility, 0:04:45.640 --> 0:04:47.240 and but I'm mean by that, and I'm not trying 0:04:47.279 --> 0:04:50.080 to turn this into away from being a great celebration, 0:04:50.480 --> 0:04:52.280 but but I think it's important to talk about this 0:04:52.320 --> 0:04:54.560 sort of stuff. There's all these levels of responsibility. There's 0:04:54.600 --> 0:04:57.320 you as a son, you as the father, you as 0:04:57.360 --> 0:04:59.480 both of you as a family members. Both your family's 0:04:59.480 --> 0:05:03.760 support that the club, your girlfriend she supports the club. 0:05:04.640 --> 0:05:07.040 Then you've got all your mates who someone's staying, someone going. 0:05:07.080 --> 0:05:09.080 There's a eleven responsibility them to play the very best, 0:05:09.120 --> 0:05:10.320 to do the best you count of the field. Then 0:05:10.360 --> 0:05:13.719 there's the you know, the general area. Then there's business 0:05:14.040 --> 0:05:16.680 business concerns like you know, you've got you're you're there 0:05:16.720 --> 0:05:19.760 with drink West. Then there's you know, then there's the 0:05:19.839 --> 0:05:22.400 fta you know from the area. Groups like you sort 0:05:22.400 --> 0:05:24.120 of have a let of the responsibility for them too. 0:05:24.240 --> 0:05:26.440 There's a lot of people sort of hanging in there 0:05:26.480 --> 0:05:28.560 for you to do well. And on the flip side, 0:05:28.560 --> 0:05:30.400 there's a lot of people waiting for you to fuck up. 0:05:31.360 --> 0:05:34.279 Look I've got mates and they're not rooster supporters, but 0:05:34.320 --> 0:05:38.080 they're mates. And then they say, and I had arguments 0:05:38.080 --> 0:05:40.039 from the photograph, I want a Sydney to to win 0:05:40.120 --> 0:05:44.280 between Melbourne and Sydney, and they say, ah, fuck, pending 0:05:44.400 --> 0:05:46.120 for one too many games. You know you can get 0:05:46.120 --> 0:05:50.479 that thing, you know, stuff that someone else share the spoils. 0:05:51.279 --> 0:05:53.840 So there's the flip side then, not your haters, but 0:05:53.880 --> 0:05:56.080 the people are sort of death riding a little bit 0:05:57.160 --> 0:05:59.640 that that process. Does that come into your head before 0:05:59.640 --> 0:06:02.720 the ground final or you can eliminate that, I'm sure 0:06:02.720 --> 0:06:03.080 it's in. 0:06:04.640 --> 0:06:07.080 Yeah, I think I've honestly never really thought about it 0:06:07.080 --> 0:06:09.400 the way you just described it. I think if I 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:11.000 was thinking of it like that, it's probably adds a 0:06:11.040 --> 0:06:14.599 lot more pressure. But in the moment, it's honestly just 0:06:15.400 --> 0:06:17.359 playing for my teammates. You want you want them to 0:06:17.360 --> 0:06:19.560 be happy and playing for just the club as a whole, 0:06:19.600 --> 0:06:21.919 and you just want to be successful. You want that 0:06:21.920 --> 0:06:24.280 feeling of winning, and what comes with that is the 0:06:24.560 --> 0:06:27.599 repercussions of keeping everyone happy. It keeps the community happy. 0:06:28.360 --> 0:06:31.120 I think that's saying really evident about Penrith is when 0:06:31.160 --> 0:06:34.000 we're doing well, everyone just seems to be happier, business 0:06:34.040 --> 0:06:37.080 seems to be thriving and are Yeah, Yeah, for sure, 0:06:37.160 --> 0:06:39.279 that's pretty cool. Yeah, and you just you can just 0:06:39.320 --> 0:06:42.039 feel it, like I reckon when we first moved to 0:06:42.040 --> 0:06:44.680 Penrith to now, it's such a different vibe about the 0:06:44.720 --> 0:06:46.680 place and even just going to a cafe and seeing 0:06:46.680 --> 0:06:49.160 everyone just sort of happy and for us to have 0:06:49.200 --> 0:06:51.200 some sort of part of that is pretty cool. And 0:06:51.279 --> 0:06:53.680 everyone's constantly coming out to us and just thanking us 0:06:53.720 --> 0:06:56.320 for what we're doing. And I think that adds an 0:06:56.360 --> 0:06:59.760 extra sort of layer to yeah, wanting to do well 0:06:59.800 --> 0:07:01.800 for for the area, and you do that. 0:07:01.880 --> 0:07:03.599 I haven't win it with the players because you know, 0:07:03.839 --> 0:07:06.800 you're the sort of you're the leader in the group 0:07:06.839 --> 0:07:09.640 in terms of coaching. He's leader on the field, but 0:07:09.680 --> 0:07:12.840 you're a leader every other moment of it. And you've 0:07:12.880 --> 0:07:16.000 got to make sure that young fellas don't think too 0:07:16.040 --> 0:07:20.560 much about these things. They're going to distract them, especially 0:07:20.600 --> 0:07:21.920 on the day. But at the same time, you'd be 0:07:22.080 --> 0:07:24.200 probably fully aware of all those layers that I just 0:07:24.240 --> 0:07:25.120 went through with you. 0:07:26.040 --> 0:07:28.800 Yeah, I think that's part of leadership, is absorbing pressure 0:07:29.000 --> 0:07:32.440 and you know, I mean things like that, like I 0:07:32.440 --> 0:07:35.400 actually thought about it. This year, we had a we 0:07:35.440 --> 0:07:38.680 had a new major sponsor in my place, and because 0:07:38.680 --> 0:07:40.520 of the success you have, as you know, and all 0:07:40.520 --> 0:07:43.120 of a sudden, the commercial reality of that is that 0:07:43.200 --> 0:07:45.760 whoever wants to sponsor you have to pay more. And 0:07:45.760 --> 0:07:48.240 I'm thinking, is you know, a new sponsor had the 0:07:48.280 --> 0:07:50.440 old one had been there for ten years and he 0:07:50.520 --> 0:07:52.280 was doing these ads and I spent all this money. 0:07:52.280 --> 0:07:56.400 I was like, oh man, but well again, you know, 0:07:56.560 --> 0:07:59.720 so that does occur to me, you know, because I 0:07:59.720 --> 0:08:01.680 I was in my role, I'm you know, I have 0:08:01.840 --> 0:08:05.040 spent more time and more connected with those types of 0:08:05.080 --> 0:08:08.280 guys where it's not for the players, it's really clear 0:08:08.320 --> 0:08:11.760 like we you know, we have high standards and you 0:08:11.800 --> 0:08:14.240 know we aim to win, so they know that. But 0:08:14.400 --> 0:08:17.000 apart from that, away from that, they just need to 0:08:17.000 --> 0:08:19.000 be you know, getting themselves ready to be able to 0:08:19.120 --> 0:08:21.440 prepare the best they can, train as hard as they 0:08:21.480 --> 0:08:23.800 can and ultimately play well. 0:08:24.040 --> 0:08:26.080 I mean, someone who'd be listening to just watching this now, 0:08:26.120 --> 0:08:29.080 and anybody who looks at Nathan's just around page. Anybody 0:08:29.160 --> 0:08:35.040 watches him play in kick field goals and you know, 0:08:35.160 --> 0:08:37.080 we set up try to score tries under pressure like 0:08:37.200 --> 0:08:40.480 last year's year fourth Grand Final, and and then they 0:08:40.480 --> 0:08:42.120 look at you sitting here now and you're as cool 0:08:42.120 --> 0:08:44.640 as a Cooper mother. But your has always been the cool. 0:08:44.960 --> 0:08:48.480 He's always been cool. I've always been cool. He has 0:08:48.559 --> 0:08:52.440 like who tells me that nobody has just been cool? 0:08:52.640 --> 0:08:58.840 But I get his sense that underneath there's the legs 0:08:58.840 --> 0:09:01.080 are going, and their arms are going, and the machinery 0:09:01.160 --> 0:09:04.719 is really going. It's churning. How do you maintain both 0:09:04.760 --> 0:09:07.679 of you? How do you maintain that level of steadiness 0:09:07.760 --> 0:09:09.880 because you know you're trying to make sure your teammates 0:09:10.280 --> 0:09:13.240 don't see it. The opposition definitely does. You don't want 0:09:13.240 --> 0:09:15.440 them to see it. You don't want the opposition coach 0:09:15.559 --> 0:09:18.120 bellow me to see it. Even if you've got a 0:09:18.120 --> 0:09:20.160 crook show, you don't want to see anything. You've got 0:09:20.200 --> 0:09:22.240 to play a game. You don't want any of the 0:09:22.280 --> 0:09:25.640 fellas to feel like you might be a bit nervous. 0:09:26.240 --> 0:09:28.600 How do you individually? I'd love to know how you 0:09:28.640 --> 0:09:30.640 individually do it? And do you, as a dad coach 0:09:30.720 --> 0:09:31.960 him to do it? Do you say, mate, this is 0:09:31.960 --> 0:09:34.840 what I've always done, or if you just sort of narrated. 0:09:34.559 --> 0:09:36.679 It well, I reckon that you can talk to you 0:09:36.760 --> 0:09:43.120 about just being being happy with how he's prepared. I 0:09:43.160 --> 0:09:46.319 reckon you tell a story about that. Personally, Like, I've 0:09:46.360 --> 0:09:50.960 always hid my emotions mainly, so you mentioned a bit 0:09:51.040 --> 0:09:55.840 about doing that, which there's a balance between being vulnerable 0:09:55.880 --> 0:09:58.079 as well, and I've learned that over these too, to 0:09:58.120 --> 0:10:02.200 be able to actually show, particularly your players and the 0:10:02.280 --> 0:10:06.720 staff that yeah, you aren't perfect and you do get 0:10:06.720 --> 0:10:08.640 nervous and fail and all that kind of stuff. So 0:10:08.679 --> 0:10:11.360 there's a there's a bit of a balance there. Other 0:10:11.400 --> 0:10:13.760 than that, it's just my nature, you know. I just 0:10:14.280 --> 0:10:16.880 I get nervous, I have you know, I have doubts. 0:10:17.679 --> 0:10:20.560 You know, we all have fears, all that stuff. But yeah, 0:10:20.600 --> 0:10:23.840 I just tend to keep it all inside of me. 0:10:23.880 --> 0:10:27.280 So but I have tried to show and part of 0:10:27.280 --> 0:10:30.439 it we might talk about later, But that's become a 0:10:31.200 --> 0:10:34.840 bit of a improvement for me, where I am actually 0:10:35.280 --> 0:10:38.880 giving more of my emotions and particularly to the people 0:10:38.880 --> 0:10:39.640 that are closest to me. 0:10:39.880 --> 0:10:43.079 Yeah, that's all got something to learn about that, by 0:10:43.120 --> 0:10:44.680 the way, And what do you do. 0:10:45.240 --> 0:10:48.600 Yeah, I'm a big believer in just preparation giving me confidence. 0:10:49.040 --> 0:10:52.600 I've definitely always got doubts coming in, but I'll consiumind 0:10:52.640 --> 0:10:55.040 myself that if I prepared the way I've wanted to, 0:10:55.040 --> 0:10:57.080 then I get to game down, I've got no excuses. 0:10:57.200 --> 0:10:59.800 I think early in my career where I wasn't really 0:11:01.480 --> 0:11:04.240 I guess wide like that I got to game day 0:11:04.240 --> 0:11:06.320 and it was I felt like sometimes I wasn't even 0:11:06.400 --> 0:11:08.320 joying it because it felt like sort of anxious, and 0:11:08.880 --> 0:11:10.559 I felt like, I don't know if I've done everything 0:11:10.600 --> 0:11:13.040 I could and sort of give myselfself an excuse to 0:11:13.080 --> 0:11:15.920 not play well. Where now I'm really send my ways 0:11:15.960 --> 0:11:17.640 of what I need to do, and then once I 0:11:17.679 --> 0:11:20.559 get to the game, I feel the freest I've felt 0:11:20.559 --> 0:11:22.840 the whole week. It's like, it's this is the fun 0:11:22.840 --> 0:11:25.280 part and this is what I've enjoyed doing since I was, 0:11:25.600 --> 0:11:28.200 you know, a young kid, so why not enjoy it? 0:11:28.200 --> 0:11:30.120 And I'm sort of similar to that as well. I've 0:11:30.120 --> 0:11:34.400 definitely learned to be more vulnerable, particularly to younger players. 0:11:34.440 --> 0:11:36.440 I'm not scared to say to them that, yeah, I 0:11:36.480 --> 0:11:39.079 feel nervous, because I know that they're probably feeling nervous, 0:11:39.120 --> 0:11:41.240 and if they have senior guys say that to them 0:11:41.280 --> 0:11:44.320 and they feel a bit better that they can it's 0:11:44.360 --> 0:11:47.320 just human nature. Really, I don't feel like they're in 0:11:47.320 --> 0:11:51.280 the wrong for feeling nervous. And yeah, I constantly have 0:11:51.280 --> 0:11:53.920 nerves and I constantly have doubts, but I always just 0:11:53.960 --> 0:11:56.080 think back to my preparation to give me confidence and 0:11:56.640 --> 0:11:59.280 definitely got routines of breathing and things I like to 0:11:59.280 --> 0:12:01.439 do during the week that sort of centers me and 0:12:02.160 --> 0:12:03.200 gets me ready for the game. 0:12:03.679 --> 0:12:07.120 Sort of like maybe this is a good maybe a 0:12:07.120 --> 0:12:11.160 good point to talk about this. You remember Freddie is 0:12:11.720 --> 0:12:14.720 Freddy was always in a nature natural things like you know, 0:12:14.760 --> 0:12:18.360 like well, not always, but he became that way, you know, 0:12:19.600 --> 0:12:22.880 like get your shoes off, go on the grass. You've 0:12:22.920 --> 0:12:26.840 had him in origin if you so you know what 0:12:26.880 --> 0:12:31.560 he's like. And but Freddie was always happy to be vulnerable. 0:12:31.960 --> 0:12:35.439 I actually don't know if he has any emotions, but like, 0:12:36.200 --> 0:12:39.080 but like you know, I mean like he And do 0:12:39.160 --> 0:12:43.080 you learn those things you're talking about now? You know, 0:12:43.200 --> 0:12:47.040 the preparedness in a managed way to show how you're feeling, 0:12:47.520 --> 0:12:49.520 but that it doesn't have to be vulnerable as such, 0:12:49.559 --> 0:12:52.520 but just show how you're feeling. That preparedness. If you 0:12:52.600 --> 0:12:54.880 learned that from watching the young guys in your club, 0:12:54.960 --> 0:12:57.640 because it is much more acceptable in their age group, 0:12:57.679 --> 0:12:59.760 in their coort of you know age. 0:13:01.120 --> 0:13:03.120 Yeah. Yes, and now I sort of was a fair 0:13:03.200 --> 0:13:06.440 bit deliberate about it as well. It was probably about 0:13:06.480 --> 0:13:09.600 five years ago when I first came back to Panthers. 0:13:09.600 --> 0:13:14.000 I was struggling mentally, and I'd learned over time to 0:13:14.040 --> 0:13:15.880 actually share things with my wife too, because I wasn't 0:13:15.880 --> 0:13:18.640 always doing that. So that was a journey that we 0:13:18.679 --> 0:13:22.160 took together where I started at least, you know, I 0:13:22.160 --> 0:13:24.640 would I would be vulnerable with her about things that 0:13:24.679 --> 0:13:27.600 I was, you know, where I was doubtful or of 0:13:27.679 --> 0:13:30.640 just struggling or whatever. And so eventually it sort of 0:13:30.640 --> 0:13:33.800 became I think, as my role as a leader, I 0:13:33.840 --> 0:13:35.840 need to show the young guys and show people it's 0:13:35.880 --> 0:13:40.320 actually okay to do that. Yeah. So it's been, I guess, 0:13:40.320 --> 0:13:43.600 a bit of a journey of it's but it's definitely been. Yeah, 0:13:43.760 --> 0:13:46.560 I made a choice to do that. And then, as 0:13:46.559 --> 0:13:48.240 you mentioned before, it's a bit of a balancing act, 0:13:48.320 --> 0:13:50.440 you can, yeah, because as a leader, I can't be 0:13:50.480 --> 0:13:54.160 like constantly walking around and saying, oh my god, I 0:13:54.160 --> 0:13:57.199 don't know what I'm doing or yeah, it's. 0:13:57.240 --> 0:14:01.800 Interesting because you're not a bit similar to Robbo and 0:14:01.840 --> 0:14:03.719 some re scs don't You're not a big gaff, you know, 0:14:03.760 --> 0:14:05.440 getting on. They're talking a whole lot of stuff in 0:14:05.440 --> 0:14:07.720 front of the media, and you know, you're pretty reserved. 0:14:08.320 --> 0:14:12.319 You're economical with your words probably the way of saying it. 0:14:13.960 --> 0:14:15.520 But at the same time, that doesn't mean that you're 0:14:15.520 --> 0:14:18.600 not prepared to show how you feel in relation to 0:14:18.800 --> 0:14:22.040 other people and you particularly the people around you, your 0:14:22.040 --> 0:14:24.840 family and your players. One of the things I've noticed 0:14:24.920 --> 0:14:28.040 just watching The East Club is that a lot of 0:14:28.040 --> 0:14:33.160 the Islander boys are very much that way. They're quite 0:14:33.280 --> 0:14:36.080 honest and upfront and open, particularly when it comes to 0:14:36.160 --> 0:14:41.080 family kids, wives, mums, dads, brothers, sisters, and there's a 0:14:41.080 --> 0:14:42.880 lot to learn out of that from my point of view. 0:14:42.880 --> 0:14:45.080 Even when it comes to their religion. You know how 0:14:45.120 --> 0:14:47.040 they feel that they don't care, they'll do it in 0:14:47.080 --> 0:14:50.920 front of everybody. And we sort of started first scene 0:14:50.960 --> 0:14:53.720 with Sunny Bill like when he used to do his 0:14:54.040 --> 0:14:55.680 Muslim prayers and stuff that when he wanted, he was 0:14:55.680 --> 0:14:57.840 happy to do it in front of everybody, not worry 0:14:57.840 --> 0:15:01.240 about what everybody thought. That new development rugby league, you 0:15:01.240 --> 0:15:04.120 reckon from where I say when you played. 0:15:04.880 --> 0:15:08.840 It's definitely different. I was fortunate enough to spend a 0:15:08.840 --> 0:15:12.400 few years playing in New Zealand, yeah, and then coaching 0:15:12.400 --> 0:15:13.840 over this so I lived there for ten years. So 0:15:15.280 --> 0:15:17.880 I learned a lot about the Polynesian culture over there 0:15:18.000 --> 0:15:22.440 from like the late nineties, you know, when I left 0:15:22.480 --> 0:15:26.880 to go there, you know, playing in Sydney Rugby League 0:15:26.880 --> 0:15:28.840 in those days, it was just there was nowhere near 0:15:29.120 --> 0:15:32.000 the Polynesian elements. So I learned a lot about culture. 0:15:32.000 --> 0:15:36.640 I learn a lot about body language as well, where Yeah, 0:15:37.280 --> 0:15:39.840 it's said that sixty percent of communication is body language. 0:15:39.880 --> 0:15:42.200 So for a guy that doesn't necessarily like to talk 0:15:42.200 --> 0:15:44.560 that much, I really like that. So just things like 0:15:44.640 --> 0:15:47.560 touch and you know, how you hold yourself, and they 0:15:47.600 --> 0:15:51.480 do a lot of that. But there's also different Polynesian backgrounds. 0:15:51.920 --> 0:15:53.640 You know, the kids that grow up in Australia, the 0:15:53.640 --> 0:15:55.600 Polynesians are different to the ones that grow up in 0:15:55.600 --> 0:15:57.480 New Zealand. For example. They're just they're a bit more 0:15:58.080 --> 0:15:59.600 they're a bit more brash and a little bit more 0:15:59.600 --> 0:16:02.120 confident then a lot of the kids who come from 0:16:02.160 --> 0:16:04.920 New Zealand. They're very because the big thing in pioneering 0:16:04.920 --> 0:16:06.960 culture is a prospect for their elders. 0:16:06.560 --> 0:16:08.280 And yeah, a little bit shyly. 0:16:08.360 --> 0:16:10.920 Yeah, there's real there's actually quite a big, big difference 0:16:10.920 --> 0:16:13.720 where when they're all together in family, they all kind 0:16:13.720 --> 0:16:15.880 of acts look like they all look the same, but 0:16:15.920 --> 0:16:19.080 when they're in different settings they can inadapt, they can 0:16:19.120 --> 0:16:20.760 be a bit different. But I'll tell you one of 0:16:20.800 --> 0:16:24.120 they are a lot of fun generally speaking. They they 0:16:24.200 --> 0:16:25.720 love the fun part. So if you try and make 0:16:25.720 --> 0:16:27.520 it too serious all the time, just won't wet work. 0:16:27.600 --> 0:16:29.920 So you've got to you got to let them do themselves, 0:16:30.200 --> 0:16:32.680 I think. Anyway, Yeah, we. 0:16:32.680 --> 0:16:34.280 Might just talk about a couple of the boys in 0:16:34.320 --> 0:16:36.280 the club and the team. I mean, you're going to 0:16:36.280 --> 0:16:40.160 miss some of your your great your mates fisharers Jerome 0:16:40.240 --> 0:16:43.480 Law Obviously I've seen I've been watching a posts, look 0:16:43.520 --> 0:16:46.280 at reading those and you know that you're putting up 0:16:46.320 --> 0:16:52.360 some special photographs of those two in particular. How much 0:16:52.400 --> 0:16:56.680 of their culture, No, I'm not just talking about Pacific 0:16:56.720 --> 0:16:59.400 Islander culture, but I'm just talking about their culture from 0:16:59.440 --> 0:17:01.920 Pacific Island families, but also growing up in the West. 0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:04.520 How much of that rubs off on you? 0:17:05.240 --> 0:17:07.800 Yeah, a lot of it. Some of my best mates 0:17:08.920 --> 0:17:13.800 finders or fishing Moldy as well, and just the energy 0:17:13.840 --> 0:17:18.399 they bring is saying that is unrivaled, really, and I 0:17:18.400 --> 0:17:20.679 think they've had a big influence on our culture and 0:17:20.720 --> 0:17:23.120 building that and that sort of touches on the fun 0:17:23.200 --> 0:17:26.240 side of it, but also when it's time to work, 0:17:26.480 --> 0:17:29.439 we're working, and Fishes as the main leader of that. 0:17:29.480 --> 0:17:31.760 He's probably one that's not as loud. He let his 0:17:31.760 --> 0:17:35.640 actions to the talking, but off the field it's fun 0:17:35.680 --> 0:17:39.080 and they really bring that family vibe to the club 0:17:39.119 --> 0:17:41.760 as well. I think just getting everyone included. They want 0:17:41.760 --> 0:17:45.080 people to indulge in their culture and enjoy what they enjoy. 0:17:45.200 --> 0:17:49.439 And yeah, they've both Roemi and Fishing particularly, I've just 0:17:49.480 --> 0:17:53.640 been massive generators of our culture and what has become 0:17:53.680 --> 0:17:56.399 today and going to be sorely missed. But I think 0:17:56.400 --> 0:17:58.640 there are also two guys that will leave a legacy 0:17:58.720 --> 0:18:02.320 for younger guys to into and what they've built is 0:18:02.680 --> 0:18:04.639 not saying that's going to be going to be taken away, 0:18:04.680 --> 0:18:07.760 and I think they can hold their heads high and 0:18:07.760 --> 0:18:10.560 knowing that they've left that legas going out club. It's funny. 0:18:10.600 --> 0:18:12.240 I read something that I think it was Jerome Lewis 0:18:12.200 --> 0:18:15.080 said it that he actually think about his little kid 0:18:15.359 --> 0:18:19.760 and ty Hoose little boy, like actually being the next 0:18:19.800 --> 0:18:24.439 generation of to be to beat the four four wins. 0:18:24.600 --> 0:18:26.119 They're saying they're going to They're going to beat it. 0:18:26.680 --> 0:18:29.800 I mean that's pretty cool, Like yeah, yeah, but and 0:18:30.040 --> 0:18:32.600 they're actually sort of passing that legacy onto their families. 0:18:32.600 --> 0:18:34.439 Like I'd never heard of that sort of stuff before, 0:18:35.000 --> 0:18:37.520 Like in the clubs that I've ever been involved with. 0:18:37.840 --> 0:18:42.280 It's sort of like the Canbury Bulldogs of the nineteen 0:18:42.320 --> 0:18:45.040 eighties and nineties, you remember them, where the Bulldogs are 0:18:45.000 --> 0:18:48.240 the Berries whatever they call but like that process Hues 0:18:48.280 --> 0:18:50.840 and you know, Mortimers and all that, and their kids 0:18:50.840 --> 0:18:53.040 came on and played. I mean, do you feel like 0:18:53.160 --> 0:18:57.000 that's sort of we're talking dynasties here, mate, But I'm serious, 0:18:57.040 --> 0:18:59.600 it is. It is in some respects, So you can 0:18:59.640 --> 0:19:00.239 you see that. 0:19:01.200 --> 0:19:03.080 I hadn't really thought about it until you just said that. 0:19:03.160 --> 0:19:06.840 But that's the fact that Rami and Vizra talking about that, 0:19:06.840 --> 0:19:08.239 that doesn't surprise me. That's pretty cool. 0:19:08.440 --> 0:19:12.639 Yeah, there he was. I'm pretty sure. Yeah, it was 0:19:12.760 --> 0:19:14.479 Jerune one thing. 0:19:14.520 --> 0:19:19.880 I know, like life goes pretty fast, yeah, I mean, yeah, 0:19:20.080 --> 0:19:22.560 we've been in the Penwrith area as a family for 0:19:22.800 --> 0:19:26.120 twelve years now. Wow, Nathan was fourteen when we came 0:19:27.440 --> 0:19:30.000 and just to be sitting in now having true what 0:19:30.000 --> 0:19:32.119 we have is just mind blowing. You know. It's just 0:19:32.240 --> 0:19:35.120 twelve years gone like that. So yeah, I guess it 0:19:35.119 --> 0:19:41.000 won't be too long before it became Ramy's little Lizzie. Yeah, 0:19:41.040 --> 0:19:44.240 he just graves before it's our eyes. But he's a 0:19:44.280 --> 0:19:46.920 very talented little kid too, so already there's every chance 0:19:46.960 --> 0:19:47.320 he will be. 0:19:48.000 --> 0:19:52.199 So I need to know from you, like, how do 0:19:52.240 --> 0:19:54.640