S1: Hi everyone. Welcome to the Monday edition of Mark My
S1: Words Story time and Your questions. We Love Mondays podcast
S1: after a big weekend of footy. Hello, Emily.
S2: Hello, Marcus.
S1: Hello, piggy.
S2: Hello, Levi.
S1: Boys, I want to take you back to your football career.
S1: First grade football. And I want you in story time
S1: today to let us know the moment in your career
S1: where you said, ah, dear, I'm playing first grade, the
S1: welcome to first grade moment where you were absolutely rocked
S1: by a veteran who gave you yours and what was
S1: going through your head while you were looking up at
S1: the sky. Uh, we all know the guys who trained
S1: the house down, but who was the one teammate who, uh,
S1: lived on meat pies, hated the gym, put zero effort
S1: into training, but was completely untouchable on game two.
S2: Different topics here.
S1: All those different things. So we want we want to
S1: know we're going to just have a little.
S2: Bit of spitball. You want a spitball? Well, what you're
S2: welcome to first. Well, I played I played my first
S2: grade debut in 87. Was Against the Dogs of War.
S1: Can I interrupt for a sec? Yep. How many people
S1: in rugby league history do you reckon? Probably. Say to
S1: the story. To this day, my welcome to first grade
S1: moment was the day that m g lined me up
S1: and clocked me.
S2: I know two people who. Who said that? Really? Billy
S2: Moore said that? Really? And I think when he said
S2: it as well. Why? Because I played him in Perth
S2: and I said, kick that chubby bloke. But also at
S2: the end of my career, at the start of. Oh yeah.
S2: And like and, you know, things would have changed. But
S2: he was a great competitor.
S1: What was yours? MJ? Sorry.
S2: Um, I played against the Dogs of War. Uh, in 1987.
S2: They had Peter Kelly, Peter Tunks, Billy Johnson, or Mark Bugden,
S2: one of the two. Um, in the second row was Gillespie,
S2: Lang Blacklock. Jeez, they're just the best people in the centers.
S2: I had Farrah and Mortimer. And they were. And you
S2: know what? I got through it unscathed. I thought, that's wow.
S2: Dogs of war. The second game was against Rabbitohs at
S2: Redfern and I got the absolute shit bashed out of me.
S2: Can I guess all of them? Oh really? All of them.
S2: Les Davidson. David Boyle. Boyle. Chisholm. Uh. What was Boyle like?
S2: Full on. Oh, mate. Mate. He was my trainer. I
S2: got bashed, I got bashed, really? And I went, what
S2: the fuck is this game like after playing the first game,
S2: you go because it was a build up. I was
S2: 19 and everyone's going, man, you know, you're you've got
S2: to be careful to put him. Like I was saying
S2: to Tim Sheens, where's your your duty of care with
S2: this this kid playing against the dogs of war man
S2: like and and that was okay. The the worst hit
S2: I got in that game was against Chris Mortimer. He
S2: hit me high and I thought, oh you know. But
S2: then the next week after I'm feeling bulletproof in the
S2: second or third tackle, I got tackled by one of them,
S2: the South Sydney pack. And then they just all laid
S2: into me, really. I played three runs that game. I
S2: shit myself, I went too hard. Fucking fuck. I'm not
S2: playing that shit again. Almost. I almost want to give
S2: it up. Nah, but I mean, I was, but that's
S2: when you learn a lot. Such a big contrast from
S2: the first week. I'm going. How easy is this? Yeah.
S2: You know, I'm getting the papers. I'm. I'm. Yeah. Means
S2: you have to ride the old buck, the young, whatever
S2: they call them. Yep. Um, and then and then the
S2: publicity got to my head and I played the second
S2: week against the Rabbitohs at Redfern Oval and got the
S2: best out of me.
S1: Alright, can I throw another question at you off the
S1: back of that. Yeah. So you're welcome to first grade moment.
S1: Do you remember your first grade debut and what were
S1: you like in the sheds before kick off?
S2: Um, I of course you remember it. You remember your
S2: first grade debut because it only happens once. Um, you
S2: remember I remember being at training thinking that I can't
S2: believe I'm playing with these blokes, you know, Alexander and
S2: Izzard and um Geoff Gerard um and Roy Simmons and,
S2: and you run out on the field and you go, wow,
S2: this is just surreal. Um, and I was always, I
S2: was always pretty nervous in the dressing room before a game,
S2: no matter what it was. Um, I got worse as
S2: I got older. Because I think you lose. You realize
S2: that you're losing your powers. Um, there's only this kind
S2: of window of 5 or 6 years where you're, you're
S2: in the zone. And when you get outside of that, um, window,
S2: you kind of, you second guess yourself a little bit.
S2: Then you start to think, well, I've got to do
S2: something different. Maybe get pumped up a little bit differently,
S2: try a different drink before a game. Or I got
S2: a vitamin B shot just to, you know, get me going. And, but, um,
S2: I was okay before my debut because I was surrounded
S2: by guys who I knew would look after me. But
S2: as I got older, the more you play first grade,
S2: the more you know how hard this game is and
S2: the more nerves. You know, I was never one of
S2: them guys. I could never play. Every time I play
S2: a night game, I could never sleep through the day.
S2: Really never ever, ever slept right. And I never played
S2: many night games besides origin or not even semi semis
S2: were always 3:00. Yeah. So most of my games at
S2: 3 p.m., um, on a Saturday or Sunday. Yeah. But
S2: when I come back from Perth in 1987, played for Penrith,
S2: who were playing a lot of night games, you know,
S2: and I remember me and Tony were roommates. Tony. Yeah.
S2: And he'd be snoring and I'm there going, oh fuck.
S2: For three hours man. I'm just nervous energy was that.
S2: But yeah, it just changes. But no, I wasn't that nervous.
S1: I yeah, right.
S2: I love I was, I was I was nervous when
S2: Marvin made his first grade debut. Were you oh my goodness.
S1: Because you I remember you. I remember seeing a clip.
S1: You got pretty emotional talking about like when he first
S1: got named to make his debut. Yeah. So what were
S1: you like when he made what? Just watching on in
S1: the stands and everything.
S2: Yeah, we drove down. We got we got bus fulls
S2: and we had shirts on and we had family members.
S2: We had friends. And I kind of rocked up to
S2: the game thinking, this is happening. Like my baby, you know, he's,
S2: he's my youngest boy who's, he's playing first grade. And
S2: you see so many of it happened to other mates
S2: of yours and ex teammates, ex ex opponents. And when
S2: it happens to you, it's just all surreal.
S1: Were you a blubbering mess on game day?
S2: You would have been for sure, I remember I, we
S2: met at the Point Tavern, had about six beers. Calm
S2: you down. Yeah. But then I had like. Then we
S2: got stuck in traffic. I had to go to the toilet.
S2: There was a bin on the on the bus, so
S2: I had to straight in.
S1: Yes.
S2: And my wife's going, you dirty bastard! What are you doing?
S1: Did you get to give him give him a big
S1: hug at the at full time?
S2: Well, um. Ivan, let us in the dressing room after
S2: the game. Oh, yeah. We got a photo at home. Um,
S2: with all. All of us around. Yeah. It was. That's unreal.
S1: I remember, I remember when K Dik Diks made his
S1: debut and I remember him walking to the, I think
S1: it was the northern end of Shark Park and his
S1: dad was there. His grandfather was there who also played
S1: and his two brothers. And they were all just blubbering.
S2: That's so good.
S1: That's so beautiful. Yeah. And just like on the topic
S1: of the debut, you know what I love about the
S1: modern day, um, access we have to plays when they
S1: film the coach telling them they're going to make their
S1: debut and ringing the parents. That's so good to see.
S2: I love it.
S1: So good.
S2: It's a great insight, isn't it? Yeah. So good to see.
S2: It's unreal.
S1: All right Peg, your turn to shine.
S2: Um, first grade debut.
S1: Mhm.
S2: I got 27 minutes off the bench playing at Shark
S2: Park again. I was playing for the Dragons. Um, there
S2: was none of the stuff that we've just spoken about.
S2: Like I literally my mum and dad got two tickets
S2: behind the goalpost because it was an away game and like,
S2: nothing was done. It wasn't. Yeah. No, I'm not trying
S2: to say like it wasn't special. Does that. Yeah. It
S2: was special for me, but it wasn't like the big extravaganza.
S2: There is these days when kids and obviously there's a
S2: lot more to do because of social media and all
S2: those sorts of things. But I just remember Andrew Farah
S2: because it was round one. Andrew Farah told me a
S2: week and a half before the game that I was
S2: going to play. He's like, mate, you're going to make
S2: your debut. I'm going to play off the bench. And
S2: I was nowhere near playing. It was Nathan Brown. I
S2: don't know if you remember the story. Nathan Brown hurt
S2: his neck and never played again after he was hurt.
S2: 2001 in a trial against the Bulldogs at the Showground. And, um.
S2: And then Andrew Farah the next few days, once browny
S2: found out that out he'd never play again. Came and
S2: grabbed me and said, mate, you're going to be my
S2: next hooker. You're going to make your debut. So I
S2: ended up getting 27 minutes. Well against the Sharkies scored
S2: two tries.
S1: On.
S2: Debut. Yeah. Stop it. Yeah. Shit. I ran about a
S2: meter for both.
S1: Just like you were famous for the piggy bank.
S2: For the little barge over scoring your career. Uh, 30, 40,
S2: 40 or 50? Yeah, 40. 50. Very hard to stop
S2: from a meter out. But but, you know, when you
S2: were just telling your story about your first week, it
S2: was so similar to what happened to me because as
S2: I just said, you came on 27 minutes. We beat
S2: the sharks pretty convincingly. So same thing. Go back in
S2: the Shark Park, reporters everywhere, two stories. You're thinking you're
S2: all that. And then I think it was a few
S2: weeks later we played the Broncos at the um. It
S2: was called ANZ Stadium. Remember the one with the athletics track?
S2: I hated that place. Yeah. And I'm like Lockyer sailor
S2: to Kiri on the wings like mate if you went
S2: through like talus. Tony Carroll, Web seven as ever. Like
S2: just star studded. Well, they won the comp in 2000
S2: and I was playing them in 2001. And I remember
S2: running the ball getting like the smashed out of me,
S2: playing it and just going, what the fuck am I
S2: doing here? I know, and I saw all those guys
S2: in the defensive line and I'm just like, no, no, no,
S2: I shouldn't be. Isn't it funny how when you were
S2: saying it, I was like reliving the exact same moments?
S2: It wasn't the second or third game. Forget when it was,
S2: but it was early in the year and I was like,
S2: I shouldn't be with these guys. Like, these are men.
S2: I'm just a boy. And, um, and that was it
S2: really that that was my welcome to first grade moment
S2: when I was like, Holy shit.
S1: It's funny you say that. Like I, we called the
S1: Souths game last Friday, the two Fridays ago because we're
S1: we're obviously this comes out on the Monday. Um, I
S1: remember Ashton Ward arrived for Souths and I remember looking
S1: through the binoculars going, this, that can't be a player like.
S1: But it had all the suit. Oh that's Ashton. Yeah mate.
S1: There's nothing of.
S2: Him of it. Yeah.
S1: Like these these little blokes that are nothing of them
S1: that go out there and play in the NRL these days. Unbelievable.
S2: Yeah.
S3: The game is the game has morphed. Um we used
S3: to be at school games you know we used to
S3: look forward to a game of footy after school and
S3: we'd all be in the in science lab doing our
S3: roll call. And the bus would turn up and they'd
S3: get off the bus, the opposing team, and you go, well,
S3: there's their front rowers. Oh yeah, there's their half.
S2: Yeah.
S3: He looks like a five eight or wing. But now
S3: that team gives off the bus. You go, who's the
S3: front row or second row or centre? They're like five
S3: eights these days. A six foot four.
S2: Yeah.
S3: Halfbacks are six foot three. Yeah. Wingers are either 7
S3: foot or 5 foot one. Like it's just the game.
S2: They're all 100 kilos.
S3: And they're all winners. And the good thing about our
S3: game is that no matter how big you are or
S3: how small you are, there's a there's a spot for
S3: you somewhere. Yeah.
S1: Who's the who's the scariest bloke in the National Rugby
S1: League at the moment that you wouldn't want to tackle
S1: or come up against because I've got mine. Spencer Leniu.
S2: Fisher-harris for me.
S3: I'd say Payne Haas.
S2: Yeah.
S3: Payne Haas just the just the way he runs beast.
S3: Even all the way Stéfano played the other night. Stéfano
S3: you took him on. Yeah. Like but you know, there's
S3: not many you know.
S2: Yeah. You'd still take him on. I know that you're.
S2: I know what you're thinking. You're thinking I'd still take
S2: him on. Just won't go down swinging. One set.
S3: One set one more set of defence. One more of
S3: attack just to get out of my system.
S2: No d no d.
S1: Just that other.
S3: That.
S1: That other point that I raised.
S2: Yeah.
S1: Did you, did you play with or against any of
S1: the blokes who sort of didn't. Well I know.
S3: See we played in an era where we, our coaches
S3: would encourage us to go to the pub on a Thursday. Yeah.
S3: You know, um.
S1: But like bad, bad trainers, drinkers, smokers.
S3: But but everyone, everyone, I wasn't professional professional. So they
S3: all worked. So but I'll tell you a guy who
S3: you wouldn't expect in the off season when we used
S3: to go party, um, this guy could party with the
S3: best of them and then be the last one up
S3: drinking and, you know, back at his house usually, and
S3: he'd be sweeping the floors to keep us out. And
S3: then we'd go into a time trial the next day
S3: and he'd break club records. It was Brandy, really. Brandy
S3: was a freak of nature. Yeah, like just the way,
S3: like we do a 2.5 time trial, um, every, every
S3: off season. And sometimes we do it 4 or 5
S3: times just to make sure everyone's at the same. I
S3: think backs had to beat nine minutes, forwards had to
S3: beat ten. Um and Brandy would do he, we'd be
S3: out all night that you know, I think one one
S3: year we, we trained um was it New Year's Eve
S3: maybe we know we trained New Year's Day and he
S3: was out New Year's Eve. We were out together, New
S3: Year's Eve and we're all partying and I don't think
S3: we even slept. We just, you know, and we went
S3: and done a time trial at the Hale Oval Cricket Oval,
S3: 2.56 laps of that. He done bare feet. He done
S3: in bare feet. No lap blokes. Look at this fucker.
S2: He's been out all night.
S3: The other guys were saying I'm going. Yeah, this fucking
S3: ten minutes behind him. Like just a freak of nature.
S3: Like he's just a. And like he. But like, through
S3: the season, you'd never see him. You know, he'd be
S3: he's one of the most dedicated players you would see. But, um, yeah,
S3: he was, he was a brand new breed. I was
S3: a freak man.
S1: You know, the, the, the best I've seen that loves
S1: a party and there's like more fat on a chip.
S1: Your mate Anthony Minichiello.
S2: Oh, yeah. But he's very selective. Like, wow.
S3: He is brand.
S2: New seven days a week. He's good, good, good. And
S2: then he might have one.
S1: Oh, when he lets his hair down.
S2: Don't worry. I've been with him on many occasions over
S2: the years.
S1: Gold coast, every, every every December. No. Every November least. Clubs. Australia. Conference.
S1: Levi we're going out tonight. I said, mate, I got
S1: MC the whole thing, mate. He'll end up, he'll come
S1: and sit with me at breakfast. I said, have you
S1: been to bed? Nope. Nope.
S3: Well, that's good, that's good.
S2: Uh, I've got I've got a story for you. This is, uh.
S2: When did this happen? 2002. 2003. I got stitched up
S2: big time. Right. So, um, back then, in the early 2000,
S2: they used to name Australian Train on squad and it'd
S2: be about 40 or 50.
S3: So at the end of the season, you.
S2: Mean in the season. Yeah. And it'd be like, you know,
S2: each week as you got knocked out. Yeah. I got,
S2: I got named in one of those train on squads. Right. So,
S2: you know, obviously the usual blokes were there. Barrett, Gasnier,
S2: Riles Cooper yep. Cam Timmons, Brisbane boys. But but for
S2: the Dragons. Oh, sorry. Sorry. That was when I was there. Yeah.
S2: All those blokes all been in. I'd never been in
S2: anything like that. Got named in the train on squad.
S2: So I get told that we got a meet and greet.
S2: I think it might have been on a Friday morning. Right.
S2: For for training. But just a meet and greet won't
S2: be out on the Thursday night news. Will remember this
S2: The Thursday night was the Footy Show reviews. Remember they
S2: used to do them. Where you going? I did some
S2: of the players perform. Yeah everything like that. So riles Gasnier,
S2: Riddell were in the Beatles. Pretty sure it's the Beatles, right? Um,
S2: and we've performed on the Saturday night and then there's
S2: obviously an after party.
S3: Yep.
S2: So everyone gets on, you know what they're like. Everyone
S2: has a drink before it, like there's a practice in
S2: the afternoon and then you do it on that night.
S2: Everyone's on the drink and I'm saying to the boys, boys,
S2: I can't, I can't have a drink like. And Gaz
S2: and Rosie like, nah, nah, you'll be sweet, mate. You'll
S2: be sweet. Like it'll be fine. So anyway, we go
S2: out all night like massive one. I turn up to
S2: Sydney football Stadium, hung like, hung like you wouldn't believe.
S2: With Gazz and Rosie in the car. We carpooled together
S2: from Saint George Leagues club. So I get there and
S2: find out we're training what. We're getting flogged And I'm
S2: just going, oh no. Chris Anderson. Oops. Chris Anderson was
S2: the coach, right? So I look around at old mate
S2: Rials and Ghazni and I'm going, you bastard, got me
S2: a beauty here. So, rials, he's got a part injury
S2: that I don't even know about. He goes into the gym,
S2: starts getting on the rower. Gas is one of those
S2: blokes that's an absolute freak like brandy that could go
S2: out on I and then just train the house down.
S2: Poor old pig. Right. Poor old. I was horrendous, right.
S2: It hasn't. It doesn't finish yet. I was horrendous like
S2: and we're doing these um we did a couple of
S2: laps around the footy stadium warm up, throw the footy around.
S2: I'm thinking fuck, I'm going to get through this. I'm
S2: gonna get through it. Then we went out the back.
S2: Do you remember where the indoor the outdoor cricket nets were?
S2: And I think they're still there. Yeah. Then we went
S2: out there for a bit.
S3: Near the.
S2: SCG.
S3: Yeah.
S2: We go out there and I go, oh shit. All
S2: the cones.
S3: Which is that.
S2: Kinds of set up tackle bags. So we had to
S2: do these Malcolm's, which are like the get downs, get ups,
S2: and they got to tackle a bag and you do
S2: one for one, two for two. I'm going through doing
S2: it anyway. Arses hanging out. I'm awful horrendous. Everything finishes
S2: wraps up about an hour right all the boy. There's
S2: a heap of boys there. I can't remember who exactly,
S2: but Hopper was there and Hopper walks over to me
S2: as we're walking off. He goes, hey, pig! Okay, yeah, Hopper.
S2: He goes, you can train with me whenever you want.
S2: And I go, why? He goes, you're the first person
S2: I've ever fucking beaten. I was like, oh no! Eddie
S2: Chundering oh no, no, I was horrendous.
S3: Oh, that's a great story. Oh, that's a great story.
S1: Let's get into the questions. Todd's first up. Is it
S1: better to tie up $1.2 million in an elite game
S1: managing halfback or spread that money evenly across a dominant
S1: top tier forward pack. Gentlemen.
S2: Um.
S3: You know more about this than me.
S2: I'd rather spend it on a $1.2 million elite game
S2: managing halfback one, because I don't think there's many around.
S2: And two, I don't think you're going to get a
S2: top tier dominant forward pack for 1.2 million.
S3: No.
S2: Um on. Yeah you're right.
S3: You're right. If there's a $1.2 million halfback on the market,
S3: you're getting you got to get him. Yeah.
S2: And you work something out after that.
S3: You build around him.
S2: Yeah. There's there's not many around.
S1: Thank you Todd. Phil, uh, asked the question how much
S1: value does a club legend veteran actually bring to a
S1: young squad if their physical prime is behind them?
S3: Oh, it's immense. Everything. I think if you if you
S3: respect the position you're in, that club legend will be
S3: paramount to your success because not only is he playing
S3: in the same team as you, he's been there and
S3: done it for a long time. And the reason he
S3: is a, um, a legend of the club is because he's,
S3: been the exact same position you've been in. So the
S3: respect that bloke to the fucking end of the world.
S2: Yeah. And they if they're setting the standards for the
S2: team and the club's going well and everything, they're so valuable.
S2: Sometimes they're more valuable for what they contribute off the.
S3: Off the field.
S2: In the club standards and expectations of the team than
S2: what you actually need them for on the field.
S1: Some good questions. Kate's next. Who is the most polarizing
S1: player in the game right now? And do they actually
S1: deserve the criticism they get from the media?
S3: Polarizing. Polarizing. Polarizing.
S2: What would you put Jerome in that class?
S3: Jerome would be in there.
S2: But I but I personally don't think he's polarizing. I love,
S2: I love.
S3: I love Jerome.
S2: I'm I love him, I always have, I think he's
S2: a lovely fella and I can't wait for him to.
S3: Bruce Walsh is polarizing.
S2: But again.
S3: I love.
S2: Him. I don't know Reece Walsh, but I've interviewed him
S2: over the years and I think he's a great fella.
S2: And then I see on social media him and his
S2: daughter and everything.
S3: Yeah, yeah.
S2: I think he must be a lovely fella, a great fella.
S2: It's hard, isn't it? I hate that polarizing.
S3: Well it is. Well, like. And I think it's when, uh,
S3: I remember it's the right for rugby league week. And
S3: they used to do a, a poll each year about
S3: who's the most overrated player.
S2: Did you write it?
S3: No, I didn't.
S1: Write.
S3: The poll.
S2: No, I mean. Oh the articles.
S3: No I didn't. I wrote a.
S2: Few. The old ghost ones. Yeah. Ghost writers.
S3: I, um. Yeah. The polarizing player. I was yeah.
S1: I got a polarizing person. Who. Michael McGuire.
S2: Mhm. Yeah. Yeah. Imagine you could put.
S3: So I love him.
S2: I love Madge.
S3: All these all these guys were polarizing. I, I, I
S3: love him.
S2: It seems that all these guys are polarizing are all
S2: very successful as well.
S3: Yeah. And that's why they're polarizing, I suppose.
S1: Don't be successful.
S3: Like, I mean, um, uh, Zac Lomax is polarizing.
S2: Yeah.
S3: Mhm.
S1: Yeah.
S2: He went quiet.
S1: PNG. What? Uh. Anyway.
S2: Yeah. Get him up. I've nearly finished this baby. He's
S2: just finished his 9 to 12.
S1: Yeah, it's a great show today too. James, when is
S1: it time for a club to admit a rebuild has failed?
S1: Exactly how many seasons do you give a coach before
S1: you pull the pin? Well, given the Dragons NRL w
S1: side is struggling. Piggy your thoughts?
S2: Yeah, we're in a five year plan at the moment. 677667.
S1: Make it ten.
S2: No we're we're in a five year plan. Uh, actually
S2: here we go. You're gonna like this one. We've identified
S2: key areas that we need to improve.
S1: But didn't you start the season by signing all these
S1: internationals and saying, oh, you've got a red hot team, blah, blah, blah.
S2: They're coming next year, next year, next year.
S1: Okay.
S2: Fair enough. Yeah. Just checking they were coming and there's
S2: more to come.
S1: Oh well, I'm imploring the NRL auditor to go and
S1: look at this man's books. Are you running two books?
S2: Sammy Bremner, where is Sammy?
S1: How many boats have you been giving out in cars.
S2: Girls don't like.
S1: Fishing. Um, Chris does the New South Wales Cup and
S1: Queensland Cup currently do enough to prepare halves for the
S1: speed of the NRL? Or are we throwing young playmakers
S1: to the wolves too early.
S2: Um, I suppose yes and no. It depends on the individual. Um,
S2: like I think the young guy who played for the
S2: Dragons at the start of the year, Rudy Craig, was
S2: maybe a little bit early for him, but some guys
S2: like duck to water. Um, you know, at the moment
S2: we've seen Joey Walsh who's the rigours of week to
S2: week are starting to catch up with him. And yeah. Um,
S2: where someone like the guy in Canberra, Sanders is starting
S2: to flourish somewhat later in the year. So it depends
S2: about the situation you're in. It depends on what kind
S2: of make up your team is in at the moment.
S2: But um, I think New South Wales Cup and Queensland
S2: Cup are there for what they're there for to get
S2: players and like players like Blaise Talagi this week he's
S2: going back to play in New South Wales Cup. There
S2: could be the best thing that happens to his confidence.
S1: You know my bugbear? What my bugbear is, I'd love
S1: to be able to weigh in on this, but we
S1: don't get to see them unless you're going to a
S1: park to go and watch them. I just, I just.
S4: That's another conversation.
S1: I just wish we had an opportunity to see the
S1: players rising through the ranks. I agree that we're going
S1: to one day be able to see in the NRL.
S1: I don't know what the answer is, but I'll just
S1: go back to growing up, I used to go watch
S1: the three games. I used to go watch the Toyota
S1: Cup or Holden Cup, whatever it was called. I used
S1: to say, mate, keep an eye on the blond kid.
S1: That's Tom Trebevic. You follow his career now? Like, when
S1: do we get to see New South Wales Cup? We're
S1: at the footy every weekend. We never get to watch it.
S2: Jersey Flegg like we had, I was lucky I grew up,
S2: I grew up with only 23 reserve grade and first grade, uh, midday, 130,
S2: then 3:00 was first grade. Yeah. Um, and yeah, like
S2: if you were at Penrith Park at 12:00 on a Saturday,
S2: you'd see all these young kids coming through. Then you'd
S2: watch reserve grade, then the crowd. And sometimes you just
S2: feel the crowd getting bigger.
S4: They do. Yeah.
S2: And it's just.
S4: Such a it's such a.
S2: Big thing.
S4: To.
S2: Be a young.
S4: Bloke. Yeah.
S2: But now these these New South Wales Cup players are
S2: playing in front of 20 people.
S4: Yeah. Like respect I agree I agree. Um can I
S4: answer this one as well. Um I think they do
S4: do enough as MG just said there, I think New
S4: South Wales Cup and Queensland Cup do enough. But I
S4: also think it's on the clubs to prepare the halves
S4: properly to get them ready for the NRL. And you know,
S4: you know the example. I always go back to Tom
S4: Dearden when he got thrown in at the Broncos when
S4: he was like 19 or 20 or whatever, and they
S4: were getting hammered from pillar to post. Like it was
S4: obviously way too early for him. But then when he
S4: got through his career and then went to the Cowboys,
S4: and then they trusted him there and backed him, then
S4: he turned into an origin player and it was almost like,
S4: it's almost like these halves, they need time. Like there's
S4: there's very rare that they can come in at 18
S4: like a Locky Galvin, and that might be a 1
S4: in 40 of the halves or 1 in 50 1
S4: in 100. I don't know what it is, but I
S4: think with the young ones they need to bide their
S4: time in New South Wales Cup. There's a good example
S4: at the moment of a kid called Toby Rodwell who.
S2: Roosters.
S4: The roosters. Yeah, halfback, they reckon he's played. I was
S4: talking about him the other day. They reckon he's played
S4: about 30 or 40 New South Wales Cup games already like.
S4: And I think that's the Roosters going okay at the moment.
S4: We've got Sam Walker, but we're getting this kid ready.
S4: So when DC and you know, they've also got Hugo
S4: Zavala who they've resigned but he's played 40. Yeah 40
S4: or 50 in New South Wales Cup games. That's that's
S4: what that's what the Dragons got to do with Kate Reid.
S4: And I know that's probably what Dean Young's talking to
S4: Kate about is that hey mate you're still 19. You're 20. Like,
S4: I know we've signed Metcalfe. I know we've signed Katie Nicholl.
S2: You're next. You're you're next. Yeah yeah yeah.
S4: Yeah. Do you understand.
S2: 100%.
S4: Like you're going to be there.
S2: You probably play just because you haven't played just because
S2: you haven't played first grade. After ten New South Wales
S2: Cups game. That's not the end of your career.
S4: That's right.
S2: Yeah. No that is that's that um nurturing ground for
S2: for first grade footballers.
S4: I reckon if mate, if you said, look you're going
S4: to play 40 or 50 games of cup over the
S4: first three years, 20 to 23, but then you're going
S4: to play ten years in the NRL. What do you.
S2: Do. You take that.
S4: Take it every.
S2: Day. Every day.
S4: Yeah.
S2: So well said.
S1: Just before we wrap up I wasn't looking through you piggy.
S1: But what's been very off putting recording this podcast today
S1: is that alongside you there's a whole heap of books.
S1: Finding home. A User's guide to the mind. Average at best.
S1: White mountain tight lines. The shut ins and 138 dates which,
S1: out of interest. Which of those are you reading?
S4: They're all mine. I've just finished them. I just brought
S4: them in for everyone.
S2: I would say then once I'd go a user's guide
S2: to the mine.
S4: Well, I thought Tight Lines was a fishing book, is
S4: it not?
S2: Well, that could be, that could be, that could be
S2: a rugby league book. The shut ins.
S4: White Mountains, a drug book.
S1: It's a spin off from.
S2: That's the Blue Mountains cousin.
S4: When will it happen for me? That's Mark Levy's autobiography.
S1: No, I thought you were going to say no.
S2: What, 38 days is his?
S1: I think it's average at best. Like my career.
S5: Oh. Yeah.
S1: Right. You know what? On that note, we're out of here.
S5: Bye bye. Bye.
S1: Bye, piggy. There they are, the boys. Mark Wahlberg's podcast.
S1: Leave us some questions. Follow us. Spread the word. We'll
S1: catch you on Thursday for Mark my words.