WEBVTT - The 4am Prank Calls to Michael Hagan! 0:00:09.720 --> 0:00:12.000 Hi everyone. Welcome to our Monday edition of the Mark 0:00:12.000 --> 0:00:14.560 My Words podcast. Hope you enjoyed the rugby league over 0:00:14.560 --> 0:00:17.360 the course of the weekend. Our Monday edition is always 0:00:17.360 --> 0:00:20.640 a little bit different story time answering some of your questions. 0:00:20.640 --> 0:00:23.759 Still no M.G., the great man tonsillitis so he's late 0:00:23.760 --> 0:00:24.400 scratching again. 0:00:24.440 --> 0:00:27.639 We've had to just rest him up again. It's like um, 0:00:27.760 --> 0:00:30.600 you know the a key player in your team throughout 0:00:30.600 --> 0:00:33.919 the season and you've just gotta because we're already up 0:00:33.920 --> 0:00:36.840 the top of the ladder with this podcast. We've just 0:00:36.840 --> 0:00:38.640 got to manage him through the back end of the 0:00:38.640 --> 0:00:40.360 season to get him ready for finals. 0:00:40.400 --> 0:00:41.919 Oh, so you're running with that? I was actually going 0:00:41.920 --> 0:00:44.200 to run with the fact that we've paid, um, we've 0:00:44.200 --> 0:00:47.159 paid Gus. We've paid him 100,000. Put him on the 0:00:47.200 --> 0:00:48.360 Gus podcast. 0:00:48.400 --> 0:00:48.720 Right. 0:00:48.760 --> 0:00:50.440 So we've done like a Louis situation. 0:00:50.520 --> 0:00:51.360 Oh, right. 0:00:51.400 --> 0:00:53.320 So I think your one's better. We'll run with yours. 0:00:53.479 --> 0:00:54.360 Yeah. Let's run with mine. 0:00:54.440 --> 0:00:54.880 Just resting. 0:00:54.880 --> 0:00:57.400 Him. We're arresting him up for a big run into 0:00:57.400 --> 0:00:58.440 the final series. 0:00:58.480 --> 0:01:01.010 Although Cameron Munster I mean he's he's out for six weeks. 0:01:01.010 --> 0:01:03.970 He's done a knee cartilage problem. Let's just hope he's 0:01:03.970 --> 0:01:04.530 out for the week. 0:01:04.690 --> 0:01:06.770 Yeah, it's just this week. We'll get him back in now. 0:01:06.810 --> 0:01:09.770 Um, piggy story time. I was thinking right, story time 0:01:09.770 --> 0:01:12.930 this week. Um, we've just had a wonderful Harvey Norman 0:01:12.930 --> 0:01:15.570 women in league round. Yes. And women play an important 0:01:15.569 --> 0:01:18.170 role in our game, the NRL w which you're involved 0:01:18.170 --> 0:01:21.690 in with the Saint George-illawarra Dragons. Um, and then if 0:01:21.690 --> 0:01:24.170 I'm to think back to your illustrious career and your 0:01:24.170 --> 0:01:27.449 life now you've got the beautiful Carly Riddell, your darling wife, 0:01:27.450 --> 0:01:29.770 former Miss Australia. That's a miracle in itself. How piggy 0:01:29.770 --> 0:01:31.570 married a former Miss Australia. 0:01:31.810 --> 0:01:32.490 And this turned. 0:01:32.490 --> 0:01:34.170 Into how the hell did you get. 0:01:34.209 --> 0:01:34.369 From. 0:01:34.770 --> 0:01:38.289 Australia? Unbelievable. Um, but one of the things that our 0:01:38.290 --> 0:01:41.250 listeners won't be familiar with. What's that? Is that throughout 0:01:41.250 --> 0:01:44.449 your illustrious playing career, there was another very important woman 0:01:44.450 --> 0:01:46.289 in your life. Mhm. And that was your mum. 0:01:46.330 --> 0:01:47.930 Sandy still is old Sandy. 0:01:47.970 --> 0:01:49.970 What did mum Sandy do for you when your football. 0:01:50.130 --> 0:01:53.890 Well mate, I um well my mum and dad, Sandy 0:01:53.890 --> 0:01:57.130 and Alan, Sandra and Alan Riddell, they uh they were 0:01:57.130 --> 0:02:02.100 the typical parents of when you, you know, went to everything, 0:02:02.100 --> 0:02:04.500 went to every rugby league game, drove me everywhere, did 0:02:04.500 --> 0:02:08.139 everything for me, mate. I didn't move out of home. Right. 0:02:08.460 --> 0:02:12.220 I didn't move out of home till I was 25. Right. 0:02:12.260 --> 0:02:17.060 And this is no bullshit either. Me and my older 0:02:17.060 --> 0:02:22.060 brother Shane, old Shane, we shared a room. 0:02:23.139 --> 0:02:23.700 Excuse me. 0:02:23.740 --> 0:02:27.060 We shared a bedroom till I was 20. 0:02:27.139 --> 0:02:28.139 Until 25. 0:02:28.180 --> 0:02:29.420 He was 27. 0:02:30.100 --> 0:02:31.740 What if you've gone down to the pub and you 0:02:31.740 --> 0:02:35.339 know you've gone successful and there's a lovely lady. Hello. 0:02:35.700 --> 0:02:37.220 Hello, hotels. 0:02:37.260 --> 0:02:37.660 Oh. 0:02:39.540 --> 0:02:42.900 Mate, I don't want to pump my own trumpet here, 0:02:42.900 --> 0:02:44.739 but they used to call us the two richest blokes 0:02:44.740 --> 0:02:49.780 in Risby. That list shared a bedroom together. That's a 0:02:49.780 --> 0:02:53.420 true story, mate. He used to. Shane. Oh, my brother 0:02:53.419 --> 0:02:55.940 is a, um. He's a crane driver, right? He lives 0:02:55.940 --> 0:02:58.420 on the Gold Coast now. Drives all the big cranes 0:02:58.419 --> 0:03:00.860 that builds all the high rises on the Goldie in Brisbane, 0:03:01.139 --> 0:03:04.019 but he was working in Sydney and he was a 0:03:04.020 --> 0:03:07.780 heavy like, big time worker. Right. So they do long hours. 0:03:08.180 --> 0:03:11.739 But he was also a big drinker. Right. So he 0:03:11.740 --> 0:03:15.780 would like get home at midnight and he'd be up 0:03:15.780 --> 0:03:17.860 at three four in the morning back on the train 0:03:17.860 --> 0:03:21.660 going into work. So like our, our paths didn't really 0:03:21.660 --> 0:03:24.700 cross too much. Um, because I was obviously playing footy 0:03:24.700 --> 0:03:28.380 and going to training every day and, and, but literally we, um, 0:03:28.419 --> 0:03:31.380 we lived at home till 20, I was 25. He 0:03:31.380 --> 0:03:33.220 would have been older, he would have been older than me. 0:03:33.300 --> 0:03:35.700 I then moved out, I moved out into a unit 0:03:35.700 --> 0:03:41.260 I bought over at um Alloway over Kogarah and um. 0:03:41.420 --> 0:03:43.420 But did you live in that with Daniel Wagon? 0:03:43.620 --> 0:03:46.700 No. Wags lived around the corner. Wags lived down at Ramsgate. 0:03:46.700 --> 0:03:49.380 I lived that on live there on my own first, 0:03:49.380 --> 0:03:51.220 and then I lived with the great Leigh Bennett. 0:03:51.260 --> 0:03:54.980 Leroy Leigh. Well, the reason I asked you about Daniel wagon, I, um, 0:03:54.980 --> 0:03:57.100 and I'm digressing here. We'll come back to your darling 0:03:57.100 --> 0:04:00.190 mum in just a second. Sandy, I was stopped recently 0:04:00.190 --> 0:04:03.870 by a gentleman who used to be the licensee at the. 0:04:04.310 --> 0:04:05.390 What's the name of the pub? 0:04:05.430 --> 0:04:06.030 Intersection. 0:04:06.350 --> 0:04:08.630 The intersection. Was it the. Anyway? Hotel. 0:04:08.670 --> 0:04:10.550 Intersection. Tavern. It's the intersection tavern. 0:04:10.590 --> 0:04:12.550 And he. Let me just say, ladies and gentlemen, told 0:04:12.550 --> 0:04:15.910 me some very interesting stories about this man and Daniel. 0:04:15.950 --> 0:04:17.950 Well, that's where we used to drink. Well, the wine 0:04:17.990 --> 0:04:20.109 I used to call it The Wire. The Alawa Hotel 0:04:20.110 --> 0:04:27.150 was literally 200m from my place. But then Wag's place, um, 0:04:27.190 --> 0:04:31.070 it was his. He was right near the intersection, hotel, intersection, 0:04:31.070 --> 0:04:33.270 tavern or whatever it is. So we used to drink. 0:04:33.390 --> 0:04:35.710 Excuse me. We used to drink between the two, uh, 0:04:35.750 --> 0:04:39.710 the guru Eric Grothe Jr, um, Peaky Adam Peak. He 0:04:39.710 --> 0:04:42.150 was over that way as well. Peaky actually saw Peaky 0:04:42.190 --> 0:04:44.910 on the weekend at the Bulldogs. Uh, old boys day, 0:04:45.150 --> 0:04:47.350 him and his old man Johnny Peak. Um, but yeah, 0:04:47.350 --> 0:04:49.430 that's that's where we used to drink. So we mate, 0:04:49.430 --> 0:04:52.550 we had, we had a great time. We had an unbelievable. 0:04:52.670 --> 0:04:54.310 I wasn't going to share this story, but this is 0:04:54.310 --> 0:04:57.270 probably the cleanest one that I can share. This particular 0:04:57.270 --> 0:04:59.159 gentleman told me there was one night that you boys 0:04:59.160 --> 0:05:01.880 were playing a poker machine, and you may have won 0:05:01.880 --> 0:05:04.440 a jackpot or something. He said, one of my lasting 0:05:04.440 --> 0:05:06.640 memories is to walk into the poker machine room and 0:05:06.640 --> 0:05:12.000 find first grade footballers effectively patching the screen of a 0:05:12.000 --> 0:05:14.839 poker machine. And he said, Mark, it was the most 0:05:14.839 --> 0:05:17.320 revolting thing I've ever seen, knowing full well that we 0:05:17.320 --> 0:05:19.520 hadn't cleaned the screen of that poker machine for about 0:05:19.520 --> 0:05:20.039 a month. 0:05:20.560 --> 0:05:23.160 Well, I can't I can't confirm or deny because I 0:05:23.160 --> 0:05:28.040 can't remember. Mate, we had the best time down there. We. Yeah, 0:05:28.040 --> 0:05:29.720 it was a great time, whether it was at the 0:05:29.720 --> 0:05:32.080 Y or at the, uh the you know. Well that's 0:05:32.080 --> 0:05:33.480 what we used to call it the, you know, the, 0:05:33.480 --> 0:05:37.719 you know, back in the day. Um, yeah, some great times, 0:05:37.720 --> 0:05:39.720 some very funny times. Back on to. 0:05:39.760 --> 0:05:40.360 Back to Sandy. 0:05:40.560 --> 0:05:43.120 Yeah. Because we got we digressed. We get women in 0:05:43.440 --> 0:05:46.920 mate mine. And I'm probably a little bit ashamed to 0:05:47.040 --> 0:05:49.440 admit this, but I don't really give a shit. Um, 0:05:49.720 --> 0:05:52.599 my mum used to pack my footy bag every week. 0:05:53.200 --> 0:05:55.320 Like obviously from when I was a little kid, she'd 0:05:55.320 --> 0:06:01.410 pack it and I'm talking Math, God, boots, socks, shorts, towel, 0:06:01.730 --> 0:06:04.210 you know, whether it's polo or jacket. 0:06:04.210 --> 0:06:05.049 Or every week. 0:06:05.089 --> 0:06:08.130 Every week. That didn't change until I moved out when 0:06:08.130 --> 0:06:11.370 I was 25. So I was playing in the NRL. 0:06:11.610 --> 0:06:15.090 I started when I playing, I was playing 1920 when 0:06:15.089 --> 0:06:17.610 I made my NRL debut. My mum would pack my 0:06:17.610 --> 0:06:23.050 bag every week for the NRL, right? No bullshit. And 0:06:23.210 --> 0:06:27.289 every time I'd come home from NRL, my mum would 0:06:27.290 --> 0:06:31.490 clean my boots. Like not not like just, oh yeah, 0:06:31.529 --> 0:06:33.130 give him a dust off. And that my mum would 0:06:33.130 --> 0:06:36.490 take all the laces out, clean all my boots, replace 0:06:36.490 --> 0:06:38.650 them all, wash all the, soak the laces in the 0:06:38.650 --> 0:06:41.890 sink like in the laundry. And every week I'd have 0:06:41.890 --> 0:06:45.690 a brand new fresh pair of boots every week if 0:06:45.690 --> 0:06:47.570 I liked a pair because I ended up, you know, 0:06:47.610 --> 0:06:50.570 I was sponsored by sponsored by Puma for my whole career. 0:06:50.570 --> 0:06:52.450 But if I liked a pair of boots and I 0:06:52.490 --> 0:06:55.010 kept wearing them every week, my mum would clean them 0:06:55.010 --> 0:06:55.810 until I was 25. 0:06:55.850 --> 0:06:56.850 She deserves a medal. Your mum. 0:06:56.890 --> 0:06:59.570 My unbelievable mate. She deserves a medal for having to 0:06:59.570 --> 0:07:02.210 put up with me for 46 years. I guarantee I 0:07:02.250 --> 0:07:03.610 will guarantee you that. 0:07:04.690 --> 0:07:06.690 Was there ever a moment like because you were a 0:07:06.690 --> 0:07:08.610 bit of a party boy and a bit of a character. 0:07:08.650 --> 0:07:11.490 Were there ever moments where. Let's just say Piggy Riddell 0:07:11.490 --> 0:07:13.250 would feature on the back page of The Telegraph or 0:07:13.250 --> 0:07:15.810 dare I say it, the front page and, um, mumma, 0:07:15.810 --> 0:07:17.570 just walk in and maybe just leave the paper on 0:07:17.570 --> 0:07:18.410 your bed or something. 0:07:18.450 --> 0:07:22.090 Yeah, yeah, that or she would send me a text 0:07:22.090 --> 0:07:27.890 and I'd just say, what have you done now? Hey, 0:07:28.210 --> 0:07:30.330 here's one for you. Here's one for. 0:07:30.330 --> 0:07:31.770 You. What have you done now? 0:07:32.010 --> 0:07:36.650 Done now. No. Are you okay? What have you done now? 0:07:36.930 --> 0:07:39.010 I reckon that's what it would have been back in 0:07:39.010 --> 0:07:41.730 the day, mate. Here's one that my mum did to me. 0:07:41.730 --> 0:07:43.450 And it's a it's a little bit off topic, but 0:07:43.450 --> 0:07:44.970 it's got to do with living. I was living at 0:07:44.970 --> 0:07:48.450 home 2005. I was playing at Parramatta. I just moved 0:07:48.450 --> 0:07:51.850 over there, uh, sorry to the club. And it was 0:07:51.850 --> 0:07:55.850 before I'd moved out and we went really good that season. 0:07:55.850 --> 0:07:58.300 We were minor premiers. And anyway, we got bundled out 0:07:58.300 --> 0:08:01.020 of the finals. I went on the biggest bender ever, 0:08:01.020 --> 0:08:04.060 like end of year Mad Monday, all of that. I 0:08:04.100 --> 0:08:06.940 came home, I think it was like the Tuesday or 0:08:06.940 --> 0:08:11.100 the Wednesday, obviously, you know, had a big, big whatever 0:08:11.100 --> 0:08:13.940 few days. And on my bed was back then a 0:08:13.940 --> 0:08:17.540 CD and it was a CD of the song by, 0:08:17.540 --> 0:08:20.220 I think the guy's name, Daniel Powter. I don't know 0:08:20.220 --> 0:08:22.420 if that's his name or not. You've had a bad 0:08:22.420 --> 0:08:25.900 day and you've had you've had a bad day. That 0:08:25.900 --> 0:08:27.860 was on my on my bed and that was my 0:08:27.860 --> 0:08:30.100 mum gave it to me after we'd got beaten by 0:08:30.100 --> 0:08:33.460 the Cowboys 29 nil in the preliminary final to go 0:08:33.460 --> 0:08:35.820 into the grand final. My mum bought me that CD 0:08:35.820 --> 0:08:38.060 and put it on my bed. You've had a bad day. 0:08:39.140 --> 0:08:41.860 Haggard. Sandy Riddell you know what? We needed a fill 0:08:41.860 --> 0:08:44.580 in for me if he's off next time. No. Um, 0:08:45.020 --> 0:08:47.740 I don't know whether you're comfortable sharing this, but I 0:08:48.020 --> 0:08:51.980 think we've spoken about it on air before. Um, you're 0:08:52.340 --> 0:08:56.350 so obviously as a as a highly paid NRL player, probably, 0:08:56.390 --> 0:08:58.430 you know, not at the top level but you know, 0:08:58.590 --> 0:09:00.790 middle of the ground sort of player. Is it true 0:09:00.830 --> 0:09:03.469 your so your NRL salary got paid to mum and 0:09:03.470 --> 0:09:04.710 dad and then they paid you a wage. 0:09:04.750 --> 0:09:07.390 Oh no. So what they did was right. So when 0:09:07.390 --> 0:09:09.510 I yeah. No I don't talk about mate. 0:09:09.510 --> 0:09:11.830 I'm 46 now but I. But I think it's I 0:09:11.910 --> 0:09:14.270 think it's very very smart on mum and Dad's behalf 0:09:14.270 --> 0:09:16.590 just to control how much and to help set you 0:09:16.590 --> 0:09:18.150 up for post-career for. 0:09:18.190 --> 0:09:20.990 That's right. Yeah. And I'm. Yeah. At the time I 0:09:20.990 --> 0:09:23.709 was ropeable and filthy. I wanted all the money, you know, 0:09:24.270 --> 0:09:26.550 but now I look back and I'm like, oh, thank God, 0:09:26.910 --> 0:09:28.790 thank God they did what they did, mate. When I 0:09:28.790 --> 0:09:31.349 first came into the NRL, um, I wasn't on a 0:09:31.350 --> 0:09:32.790 lot of money, but I was on a lot of 0:09:32.790 --> 0:09:35.310 money if I played and I played the whole season. 0:09:35.309 --> 0:09:37.870 So I was getting a lot of money that I 0:09:37.870 --> 0:09:40.710 wasn't used to getting. Um, before I played in the NRL, 0:09:40.750 --> 0:09:43.750 I was, I was an apprentice horticulturalist doing in my apprenticeship, 0:09:43.950 --> 0:09:46.190 and I was getting 250 bucks a week, but I 0:09:46.190 --> 0:09:49.670 was obviously getting paid an amount of money from, from 0:09:49.670 --> 0:09:52.550 the Dragons. But then I played 26 games. So I 0:09:52.550 --> 0:09:55.069 ended up making well over six figures in in my 0:09:55.070 --> 0:09:59.560 first year. Well, that was mate. The talk about poker 0:09:59.559 --> 0:10:01.440 machines spinning. Well, that's what they were doing. And I 0:10:01.440 --> 0:10:04.160 had a gambling problem straight away. In my first year. 0:10:04.160 --> 0:10:07.320 I'd spend after the game, I'd spend the whole night 0:10:07.320 --> 0:10:11.880 in um in, in clubs and, and pubs playing pokies. 0:10:11.920 --> 0:10:15.600 Oh really. Yeah. And I was dropping anywhere from, I 0:10:15.600 --> 0:10:18.640 don't know, 5000 to 10,000 in a weekend. Oh wow. 0:10:18.679 --> 0:10:21.480 Um so my mum and dad went and put me 0:10:21.480 --> 0:10:23.319 and it didn't last long. It wasn't like it was 0:10:23.320 --> 0:10:25.960 a long thing where it was probably like over a 0:10:25.960 --> 0:10:28.880 couple of months and they saw it straight away and um, 0:10:28.920 --> 0:10:31.240 we fixed it, uh, went to, I remember going to 0:10:31.240 --> 0:10:34.600 my accountant, um, and we set up an account and 0:10:34.600 --> 0:10:39.640 that account, uh, could only be um, withdrawn from if 0:10:39.679 --> 0:10:42.240 my and back then you had to sign for it. 0:10:42.240 --> 0:10:45.120 So my accountant and myself had to sign to ever 0:10:45.120 --> 0:10:47.400 take money out of that account. So what we did 0:10:47.400 --> 0:10:50.199 is every month my football money would go into that account. 0:10:50.360 --> 0:10:52.480 No one would touch it. And then each week I'd 0:10:52.480 --> 0:10:55.320 get paid like an apprenticeship. So the first year I 0:10:55.320 --> 0:10:58.640 think I was on like $400 and I get 400 0:10:58.640 --> 0:11:01.000 bucks a week and everything else was covered. So like 0:11:01.000 --> 0:11:03.560 everything was paid for my mobile phone and all those 0:11:03.559 --> 0:11:05.920 sorts of bills were covered. But I got $400 a week. 0:11:06.200 --> 0:11:09.000 And then I think the second year was $500, and 0:11:09.000 --> 0:11:12.439 the third year was $600. And then when I got 0:11:12.440 --> 0:11:15.679 to 25, 26, then obviously I took took back over of, 0:11:15.960 --> 0:11:17.559 of all the all the money. But that's how that's 0:11:17.559 --> 0:11:18.440 how it all started for me. 0:11:18.480 --> 0:11:18.959 Smart, wasn't. 0:11:18.960 --> 0:11:20.040 It? Yeah. There you go. 0:11:20.080 --> 0:11:22.200 Hey, I wasn't aware of the gambling issues. I'm glad 0:11:22.200 --> 0:11:23.199 you your mum and your. 0:11:23.400 --> 0:11:26.000 Yeah. Look and I don't want no one needs to 0:11:26.000 --> 0:11:29.600 feel sorry for me. It wasn't bad. It was just that, mate. 0:11:29.600 --> 0:11:31.760 And I guarantee you all kids would do it. They'd 0:11:31.760 --> 0:11:33.760 get this big money. All of a sudden I think, 0:11:34.000 --> 0:11:36.920 how good's this? And and I was only over. I 0:11:36.920 --> 0:11:39.280 was only over probably a 4 to 6 week period. 0:11:39.280 --> 0:11:40.679 I was spending a lot of money and my mum 0:11:40.679 --> 0:11:42.760 and dad saw it in the bank account, hey, what's 0:11:42.760 --> 0:11:44.800 going on here? And then we nipped in the bud 0:11:44.800 --> 0:11:47.560 straight away and sorted that out, set all that up 0:11:47.559 --> 0:11:49.760 and I never oh like, I still gamble but no, 0:11:49.800 --> 0:11:50.920 never with an issue. 0:11:50.960 --> 0:11:54.280 Um from from Sandy and shout out to Sandy superstar. 0:11:54.330 --> 0:11:55.610 We go to Cali Rydell. 0:11:55.809 --> 0:11:57.170 Is this this feels like. 0:11:57.370 --> 0:11:57.770 This is your. 0:11:57.809 --> 0:11:58.490 This is your life. 0:11:58.530 --> 0:12:00.770 It's the Harvey Norman women in league round. Piggy. We're making. 0:12:00.809 --> 0:12:02.410 No. And we've got no bloody m g. 0:12:02.450 --> 0:12:05.370 We're celebrating. Yeah. Energy could tell us about his darling wife. Yeah. 0:12:05.410 --> 0:12:05.929 That's right. 0:12:05.970 --> 0:12:07.809 You know, these kids and all the people that have 0:12:07.809 --> 0:12:10.010 played a role in his career. So it's just me 0:12:10.050 --> 0:12:12.970 here grilling you now. So but um I, I thought 0:12:12.970 --> 0:12:15.170 for the, and for those who listen to our radio show, 0:12:15.210 --> 0:12:17.610 they've probably heard this story, but our podcast listeners may 0:12:17.610 --> 0:12:21.210 not have, um, the day at Rosehill Racecourse. 0:12:21.210 --> 0:12:21.770 Yes. 0:12:21.809 --> 0:12:23.650 When you spotted the love of your life. 0:12:23.650 --> 0:12:26.209 Well, mate, first of all, before I tell the story, 0:12:26.250 --> 0:12:30.730 Riddle's got a fair strike rate at Rosehill Racecourse. Well, 0:12:30.730 --> 0:12:33.130 my brother Shea know that. I was just talking about. 0:12:33.130 --> 0:12:36.530 He met his missus at Rosehill Racecourse as well. What 0:12:36.530 --> 0:12:41.610 about that? I just remembered that then. Um, mate, I did. I, um, 0:12:41.809 --> 0:12:45.730 I met Carly at Rosehill Racecourse. Right. So this is 0:12:45.730 --> 0:12:49.290 what happened was again, I was playing at Parramatta, um 0:12:49.970 --> 0:12:54.340 and I played the Canberra Raiders at Parramatta Stadium and I. 0:12:54.900 --> 0:12:57.780 He took a bloke, hit him high. Broke my thumb 0:12:57.780 --> 0:12:59.579 and you can see the scar. Had to have this 0:12:59.580 --> 0:13:02.380 operation so I had the operation the next day. Literally 0:13:02.380 --> 0:13:05.220 plate nine screws was out for a few weeks. I 0:13:05.220 --> 0:13:07.900 think it was was out for three weeks and the 0:13:07.900 --> 0:13:11.100 boys the next week were playing. This is how professional 0:13:11.100 --> 0:13:13.380 I was. The boys the next week were playing the 0:13:13.420 --> 0:13:15.220 Gold Coast and the Gold Coast. I had nothing to 0:13:15.220 --> 0:13:17.420 do because I was back in there. So I was like, 0:13:17.540 --> 0:13:20.540 so me and my late great mate Chad Robinson, who's 0:13:20.540 --> 0:13:22.339 no longer no longer with us now, but me and 0:13:22.340 --> 0:13:27.220 Robbo were like, well, let's go to the races. Here 0:13:27.220 --> 0:13:29.740 we go. Anyway, we hired we hired a corporate box 0:13:29.740 --> 0:13:33.739 and there was a fair few of us there. And um, yeah, 0:13:34.100 --> 0:13:37.219 we went down to the normal area, you know. 0:13:37.260 --> 0:13:39.340 Oh, down, down to the normal area. 0:13:41.020 --> 0:13:43.699 We went down to the concourse or whatever it is. 0:13:43.980 --> 0:13:46.220 And we were down there for a while. And then 0:13:46.220 --> 0:13:50.380 I was standing there and I saw Carli and might 0:13:50.420 --> 0:13:53.180 have been a friend with her. So I just walked 0:13:53.230 --> 0:13:55.429 up sort of behind her with a drink and my 0:13:55.429 --> 0:13:58.350 betting slip and I'm like, uh. So, uh, what are 0:13:58.350 --> 0:14:04.510 you backing in this race? And that's how that's how 0:14:04.510 --> 0:14:07.510 it started. We went from there. Then we obviously talking, 0:14:07.550 --> 0:14:10.589 then we took them, they came up into our, uh, 0:14:10.630 --> 0:14:13.670 our corporate box. And then we ended up going, you know, 0:14:13.710 --> 0:14:17.390 you go across the road to riches. There's a bar there. 0:14:17.390 --> 0:14:19.910 We went there and then off into Parramatta. 0:14:20.350 --> 0:14:21.270 Not upstairs. Hello? 0:14:21.310 --> 0:14:22.230 No, no, no. 0:14:22.230 --> 0:14:22.470 Just. 0:14:22.510 --> 0:14:24.470 Just out that night. Leaving. Thank you. 0:14:24.670 --> 0:14:26.630 She's she's a she's a wonderful woman. 0:14:26.630 --> 0:14:27.150 She is. 0:14:27.190 --> 0:14:30.110 She does a lot another wonderful woman. And um and 0:14:30.110 --> 0:14:33.510 now of course your involvement in NRL w um it's 0:14:33.510 --> 0:14:35.550 it's great to see isn't it. The um the rise 0:14:35.550 --> 0:14:37.910 and rise of the women's game and you know like 0:14:37.990 --> 0:14:40.630 there's a long term strategy here. A lot of people one, 0:14:40.630 --> 0:14:42.869 one thing that a lot of people say to me is, Mark, 0:14:42.910 --> 0:14:44.870 how is it sustainable when you turn on the TV 0:14:44.870 --> 0:14:46.710 and there's no one in the stands? I agree, but 0:14:46.750 --> 0:14:49.110 there's a long term vision for this, right? Like Rome 0:14:49.110 --> 0:14:51.190 wasn't built in a day. It's going to take time. 0:14:51.190 --> 0:14:53.680 And now that there's a pathway and the the real 0:14:53.720 --> 0:14:55.760 moment where it sort of opened my eyes was when 0:14:55.760 --> 0:14:58.360 we covered a women's origin game and I looked down. 0:14:58.360 --> 0:15:00.520 I remember at Commbank, I looked down and there were 0:15:00.520 --> 0:15:03.480 young girls lining the fence ten deep to meet these players. 0:15:03.480 --> 0:15:07.080 And I thought to myself that that's the next generation 0:15:07.080 --> 0:15:10.240 of NRL players. So, um, it's only going to grow 0:15:10.240 --> 0:15:12.480 and grow. And you know, it's, it's the reason why 0:15:12.480 --> 0:15:15.280 I applaud people like Katie Page for, for investing money 0:15:15.280 --> 0:15:17.520 in it through Harvey Norman, but also the NRL and 0:15:17.520 --> 0:15:19.720 the commission for backing what we're doing. And you're at 0:15:19.720 --> 0:15:20.240 the coalface. 0:15:20.280 --> 0:15:23.280 Yeah. Look, I thoroughly enjoy my role with the Dragons 0:15:23.280 --> 0:15:25.720 in the NRL space. I'm the assistant coach and I'm 0:15:25.720 --> 0:15:27.840 also the head of recruitment and pathways. So I look 0:15:27.840 --> 0:15:30.960 after all of that. Um and you're right like the 0:15:31.000 --> 0:15:33.320 game is still the female game has still got a 0:15:33.320 --> 0:15:35.000 long way to go. And I've got my own opinions 0:15:35.000 --> 0:15:37.000 on what sort of needs to happen. It's probably not 0:15:37.000 --> 0:15:39.880 the right day for that, but, uh, you're right. Um, what, 0:15:39.880 --> 0:15:41.920 what we are getting is we're getting young girls that 0:15:41.920 --> 0:15:44.280 are growing up and not only are they watching the 0:15:44.280 --> 0:15:46.040 men play, but they're watching the women play and they're 0:15:46.040 --> 0:15:47.800 wanting to be those women, and they want to one 0:15:47.800 --> 0:15:50.600 day grow up as an NRL player. How we get 0:15:50.600 --> 0:15:53.440 to that point is obviously a conversation for another day 0:15:53.760 --> 0:15:58.040 in terms of, um, professional contracts and structures of how 0:15:58.040 --> 0:16:00.800 many teams and how long the season is and how 0:16:00.800 --> 0:16:04.000 the players can handle it and whatnot. But, uh, it's great. 0:16:04.000 --> 0:16:06.520 And what, what we, what we will see in the 0:16:06.520 --> 0:16:10.880 next probably 5 to 7 years is we're going to 0:16:10.880 --> 0:16:13.720 start seeing girls that have played rugby league from when 0:16:13.720 --> 0:16:16.080 they've grown up. And by that, I mean you'll see 0:16:16.120 --> 0:16:19.360 girls that have actually gone from under six seconds played 0:16:19.360 --> 0:16:21.880 with the boys and then had their own teams with 0:16:21.880 --> 0:16:24.880 the girls that come through under 12 seconds, under 14 seconds, 0:16:24.880 --> 0:16:27.800 under 16 seconds, under 18 seconds into the junior reps 0:16:27.800 --> 0:16:30.960 and then play NRL debut. And that that's probably yeah, 0:16:30.960 --> 0:16:33.400 that's probably 5 to 7 years away where we're going 0:16:33.440 --> 0:16:35.480 to start. And then what you'll see then is you'll 0:16:35.480 --> 0:16:38.480 start to see a real, uh, increase in the standard 0:16:38.480 --> 0:16:41.000 of play again, because those players have been coached from 0:16:41.000 --> 0:16:43.760 their whole career, because we hear the stories now and, 0:16:43.800 --> 0:16:46.280 you know, you think of someone like Kezie apps, you know, 0:16:46.320 --> 0:16:48.360 had to stop playing when she was 12 because she 0:16:48.360 --> 0:16:51.730 couldn't play with the boys anymore. Well, that's changed now. Um, 0:16:51.810 --> 0:16:54.690 all the female players are able to play right through. Uh, 0:16:54.690 --> 0:16:56.570 they've got their own competitions once they get to the 0:16:56.570 --> 0:16:58.970 age of 12. Um, and that's going to have a 0:16:58.970 --> 0:17:01.370 huge impact on the women's game. 0:17:01.650 --> 0:17:05.450 Fantastic. All right. Well, let's get into the, uh, the questions. Um, geez, 0:17:05.450 --> 0:17:07.090 with that spiel there, I'm just thinking, I hope the 0:17:07.090 --> 0:17:08.889 NRL's not listening. They might try and recruit you to 0:17:09.010 --> 0:17:09.850 be the head of the NRL. 0:17:09.890 --> 0:17:11.890 W well, do you want to get onto that subject? 0:17:11.890 --> 0:17:13.649 I don't know why there's not a head of the NRL. 0:17:13.690 --> 0:17:17.250 W it's an issue in the NRL w space that 0:17:17.250 --> 0:17:19.370 if for the life of me, I don't understand why 0:17:19.369 --> 0:17:22.729 there isn't somebody that is leading and running the NRL 0:17:22.730 --> 0:17:23.490 w game. 0:17:23.650 --> 0:17:25.490 Hey you don't get any ideas. I want you here. 0:17:26.650 --> 0:17:27.290 You're very important. 0:17:27.290 --> 0:17:29.649 PVL if you need me I'm a phone call away. 0:17:29.690 --> 0:17:32.970 No, you just keep lobbying PVL for your bloody tickets. 0:17:33.010 --> 0:17:36.370 PTL you just zip it and keep going, please. Part time. 0:17:36.730 --> 0:17:40.369 Part time, part time. PVL is a bloke has a 0:17:40.369 --> 0:17:43.530 week off from working six and a half days a week. Oh, 0:17:43.530 --> 0:17:44.570 and these blokes are into me. 0:17:44.609 --> 0:17:45.490 PTMG. 0:17:48.090 --> 0:17:51.580 TMG. Um, first question from Sam and, uh, and reminder, 0:17:51.580 --> 0:17:54.940 you can leave your questions, um, in the, the little 0:17:54.980 --> 0:17:58.380 box underneath or wherever you leave your questions. Um, and 0:17:58.380 --> 0:18:00.540 we'll get into them. We'll ask the first one from Sam. 0:18:00.540 --> 0:18:01.860 Then I think we might have to take a quick 0:18:01.859 --> 0:18:03.820 break and we'll come back to the rest. Um, who 0:18:03.820 --> 0:18:05.860 are the fittest players you played with? The ones who 0:18:05.859 --> 0:18:08.740 would um, win all the time trials in preseason and 0:18:08.740 --> 0:18:11.100 put you to shame piggy. I know, not my strong point. 0:18:11.100 --> 0:18:15.620 Yeah, not not probably my area of expertise. 0:18:15.660 --> 0:18:17.619 How'd you go on the beat test, mate? Hated it. 0:18:17.820 --> 0:18:20.980 Hated it. Um, I used to actually do a right 0:18:20.980 --> 0:18:23.540 in it. Not too bad, not too bad. But it 0:18:23.540 --> 0:18:27.740 just depended on what stage I was in. November. Probably 0:18:27.740 --> 0:18:30.780 not the best by January. February. Probably a lot better, 0:18:30.780 --> 0:18:33.940 mate back in our day. And oh, I hate saying that. 0:18:33.940 --> 0:18:37.780 But all all the talk from all the clubs was 0:18:37.780 --> 0:18:41.020 Kurt Gidley. Um, that he was the fittest by far 0:18:41.300 --> 0:18:43.580 that he um with the beep test and all those 0:18:43.580 --> 0:18:46.780 things everyone used to talk about Gids and, and how 0:18:46.780 --> 0:18:49.500 fit he was in terms of my clubs, I'm trying 0:18:49.500 --> 0:18:53.990 to think like blokes like the Dragons, Mark Gasnier just 0:18:53.990 --> 0:18:59.230 naturally fit and mate. He could, he could, he could 0:18:59.230 --> 0:19:01.590 go out on a night out and then he could 0:19:01.590 --> 0:19:05.070 turn up the next day and just absolutely shred the fitness, 0:19:05.109 --> 0:19:09.190 the the training, everything. Um, I'm trying to think who 0:19:09.190 --> 0:19:14.470 else in the in the eels, mate. Heidi wasn't sort 0:19:14.510 --> 0:19:17.070 of even though Heidi was so fit in the games, 0:19:17.430 --> 0:19:19.750 Heidi wasn't great in the fitness. I'm trying to think 0:19:19.750 --> 0:19:20.150 of the eels. 0:19:20.270 --> 0:19:23.150 Is it fair to say the more leaner type blokes were. Yeah, well, the. 0:19:23.630 --> 0:19:25.869 Blokes like Lukey, Bert, Lukey, Bert, Bert. 0:19:25.869 --> 0:19:27.070 He would have been fit. I always look at the 0:19:27.070 --> 0:19:28.950 front rowers and I think, you know, the poor buggers 0:19:29.150 --> 0:19:31.150 in the middle of a pre-season in the summer like 0:19:31.150 --> 0:19:32.310 that must be torture for them. 0:19:32.350 --> 0:19:34.150 Yeah, well, I know one bloke that I played with, 0:19:34.150 --> 0:19:37.710 the guru, he, he wasn't that wasn't his go guru. 0:19:37.790 --> 0:19:40.389 Shout out to guru. I've been speaking to the guru lately. 0:19:40.430 --> 0:19:42.469 Oh was it a function last year where his dad's 0:19:42.470 --> 0:19:43.070 band performed. 0:19:43.109 --> 0:19:44.070 Oh yeah. Senior. 0:19:44.109 --> 0:19:45.990 Um what's their name. Is it, is it um. 0:19:46.030 --> 0:19:47.550 Isn't it Eric Grothe and the gurus. 0:19:47.590 --> 0:19:50.669 That might be it up all night thinking of the 0:19:50.670 --> 0:19:52.510 name of it. Um, they're very good. 0:19:52.550 --> 0:19:54.590 But I'm trying to think I'm racking my brain. Who 0:19:54.590 --> 0:19:56.750 would be the fittest blokes with what I played at 0:19:56.750 --> 0:20:00.390 guys is massive. He was great. Benny Hornby probably would 0:20:00.430 --> 0:20:04.910 have been at the Dragons. Um, at para. 0:20:05.350 --> 0:20:06.990 What about Nathan Brown or someone? 0:20:07.310 --> 0:20:10.670 Nah, browny finished when I started. Oh, okay. Yeah, he's 0:20:10.670 --> 0:20:12.670 lucky too. Otherwise he would have finished his career in 0:20:12.670 --> 0:20:16.469 reserve grade. No, I always tell, I always tell browny 0:20:16.470 --> 0:20:21.750 that one. I've said that one to you before. He's 0:20:21.750 --> 0:20:24.630 lucky we played the same position. Would have been terrible 0:20:24.630 --> 0:20:25.710 for him to finish his career. 0:20:25.830 --> 0:20:26.910 Didn't you replace him at the Dragon? 0:20:26.910 --> 0:20:28.110 Yeah, I did, that's what I'm saying. 0:20:28.350 --> 0:20:30.790 Okay. Fair enough. Um, do we need to take a break, Jules, 0:20:30.790 --> 0:20:32.750 or keep going? Okay, we'll take a quick break. Come back, 0:20:32.910 --> 0:20:35.229 we'll take a break, and we'll come back with more 0:20:35.230 --> 0:20:38.270 of your questions right after this. All right. Let's keep 0:20:38.270 --> 0:20:40.510 going with these questions. We got some good ones again 0:20:40.510 --> 0:20:43.350 this week, our listeners and viewers on fire. Thank you 0:20:43.350 --> 0:20:43.910 for all of that. 0:20:43.950 --> 0:20:44.990 What do you got for me, Levi. 0:20:45.030 --> 0:20:48.710 From Margaret Boys massive Sharks fan here. Gavin Miller was 0:20:48.710 --> 0:20:51.800 my favorite player, but with his head taped up and 0:20:51.800 --> 0:20:54.920 the shoulder pads, it got me wondering which player took 0:20:54.920 --> 0:20:56.600 the longest to get ready for a game. 0:20:56.640 --> 0:21:00.320 Oh my God, we're going down memory lane here, mate, 0:21:00.320 --> 0:21:03.480 I can't remember. I know that sounds terrible. 0:21:03.520 --> 0:21:05.400 Well, I don't think we've mentioned it on the podcast 0:21:05.400 --> 0:21:05.800 you used to. 0:21:05.920 --> 0:21:08.880 I'll tell I'll tell you about my preparation. I used 0:21:08.880 --> 0:21:11.880 to come in to the dressing sheds I used to 0:21:12.640 --> 0:21:13.240 rip off. 0:21:13.400 --> 0:21:14.760 After eating the barbecue chicken. 0:21:15.000 --> 0:21:16.080 No, that's bullshit. 0:21:16.119 --> 0:21:16.439 Chris. 0:21:16.440 --> 0:21:19.000 Okay. That's okay. That's how Keith tossing him. 0:21:19.000 --> 0:21:21.000 Up, mate. He's I I've challenged him. I said to 0:21:21.000 --> 0:21:23.560 him because he he swears by this. I know as 0:21:23.560 --> 0:21:26.360 a young dragons fan at Kogarah, I watched piggy in 0:21:26.359 --> 0:21:28.440 the players enclosure eat a whole barbecue chook. 0:21:28.480 --> 0:21:29.440 I don't think I did. 0:21:29.480 --> 0:21:30.200 Before kick. 0:21:30.240 --> 0:21:32.040 Off. I don't know if I did look, I'd be 0:21:32.040 --> 0:21:33.399 impressed with myself if I did. 0:21:33.760 --> 0:21:34.840 That's no denial. 0:21:35.440 --> 0:21:38.119 But I love to get in the sheds and I 0:21:38.160 --> 0:21:41.200 strip off, have a shower, cold shower straight away. Then 0:21:41.200 --> 0:21:44.400 I go and get my strapping, uh, done, my ankles 0:21:44.400 --> 0:21:47.479 and whatnot. I used to always have the same Aussies 0:21:47.520 --> 0:21:51.010 Speedos to wear. I put my Speedos on. Put my shorts, 0:21:51.090 --> 0:21:55.050 my sock, my sock, my boot, my boot. Um. And 0:21:55.050 --> 0:21:59.090 then yeah, like I'd have all my drinks that I'd take. 0:21:59.130 --> 0:22:01.410 I've told, I've showed you what I used to do. 0:22:01.450 --> 0:22:02.010 Drinks. 0:22:02.050 --> 0:22:04.410 Yeah. So I'd get a Powerade and a water bottle 0:22:04.650 --> 0:22:09.530 and I'd pour half the um, drink half the water, 0:22:09.530 --> 0:22:12.290 pour half the Powerade into the water, then get another 0:22:12.290 --> 0:22:14.649 water and pour half the power, half the water into 0:22:14.650 --> 0:22:18.170 Powerade so they'll half diluted. And I'd drink them. And 0:22:18.170 --> 0:22:20.609 then I'd have like my Red bull, my Sudafed and 0:22:20.609 --> 0:22:23.369 everything like that that I took right before a game. 0:22:23.369 --> 0:22:25.450 And I'd have all that set up there. But then 0:22:25.690 --> 0:22:28.250 just as we ran on the field every time before 0:22:28.250 --> 0:22:30.490 I played and this was even when I was, I 0:22:30.490 --> 0:22:32.610 was young, like, even when I was playing junior reps 0:22:32.650 --> 0:22:34.530 Cup of Water. And as I ran on the field, 0:22:34.530 --> 0:22:36.210 I always pour it on my head. And that was 0:22:36.210 --> 0:22:39.330 like my sign to write. I wake up, you got 0:22:39.330 --> 0:22:41.410 to be ready to go. And then I wash. 0:22:41.810 --> 0:22:43.850 I start doing that before the tube morning show. Just 0:22:43.890 --> 0:22:44.530 sip a cup of water. 0:22:44.770 --> 0:22:46.810 We have a cold shower, mate, just before you go 0:22:46.810 --> 0:22:49.060 on air. Then you'll be able to just bang, bang, bang. 0:22:49.100 --> 0:22:50.540 How about those politicians more? 0:22:50.580 --> 0:22:52.060 Do you know how cold it is at 3:45 when 0:22:52.060 --> 0:22:53.179 I get up? MM. 0:22:53.220 --> 0:22:54.460 Very very cold. 0:22:55.420 --> 0:22:58.340 Whoever invented those in the in the ensuite for the 0:22:58.340 --> 0:23:00.580 main bedroom. My joint. You got the heat lamps in 0:23:00.580 --> 0:23:01.180 the ceiling. 0:23:01.220 --> 0:23:01.460 Oh. 0:23:01.619 --> 0:23:02.979 Whoever invented them in. 0:23:02.980 --> 0:23:04.420 Your castle, is it. Yeah. 0:23:04.460 --> 0:23:06.939 No, it's not a castle. Not a castle. Although it 0:23:06.940 --> 0:23:08.660 has appeared on the front of a few newspapers or 0:23:08.700 --> 0:23:12.100 inside newspapers lately. Anyway, thank God that's all over. Um, 0:23:12.140 --> 0:23:14.659 from Dean High marks. Ray Stone is one of my 0:23:14.660 --> 0:23:17.540 favourite players. He has that bit of crazy about him. 0:23:17.540 --> 0:23:19.220 But I wanted to know in your day, who were 0:23:19.220 --> 0:23:21.140 the guys that were really quiet off the field but 0:23:21.140 --> 0:23:22.820 turned into a maniac on the field? 0:23:23.220 --> 0:23:25.940 Oh, one comes to mind straight away. I'm not. I 0:23:25.940 --> 0:23:28.820 don't know if you remember him. Levy. Craig Smith he 0:23:28.820 --> 0:23:32.860 was my first ever captain at the Dragons New Zealand 0:23:32.859 --> 0:23:37.060 International front rower. I felt safe when Smithy was on 0:23:37.060 --> 0:23:40.699 the field. Um, he was the nicest. I still remember 0:23:40.700 --> 0:23:43.980 him taking him, taking me under his wing. He flogged 0:23:44.020 --> 0:23:47.220 absolute crap out of me fitness and everything like that. Training. 0:23:47.619 --> 0:23:51.100 And then on the field, he just turned into a lunatic. 0:23:51.140 --> 0:23:54.100 He actually got I remember he got stung. He got, um, 0:23:55.060 --> 0:23:57.100 went to the judiciary for the knee lift. That's right. 0:23:57.140 --> 0:23:59.820 That many times lifting the knee and. But mate, he 0:23:59.820 --> 0:24:01.419 was he was a machine. 0:24:01.460 --> 0:24:02.300 I've got one for you. 0:24:02.340 --> 0:24:02.659 Who you. 0:24:02.660 --> 0:24:04.859 Got? Um, Josh Morris introduced me to him at the 0:24:04.859 --> 0:24:07.980 airport magic round last year. Jared Waerea-hargreaves. 0:24:07.980 --> 0:24:10.500 Oh, yeah. Quite nice bloke in the world. 0:24:10.540 --> 0:24:13.620 I couldn't believe that I was standing there. He kept 0:24:13.619 --> 0:24:15.939 asking me questions about, like, what I did and, you know, 0:24:15.980 --> 0:24:17.740 the politics and all that sort of thing. And I 0:24:17.740 --> 0:24:20.100 just thought to myself, this bloke is one of probably 0:24:20.100 --> 0:24:22.660 the most intimidating and ferocious blokes I've ever seen on 0:24:22.660 --> 0:24:24.660 the field. And here he is as nice as part 0:24:24.660 --> 0:24:26.540 of me at an airport. I'm thinking, what the hell's 0:24:26.540 --> 0:24:28.780 going on here? So would he be up there? 0:24:28.820 --> 0:24:30.740 Yeah, yeah, Jared would be for sure. 0:24:31.260 --> 0:24:32.859 Great, great lunatic on the field. 0:24:32.900 --> 0:24:35.180 Not that. Not that I know Jared really well, but 0:24:35.180 --> 0:24:38.220 my great fellow. And then on the field, just a machine. 0:24:38.260 --> 0:24:41.219 Machine from Keith. If I can say this politely. Uh, 0:24:41.220 --> 0:24:44.500 you boys struggle a bit up with the hairline. I 0:24:44.500 --> 0:24:47.590 remember David Barnhill being bald his whole career. Were there 0:24:47.590 --> 0:24:49.830 any former teammates who were losing it at that? Were 0:24:49.830 --> 0:24:50.670 really sensitive about. 0:24:50.670 --> 0:24:52.030 It, mate. Hey. 0:24:53.590 --> 0:24:54.230 Good question. 0:24:54.270 --> 0:24:57.230 I'm gonna I'm gonna. The old nickname. We had a 0:24:57.230 --> 0:25:01.470 bloke at the at the Dragons. I won't mention his name. 0:25:01.950 --> 0:25:04.910 And we used to call him 4020 because he looked 0:25:04.910 --> 0:25:06.229 40 and he was only 20. 0:25:06.270 --> 0:25:06.910 Are you talking about. 0:25:06.910 --> 0:25:09.910 I'm not gonna mention his name. I'm not gonna. I'm 0:25:09.910 --> 0:25:14.310 not gonna mention it. He played. He played for the Dragons. Played. 0:25:14.310 --> 0:25:16.590 I think he played a few games for Souths as well. 0:25:16.990 --> 0:25:19.390 I won't mention his name, but anyway, you won't. You won't, 0:25:19.430 --> 0:25:21.950 you won't. You won't get him. You won't get him. 0:25:21.950 --> 0:25:24.870 He only played a few games, but his nickname was 0:25:24.869 --> 0:25:28.710 4020 because he was pretty much bald. And uh, look forward. 0:25:28.710 --> 0:25:29.710 He was only 20. 0:25:29.910 --> 0:25:32.230 It's a it's a pretty ruthless mate. 0:25:32.230 --> 0:25:35.830 I'll tell you a story about the hair. Right. I 0:25:35.830 --> 0:25:39.670 was playing at Parramatta, right. And I got this phone 0:25:39.670 --> 0:25:43.070 call one day from a hair mob like, you know, 0:25:43.550 --> 0:25:45.510 stop it. Yeah. True story. 0:25:46.109 --> 0:25:46.430 Or something. 0:25:46.480 --> 0:25:49.360 Well, one of those, um, one of those companies got 0:25:49.400 --> 0:25:52.040 and they're like, mate, we want to pay, we want 0:25:52.080 --> 0:25:55.160 to give you the full treatment because you know, you're 0:25:55.160 --> 0:25:59.000 not thinning, but you know what, you got your hair, 0:25:59.000 --> 0:26:00.880 but you're starting to thin, you know, like, and if 0:26:00.880 --> 0:26:03.040 we get it early enough and. Oh yeah. Right. Oh 0:26:03.320 --> 0:26:06.040 how much? Yeah. Okay. What have I got to do? 0:26:06.400 --> 0:26:08.560 So anyway, I had to go to this place in 0:26:08.560 --> 0:26:10.959 Parramatta and have like the treatment, you know, when they 0:26:10.960 --> 0:26:13.800 put like a, I don't know, some sort of light 0:26:13.800 --> 0:26:16.040 or something on there and they rub stuff in your hair. 0:26:16.280 --> 0:26:18.720 But I had to go to it every week. And 0:26:18.720 --> 0:26:21.640 then they gave me shampoo and these oils to put 0:26:21.640 --> 0:26:24.719 in my hair. And I went once and then I 0:26:24.720 --> 0:26:28.400 was just like, hey, guys, you know what? I'd rather 0:26:28.440 --> 0:26:34.240 be bald. And I never went back. It was good money. 0:26:34.240 --> 0:26:37.040 I never got paid a cent. And I was like, 0:26:37.280 --> 0:26:40.960 I'm not coming here every week for however long. I said, 0:26:41.160 --> 0:26:43.359 that's all right, guys. I just go bald. And that 0:26:43.359 --> 0:26:45.600 was it. Never, never, never went back. 0:26:45.600 --> 0:26:48.290 Another good story. Uh, one last one from Kel. Were 0:26:48.290 --> 0:26:50.850 there any coaches you could play practical jokes on? They 0:26:50.850 --> 0:26:54.250 had a really good sense of humor. Well, um, we 0:26:54.290 --> 0:26:56.490 work with Cooper Johns on the weekend. Him and Brandon 0:26:56.490 --> 0:27:00.090 Smith pranked, uh, Craig Bellamy by putting the rocks in 0:27:00.090 --> 0:27:02.930 his bag. Remember when they were going somewhere during Covid? 0:27:02.930 --> 0:27:03.609 I think it was. 0:27:04.090 --> 0:27:04.490 Yeah. 0:27:04.530 --> 0:27:05.370 Coach's pranks. 0:27:05.650 --> 0:27:09.250 Um, mate, I am sure you know who I caught 0:27:09.250 --> 0:27:10.890 up with. Not that I did any pranks on him. 0:27:10.930 --> 0:27:13.290 Andrew Farrell on Saturday. Well, Pops. 0:27:13.290 --> 0:27:13.609 Farrell. 0:27:14.010 --> 0:27:16.729 He's good. Uh, Andrew Farrell, obviously he played with the 0:27:16.730 --> 0:27:20.290 big man, um, back in the 80s at the Bulldogs. But, um. 0:27:20.330 --> 0:27:22.050 I heard him give one of the greatest sprays of 0:27:22.050 --> 0:27:24.410 all time. I was back refereeing this. This. I did 0:27:24.410 --> 0:27:27.010 a game at Kogarah. Yeah. Um, and I did the 0:27:27.010 --> 0:27:29.169 game before. It must have been before their game or 0:27:29.170 --> 0:27:32.730 whatever it was. Um anyway he's just come storming in. 0:27:32.730 --> 0:27:34.449 It was half time because I was on standby for 0:27:34.450 --> 0:27:37.689 the next game. I've never heard anything like it. It 0:27:37.690 --> 0:27:39.450 was one of the greatest sprays of all. 0:27:39.490 --> 0:27:41.490 Well, he he gave me he gave me a spray 0:27:41.530 --> 0:27:44.970 over over the years when I got sent off. Anyway, 0:27:45.010 --> 0:27:47.730 story for another day. Um, no, but I, yeah, I 0:27:47.770 --> 0:27:49.770 got to see pops. Pops gave me my NRL debut. 0:27:49.810 --> 0:27:52.370 That's why it was great to see him. Um, but 0:27:52.570 --> 0:27:57.090 coaches that we played mate I'm sure I did play pranks. 0:27:57.290 --> 0:27:58.729 On coach Brian Smith. 0:27:58.730 --> 0:28:01.610 So I had uh. Andrew. Farrah. Yep. For a couple 0:28:01.650 --> 0:28:03.410 of years and I had Nathan Brown for a couple 0:28:03.450 --> 0:28:08.450 of years. And I just thought of a story her brownie. 0:28:08.450 --> 0:28:12.810 But it's not fair. Um, Brian Smith then I had 0:28:12.810 --> 0:28:15.330 Jason Taylor for a year, then I had Michael Hagan 0:28:15.650 --> 0:28:18.010 at Parramatta as well. And then. 0:28:18.369 --> 0:28:19.770 Easy to prank the, the. 0:28:20.090 --> 0:28:23.010 Mate. Well JT was I, we only had him for 0:28:23.010 --> 0:28:26.170 half a season 2006. JT was great. Um picking up 0:28:26.170 --> 0:28:31.129 from from Smithy when Smithy left, but Michael Hagan, mate 0:28:31.210 --> 0:28:34.129 Hayes was unreal. Michael Hagan he was such a such 0:28:34.130 --> 0:28:37.449 a great man manager and um, mate, when I was 0:28:37.450 --> 0:28:40.090 out with the boys it'd be three in the morning, 0:28:40.090 --> 0:28:42.570 I reckon, four in the morning, and I'd ring him 0:28:43.170 --> 0:28:45.140 and I would ring Breathe. 0:28:45.180 --> 0:28:47.500 You've done that to former broadcasters of this radio network. 0:28:47.540 --> 0:28:50.380 Oh, mate, I would ring him and tell him where 0:28:50.380 --> 0:28:53.660 we were and sing songs to him and everything like that. 0:28:53.700 --> 0:28:54.500 How did he handle that? 0:28:54.540 --> 0:28:57.780 He loved it, absolutely loved it. And shout out to 0:28:57.820 --> 0:29:01.060 Hayes if you're watching or listening, because mate, he's one 0:29:01.060 --> 0:29:03.219 of the greats. He was a great fellow and I'm imploring. 0:29:03.460 --> 0:29:03.980 I used to. 0:29:04.500 --> 0:29:04.700 Mate. 0:29:04.700 --> 0:29:06.420 I used to talk to him. 0:29:06.500 --> 0:29:10.459 My phone's off. I'm not that silly. Um, but yeah, mate, 0:29:10.540 --> 0:29:13.780 he was unreal. We used to ring him at whatever hour. 0:29:13.820 --> 0:29:14.060 And. 0:29:14.420 --> 0:29:15.660 Spray him. It was great. 0:29:15.660 --> 0:29:18.300 Well, there you go. There's the questions. There's the podcast 0:29:18.300 --> 0:29:21.060 for this Monday. Uh, we'll have another one dropping on 0:29:21.100 --> 0:29:23.860 Thursday to preview the next round of the comp. As 0:29:23.860 --> 0:29:26.140 we get closer and closer to the finals, M, G 0:29:26.180 --> 0:29:28.260 will hopefully be back with us as well after his 0:29:28.260 --> 0:29:30.940 bout of tonsillitis. Piggy go world champion. 0:29:30.980 --> 0:29:32.860 See you later. Bye bye. See you guys. 0:29:32.900 --> 0:29:35.140 Piggy Riddell. This has been another edition of Mark My Words. 0:29:35.140 --> 0:29:38.500 Make sure you subscribe, like write some questions and we'll 0:29:38.500 --> 0:29:40.740 put them to the boys here on the podcast. Enjoy 0:29:40.740 --> 0:29:42.500 your week and we'll talk to you on Thursday.