WEBVTT - Connor Watson | Part 1 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:02.360 Yeah, Gooday, guys, it's Maddie John's Yeah, look at it. 0:00:02.440 --> 0:00:04.600 You can tell I'm just not myself at the moment, 0:00:04.600 --> 0:00:06.200 a little bit down, but I tell it'll cheer me up. 0:00:06.320 --> 0:00:09.160 Hitting the follow but on our podcast with the Family 0:00:09.200 --> 0:00:11.720 podcast and backstage so you don't miss any of the 0:00:11.720 --> 0:00:13.720 good stuff we've got coming up. And thank you guys, 0:00:14.000 --> 0:00:16.520 Thank you again for listening to the podcast and giving 0:00:16.560 --> 0:00:18.080 us your support. Good on you, guys. 0:00:18.760 --> 0:00:21.440 What was it a slip at the other day or something. 0:00:21.480 --> 0:00:23.760 You're saying that you come back from a weekend away 0:00:23.800 --> 0:00:25.959 and he's, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. 0:00:25.800 --> 0:00:28.400 She went. She goes were go for a week. She 0:00:28.520 --> 0:00:32.520 has all these these idealism about faking going and we'll 0:00:32.520 --> 0:00:35.680 going to the city. We'll have it a romanic. Okay, 0:00:35.720 --> 0:00:38.879 yeah great. Anyway, anyway, I ducked off and she did 0:00:38.920 --> 0:00:41.239 a thing that I came back late, and then she 0:00:41.320 --> 0:00:43.440 went berserk. I said, fucking made half. Now, I like 0:00:43.479 --> 0:00:45.520 to guys, suppose a romanic. And we did the same 0:00:45.560 --> 0:00:48.680 thing the next day. Yeah, she got me playing the pokeys. 0:00:49.159 --> 0:00:53.120 Yeah, we just do mate. They played poking and now 0:00:53.159 --> 0:00:56.320 they're fighting about something that like just has started just 0:00:56.360 --> 0:00:59.680 from like dad losing his credit card. It's just it's 0:00:59.800 --> 0:01:03.640 just so stupid. They just both of you are just idiots. 0:01:03.640 --> 0:01:06.920 I love how you're like at the point now your 0:01:06.959 --> 0:01:09.720 friends who me and Dad, like, you know, like it's 0:01:09.720 --> 0:01:11.479 like looking at a couple, but you know. 0:01:11.480 --> 0:01:18.760 Like, oh yeah, I look real when like when your 0:01:18.760 --> 0:01:20.280 parents used to fight when you were young, you go. 0:01:20.319 --> 0:01:22.840 Oh no, it's gonna end. It's going to end. 0:01:22.920 --> 0:01:26.479 And now I just go like, just get over. Dad's 0:01:26.480 --> 0:01:28.680 sleeping on the couch like three nights and it's just 0:01:28.720 --> 0:01:32.160 like and then he's gone, mate, like what about her? 0:01:32.200 --> 0:01:33.800 And then she'll be like what about him? I'll be like, 0:01:33.840 --> 0:01:35.600 you're both just as bad as each other. I couldn't 0:01:35.600 --> 0:01:36.880 even care less. 0:01:37.040 --> 0:01:40.400 Sleeping on the couch, just next social cat up on 0:01:40.480 --> 0:01:41.720 the grille. 0:01:41.800 --> 0:01:46.200 Seriously, not the good kind, uh. Connor Watson, Welcome to 0:01:46.200 --> 0:01:46.800 the podcast. 0:01:47.400 --> 0:01:48.520 We got you on a bye week? 0:01:49.320 --> 0:01:53.040 I would say, Matthew, I would say somewhat a part 0:01:53.080 --> 0:01:57.680 of the family. Connor, Yes, close personal friend, you know, 0:01:57.880 --> 0:01:58.880 ex teammate of Jack. 0:01:59.440 --> 0:01:59.520 Ye. 0:01:59.760 --> 0:02:04.680 Dad probably looks at you as somewhat have done. Yeah, someone, 0:02:04.920 --> 0:02:06.160 what do you get up to on a bye week? 0:02:07.880 --> 0:02:09.839 Not much we got because we've got the whole week off. 0:02:09.880 --> 0:02:12.840 But I was just thinking as I drove up here. 0:02:13.520 --> 0:02:15.240 Do you remember when you took us for that half 0:02:15.320 --> 0:02:18.400 session down the parking Do you remember? Yeah, yeah, that's right. Yeah, 0:02:18.400 --> 0:02:19.519 it didn't really help that much. 0:02:21.320 --> 0:02:26.160 I really do that one. You've played about every position. 0:02:27.480 --> 0:02:30.880 Coaches when there was a new counsel. Boys come down. 0:02:31.520 --> 0:02:35.640 They're so enthusiastic the coaching stuff. Yeah, wow, great, you go, mate. 0:02:35.680 --> 0:02:37.240 You know this is when you shift a ball, dow'n 0:02:37.240 --> 0:02:39.120 have to do block formation. Just get it there, bing 0:02:39.200 --> 0:02:41.640 ding ding. Oh yeah, this is a revolutionary. This is great. 0:02:42.560 --> 0:02:45.240 I didn't use it at all. Waste my time. 0:02:46.160 --> 0:02:49.760 I feel free to get that mic into your no, no, no, 0:02:49.800 --> 0:02:51.959 we're going to talk about your podcast as back in 0:02:52.000 --> 0:02:53.360 the day. But you haven't done a podcast in a 0:02:53.360 --> 0:02:54.920 long time, mate, it's. 0:02:54.720 --> 0:02:57.280 Been a little bit. It's been a while. Yeah, I 0:02:57.320 --> 0:02:58.080 actually can't remember. 0:02:58.080 --> 0:03:01.280 The last one I did would have been that was 0:03:01.280 --> 0:03:03.400 obviously with two five seven. We're gonna we're going to 0:03:03.400 --> 0:03:07.120 touch on all that, but that like a gang, No 0:03:07.240 --> 0:03:09.919 that was that was wasn't that like your house number? 0:03:09.919 --> 0:03:12.519 House number? Oh yeah, yeah yeah yeah, And then it 0:03:12.600 --> 0:03:15.359 ended up the house always got egged because we basically 0:03:15.400 --> 0:03:19.880 gave their house number, didn't actually get ye house cars. 0:03:19.880 --> 0:03:22.760 It didn't help when I had first went to Newcastle 0:03:22.800 --> 0:03:26.840 and part of my deal was club car and rock 0:03:27.000 --> 0:03:29.880 up get the club car, and it's just like everywhere. 0:03:29.880 --> 0:03:31.280 I can't remember what the sponsor was, but it was 0:03:31.320 --> 0:03:34.720 just like Newcastle Knights sponsored by or whatever. 0:03:35.080 --> 0:03:36.800 Who's driving around now Braddy. 0:03:38.160 --> 0:03:40.720 I saw Braddy up in Newcastle the other day driving past, 0:03:40.880 --> 0:03:42.280 and the other reason I knew it was him because 0:03:42.320 --> 0:03:45.160 I had Massive Night's logo on the door. It was like, mate, 0:03:45.160 --> 0:03:47.080 you can't be getting around it. Yeah, people were just 0:03:47.160 --> 0:03:49.560 hamming your car. You have a few bad games. 0:03:49.600 --> 0:03:51.600 And I knew you guys like knew where I lived, 0:03:51.640 --> 0:03:54.480 so I wasn't far from like I was in Hamilton South, 0:03:54.520 --> 0:03:57.560 so you got the sort of housing commission block just 0:03:57.680 --> 0:04:00.440 up the road there. And I'm just fit in my 0:04:00.480 --> 0:04:02.840 garage one so I couldn't hide the car. So just 0:04:02.880 --> 0:04:04.880 out the front of my house was this Night's car. 0:04:06.040 --> 0:04:08.800 I had a car sponsorship at the Nights in two. 0:04:08.920 --> 0:04:12.080 Connor turned up at the car yard. I won't going 0:04:12.120 --> 0:04:14.280 to say the name of it. Of course it might 0:04:14.320 --> 0:04:17.279 still be there, but I walked straight and walked up 0:04:17.320 --> 0:04:18.920 to the place, says do you yeah, mate, you know they're 0:04:18.920 --> 0:04:21.280 going to give you a car for twelve months turned up. 0:04:21.600 --> 0:04:25.440 They pointed to it. It was a like a nineteen 0:04:25.560 --> 0:04:29.320 eighty two Ford Falcon kids, and it had wires coming 0:04:29.360 --> 0:04:33.040 out of the tire. One of them and ask Trusha, 0:04:33.120 --> 0:04:35.560 this is true. I couldn't if I put my foot 0:04:35.560 --> 0:04:39.400 on the brake without having my foot still on the accelerator, 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:42.359 it would actually conk out, it would stop. So I 0:04:42.440 --> 0:04:44.520 used to have to pull up at a light, put my 0:04:44.520 --> 0:04:47.240 foot on the brake or put the handbrake on, keep 0:04:47.279 --> 0:04:49.240 the foot on the accelerator. Then these and I and 0:04:49.279 --> 0:04:51.800 the other thing. The driver's door didn't open, so I 0:04:51.800 --> 0:04:53.839 had to jump through the window like dukes have haz. 0:04:53.720 --> 0:04:56.120 His style every time, every time in and out. 0:04:56.600 --> 0:04:58.440 Yeah, oh that's shit. 0:04:58.920 --> 0:05:00.720 What was Why didn't you? Why would you even keep it? 0:05:01.320 --> 0:05:06.080 Because beggars can't be chooses, That's true. Begars cannot be choosers. 0:05:06.320 --> 0:05:09.839 We don't see much obviously, you're in the eastern suburbs now. 0:05:09.960 --> 0:05:12.000 We don't see as much of you as we would 0:05:12.080 --> 0:05:14.800 like to these days. But we actually saw each other 0:05:14.839 --> 0:05:16.760 not long ago, a few weeks ago, had a bit 0:05:16.760 --> 0:05:17.560 of a night out. 0:05:18.279 --> 0:05:20.040 Yeah, it was good. It was good to see you again. 0:05:20.200 --> 0:05:22.000 It was it had been a little while. That's why 0:05:22.040 --> 0:05:23.680 I felt bad the other day when I rang you 0:05:23.720 --> 0:05:25.720 and I didn't realize because I knew you sold the 0:05:25.760 --> 0:05:28.280 old house. Yeah, yeah, I drove past it. I was 0:05:28.320 --> 0:05:29.680 visiting one of my mates the other day. I was 0:05:29.680 --> 0:05:31.960 telling you. Yeah, I didn't actually realize you guys still 0:05:31.960 --> 0:05:34.480 lived in COOLROI so I brushed. I brushed it the 0:05:34.520 --> 0:05:36.359 other day. But yeah, it was good to see you. 0:05:36.920 --> 0:05:41.640 The other week I come down sort of. It was 0:05:41.640 --> 0:05:43.760 a day day or two after a game, right. 0:05:43.680 --> 0:05:48.600 Yeah, you guys had just beaten was it Saint George Day, 0:05:48.640 --> 0:05:50.000 which is a good win. 0:05:50.200 --> 0:05:52.640 Yeah. So I saw you the night after the game, 0:05:52.680 --> 0:05:56.000 I think, and then the next day you're still out 0:05:56.080 --> 0:05:59.839 east and yeah, I had something on it. I can't 0:05:59.839 --> 0:06:01.400 rememb what it was, but I was just I was 0:06:01.440 --> 0:06:06.719 just cruising and Semi Walks has called me. I didn't answer, 0:06:06.839 --> 0:06:09.120 you know, like just I knew what. I knew what 0:06:09.160 --> 0:06:10.800 the boys were up to though they're on the beers. 0:06:10.839 --> 0:06:13.200 I was like, nah, I don't even want to answer 0:06:13.279 --> 0:06:16.359 the phone, and get like yeah, get my arm twisted 0:06:16.400 --> 0:06:21.000 into this, and then semi text my missus and goes, hey, Keanna, 0:06:21.600 --> 0:06:23.680 can you tell Kinnor to call me? It's urgent. So 0:06:23.760 --> 0:06:27.080 I'm thinking, oh, I know what's happened to you. 0:06:27.400 --> 0:06:28.160 I've freaked out. 0:06:28.200 --> 0:06:29.719 I've called him, and he goes, hey, mate, We're just 0:06:29.760 --> 0:06:31.400 at the end of your street. I'm with Cooper, me 0:06:31.600 --> 0:06:34.520 Mark Cooper, see, well, come down. I was like, you're serious. 0:06:34.560 --> 0:06:37.360 You made me think that something's happened. Like I'm freaking 0:06:37.400 --> 0:06:39.440 out here calling you because I'm worried about you, and 0:06:39.480 --> 0:06:41.560 then you're just down the end of my streets. So 0:06:41.760 --> 0:06:44.920 I went down and ye saw the boys. 0:06:44.920 --> 0:06:46.440 We had a good laugh for a couple of hours. 0:06:46.520 --> 0:06:49.159 Yeah, it was a great couple of hours. And I 0:06:49.160 --> 0:06:52.159 don't know, have you told that story which one? 0:06:52.839 --> 0:06:55.640 Yeahah, yeah, we told told it on the family partty 0:06:55.680 --> 0:06:57.360 before you can sell it. 0:06:56.960 --> 0:06:59.360 Was that funny. We're just we're sitting outside it started 0:06:59.640 --> 0:07:04.600 poor rain to n yeah, and then this like group 0:07:04.600 --> 0:07:07.760 of girls just come out and then they're just sitting 0:07:07.839 --> 0:07:09.279 there like waiting for an uber. We didn't pay too 0:07:09.360 --> 0:07:11.480 much attention to it, and then turned around, I was 0:07:11.520 --> 0:07:13.320 like one of the girls had almost died. She's like 0:07:13.440 --> 0:07:14.960 passed out in the in. 0:07:14.960 --> 0:07:17.840 The gut told me, yeah, kissing down on her like 0:07:17.880 --> 0:07:19.720 the rain was. She was nearly drowning in the rain. 0:07:19.880 --> 0:07:22.880 Yeah. So then we've tried to like trying to move 0:07:22.880 --> 0:07:24.320 her under the cover. There's a few of us that 0:07:24.360 --> 0:07:26.600 have gone over to grab her, but because she's full passed out, 0:07:26.680 --> 0:07:30.120 she was heavy, dead like dead way yeah yeah, hard 0:07:30.160 --> 0:07:33.560 to carry just like limbs, limbs flying everywhere. So we've 0:07:33.600 --> 0:07:36.640 moved onto the seat and I'm not sure what's happened 0:07:36.640 --> 0:07:40.200 because she's it's almost like she she wasn't. It wasn't 0:07:40.200 --> 0:07:43.040 like she was drunk passed out. She's just fully gone. 0:07:43.200 --> 0:07:44.600 It was like she'd fallen slip, but she was like 0:07:44.680 --> 0:07:45.240 vomiting too. 0:07:45.400 --> 0:07:48.640 But I heard amongst all that she recognized you boys. 0:07:48.800 --> 0:07:52.040 Yeah. Well, so she wakes up and Cooper's there like 0:07:52.560 --> 0:07:55.360 helping her. First thing she like looks up and she goes, 0:07:56.040 --> 0:07:57.480 is that Cooper John's. 0:07:59.080 --> 0:08:01.760 And all the boys remember. 0:08:01.800 --> 0:08:03.960 After this, her uber rocks up and me and Connor 0:08:04.160 --> 0:08:06.600 put her arms over each of us, like we're carrying 0:08:06.600 --> 0:08:08.440 off our bloke who just hurt his knee off the field, 0:08:08.480 --> 0:08:11.520 like two yellow shirts. We're dragging her off and we're 0:08:11.520 --> 0:08:14.000 trying We're in the rain at this stage, getting pissed on. 0:08:14.040 --> 0:08:15.680 We're just trying to get her in the uber. And 0:08:15.720 --> 0:08:17.480 remember she was like she must have been a massive 0:08:17.480 --> 0:08:19.720 footy fan because she kept saying to Connor. She kept 0:08:19.720 --> 0:08:22.640 going like, Connor like been loving, be loving what you're 0:08:22.680 --> 0:08:24.840 doing this season and kind of like, yeah, good on, 0:08:24.880 --> 0:08:26.120 you're good on your buddy, trying. 0:08:25.920 --> 0:08:27.400 To push her in and she's going, do you see 0:08:27.440 --> 0:08:33.880 yourself as a nine? Or I was going, she knows what. 0:08:34.720 --> 0:08:35.000 It was. 0:08:35.320 --> 0:08:38.040 I could have you know what, Connor, I should have 0:08:38.120 --> 0:08:40.640 been there because I was with Coop the night before 0:08:40.840 --> 0:08:42.560 and I was just settling in. I was having a 0:08:42.600 --> 0:08:46.600 ball and all of a sudden he goes goes, oh 0:08:46.640 --> 0:08:50.880 your car's here. I went mad, I didn't order a car's. 0:08:49.920 --> 0:08:54.120 He finished, yeah, we were at Brandon's and I said 0:08:54.120 --> 0:08:55.120 it's time for beginning to go. 0:08:55.720 --> 0:08:57.640 Yeah, because Mum was texting. 0:08:57.280 --> 0:08:59.680 Me, so she was like, oh, mate, you know, send 0:08:59.760 --> 0:09:04.640 Dad again. Of course you also, and we've told this 0:09:04.720 --> 0:09:08.520 a fair few times, but you also came me you 0:09:08.720 --> 0:09:10.600 Jack and a lot of the boys had a big 0:09:10.640 --> 0:09:13.640 Byron Bay trip back in twenty twenty after the Melbourne's 0:09:13.640 --> 0:09:16.680 Grand Final. We had a Big Boys trip planned. We 0:09:16.760 --> 0:09:19.959 have obviously won the Grand Final then basically turned into 0:09:20.000 --> 0:09:23.880 Melbourne's Mad Monday. You and Sammy Verrels had we've planned 0:09:23.920 --> 0:09:26.920 this for ages. You boys felt that uncomfortable coming up. 0:09:27.080 --> 0:09:29.839 I remember rocking up because it was when I had 0:09:29.840 --> 0:09:35.320 done my Achilles that year, so the club had sent 0:09:35.400 --> 0:09:39.840 me up to do my myb like rehab at the 0:09:40.520 --> 0:09:42.600 you know they got the surfing headquarters up there. 0:09:43.360 --> 0:09:46.800 Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, the surfer golf. 0:09:47.440 --> 0:09:49.040 So I went up there and just trained in there 0:09:49.040 --> 0:09:51.320 for a week because they've got like all the trampolines, 0:09:51.360 --> 0:09:53.600 great gym and stuff, and they've got good physios there. 0:09:53.679 --> 0:09:56.319 So the club were just like, as part as your rehab, 0:09:56.400 --> 0:09:58.400 let's get you up there, get your away from the facility, 0:09:58.440 --> 0:10:00.400 and then they were luck then you can have a 0:10:00.440 --> 0:10:03.560 week off after that. So planning this trip, gone up 0:10:03.600 --> 0:10:07.240 to Kingscliff Storm had then gone and won the camp 0:10:07.280 --> 0:10:09.679 and I had no idea what I was walking into really, 0:10:10.080 --> 0:10:12.200 And I remember, because I was training, I was like 0:10:12.240 --> 0:10:15.360 a day or two late. So I've walked in maybe 0:10:15.400 --> 0:10:17.880 on day two or three, and I've just like walked 0:10:17.920 --> 0:10:19.600 in through the house and then I've just like literally 0:10:19.679 --> 0:10:22.360 walked in on the storm mad Monday, and I was 0:10:22.400 --> 0:10:24.160 expecting to be there with a couple boys, but it 0:10:24.240 --> 0:10:27.360 was like the whole twenty of was. 0:10:29.720 --> 0:10:31.760 To be fair, you handled yourself very well, because it 0:10:31.760 --> 0:10:34.000 would have been very easy boken another team to just 0:10:34.040 --> 0:10:36.200 go to Verels kind of did go to water the 0:10:36.200 --> 0:10:38.000 first time. I remember Sammy like, We're all sitting out 0:10:38.040 --> 0:10:39.840 the back with music and that, having a laugh, and 0:10:39.880 --> 0:10:41.720 sam we just kind of went to bed because he 0:10:41.800 --> 0:10:44.200 was like, oh he was feeling he was uncomfortable. 0:10:44.240 --> 0:10:45.840 But this is the great thing, isn't about the game. 0:10:46.200 --> 0:10:49.560 There is a real camaraderie and a brotherhood in the game, 0:10:49.840 --> 0:10:51.480 and the fact that you can walk in somewhere. You 0:10:51.480 --> 0:10:53.719 can walk into a pub tomorrow and it might be 0:10:54.200 --> 0:10:56.800 aside the most despised team that you don't get along with, 0:10:56.840 --> 0:10:58.720 you've been sent off as soon as you walk in there. 0:10:59.000 --> 0:11:01.360 Everything everyone's so inclusive. 0:11:01.559 --> 0:11:04.680 Yeah, it is pretty cool because because the Brummage boys 0:11:04.679 --> 0:11:08.480 were there, Jesse and Ken and Kenny and Vels hadn't 0:11:08.520 --> 0:11:11.040 met him before. But then like obviously after a few 0:11:11.080 --> 0:11:12.880 days on the piece, you just become mate with everyone. 0:11:13.160 --> 0:11:15.280 And he was saying like because he was always kind 0:11:15.320 --> 0:11:16.439 of scared of him on the field. He was a 0:11:16.480 --> 0:11:18.400 young player of Sammy and he always faced Jesse in 0:11:18.440 --> 0:11:20.320 the middle. Jesse would like just like rough him up, and. 0:11:20.520 --> 0:11:22.800 He did the same thing to me, you know when 0:11:23.480 --> 0:11:24.920 like you do a kick chase and you go to 0:11:24.960 --> 0:11:27.120 do like an escort. Every time he just like shoved 0:11:27.160 --> 0:11:29.120 me in the back or try and push me over. Yeah, 0:11:29.240 --> 0:11:30.320 same thing always. 0:11:30.360 --> 0:11:32.520 And then he said the next year after he was like, 0:11:32.520 --> 0:11:35.320 every time I played Jesse, it was like it was 0:11:35.320 --> 0:11:37.880 way better, like you just like yeah, still like still 0:11:37.960 --> 0:11:39.560 rough me up, but he roughed me up in like 0:11:39.559 --> 0:11:41.680 a friendly way, like just a forearm and rub it 0:11:41.679 --> 0:11:42.240 over your nose. 0:11:42.280 --> 0:11:45.000 He's not being mean spirited. Now he's someone chuckling behind me. 0:11:45.760 --> 0:11:46.840 They want to add the. 0:11:48.960 --> 0:11:51.360 I'm just having flashbacks to the next morning when the 0:11:51.679 --> 0:11:53.079 Brubbish brothers woke up together. 0:11:53.200 --> 0:11:56.120 I just they can they can handle their own. 0:11:56.160 --> 0:11:56.920 The Rummish boys. 0:11:56.920 --> 0:12:02.080 Oh they're good drinkers, yeah, yeah, don't get don't get enough. 0:12:02.160 --> 0:12:04.120 They don't get enough wrap when like you know, and 0:12:04.600 --> 0:12:06.640 in podcasts and stuff, they go, oh, you know, who's 0:12:06.679 --> 0:12:09.200 who's the good drinkers? And you know, by far everyone 0:12:09.200 --> 0:12:11.480 goes up munster and cheese and those kind of lads, 0:12:11.679 --> 0:12:13.600 the Brummish boys. Gee there undercover. 0:12:15.040 --> 0:12:17.320 Yeah very just take the top off the bottle and 0:12:17.320 --> 0:12:19.480 don't put it back on. Yeah, they're just steady, you know, 0:12:19.559 --> 0:12:21.000 they're just steady away. 0:12:20.920 --> 0:12:22.680 Just good. Yeah, obviously responsible. 0:12:23.720 --> 0:12:26.880 I'll say this right there is there is. There is 0:12:26.920 --> 0:12:29.760 a certain degree of fools gold with some of the drinkers. 0:12:29.840 --> 0:12:32.920 And I'll use the Queensland as an example. People will go, oh, 0:12:33.000 --> 0:12:35.920 make the Queensland boys, they can put away case in point. 0:12:35.960 --> 0:12:39.840 Gordon tallis known as big drinker, and yes he can. However, 0:12:40.440 --> 0:12:41.480 it's four x gold. 0:12:42.920 --> 0:12:43.280 It is. 0:12:43.400 --> 0:12:46.040 It's four x gold and four x only mid is. 0:12:47.559 --> 0:12:50.600 Mid strength. Yeah, no, it used to be four x 0:12:50.760 --> 0:12:53.240 has another one. It's a marone can that's a full strength, 0:12:53.240 --> 0:12:55.600 but you never see it. But the drink of Queensland 0:12:55.679 --> 0:12:57.520 is four x gold. They all drink it. I don't 0:12:57.559 --> 0:13:01.760 get that. If I'm going to have a beer like, 0:13:02.280 --> 0:13:04.600 I drink it for one reason to get a buzz. 0:13:05.040 --> 0:13:06.720 Like if I wanted to drink for the taste, I 0:13:06.800 --> 0:13:08.400 drink Pepsi Max. 0:13:09.800 --> 0:13:10.560 A buzz rough Field. 0:13:10.960 --> 0:13:14.440 So with Gordon sometimes we'll get there before the last 0:13:14.480 --> 0:13:16.800 show and we'll drink tekula and vodka shots before. It's 0:13:16.800 --> 0:13:19.760 a bit of a celebration of sorts. And we had 0:13:19.920 --> 0:13:21.840 one year Gordon to start banging him back and he 0:13:21.880 --> 0:13:23.640 sat on the couch and Mate, he was gone. He 0:13:23.640 --> 0:13:25.360 couldn't even talk Yuh. 0:13:25.440 --> 0:13:26.840 Yeah, that's a byron for one. 0:13:26.880 --> 0:13:29.560 Sorry, because I don't want to let this story go 0:13:29.640 --> 0:13:32.640 and miss uh, I think it was the last night. 0:13:33.160 --> 0:13:38.280 And you've you've befriended some hippies and we kind of 0:13:38.320 --> 0:13:41.400 can befriend like people anywhere as well. Condor is a 0:13:41.400 --> 0:13:43.480 friendly guy. He's had a friendly face. Yeah, and he's 0:13:43.520 --> 0:13:45.720 taken us all to this what do we call it, 0:13:45.760 --> 0:13:48.280 like a hostel, almost a commune. 0:13:49.800 --> 0:13:50.640 It was a full. 0:13:50.440 --> 0:13:53.360 Commune and you were only allowed to be in there 0:13:53.360 --> 0:13:55.880 if you live there. And we've walked in, Mate, there 0:13:55.880 --> 0:13:58.680 were hula hoops, there were hacky sacks, there were bean backs, 0:13:58.720 --> 0:14:01.760 there was an acoustic guitar tantric sex and Connor was 0:14:01.800 --> 0:14:03.960 just like follow my lead everyone because we were just 0:14:04.000 --> 0:14:06.680 like six seven footballers, like so out of our depth. 0:14:06.720 --> 0:14:09.120 We were dressed like in our ones, in our best kit. 0:14:09.280 --> 0:14:12.080 Everyone else was dressed in like skirts and eggs. Yeah, 0:14:12.160 --> 0:14:15.000 like horrible stuff. And you're befriended a bloke. I think 0:14:15.000 --> 0:14:16.559 the bloke's name was Tim. 0:14:16.840 --> 0:14:20.400 Actually, you've got a great memory because it. 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:23.880 Was one of so much. 0:14:26.040 --> 0:14:31.080 That's a good pointed season player of the year, see that. 0:14:31.560 --> 0:14:32.920 What I'm glad that you brought that up. 0:14:32.960 --> 0:14:36.080 Did the commune stink? Because I think about hippies is 0:14:36.080 --> 0:14:39.080 I always think themselves. Come on, guys, have a shower. 0:14:39.480 --> 0:14:41.640 But they were like tents, like there were people were 0:14:41.680 --> 0:14:43.840 living in tents and there was a big bonfire and 0:14:43.880 --> 0:14:46.840 acoustic guitar. And you become friends with this bloke named Tim. 0:14:46.880 --> 0:14:50.160 Remember because there was no grow so yeah, the bar 0:14:50.360 --> 0:14:54.040 was the bar was shut, so uh basically anyone who 0:14:54.080 --> 0:14:55.640 was in there. They just had like bottles of wine. 0:14:55.640 --> 0:14:57.560 And then I got talking to this Tim dude. Yeah, 0:14:57.760 --> 0:14:59.120 we had a few bottles of red that he that 0:14:59.200 --> 0:14:59.920 he didn't shared with. 0:15:00.120 --> 0:15:02.680 He had some hidden some hidden bottles. And the way 0:15:02.720 --> 0:15:05.120 that now it's it's an excellent way to be fraying 0:15:05.160 --> 0:15:09.080 a hippie. What kind of did was he goes, He's like, 0:15:09.080 --> 0:15:11.440 what's your name, Tim? I'm condor And he goes, Tim, 0:15:11.560 --> 0:15:12.920 can I tell you something? Can be honest with you 0:15:13.000 --> 0:15:15.680 for a sec He's like there's something about you. He's like, 0:15:15.880 --> 0:15:17.600 he's like me and you, and he was like an old. 0:15:18.000 --> 0:15:18.520 He was like an old. 0:15:18.720 --> 0:15:20.680 It would have been like forty plus spr forty plus, 0:15:20.720 --> 0:15:23.320 like he was old. And he was going, your vibe 0:15:23.640 --> 0:15:25.360 me and you. I just feel like I've been drawn 0:15:25.400 --> 0:15:27.360 to you out of everyone at this commune. I'm drawn 0:15:27.400 --> 0:15:29.240 to you, like I feel connected to you. And he 0:15:29.360 --> 0:15:31.840 was like, and he was going, dude, I was about 0:15:31.840 --> 0:15:35.840 to say the same thing, and then he was like, oh, anyway. 0:15:35.880 --> 0:15:37.480 It kind of was like just louveed him up, loved 0:15:37.520 --> 0:15:39.240 him up, and he goes, is there any like, is 0:15:39.280 --> 0:15:41.320 there any grug around? And he's like, for me, my mates, 0:15:41.400 --> 0:15:43.520 oh bloody earth, here, bring out this like it was 0:15:43.760 --> 0:15:45.760 it was a shanty of a bottle as well, like 0:15:45.800 --> 0:15:48.040 it wasn't and I hadn't been aging for a long time. 0:15:48.120 --> 0:15:50.760 This red and he started sharing with this all. We 0:15:50.880 --> 0:15:53.760 ended up getting booted because somebody realized that we didn't 0:15:53.800 --> 0:15:54.240 live there. 0:15:54.560 --> 0:16:01.000 That's funny, hippies, acoustic guitars, hula hoops, tent. Sure you 0:16:01.040 --> 0:16:01.720 weren't in hell. 0:16:02.560 --> 0:16:04.720 We weren't in hell, but it was good fun. 0:16:04.760 --> 0:16:06.520 That was our last night and we all had to 0:16:06.560 --> 0:16:07.840 sort of vacate the next week. 0:16:07.920 --> 0:16:11.800 Connor socially like towns like which you had known. When 0:16:11.800 --> 0:16:14.880 you're playing one team in one city towns the players 0:16:14.880 --> 0:16:17.280 sort of draw together all the time and go out together. 0:16:17.560 --> 0:16:20.040 They come like family. What about you when you have 0:16:20.080 --> 0:16:22.240 a night out in Sydney, is it a lot of 0:16:22.280 --> 0:16:25.760 times with teammates or is it a little bit different 0:16:25.840 --> 0:16:27.280 dynamic in Sydney. 0:16:27.400 --> 0:16:30.760 Yeah, it still is, Mattie. I think there's probably something 0:16:30.840 --> 0:16:33.160 when I come back from New he to the Roosters 0:16:33.640 --> 0:16:38.560 and I've been away for a while, like probably felt 0:16:38.600 --> 0:16:42.200 like when I first come back, it's just because people 0:16:42.240 --> 0:16:44.760 live all over Sydney. It sort of it's not like 0:16:45.000 --> 0:16:47.680 in Newcastle. You know, we'd finish training and'd be like, 0:16:47.680 --> 0:16:49.920 all right, boys, let's go get a coffee. Pretty much 0:16:49.920 --> 0:16:52.280 everyone would be there because it's ten minutes to get 0:16:52.320 --> 0:16:56.160 everywhere in Newcastle. Where in here after a long day, 0:16:56.200 --> 0:16:57.640 you know a lot of the time some of the 0:16:57.640 --> 0:17:00.680 boys are going to go out west to Crnala. Yeah, 0:17:00.840 --> 0:17:05.040 just sort of initially I felt like struggle with that 0:17:05.119 --> 0:17:07.680 a little bit. But as time's going on and I 0:17:07.680 --> 0:17:09.520 feel like this group that we've got at the moment 0:17:09.560 --> 0:17:13.080 is probably the most connected we've been as far as 0:17:13.280 --> 0:17:15.600 you know, like if there's anything on, boys are really 0:17:15.680 --> 0:17:18.879 making the effort to sort of be there. And you know, 0:17:19.320 --> 0:17:24.359 even I find that as time's gone on in the game, 0:17:25.200 --> 0:17:28.119 you know, from when I started, like people have changed 0:17:28.119 --> 0:17:29.800 a lot, Like the young guys have changed a lot, 0:17:29.840 --> 0:17:34.040 and you know, they probably don't enjoy going out for 0:17:34.080 --> 0:17:37.040 a beer as much as when I first started, like 0:17:37.119 --> 0:17:40.880 we all did. So it's also finding ways to connect 0:17:40.880 --> 0:17:43.439 other than going for beers because not everyone drinks, and 0:17:43.760 --> 0:17:46.400 the guys, like you know, there's a lot of young 0:17:46.440 --> 0:17:49.399 guys that are you know, religious and they don't drink, 0:17:49.480 --> 0:17:52.240 and it's also finding how do you connect with these 0:17:52.280 --> 0:17:54.879 young dudes away from just going to the pub and everyone. 0:17:55.480 --> 0:17:58.360 It's a good point, but yeah, I remember like that 0:17:58.440 --> 0:18:01.119 was that was the connecting fact when I first come 0:18:01.160 --> 0:18:03.320 into grade too. It was like get down train hard 0:18:03.320 --> 0:18:04.960 all week and then everyone down at the part and 0:18:05.040 --> 0:18:06.520 it was just like being. 0:18:06.320 --> 0:18:09.200 The connector no alcohol speaking of hell again. 0:18:09.400 --> 0:18:12.520 Yeah yeah, but like you said, like you're probably right, 0:18:12.560 --> 0:18:14.960 it is more like beach and coffee. Yeah, it looks like, 0:18:15.119 --> 0:18:16.080 especially every in the East. 0:18:16.880 --> 0:18:20.800 It's funny, Connor, I wonder whether this year in particular, 0:18:20.840 --> 0:18:23.359 what to make just pull tight of the roosters is 0:18:23.359 --> 0:18:25.240 the fact, first time for a long long time with 0:18:25.280 --> 0:18:28.320 the Roosters there were low expectations. The pressure has just 0:18:28.359 --> 0:18:30.600 been taken off a little bit. Hence I can see 0:18:30.640 --> 0:18:32.760 the reason why you blake you and join yourself so much. 0:18:32.920 --> 0:18:37.000 I thought the previous couple of years, you just you know, 0:18:37.040 --> 0:18:38.720 you have your wins, and there'd be times where the 0:18:38.720 --> 0:18:41.760 cider was playing well, but you never just looked on 0:18:41.840 --> 0:18:44.320 top of your own game. Where this year you can 0:18:44.400 --> 0:18:45.920 just see a real joy and enjoyment. 0:18:46.359 --> 0:18:49.280 Yeah, yeah, I do agree, Mattie. I think you know, 0:18:49.280 --> 0:18:50.879 and that's not saying we haven't been close to the 0:18:50.920 --> 0:18:53.120 last few years. It just feels like this year it's 0:18:53.200 --> 0:18:56.800 just like we're a really tight knit group. I think 0:18:56.920 --> 0:18:59.280 the thing that's probably cost us the last few years 0:18:59.680 --> 0:19:03.160 has you know, we've been able to score points sort 0:19:03.200 --> 0:19:06.960 of from anything, really like we're out of our own end. 0:19:07.080 --> 0:19:09.240 Like we've got great attacking players. We've always had these 0:19:09.440 --> 0:19:13.159 big superstars, you know, like Joey both the Joey's. You 0:19:13.240 --> 0:19:16.240 lose those sort of guys, and there was a big 0:19:16.320 --> 0:19:19.439 shift in our mentality this year. During pre season, and 0:19:19.480 --> 0:19:21.159 it probably didn't show in the trial game and then 0:19:21.200 --> 0:19:23.120 round one because we got done by fifty in both 0:19:23.119 --> 0:19:27.400 of those. But it was like playing more complimentary attacking 0:19:27.440 --> 0:19:31.080 footy for our defense. Gotcha, yes, because last year was 0:19:31.119 --> 0:19:34.000 like we can score points from anything, so let's push everything. 0:19:34.720 --> 0:19:36.959 But then you win by forty. But you also let 0:19:37.040 --> 0:19:39.280 in twenty twenty four points, which we did a lot. 0:19:39.880 --> 0:19:42.760 Where I feel like our defense is in a way 0:19:42.760 --> 0:19:46.360 better place this year, and it's and defense is what 0:19:46.480 --> 0:19:47.959 wins premiership. 0:19:47.440 --> 0:19:50.480 And our tear it and the irony is you're attacking better. 0:19:51.320 --> 0:19:54.800 It's very interesting you say that because you know, you 0:19:54.840 --> 0:19:56.280 know to let people know what you'd say in there. 0:19:56.560 --> 0:20:01.919 The equation is you can only make how good your 0:20:01.960 --> 0:20:04.879 defense is dictates how many errors you can make in attack. 0:20:05.119 --> 0:20:08.040 If your defense is poor, then you've basically got to 0:20:08.080 --> 0:20:10.920 be you've got to be complete and around ninety to 0:20:11.000 --> 0:20:13.120 ninety five percent. But if your defense is really strong 0:20:13.160 --> 0:20:15.320 and allows you to take more risks. And it's funny 0:20:15.359 --> 0:20:17.639 watching you in those previous years, that makes sense because 0:20:17.640 --> 0:20:21.720 you're channeling so much energy into your attack and in 0:20:21.760 --> 0:20:24.399 a lot of ways the attack suffered because of it. 0:20:24.880 --> 0:20:27.800 This year it looks like, right, we're made doing on defense, 0:20:28.000 --> 0:20:30.960 We're made doing on the things that really matter, kick, chase, 0:20:31.000 --> 0:20:34.120 all that stuff. And as a consequence, like your attacks 0:20:34.320 --> 0:20:36.080 really picked up because it's less structured. 0:20:36.400 --> 0:20:38.600 Yeah make sense. Yeah, well I think you saw that. 0:20:38.680 --> 0:20:40.679 And on the weekend against the Cowboys, like a lot 0:20:40.680 --> 0:20:43.280 of the trials we scored was like offload to three 0:20:43.320 --> 0:20:47.280 short passes and then you know Marky goes and does 0:20:47.400 --> 0:20:51.120 like he's freaky fair. Oh yeah, Billy scores that try 0:20:51.160 --> 0:20:55.879 out on the left. But also though like we're under 0:20:55.880 --> 0:20:58.800 no illusions of like there's still so much more work 0:20:58.840 --> 0:21:02.840 to be done, more growth as a side, and you know, 0:21:02.920 --> 0:21:04.920 like the last couple of weeks have been really good, 0:21:04.920 --> 0:21:08.440 but we need to find that consistency. And although our 0:21:08.480 --> 0:21:12.879 football is more complimentary at the moment, our YARDI jerrors 0:21:12.880 --> 0:21:16.000 are still killing us a bit. Like you've seen it 0:21:16.000 --> 0:21:19.920 in games where you know, the first forty minutes we've 0:21:19.960 --> 0:21:22.320 turned over a lot of ball and we've defended awesome, 0:21:22.359 --> 0:21:24.159 Like we've defended our goal line really well, and you're 0:21:24.200 --> 0:21:26.439 going at halftime and you're like, come on, boys, we 0:21:26.440 --> 0:21:29.120 need to hold the ball. But like great defense, everyone's 0:21:29.160 --> 0:21:31.119 moving so well on the goal line, like you know, 0:21:31.160 --> 0:21:34.160 they don't look like scoring, but eventually you turn over 0:21:34.200 --> 0:21:37.359 that much football and you give that much possession. Like 0:21:37.400 --> 0:21:39.520 we've been run down I don't know how many times, 0:21:39.520 --> 0:21:43.359 but after the sixtieth minute, in that sixtieth to seventieth minute, 0:21:44.280 --> 0:21:46.679 until the last couple of weeks, we've been really poor 0:21:46.720 --> 0:21:49.320 where you know, we've had leads going into that and 0:21:49.440 --> 0:21:51.080 you know that's when we want to close out games, 0:21:51.119 --> 0:21:52.920 but we haven't been able to. And I don't know 0:21:52.960 --> 0:21:54.520 if it's because like we're running out of steam or 0:21:54.520 --> 0:21:56.880 we're just giving them too much ball. But for us, 0:21:56.920 --> 0:21:59.440 the biggest thing is you don't want to be conservative 0:21:59.440 --> 0:22:01.040 in your football and you don't want to go away 0:22:01.040 --> 0:22:04.000 from you know, what makes us great, but we also 0:22:04.240 --> 0:22:05.560 and you don't want to be like boys we need 0:22:05.600 --> 0:22:08.320 to hold the bok because then everyone's tight. Yeah yeah, 0:22:08.400 --> 0:22:10.359 but you need to find the balance of okay, like 0:22:10.600 --> 0:22:12.680 let's be happy to just get out of our own 0:22:12.680 --> 0:22:16.040 and get a good kick away instead of oh, like 0:22:16.119 --> 0:22:18.960 there's a half opportunity to score. Yeah, because we can 0:22:19.000 --> 0:22:22.040 get like I don't know, Rugula League, like it's in 0:22:22.080 --> 0:22:25.159 such a place now where you know, it's just so 0:22:25.440 --> 0:22:29.240 reliant on live boar and like breaking teams down later 0:22:29.320 --> 0:22:31.920 in the game. Yeah, yeah, in that sixtieth to eightieth minute. 0:22:31.920 --> 0:22:33.120 But you can't do that if you don't. 0:22:33.119 --> 0:22:35.639 Well, it's hard when you have when you have like 0:22:35.840 --> 0:22:39.000 the attacking, like the young gun attacking threats to yours 0:22:39.760 --> 0:22:41.720 that you've got like Mark no one, I need to say, 0:22:42.160 --> 0:22:44.240 Robert Toyer, who's been grouse. 0:22:44.000 --> 0:22:46.280 Like he's really seen in a hugo. 0:22:46.359 --> 0:22:48.679 And the halves, like the best thing about them is 0:22:48.920 --> 0:22:52.320 they probably don't think long like the long game. They 0:22:52.359 --> 0:22:54.320 think like now, and that's why they come up with 0:22:54.359 --> 0:22:57.080 such mad players like you've seen Markey Marx. Markey, Mark 0:22:57.400 --> 0:22:59.800 has been phenomenal. Like that, try you set up. 0:22:59.680 --> 0:23:02.720 Earlier in the like no one else is doing that. 0:23:03.240 --> 0:23:05.760 Most wingers are probably just trying to either get down 0:23:05.880 --> 0:23:06.920 or throw a back infield. 0:23:06.920 --> 0:23:07.399 That's what's good. 0:23:07.480 --> 0:23:10.120 Like he comes up with some ras sometimes, but that's 0:23:10.160 --> 0:23:13.000 because he's wanting to, like he's thinking about a tackle. 0:23:13.040 --> 0:23:16.120 They're talking at the moment. The word going around he'll 0:23:16.119 --> 0:23:18.600 play next year with the Roosters and then he'll go 0:23:18.680 --> 0:23:20.720 back to union that they want him back, I mean 0:23:20.800 --> 0:23:23.560 for the Raby Union. As far as winning the World 0:23:23.600 --> 0:23:25.320 Cup or having an impact in the World Cup. They 0:23:25.400 --> 0:23:28.600 must be looking at him, mark at the Roosters playing 0:23:29.240 --> 0:23:32.680 playing for the Roosters, getting it, getting stronger in certain 0:23:32.720 --> 0:23:34.520 areas of games, and rubbing their hands together. If they 0:23:34.520 --> 0:23:37.800 can get him back, that's that's pretty It would have 0:23:37.800 --> 0:23:42.400 been like, you know, he's an outstanding player and outstanding athlete, 0:23:42.400 --> 0:23:44.440 but there's certain areas in rugby league that you can 0:23:44.520 --> 0:23:47.160 see he's improving week in week out. But it's funny 0:23:47.440 --> 0:23:49.280 kind of what you just said there. It is so 0:23:49.400 --> 0:23:52.320 true in the modern game is that you want to 0:23:52.320 --> 0:23:54.679 consolidate the points you've got. You don't want to be 0:23:54.680 --> 0:23:56.760 being frivolous with the football. But the moment you try 0:23:56.800 --> 0:23:59.639 to shut your own game down and just focus and 0:23:59.720 --> 0:24:03.439 tie on defense, I'll just run you down. But you know, 0:24:03.560 --> 0:24:06.720 kind of it must be just I just thought. Started 0:24:06.720 --> 0:24:09.360 the year, we interview with Angus Crichton and we asked 0:24:09.400 --> 0:24:12.240 him there, is it nice to look at the expert 0:24:12.920 --> 0:24:15.360 predictions at the start of the year, not you know 0:24:15.520 --> 0:24:19.600 all those count, but just to not see a lot 0:24:19.640 --> 0:24:21.639 of those guys have you in the eight Most of 0:24:21.680 --> 0:24:23.960 times you pick up and you're looking, mate, Roosters win 0:24:23.960 --> 0:24:26.200 the comp, win the comp, and they say, we don't 0:24:26.240 --> 0:24:28.080 you know, you don't worry about the outside noise, but 0:24:28.160 --> 0:24:31.840 it does. It sweeps in just the lower expectations, particularly 0:24:31.920 --> 0:24:35.000 for the younger Blakes. It just makes you. You enjoy 0:24:35.040 --> 0:24:35.920 your football a lot more. 0:24:36.160 --> 0:24:37.919 Yeah, have to you do. 0:24:38.080 --> 0:24:40.399 Yeah, it's actually funy. It's pretty petty of for me. 0:24:40.440 --> 0:24:43.679 But I remember, like seeing some stuff on Instagram. I 0:24:43.720 --> 0:24:47.359 screenshot at it just so I like would have that 0:24:47.400 --> 0:24:52.600 and in my memory pain. But yeah, heaps everyone everyone, 0:24:52.640 --> 0:24:55.840 Everyone wrote us off. But I also knew the way 0:24:55.880 --> 0:24:59.040 we're training, like what sort of what we're capable of, 0:25:00.160 --> 0:25:02.199 because you do, you lose a lot of talent. But 0:25:02.560 --> 0:25:04.760 the club spent a lot of money on the academy, 0:25:05.000 --> 0:25:07.520 all that, you know, the units they've got, all the 0:25:07.560 --> 0:25:10.520 all of those young guys living in units together, and 0:25:11.200 --> 0:25:13.639 I think they had to, I guess, show faith in 0:25:13.640 --> 0:25:16.600 in the work that they've done there and rely on that. 0:25:16.680 --> 0:25:18.199 And now you're starting to see guys like you know, 0:25:18.200 --> 0:25:20.800 see who's been in our team for a fairweile and 0:25:20.840 --> 0:25:23.720 he's he's great young player. He's got so much more 0:25:23.760 --> 0:25:26.960 growth in him too. I think Blake Steep's come through 0:25:27.600 --> 0:25:31.360 Benaiah who played hooker on the weekend for US. Two 0:25:31.400 --> 0:25:36.040 of those great kicks ye kick the twenty that bounce 0:25:36.119 --> 0:25:41.120 back like Celessie as well. Yeah, there's some other guys 0:25:41.119 --> 0:25:43.240 that have sort of like stood up, like young Taylor 0:25:44.160 --> 0:25:48.800 who's played a few games for US, the front rower. Yeah, 0:25:48.880 --> 0:25:51.040 you go and like say it like there's all of 0:25:51.040 --> 0:25:53.680 these guys that they've shown faith in and and you're 0:25:53.720 --> 0:25:55.840 starting to see I guess some of the fruits of that. 0:25:55.960 --> 0:25:59.840 So yeah, but I think the biggest thing for us 0:25:59.880 --> 0:26:02.600 is just finding that consistency week to week. And you know, 0:26:02.640 --> 0:26:06.200 for me, like early days, I can remember good one week, 0:26:06.280 --> 0:26:09.560 terrible the next because just this constant battle of you know, 0:26:09.640 --> 0:26:13.080 my football probably has got more consistent in the last 0:26:13.080 --> 0:26:15.639 couple of years, and you know that comes with experience 0:26:15.680 --> 0:26:17.560 and time and you know that there's going to be 0:26:17.600 --> 0:26:18.720 a few teething issues with this. 0:26:18.800 --> 0:26:19.600 Has been nice? 0:26:19.720 --> 0:26:20.560 Has it been nice? 0:26:20.640 --> 0:26:20.840 Now? 0:26:20.960 --> 0:26:24.439 Like you've cemented a role, like because you've played a 0:26:24.440 --> 0:26:26.639 lot of different positions. You played fullback for a stint 0:26:26.640 --> 0:26:29.720 there the early days at the Rooster's Lock fivetes. 0:26:30.720 --> 0:26:32.000 Did you play at the nights. 0:26:32.280 --> 0:26:35.439 That one year where they it was funny because I 0:26:35.520 --> 0:26:40.879 played it the year before, so Kaitlyn was injured for 0:26:40.920 --> 0:26:44.280 a game where he hurt himself for a game, and 0:26:44.320 --> 0:26:46.240 then I moved to fullback in it, I think with 0:26:46.320 --> 0:26:48.000 us and the Dogs and ended up scoring two tries 0:26:48.040 --> 0:26:49.600 and I think from there Brown he was like, oh, 0:26:49.880 --> 0:26:56.040 maybe we moved kind of a fullback and. 0:26:53.720 --> 0:26:55.439 It's up there with the time that breath went to 0:26:55.480 --> 0:26:56.120 fullback once. 0:27:00.320 --> 0:27:01.280 But is it any nice? 0:27:01.400 --> 0:27:03.000 Like it seems like the last couple of years you've 0:27:03.760 --> 0:27:06.359 you've really found your role in at nine, like because 0:27:06.359 --> 0:27:08.480 people probably didn't know whether Roosters is going to play 0:27:08.480 --> 0:27:10.480 as a forwardeen. It must be nice having that sort 0:27:10.520 --> 0:27:12.520 of consistency you can train there all year. 0:27:12.480 --> 0:27:15.080 Right, Yeah, yeah, I think I still think Locke's my 0:27:15.160 --> 0:27:18.760 best position. Yeah, yeah, I do. I think the freedom 0:27:18.800 --> 0:27:21.520 of Locke is it just enables me to like run 0:27:21.960 --> 0:27:24.720 the ball a bit more. I can also being like 0:27:24.760 --> 0:27:28.040 a half full back and a hooker, like you know, 0:27:28.480 --> 0:27:31.080 I can be another link man through the middle. But 0:27:31.119 --> 0:27:32.760 it has been good this year just to sort of 0:27:33.040 --> 0:27:37.840 pretty much focus on nine and thirteen mostly nine. You know, 0:27:37.880 --> 0:27:40.480 we've sort of cheese going on to souths Now, but 0:27:40.640 --> 0:27:43.199 the emergence of Benaiah like will probably mean that I'll 0:27:43.240 --> 0:27:45.120 play more thirteen towards the back end of the year. 0:27:45.520 --> 0:27:47.560 Can I ask you on that on the move to 0:27:47.560 --> 0:27:51.600 the Roosters and as yourself and Kurt me and remind 0:27:51.640 --> 0:27:55.680 me so much. You know, you're so similar in a 0:27:55.720 --> 0:27:57.760 lot of ways in the fact that you know, watching 0:27:57.800 --> 0:28:00.879 you guys, the ability to play really fast and sometimes 0:28:00.960 --> 0:28:03.960 even kind of you know, not tickling the brakes enough, 0:28:04.119 --> 0:28:06.480 you know, playing that thrust all the time. And I 0:28:06.480 --> 0:28:09.600 think both years were like that at Newcastle, but particularly Kurt. 0:28:09.680 --> 0:28:12.360 I was watching Kurt at Newcastle sometimes come on, mane, 0:28:12.400 --> 0:28:14.640 you got to squoeze the breaks. Everything was full tilt 0:28:14.680 --> 0:28:16.960 all the time, both of you. You're going to the 0:28:17.040 --> 0:28:20.560 roosters and Kurt going to the dogs. I'm suing you 0:28:20.840 --> 0:28:25.119 just slow down a little bit more and far more selective. 0:28:25.400 --> 0:28:27.960 Is that something that Robbo worked on with you. 0:28:29.600 --> 0:28:32.520 I don't know if it were, like, yeah, we definitely 0:28:32.520 --> 0:28:34.760 spoke about it, because I think that's the reason why 0:28:34.920 --> 0:28:38.080 you know, I've moved around so much. Was the way 0:28:38.120 --> 0:28:40.280 that I played was like my strength, but it was 0:28:40.320 --> 0:28:43.080 also what brought me undone and you know, like we 0:28:43.120 --> 0:28:45.480 can talk about probably when I was out here doing 0:28:45.480 --> 0:28:47.280 the halves stuff. It was all just one hundred miles 0:28:47.280 --> 0:28:49.400 an hour. And with that, you know, you create, you 0:28:49.440 --> 0:28:50.840 do some good stuff, but then you also do a 0:28:50.880 --> 0:28:53.080 lot of bad stuff as well. And I would just 0:28:53.160 --> 0:28:56.080 like do some yeah, great things, and then I would 0:28:56.120 --> 0:28:58.960 just make some of the dumbest and worst mistakes ever. 0:28:59.040 --> 0:29:01.920 And I don't know if it was like me just 0:29:02.400 --> 0:29:04.840 playing more football and just realizing you didn't need to 0:29:04.840 --> 0:29:06.840 be in a rush, but even earlier in my career, 0:29:07.040 --> 0:29:09.320 I just felt like generally I was in a rush 0:29:09.320 --> 0:29:11.040 with everything, you know, like I wanted to be a 0:29:11.480 --> 0:29:14.480 starting player and all this sort of stuff. But as 0:29:14.520 --> 0:29:17.880 it's worked out, you know, being moved around and just 0:29:17.960 --> 0:29:21.160 being more looking at it, like from taking a step back. 0:29:21.200 --> 0:29:23.640 And I think having injuries probably helped this as well, 0:29:24.000 --> 0:29:27.640 because they just made me slow down. They forced me 0:29:27.680 --> 0:29:31.120 to slow down and actually appreciate that I'm living out 0:29:31.120 --> 0:29:33.800 my childhood dream. Like just even playing off the bench 0:29:33.960 --> 0:29:36.240 is great, and it doesn't matter what position, as long 0:29:36.240 --> 0:29:37.760 as I can go and have an impact on a 0:29:37.800 --> 0:29:40.800 game and just get out there. I was just yeah 0:29:40.880 --> 0:29:43.880 excited to do that, and I feel like freeing myself 0:29:44.000 --> 0:29:47.520 up from that expectation or from aiming for this big 0:29:47.560 --> 0:29:51.040 goal of wanting to do this and score tries every 0:29:51.040 --> 0:29:53.640 week and do this, and just worrying about the present 0:29:53.720 --> 0:29:56.040 moment and just actually going out there and having fun, 0:29:56.800 --> 0:29:59.240 but also understanding how hard the game is as well, 0:29:59.360 --> 0:30:01.600 because you know, like you've got to be in that headspace. 0:30:01.640 --> 0:30:04.240 It's not like you've got to be willing to work hard. 0:30:04.640 --> 0:30:07.080 But just going out there and enjoying myself was like, 0:30:07.480 --> 0:30:09.120 I don't know, a weight lifted off me, and my 0:30:09.160 --> 0:30:11.520 football has just got more consistent because of that, which 0:30:11.520 --> 0:30:14.720 is weird. It's not contradictory right now, but it's true. 0:30:14.800 --> 0:30:18.880 The temptation in even team sport is to focus on 0:30:19.040 --> 0:30:22.160 yourself because it's so cut cutthroat to get there and say, mate, 0:30:22.160 --> 0:30:23.560 I need to do this, I want to do this. 0:30:24.000 --> 0:30:27.440 If when you just settle and just become part of 0:30:27.480 --> 0:30:30.480 the team, make the enjoyment just goes through the roof, 0:30:30.680 --> 0:30:33.880 doesn't it. When when as opposed to going you wanting 0:30:33.920 --> 0:30:37.840 people to meet your demands, it's a it's a huge difference. 0:30:37.880 --> 0:30:39.800 And when you look back in your decision now, like 0:30:40.520 --> 0:30:42.320 of because it was it was a bit of a 0:30:42.360 --> 0:30:43.880 hard decision at the time or your mate to that 0:30:44.280 --> 0:30:46.920 NEWI at Newcastle. I think Newcastle maybe even come up 0:30:46.960 --> 0:30:49.200 with more money than the Roosters at the time, but 0:30:49.240 --> 0:30:50.280 you decided. 0:30:50.080 --> 0:30:51.040 To go to the Trickies. 0:30:51.400 --> 0:30:53.400 Now being there for a few years, like looking back 0:30:53.400 --> 0:30:57.600 on that decision and where you're at now, how do 0:30:57.640 --> 0:30:58.120 you see it? 0:30:58.280 --> 0:31:01.840 Yeah, it's so funny because if you ask me like 0:31:01.880 --> 0:31:04.040 two years after going back to the Roosters, I would 0:31:04.040 --> 0:31:06.200 have been like, why did I come back here? Yeah, 0:31:06.240 --> 0:31:09.640 because that was when I had so that first year, 0:31:10.240 --> 0:31:12.719 I didn't realize that one of my last games at 0:31:12.720 --> 0:31:14.920 the Nights, I'd done like a little tear in my 0:31:14.960 --> 0:31:18.600 pateel attendant. And then so that next year at the Roosters, 0:31:18.880 --> 0:31:21.320 like I was playing okay, but I was playing on 0:31:21.320 --> 0:31:26.120 one sort of leg and kept just hurting this ptel attendant. 0:31:26.160 --> 0:31:29.080 And then that next preseason then I ruptured it, and 0:31:29.120 --> 0:31:31.040 then I've missed the whole year at the Roosters. And 0:31:31.080 --> 0:31:33.280 then I can remember even saying it to like my 0:31:33.680 --> 0:31:37.920 missus and just being like why did I come back here? 0:31:37.960 --> 0:31:41.960 Like yeah, like what have I done? But I think 0:31:42.000 --> 0:31:45.200 it just shows you you just don't, I don't know, 0:31:45.280 --> 0:31:48.640 you just can't ride the highs too much and ride 0:31:48.680 --> 0:31:50.720 the lows too much because you just never know what's coming. 0:31:50.880 --> 0:31:54.280 Just honestly, just I just stayed, like just try to 0:31:54.320 --> 0:31:57.479 stay the course. I was very lucky. I had, you know, 0:31:57.640 --> 0:32:01.200 great people, great support network around me, because like after 0:32:02.040 --> 0:32:04.040 that year when I had the knee, like it almost 0:32:04.080 --> 0:32:05.440 looked at one point that I was going to have 0:32:05.480 --> 0:32:08.320 to go to the Super League to keep playing, because 0:32:08.320 --> 0:32:11.360 it was honestly, like I remember one day, so the 0:32:11.440 --> 0:32:14.760 roosters are essentially said to me, you know, like, there's 0:32:14.800 --> 0:32:18.000 not we don't really have space for you here. Next year, 0:32:18.360 --> 0:32:20.400 Sandon was going really good, so I sort of thought 0:32:20.440 --> 0:32:22.720 he was going to be in that utility role with 0:32:22.880 --> 0:32:27.800 Luke still being there in the halves. And then I 0:32:27.840 --> 0:32:31.720 remember I was like, god, an off from a Super 0:32:31.800 --> 0:32:35.480 League club, and my financial advisors like, mate, you got 0:32:35.480 --> 0:32:38.080 to take it. You've got a mortgage, this sort of stuff. 0:32:38.480 --> 0:32:41.480 I was like losing my mind. And then so I've 0:32:41.520 --> 0:32:46.240 rang Chimesy Steve Gillies, my agent. I'm like, mate, I 0:32:46.320 --> 0:32:49.200 was like, like, surely there's an NFL club out there 0:32:49.240 --> 0:32:51.320 who's willing to take a chance on me. And I 0:32:51.320 --> 0:32:53.800 remember he texted me and he would just like send 0:32:53.840 --> 0:32:56.760 me screenshots of the text messages from the club, from 0:32:56.760 --> 0:33:02.000 the club, That's all I said. It was like kicking 0:33:02.000 --> 0:33:04.080 a man while he was down. I kept getting like, no, 0:33:04.200 --> 0:33:06.280 we're all good. Thanks, No, we're all good. Thanks, No, 0:33:06.360 --> 0:33:07.120 we're all good. Thanks. 0:33:07.880 --> 0:33:08.840 You're supposed to protect. 0:33:09.040 --> 0:33:10.840 Yeah. Well he was just like I guess this is 0:33:11.120 --> 0:33:13.000 this is the reality, Like this is where you're at. 0:33:13.040 --> 0:33:14.320 It's honest. Yeah, yeah, And I just. 0:33:14.320 --> 0:33:16.720 Couldn't believe how quickly like I'd sort of gone from 0:33:17.240 --> 0:33:19.760 you know, like love of my football up at Newcastle 0:33:19.840 --> 0:33:21.800 and then this thing with the knee happens, and then 0:33:21.800 --> 0:33:23.680 all of a sudden I was like, you know, my 0:33:23.680 --> 0:33:26.560 own RL career is over. And then it was only 0:33:26.600 --> 0:33:31.880 really that Gus was Gus Good. Was like I went 0:33:31.920 --> 0:33:33.280 and sort of had a chat with him, and then 0:33:33.320 --> 0:33:36.360 the dogs were like looking at bringing me over there, 0:33:36.400 --> 0:33:41.960 and then from there the Russes did manage to find. 0:33:44.600 --> 0:33:48.240 In that funny though, like like that a low so 0:33:48.440 --> 0:33:50.880 often is followed by your highest heighth advice versa and 0:33:51.400 --> 0:33:55.000 pour our young check balls, stop four tries the week 0:33:55.040 --> 0:33:58.960 before probably the greatest moment, and he's up there in 0:33:59.040 --> 0:34:01.600 his life and then the next week does his a 0:34:01.680 --> 0:34:03.480 cl like you know, I mean, it's. 0:34:03.400 --> 0:34:07.240 Just it is, It's an unforgiving game, and like you said, 0:34:07.240 --> 0:34:11.080 sometimes those lows can last two years, these long term injuries. Yeah, 0:34:11.120 --> 0:34:12.920 you know, I mean you do an acl or and Achilles. 0:34:13.120 --> 0:34:15.640 People don't realize how hard mentally. 0:34:15.320 --> 0:34:15.880 That ship is. 0:34:16.080 --> 0:34:18.680 Yeah, well that's guys like you know BRAI like Jade 0:34:18.719 --> 0:34:21.879 and Brayley, Billy Smith, like they've gone through like two 0:34:22.000 --> 0:34:25.720 a cls Achilles, Like I think Billy's had three Billy's 0:34:25.960 --> 0:34:27.840 I can't remember, it's two or three a cls. But 0:34:27.880 --> 0:34:29.799 then he also had the foot what's the big one 0:34:29.840 --> 0:34:32.439 in the foot Liz Frank, So he had one of those, 0:34:32.520 --> 0:34:35.440 like and then just for him to steal like we 0:34:35.520 --> 0:34:37.680 see how good he's playing now, and it was always 0:34:37.719 --> 0:34:41.479 it's always been there for Billy, but just for him to, yeah, 0:34:41.680 --> 0:34:43.279 stick through all of that because it has just been 0:34:43.320 --> 0:34:45.520 so easy for guys like that to throw it all away. 0:34:45.600 --> 0:34:46.879 But we'll talk about what. 0:34:46.840 --> 0:34:47.520 Are your highs? 0:34:47.640 --> 0:34:48.120 Last year? 0:34:48.160 --> 0:34:52.480 Made State of Origin run that's a rapid rise, that's yeah. 0:34:52.360 --> 0:34:53.359 Yeah, what was that? 0:34:53.440 --> 0:34:53.560 Like? 0:34:53.640 --> 0:34:56.840 Did you did you because your your form was outstanding, 0:34:56.840 --> 0:34:58.439 they had to put you in the role, But did 0:34:58.480 --> 0:35:02.319 you expect Like, how surreal was that few sort of 0:35:02.800 --> 0:35:05.200 going through all that and then coming into an origin spot. 0:35:05.360 --> 0:35:07.800 Yeah, it was. It was pretty wild, to be honest. 0:35:09.280 --> 0:35:11.799 I just like because every year, you know, I would 0:35:11.800 --> 0:35:14.640 always do my your goals or whatever looking at the 0:35:14.880 --> 0:35:19.880 and you'd always say like state of origin, state of origin. 0:35:19.960 --> 0:35:22.719 But no year I was like, really a chance because 0:35:22.719 --> 0:35:26.200 I've never played consistent footy enough to actually warrant even 0:35:26.200 --> 0:35:30.120 being talked about. But that year, going like going into 0:35:30.200 --> 0:35:32.479 last year, I think my goal was like play every 0:35:32.480 --> 0:35:37.840 game for the Roosters and then be in the origin discussion. 0:35:38.000 --> 0:35:39.360 Was like I had it. I wrote it up in 0:35:39.400 --> 0:35:43.879 my mirror in my bedroom. And Round one Roosters didn't 0:35:43.880 --> 0:35:50.520 get Yeah, yeah, both of us. So it was like 0:35:50.640 --> 0:35:52.560 New South Wales cut for the first couple of weeks 0:35:52.560 --> 0:35:54.840 and I'm just thinking, oh god, there's going to be 0:35:54.880 --> 0:36:02.239 a long year. And then so obviously couldn't play every 0:36:02.280 --> 0:36:04.239 game at n L for the Roosters, but then round 0:36:04.320 --> 0:36:09.839 three got caught up, and yeah, just was like let's 0:36:09.840 --> 0:36:11.520 just go and have fun, like don't put any pressure 0:36:11.520 --> 0:36:13.799 on yourself, kind of that mindset that I was talking 0:36:13.840 --> 0:36:17.879 about before, and then yeah, ended up just stringing enough 0:36:17.920 --> 0:36:20.279 good games together. And then I remember after probably like 0:36:20.360 --> 0:36:24.080 five or six weeks of playing, and Robbo sat me 0:36:24.120 --> 0:36:27.080 down and he's like, Okay, it's getting pretty close to 0:36:27.080 --> 0:36:30.800 our origent selection. Just like so you know, like Madges called 0:36:30.840 --> 0:36:32.080 me and he's looking at you, and I was like, 0:36:32.560 --> 0:36:35.440 what the hell? Really? Yeah, yeah, because you know some 0:36:35.520 --> 0:36:38.920 of the journeys you run, like Danny Widler lives in Bondo, 0:36:39.040 --> 0:36:41.040 so running to him down the main street, He's like, mate, 0:36:41.080 --> 0:36:45.399 I'm hearing your clothes to Origin. And I just thought like, yeah, yeah, 0:36:45.440 --> 0:36:47.960 these guys journeys like they're probably he's probably just like 0:36:48.760 --> 0:36:51.120 saying like maybe he's heard a whisper. It's probably not 0:36:51.160 --> 0:36:54.440 actually a chance. And then yeah, and in reality, I 0:36:54.520 --> 0:36:57.279 just thought that ship might have sailed. And I just 0:36:57.280 --> 0:36:59.560 think it was very lucky timing from me. You know, 0:36:59.640 --> 0:37:02.359 Magic come in with this new philosophy, wanted to bring 0:37:02.360 --> 0:37:05.759 a new squad in. I was playing well enough, and 0:37:05.880 --> 0:37:08.960 just the timing of everything it just worked out. And 0:37:08.960 --> 0:37:10.720 then YE had to be able to play well actually 0:37:10.760 --> 0:37:13.800 because I'd heard I was closed. But then we played 0:37:14.280 --> 0:37:17.600 Magic Ground maybe so Robbo's told me that the week 0:37:17.680 --> 0:37:20.280 after we've played, and then I've gone and I've fractured 0:37:20.320 --> 0:37:23.920 my larynx in my throat, and then so now you're 0:37:23.960 --> 0:37:25.600 going to miss four weeks. And I missed the first 0:37:25.680 --> 0:37:27.960 Origin because of that, And then once I got in, 0:37:28.480 --> 0:37:31.439 I was thinking, Jesus, I've been this close to getting 0:37:31.480 --> 0:37:33.960 picked for Origin and now I've gone and fractured my laryx, 0:37:34.360 --> 0:37:36.200 and then thinking, you know, if they go good and 0:37:36.239 --> 0:37:38.440 they win, like, I'm probably a chance of not getting 0:37:38.480 --> 0:37:42.279 picked now, and then yeah they didn't. Obviously Sue got 0:37:42.320 --> 0:37:45.080 SimBin and they lost, and then Mad just picked me 0:37:45.080 --> 0:37:46.520 and then sort of said, you know, luck, you probably 0:37:46.520 --> 0:37:48.719 would have been any first game if you didn't have 0:37:48.760 --> 0:37:49.520 the throat injury. 0:37:49.520 --> 0:37:51.040 And it's funny sliding doors. 0:37:51.080 --> 0:37:53.520 If you play first game and they get beat, yeah, 0:37:53.640 --> 0:37:55.760 you don't know who. You don't know who gets dropped 0:37:55.800 --> 0:37:57.920 like it they look for answers, had you. 0:37:58.760 --> 0:38:02.759 I was walking in to training for the first ever 0:38:03.480 --> 0:38:05.200 the Blues, and we spoke to a few of the 0:38:05.200 --> 0:38:08.080 boys that have been here before. It is for people 0:38:09.160 --> 0:38:10.799 that want to know what it's like. It is like 0:38:10.880 --> 0:38:13.600 walking to a new school yard, isn't it. It's just mate, 0:38:13.840 --> 0:38:15.080 you're shitting yourself. 0:38:15.239 --> 0:38:18.200 One hundred percent. I can remember how nervous it was 0:38:18.239 --> 0:38:21.680 for the first training. It was like you know when 0:38:21.719 --> 0:38:23.600 you first started training with the NURL squad. 0:38:24.200 --> 0:38:25.720 Yeah, it was looking at all your heroes. 0:38:25.760 --> 0:38:27.480 Yeah, I was like, man, I haven't been this nervous 0:38:27.480 --> 0:38:31.399 for training for eight nine years far out and then yeah, 0:38:31.560 --> 0:38:34.480 just remember like first pass, now, this first past, now 0:38:34.520 --> 0:38:35.680 this first like. 0:38:36.000 --> 0:38:38.440 You just go, don't drop it. Yeah, first of camp 0:38:38.520 --> 0:38:41.040 I walked into I think it was Laza. I walked 0:38:41.080 --> 0:38:43.600 in one camp and one of my first ever one. 0:38:43.760 --> 0:38:47.960 Laso is just you know, kind of the game, but big, gruff, angry, 0:38:48.040 --> 0:38:50.680 cranky guy. I remember walking and I'll see Lazo and 0:38:50.760 --> 0:38:55.120 go fucking lost Lazzo and I got a Lazo hair 0:38:55.200 --> 0:39:03.080 going yes did you blokes play? Yes? Cowboys? I just 0:39:03.120 --> 0:39:07.440 go I said, wow, we got boot he gus fucking 0:39:07.560 --> 0:39:16.080 dogs just walked off. Fuck yeah you have. But going 0:39:16.120 --> 0:39:18.600 in there, who was the guy that sort of settled 0:39:18.640 --> 0:39:20.239 your well? 0:39:20.280 --> 0:39:22.759 I guess like me and Gussie are pretty tight, so 0:39:23.200 --> 0:39:26.120 going in there with him, I think we might have 0:39:26.239 --> 0:39:28.480 even got picked up in the same car together. So 0:39:28.719 --> 0:39:30.760 just sort of gone out there with him and Spencer 0:39:30.760 --> 0:39:34.120 as well, like yeah, those guys spending done the first one, 0:39:34.200 --> 0:39:36.120 so he sort of knew what he was going into 0:39:36.200 --> 0:39:39.919 the second Origin camp. But those guys were just yeah, 0:39:40.040 --> 0:39:44.839 that the ones that I guess initially yeah, made me 0:39:44.880 --> 0:39:46.680 sort of feel comfortable. But I just remember the whole 0:39:46.719 --> 0:39:49.240 week was like the biggest blue I got so stitched 0:39:49.320 --> 0:39:53.960 up to fire out. It was funny. So we got 0:39:54.000 --> 0:39:56.400 there and like, no one really says like, this is 0:39:56.400 --> 0:39:59.600 what we're doing. They're just like, go upstairs, you gotta 0:39:59.640 --> 0:40:03.080 sign your contract and then just get checked out by 0:40:03.120 --> 0:40:05.160 the physios and they'll give you your gear bag. And 0:40:05.760 --> 0:40:07.520 I can just remember rocking up there, like even just 0:40:07.560 --> 0:40:09.799 the news cameras at the hotel. You're thinking, Jesus is 0:40:09.840 --> 0:40:12.359 like different intensity. It just comes with the whole week. 0:40:12.440 --> 0:40:16.640 And then I walk upstairs Zero big serios like, which 0:40:16.680 --> 0:40:18.759 is good because I've known zero for a long long time. 0:40:19.640 --> 0:40:21.320 Have like and there's a lot of guys that I 0:40:21.400 --> 0:40:24.000 knew that I'd played with or played sort of against, 0:40:24.000 --> 0:40:27.120 and you know, you're friendly about that camaraderie before players, 0:40:27.120 --> 0:40:29.680 so you know guys, you've had beers with guys before 0:40:29.760 --> 0:40:32.000 that sort of stuff played, you know, junior rep stuff 0:40:32.000 --> 0:40:35.880 with different people, and Sira goes, here's your gearbag mate. 0:40:36.560 --> 0:40:39.879 And then so Madges called me and mue in because 0:40:39.920 --> 0:40:42.200 you wanted to show us this video, which was pretty cool. 0:40:42.239 --> 0:40:44.360 And then that is like all right, so we'll go 0:40:44.520 --> 0:40:47.200 be downstairs in five minutes. We're like, we're going to 0:40:47.280 --> 0:40:49.600 go over and do the media stuff. So going to 0:40:49.680 --> 0:40:52.520 my gearbag and I'm like looking through it and I'm thinking, 0:40:52.600 --> 0:40:54.319 I can't be late to be downstairs, Like this is 0:40:54.320 --> 0:40:56.200 your first thing, don't you can't be late. It's got 0:40:56.200 --> 0:40:58.239 five minutes. I'm going through my gearbag. I'm looking for 0:40:58.680 --> 0:41:01.759 shorts and everything's in packages and stuff and it's hard 0:41:01.800 --> 0:41:03.839 to get like a read. So I'm ripping everything. It's 0:41:03.920 --> 0:41:06.080 making a mess everywhere. And I try these shorts and 0:41:06.080 --> 0:41:10.320 I'm like looking at these can't be right. And I'm like, well, 0:41:10.600 --> 0:41:12.200 and look at the time. Go bro, you've got a minute. 0:41:12.239 --> 0:41:13.920 You gotta get downstairs on text us, what are you 0:41:13.920 --> 0:41:16.279 wearing to go? Just just wear shorts and like a 0:41:16.320 --> 0:41:19.600 polo and a jumper, So go downstairs. I'm telling you, 0:41:19.640 --> 0:41:23.840 these shorts are that tight, the game shorts. Nah. I 0:41:23.960 --> 0:41:26.279 walked down into the team room. Everyone's looking at me. 0:41:26.320 --> 0:41:29.000 They just start cracking up. SiO, give me the woman's shorts. 0:41:32.080 --> 0:41:34.439 So that time on me, like the medium is yeah, 0:41:34.440 --> 0:41:36.120 because I don't know if you've got the he reckons, 0:41:36.160 --> 0:41:40.719 you've got the W and the M confused, I reckon Yeah, 0:41:40.840 --> 0:41:42.719 And I've just walked into this team room and there 0:41:42.760 --> 0:41:43.840 just everyone's cracking up. 0:41:44.719 --> 0:41:46.000 You got given the. 0:41:47.840 --> 0:41:51.680 Year film sitting on the bench, you know, and that 0:41:51.800 --> 0:41:54.520 in that game too, you know, everything's in the balance 0:41:54.880 --> 0:41:55.640 waiting for the call. 0:41:55.840 --> 0:41:58.239 We'll see the game to actually made. He was the 0:41:58.239 --> 0:42:00.759 one where we'd had that really dominant first taf YEP. 0:42:01.040 --> 0:42:04.600 So I was just sort of thinking like, yeah, go it, like, 0:42:04.680 --> 0:42:06.719 don't't blow it. Yeah, don't blow it, like you know, 0:42:08.360 --> 0:42:10.239 and then it was just once I got on, was 0:42:10.280 --> 0:42:12.680 just like just enjoy this, like just soak it up, 0:42:12.719 --> 0:42:16.120 like take them on to do it sort of just yeah, 0:42:16.200 --> 0:42:19.719 back yourself and get into your first tackle and first run, 0:42:19.760 --> 0:42:21.600 similar to like when you make your first grade thea boo. 0:42:21.680 --> 0:42:22.960 You know, you just sort of like, I just want 0:42:22.960 --> 0:42:24.279 to get out there and make your first run on 0:42:24.360 --> 0:42:27.280 first tackle. But game three was probably a bit more Yeah. 0:42:27.120 --> 0:42:29.200 When you go on, So you go on, the game 0:42:29.320 --> 0:42:31.880 is in the balance, so how you feel them when 0:42:31.880 --> 0:42:33.880 you're staying there with the touch judge about to go 0:42:33.920 --> 0:42:34.440 on the field. 0:42:34.520 --> 0:42:37.759 Yeah, just sort of you know, because you play the 0:42:37.840 --> 0:42:39.800 game one hundred times through your head. You're sitting on 0:42:39.840 --> 0:42:43.560 there for sixty minutes and then cause your cause your name, 0:42:43.600 --> 0:42:47.239 and you just yeah, just sort of want to go 0:42:47.360 --> 0:42:51.640 in and just not put any pressure, like you know. 0:42:51.760 --> 0:42:54.960 It's it's that contradiction of you want to go out 0:42:54.960 --> 0:42:57.480 there and you want to perform. But I think for me, 0:42:57.840 --> 0:43:00.440 I know I'm at my best when I don't like 0:43:00.520 --> 0:43:02.400 I just go out there and be in the mote. 0:43:02.440 --> 0:43:05.319 Just yeah, go on the flow. And I just wanted 0:43:05.320 --> 0:43:08.400 to get out there and yeah, just try and contribute 0:43:08.400 --> 0:43:10.799 in any way possible, and whatever I was doing in 0:43:10.880 --> 0:43:12.680 that moment, just nail it. So whether it was that 0:43:12.760 --> 0:43:15.320 pass or like you know, where it's yeah, a pass 0:43:15.600 --> 0:43:17.920 you run, or just get my first tackle. Make sure 0:43:17.920 --> 0:43:19.319 I win my first tackle. Get your step. 0:43:19.440 --> 0:43:21.239 It was a crazy finish that game too, Like that 0:43:21.360 --> 0:43:23.920 was the one where you hit Angus Crichton. 0:43:23.960 --> 0:43:25.600 He does a horrendous offload to you. 0:43:25.719 --> 0:43:26.879 Yeah, and then I. 0:43:26.880 --> 0:43:30.719 Trolled along the ground hand grenade to Romi. Romi goes 0:43:30.760 --> 0:43:34.480 through find Bradman to score that mad match winning try. 0:43:34.719 --> 0:43:37.120 Like that must have been some like talk about a 0:43:37.239 --> 0:43:39.360 dream first series in Origin? 0:43:39.480 --> 0:43:41.280 Was that was that? That's as good as it gets. 0:43:41.440 --> 0:43:44.080 Yeah. I just remember after the games being like, what 0:43:44.120 --> 0:43:47.120 the hell has happened? Yeah in the last you know, 0:43:47.360 --> 0:43:49.840 like we talked about the sort of the twelve months before, 0:43:50.440 --> 0:43:52.880 and just thinking like if you told me this had happened, 0:43:52.920 --> 0:43:54.880 like this is going to happen next year, I just 0:43:55.480 --> 0:43:58.120 would have been like, you lie, mate, No, there's no way. 0:43:58.239 --> 0:44:00.439 So just for it all to happen, I was just yeah, 0:44:00.600 --> 0:44:02.920 so grateful and just try to really enjoy everything as 0:44:03.000 --> 0:44:03.720 much as I could. 0:44:04.080 --> 0:44:06.319 Well would I tell you terrific, Blake. That's the end 0:44:06.320 --> 0:44:08.680 of part one, right, that's time to jump over for 0:44:09.120 --> 0:44:12.080 part two, which I hope you enjoy every bit as 0:44:12.160 --> 0:44:13.120 much I know you will.