August 17, 2025 • 54 mins
Alex Twal joins the boys to chat heritage, Tigertown, and his long-awaited Try. From Benji and Maguire to diet hacks and cheat meals, Twal shares stories from life on and off the field. Plenty of laughs with undercover funny men, sledgers, and a few random twists along the way.
Subscribe, Watch, and Follow
Catch the full episode on YouTube and stay updated by following us on social media:
Linktree: Backstage with Cooper & Matty
Contact Us
For any enquiries, email us at:
contact@johnsmedia.com.au
0:00-Alex Twal
2:30-Heritage
5:00-Khawd!
7:30-Win Over Bulldogs
8:30-Tigertown
11:00-Fletch & Hindy
14:00-Undercover Funny Men
16:15-Schooling & Juniors
20:00-May Boys
22:00-Benji
23:30-Adam Doueihi
25:00-Michael Cheika
27:00-Michael Maguire
29:00-Teammates
33:00-Try Scoring Drought
35:30-The Twal Diet
37:30-Cheat Meal
39:00-Wedding Ring
40:00-Buzz
41:00-Random Questions
43:00-Sledgers
47:00-Last Word
50:30-Dubai
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yeah, this is you're Hey, you're in a safe place.
You're in.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
We'll get under it.
Speaker 3 (00:06):
We're moving now. But mate, you're in the trust tree. Okay,
have a branch does before?
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:12):
We just wish that now our class our house was
a little bit closer to you though, because, as you said,
you had to get a passport to come over. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I had to get passport to go through customs. Got
that up through that, which is good.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Yeah, can you tell us about this for a sec?
So what exactly is it?
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Serve? Up the road? Ask for ten? You've got something.
It's like a traditional Arabic drink. You know everyone back
home eleven on Jordan. Is it like vodka? It's like vodka? Yeah,
pretty much.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
And you were saying because I went to have a
little swig of it, like I had a smell of it,
and you said, if you had to drink it, like
does that it will kill you?
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Really funny.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Every culture has their drink like that, like you know,
like you look at the Russians. It's a vodka that
like people and people think that vodka was just part
of our culture, like Western culture for so long, but
it wasn't, you know, I went vodka.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
When Winston Churchill, God, here we got When Winston.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Churchill went twent to Stalin and that first time and
they were going to break up the world World War two,
he came back and said he forced a drink mouth wash,
sorry hand.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Wash, which was was.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Was vodekap, but it just wasn't in the Western domain.
And you go Croatia got Wreca, You've got Hungarians got polinka.
Everyone's got that drink and just blow your head off
your shoulder.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, as you said, that's that's definitely like the Middle Eastern.
That's that's what they gave.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
That's as strong as it gets.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
That's a strong ninety. I think even sometimes some of
the old school Arabs they make it like, oh, it's crazy.
Even if you drink it like that now, you won't
be able.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
To Like if I drank it now and then tried
to finish the potty, what I just would would I
be like?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Or could I drive the drivers? Depends? Everybody deals with
a figure.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
I'm pretty hard to put the microphone up or is
it okay?
Speaker 2 (02:03):
That's good?
Speaker 1 (02:04):
I don't know if you've how many is this your
first party?
Speaker 2 (02:06):
How many parties? Done? A few? But this is the
best one is the best one? Yeah, this is first
grade the first.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Are you are you Marini?
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Yes. So your family left from around Triple up north.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
No, so my mom's from a place called hot Ship
like it's I don't know exactly where it is, but
it's a bit down from Tripley I think. And but
that's from Jordan. That yeah, but that's full Jordanium. My
mom's full full Lebanese. Wow. Actually first Jordanians and a
real player, so that's cool. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Do they have an international team?
Speaker 2 (02:41):
They have international team for soccer soccer a couple of times,
but I don't think they go too good.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
You're the only one.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
My best made Brian Carney, who, by the way, was
the first Irishman to play in the n r L.
Well sorry Scotty good as dad was pack he was second.
But he went to Jordan by himself and went to
Petra and then after that when out in the desert
with the better one for about.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Four or five days, he said, it was unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
I definitely recommend people to go. I was actually meant
to go there last year. It ended up coming to Fruition.
But it's unbelievable. Obviously, the Petra's there, They've got the
Dead Sea, they got a lot obviously where for Christians
and stuff like that. The Jordan River which he has
got baptized. Yea, there's a few things going on there.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
What were the circumstances that led to your mom and
dad coming to Australia.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Well, dad was real young. Obviously overseas it's a bit
like it is now that people come over here for
sort of a better opportunity. My dad come over and
he was like sixteen seventeen. He left his family and
sort of just started working here from a very young
age brief seventeen eighteen as a welder. And then my
mum she was his next one neighbor. And then the
rest is issue. My mum was from a similar sort
(03:50):
of situation, came here for a better opportunity. There's not
much work opportunity and stuff over there. A lot of
people now they got Dubai and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Have you got a dual passport?
Speaker 2 (04:00):
No, just iz he just Australia.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Yeah, that's n't believe it.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
You must, Like you think about your mum and dad
and the sacrifices they made and things like that you're
coming out I imagine at the time, you know, not
possibly not knowing the language and have to grind and work,
you know, yeah, you like it's it's pretty amazing that, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
One hundred percent. Man. Obviously they didn't come here with much,
not even not really how to speak the English and
stuff like that. Even god Rest my dad sold but
he was like freshly, like they just come here to
work and yeah, just try to do their best.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
And do you listen to Middle Eastern music?
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Like what's your little bit? Heaps to the boys now
like Tito Romei and that they always put it on
in the gym and that. But really, yeah, I'm not
I'm not a massive feel of it.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Yeah, I think that some aer and the Middle East
was so close together far, but yeah, they love it.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Who's like the Middle Eastern artists? Who's our listeners to
go and listen to?
Speaker 2 (04:54):
There's a Farrez cram something like that. Yeah, you've got
a couple of them, but I'm not good.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
At But we're gonna blame youth for the whole, the.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Whole crazy crazy backlash from that then Yeah, but yeah,
obviously coming from a Lebanese but I think it's all
sort of fun and games and well.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
What I'm just going to replace the bird? The bird
in basically Sydney culture, I reckon Now when someone cats
you off, I'm going.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
To Maie John's just what's different nunciations?
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Court? How do you? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Because roll the tongue man, I got to live Italian. Yeah,
I'm Italian because like in a rugby league environment where
there's so many different cultures like tongue and smoon Lebanese,
you just you almost start to feel like the other
boys culture. Like I played with a lot of I
played with a lot of Kiwis and Sarmon's, and they
(05:51):
just teach you the swear words and everything, and you
just you know what I mean, like from the outside
looking at and people go, oh, like that's but even
though you know, like those boys aren't Lebanese, like they
actually feel Lebanese because you're around that culture all the time.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
One hundred some days I come home and mister start talking.
I won't ever realize I'm putting on a bit of
a tongue. What are you talking with that? Remember the
boys all the day?
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I do it all the time. Whenever I see like
whenever me and Samuela to see each other. It's like
I turn tongue.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
And you look Tom from the from the waist down. Man,
It's funny like how like Tom Shank. I mean the
Sydney clubs have always been like that, Like I Tally.
I remember playing at Belmore Oval and mates, all right,
(06:43):
you want you've bought the drink.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
But.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Yeah, like come on and like particularly the dogs, you
know that strong Lebanese and Lebanese Arab culture of Belmore,
whereas the Newcastle maybe we had the indigenous boys and
all the rest of us were just honkys. You know.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Well you had Owen Craigie who used to live with it, right.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Yeah, and yeah he lived with that. He'd lived with
Trisha and I. He's a young Indigenous player, freak. Never
seen anything like it, the talent. He won a gold
medal in the school Boy Olympics the week before he
came to us as a young guy. I played first grade,
played first grade sixteen.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Yeah for the night was it did? David with the Knight,
he played.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
For the Tigers as well as he had to step
with the West Tigers went South Sydney for just just
lost his way out.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
He's going good. Now he's going good but lost his
way back on his career that game over that win
over the Doggie, sorry, tily outstanding, What like what does
that mean for the for the club because it's been
it's been an up and down near for you guys.
But to get a good win over a top four side.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Yeah, it was obviously massive. Anytime we come across them
Western Sydney teams, mate, it's it's always a big occasion.
And obviously this this game was the only time we
has Doggies all year, and I guess there's a bit
of hype going into it and stuff like that, and
you know, boys turned up and putting the cracker before. Obviously, yeah,
good to get the results going into a buy. You
know how it's going to a buy. You play ship
(08:05):
and you lose a long long days the next game.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
You know, and may you twilight.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
And I said this to you on the show, Like
you and the boys on the couch, we we take
the piece and a bit of fun. But I'm telling
you we yeah, we sit back in the greenroom and
watch all the games and mate with why the way
you played? For a long time I remember talking and
Tivan Cleary about you did he.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Debut you, I haven't. I've actually brought into the club.
Did he left twelve months later?
Speaker 3 (08:36):
I remember watching like I'll talk to young Fords sometimes
and I say, if you want to know how to
make your career and get the best out of yourselfe
to watch Alex twelve.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Number one. He's ridiculously fit.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Number two he's got good acceleration and primarily the most
important thing your good late footwork. You know, if you
get late footwork, you're always punching yourself through and getting offloads.
So good on your mate, do so good?
Speaker 2 (08:59):
It means I'm from your mate. Yeah. Obviously it's been
tough like the last couple of years and stuff, But
you know, I think the club we've gone a lot
better this year than we were last year. So I
think for us it's all about improvement now.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Now, like your loyalties of the club like it must
have been, because Tigers have been under the microscope for
a long time, like it must have been. It's a
it's a good sign of your character to stay at
a club that has probably been under the pump for
side like ever since you come into first grade.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Really right, Yeah, to be honestly, like I've had a
few opportunities to leave and go when I come up
to a contract, even you know, particularly the last time
I come off contract, I sort of I was actually
I drove up to merely and I was actually speaking
of Sea Bowl and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
But make sure to look at this.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Older just moved here with you guys have to stay
passport that dog is obviously as well. I was very
close there. But you know, for me, I'm a loyal
type of guy mate, and you know, I'm really great
for our stayed and yeah, I think you.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Know it's listening to blokes like gal who stay at
and become like one club at Sharks and they deliver
a premiership there like in a long time that they
haven't seen success. I imagine like if you guys can
and it looks like you guys going up Tigers as
a club, if you can, you know, jag a premiership
by the time you're finished playing like that had means
so much to you, I imagine one.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Hundred percent, Like you know, the club means a lot
to me. Obviously almost played there now for ten years.
I think next year you'll win with tenth season. So
if I you know, one day when I wrap it up,
I'd love to, you know, play finals and win the premiership.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
And those Tigers fans they're like that the scenes when
you guys play a like art Oval and they're all
on the hill like they seem like they're passionate, like
they'll get into your if you aren't playing well, but
they're they're loyal, Like it's a good fan base to have.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
One hundred percent. I think we play some of the
best footy there. Like you play a few more games there.
But yeah, like you said, man, if you're not playing well,
you get you get boot off. Playing well, they get
rolled by a.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Big bit Paramounta and the Tigers. You don't realize what
enormous support you have until you start winning. We can
get on a roll all of a sudden, like you man,
everyone comes out.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Of the woodwork.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
Before before we talked further in your career, Fletcher ninety,
how much has your life changed since you started appearing
on that.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
See it's crazy, you know, I might have more of
a future there than but then honest, it's been awesome man,
Like it's just good man like, especially like you know,
the Arab communities, man, they just love it, like you know,
and like it's just yeah, it's just been awesome.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Yeah, make the barbecue the other day and I had
to do podcasts see filthy mate, that was that was awesome.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Yeah, it was cracker spiel to make it mate. I
heard you got the night on the on the entry
for Customs.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Reputation Proceeds.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
It was good man, it was. It was cracking out
of the boys over obviously bring him down to green
Acre and we enjoyed it. Man.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
First of all, HANDI do that in the first time
Fletcher has ever been that far out. Well, Fletch thinks
like us western what like, just take us back. The
first thing you ever did with Fletchinghindi was that when
they had you Benji happy and you forgot to you
forgot the Tigers team song.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Yeah, I think that was the first time. And then
to be honest, it was just that and nothing. I thought.
It was just like one of them segments. I was
just like and they started asking from these things at
me and I was just like responding how I thought
it was just of natural instinct And then next minute
I knew it blew up. And then and a few
segments later and do you.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Enjoy doing it. Do you enjoy doing that stuff? Like?
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Is that made to me? It's like it's honestly, it's
like a it's honor and it's a privileged to work
with your dad and to work with fletching Heinie. Mate,
good guys, I'll look up to you.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
And I was a parafin growing up so liked he
was like yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
Yeah, you know what, like, you guys take the piss
out of him so much that probably like a lot
of the modern generation don't realize how good he was. Heindi. Yeah,
it's actually say because you guys go never won a premiership.
So people still growing up now who never saw Heindi,
we'd go like, look at this to lose he first.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Started doing our show and they started doing the flesh
and heidis and taking the piss and all that sort
of stuff. Some of Heindi's old text. When I'd run
into him, that'd say, oh, you know, we're a bit
worried about what's going on. You know, we think he
should be a serious commentator. Okay, sorry, Heindi a serious commentator.
But the other thing I said.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
You know what boys think of it like this, there's
a million commentators there's me of him around, but there's
not many flesh and Heindis. That's the thing. And I
think people are screaming like ever since like the Old
Footy Show's finished, people are screaming for that sort of content,
like funny just taking the pissed up like even't had
that in a long time since the Old Footy Show finished.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
It's awesome segment to watch it. I watched them guys
every week.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
Yeah, it's fletched Heindi and calf and Magic Ground. They're
sitting on the sideline doing sort of the alternate commentary
and the Warriors are playing and Luke Metcalfe looks over
at them not long before before full time and sees
them at full time, just goes straight over sits with
(14:18):
them and like just goes oh boys like going, I
love you blokes, love everything you do. And they're like
so funny. Really that's yeah, It's amazing how many of
the boys they want to do that sort of stuff,
but they they don't do it because like they're not
like not embarrassed, but they're afraid of being shamed.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
To get into them.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
They take the piss out of them all the time.
But there's so many like undercover funny blokes in the
NRL who just behind closed doors. They're the funniest people ever.
But then as soon as a Michael camera gets in
front of their face, they stiff and right up. Jerome
Hughes is one of them. Hughesy is one of the
funniest blokes ever. Takes piss out of everyone, and then
as soon as he has a glass of red wine,
just turns into an absolute animal. Trice said to me
(15:01):
once that we had the Parents weekend.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
She has that guy see a player and yeah, t Hughes,
She goes, Oh my god, he's awful.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
He's a champion red one right. But like him, particularly
like when he when a camera comes out, he doesn't
show that side of himself. I'm sure when the boys
finish up playing, they'll get out of their skin. The
Tigers like that bloke who's the who's the secret funny guy.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
I don't know if he's a secret, but Tito ever
since he come man, he's just got everyone in the
stitches and he's got that like I don't know if
he's got that sort of comedy sort of Kevin Hart
sort of style about him, and he sort of he's
just yeah, he's awesome man, but.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
He's he seems like the height, like the energy man.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
He's the energy man. But every day you can't you
can't have it. You can't have a down day, bro.
You can't just walk in and just go back to work.
You just got to You got to face him, and
he gets you.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Up for it.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
So I imagine sometimes you walk in the train and
you feel a little bit tired and he's starts going,
oh fuck.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
I'll tell you who like undercover as well, the fine
new boys like Lato and Samuela. I play with them
at Manly. They had good value too. They are funny,
funny blokes, particularly Samuela. His parents are so nice.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
Also nice people in Jordan and Jurdah for a bit
the last few years, but it's such nice.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Yeah, you went to paramounta Marist Yeah, params yeah, she's
great history of rugby league there.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Yeah, yeah, I went to school there. Obviously grew up
in Maryland, so I was only down to the road
west Mead. But yeah, they used to be a real
mad footy school. But then I think when I come
in the Prince with torn brother, Patty sort of brushed
all the foot. He put it to the side and
started focusing on the school stuff, the education.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
How do you go with academics?
Speaker 2 (16:42):
I was sure. I was all right, yeah, yeah, I
don't know if you h.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Yeah, it's a bad time, but you can't remember Marris
was sort of Westfield Sports High before Westfield Sports type.
When I was coming through the old commons Pan cup mate,
they won it.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
They were just stacked and there they.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
Recruit get guys from all over New South Wales and
the country areas.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Was there any other NR old boys who went to
that school or sportsman Kaylors?
Speaker 2 (17:15):
I thinkparentity Paul Gunn went there.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Yeah, yeah, right, because he was Paramouna Jr.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Yeah, yeah, apparently he went there.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Anyone in your year might Nah.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
All my mates were just knock about blokes.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Bikes.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
Cooper Steady ones are lovely. They are so your paramounta junr.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
On top of that, yeah, Para junior did all my
came through, all my juniors through power. We were all
successful in mates. Issue bore all that twenties and then yeah,
just like I said before, then I haven't picked up
a twenty year old.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
And any like the blokes have gone on with you
to make it out of those.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Sites to I played a lot of more junior footy
with you.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Yeah, yep.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
I think he's retired now, but from me hip injury,
I feel I verse most of the boys like Roamy,
are you right, Toro May versus verse that you're younger,
but he played Oh so is.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
That your age group?
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Are you born in nineteen o seven, six ninety six? Yeah, okay,
so you're still young, tailing far out. He's been around for.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Yeah, Roami, who was like all them. Yeah, it was
a massive rivalry para, especially us coming through the grades. Yeah, yeah,
it was massive.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
When you have Ivan the Tigers that you only had
him for twelve months. You were saying, yeah, like could
you see him him as a coach back then? Could
you see how good he was? Like obviously he's had
so much success now, but you didn't have it as
much back down.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Yeah. To be honest, man, that year that he had us,
we ended up on twenty eight or thirty points, but
it was the tightest year in a long time. We
finished ninth, but on twenty eight points, and there was
just that falling against didn't get us in there. Man.
He was an awesome coach. I can't speak quite enough
of him. Yeah, especially as a young bloke. Just the
way he nursed me through that first year of an
RL was just it was awesome.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
And then returned to Penris. But I suppose they've got
a pretty good half back. It's probably you know, yeah
as well he was actually living with the time, not
like that.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Yea.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
Even see even like that the game you guys, Ver's
the Dogs. The other day, we're watching it. Remember like back
in the probably like a decade ago where basically across
the NRL there was that many gun players and they'd
all come through that Melbourne system and you were like,
oh he used to play, you know, like James Maloney's
come through the Melbourne system. Heats the boys who would
(19:45):
go there, their value go up. Then they'd sign as
the star player somewhere else. You see in that game
where Tiger's Verse Dogs, it was like nine or ten
Penrick games in it. Yeah, like look the may brothers
like obviously Critter and all those boys. But yeah, you
see the sliding like he's done such a good job.
But they've got so many duns out there in Penrith.
But the amount of blokes that have come through that
(20:06):
system now and they've just like dispersed in the NRL.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
That's crazy, man, the nursery out there, Like I said before,
since we were young, like yeah, Penrith have always had
a massive great n See.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
What Tailor is going to be. Tailor man is going
to be a good pick up for his Yeah going forward, mate,
he's man.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
He's a powerhouse and awesome player. Man and awesome blokers
were off the field. Oh yeah, I'll get along, say,
well with both of them, you know and Tailor and
you're just awesome blokesmen off the field, and like on
the film, there's obviously athletes, especially Tailor.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
He's everything pretty misunderstood a tailor, I think.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
So. Yeah, he's obviously been through a lot on that
over the last sort of twenty four months. But yeah, man,
if you if you get in conversation him off the field, man,
he's most down to earth, you know, I can't speak.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
I love what they're do, Like obviously they do the
potty and like vogues together to even Terrell, it's there.
I love how they embrace just how like a different
mold they are, particularly like Terrell, he acknowledges he's like
you know I'm not.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
I'm not.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
I'm not changing who I am to be a Rubby
League player, Like this is what I love doing. I
love logan and doing this stuff. Like he just bes
himself a.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
One hundred percent man and he embraces it like you
said before me, like he's he's happy to be different.
And I think that the positive thing out of all
of this is Benji like encourages him and everyone else
to be themselves. And that's massive, man know, for him
to encourage it. And you know they're both awesome blokes
and Terror he's the funniest bloke. He's one of them
on the cover funny guys.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Cheers rang out Brenda Smith and gets I just need
to ask your favorite. I thought, geez, what's going on here?
Speaker 3 (21:37):
And he said, oh mate, Terrell rang me and he
wants to come on your shower. I said, fuck yeah,
just send me his number and I rang him up
and he's like, oh mate, thanks so much.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
I said, I remember when you said that. I was like,
that's I would not have picked that. I wouldn't have
to be so keen to do it.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
He's a low key, funny guy, bro. He's very like,
how's Benji Young, he's gone good man, Like, yeah, I
was so happy on the weekend. I get the results
in such a good team. And you know, he's been
awesome this year, you know, especially you know with the
cars that he got dealt early with the whole Galvo
situation and had to go through it again with Hooker
and stuff like that. Mate, he just dealt with it awesome.
And yeah, yeah, I can't speA highly enough of him.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Way and do you go toil because you played with
Benji as well?
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Right? Yeah? I played with him so my first so
eighteen I didn't play sorry, yeah, nineteen twenty and twenty
one so played together three years. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
How's that when you have a you have a crossroads
where you play and then he ends up being your coach?
Is that kind of weird?
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Sometimes? Yeah? Or not really, to be honest, I always
stay in touch with it. When he left and he
was working out Fox, I stay in touch with him.
But probably the element there that's like at the start,
I was like we used to play together, yeah, you know,
But in saying that, like, yeah, it's been awesome man.
We obviously have a really good relationship because we've been
together through so much.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
But yeah, he seems like he's so loved by all
the players. Like I remember when Harry Grant went to
you guys on a loan and when he come back,
he was like Benji. Benji was obviously playing with his then,
but he was like, mate, Benji is just he just
has the whole, like he just owns the room. Like
all the boys love him. He's just the best bloke, shouts,
shouts a lot of the beers and stuff like that.
(23:11):
So he's us with him like he had crocodiles in
his pockets.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
Oh yeah, you would have coached him as all right, Yeah,
I a little bit in two thousand and five.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Yeah, the back end of that year did a little bit.
He was It was really it was really good. At
that side.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
They had the harsh combination was he and Scotty Prince
Prince He was more the student of the game. Benji
back in those days was just a free wheeler and tunes.
He was happy to do that. Like you know, most
of the coaching I did was with Princey as far
as he's kicking. But with Benji, you know, you just
let him be Benji.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
He was the maverick. You know, he was the one
that sort of made give the side a complete completely
different point of difference to the rest, but made he's
done a good job a tier. He's done a good job.
Made he should tackle the players more because since she
tackled he holy fucking oh mane two, he's on fire.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
Yeah, he's been killing the frust man. Yeah. I think
over the last month of foot especially like he's been
the best player and you know, especially on the weekend man,
like he's probably the difference in a lot of ways.
So yeah, yeah, he's he's just been awesome. Man. I
couldn't be happier for him.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Yeah, did you because you played you would have played
Lebanon with him before he even came to the Tigers.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Right, Yeah, yeah, so he was he was still young,
twenty seventeen. He was like, he's too younger than me,
so he would have been like maybe eighteen.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
It was Freddie Fitler coach and he coach.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Yeah, and it was just by a chance that our
captain got knocked out in the woman. He was holding
the pad for one of the boys and you know,
boys run through the pad that captain was holding the pad,
and then one of the boys run too hard and
she mocked him on. I think he got stretched off
on that. So it was as was as was eighteenth man.
So Ads came in and won us the game. That game,
(24:55):
she scored the winning try and the rest was history.
And Freddy picked him the whole the whole tournament and
end the debut on the next year.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
And did you were you coached by Michael Checker as well?
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Nah? So the last World Cup I missed, But yeah,
Checks the good blog, I have a really good lad should.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Be himage, tremendous fellow Maronite.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Yeah he's a fellow. Yeah, and people people get surprised
on to people he's Lebanese, but.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
Yeah, yeah, it's actually Checks Maroon Hite.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
The other thing about Checked that some he's highly like.
I think he actually coach on the NRL these days,
as far as the assistance to a lot of the
works the head coaches like the real figurehead. He's a
great presence. I think he could. I think that check
where he made his money the clothing industry, in fashion,
made his money in fashion really.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
For Blake the dresses so poor, he's made some money.
I'll tell you that. One time he invited us to
his house and I was thinking maybe fellow LEO will
be in green Acher early and something sent me that
address was could you I was like, up there they
mentioned I.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
Remember, I remember, I need to only one mate. I
probably I would have played maybe four first grade games.
And I get a call from a random number and
it was Michael Checker and he was coaching in Japanese
rugby at the time, over Pan twenty twenty one and
we're staying up in Noosa and he was like, mate,
what's doing And I said, oh, no, not much and
(26:18):
he's like, mate, I'm over coaching in Japanese. Ruby, I'm
thinking about getting I need a new fly half. I
thinking about maybe bringing a league over if you're interested.
And I was like, oh mate, check it up. And
I didn't get the message clearly. He thought like, oh mate,
my time in the NL was done. And I was going, oh,
you know, check, I'm still quite young. I'd love to
chance my hand still here in the N round and
he goes, oh really, and is that funny? Is that
(26:45):
I appreciate you not laughing Twilight and I disrespect you?
And I was like, oh shit, okay, no mate, check
So I'll hold off. In hindsight, jeseus it would have
been a good opportunity to go over there live in
Japan for twelve months. I can imagine he must have
been ready to say, oh really, because I was talking
to Belly anyway, have a good career being coached by Madge.
(27:06):
How was Madge?
Speaker 2 (27:08):
Yeah? It was good, man like, honestly, like speaking honestly, like,
you know, the first couple of years, Mate, we're going
really well, and I think there was a stage there.
We saw the plateau and you know, there was a
lot of media attraction and stuff like that, a lot
of pressure on the club. And to be honest, man like,
he's a really good coach. I can't speak high enough
of him, and I know he got it. It was
tough for him when he was at Tigers, you know,
(27:29):
with all the media and stuff like that. But but
he sort of showed me what it took to be
a first grader. Yeah right, and sort of I'm in
debt him from that sort of point of view. You know,
Army camps every year and sort of just a week
to beak grind. So I was still young obviously when
I had him, and Mate, yeah, he's an.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Awesome How were those Army camps were?
Speaker 2 (27:48):
They tough, tough, really, yeah, especially I think the first one,
I was like, it was three days, but it was
just like it was relentless, no sleep, no sleep, blind
forward ye, proper, proper army care. But it was like massive,
I open up a good experience and that obviously you've
done a couple, but that first one. Man, Yes, it's.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Hard to it's actually hard to explain it to people sometimes,
just how bad, particularly the ones with no sleep, where
people are like, what, you stayed up for three days
no sleep and you're trying to explain how hard it was.
People don't get it. Yeah, it is the worst thing
in the world if you.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
Make it have no sleep for three days. Most weekends
totally different. Yeah, but that's yeah. I mean like mad
just had a little bit of criticism, and like thinking
about Madge is one of the most disciplined men you'd
ever come across, and the first cousin of disciplined stubbornness,
and it takes him a lot to change his ways.
(28:45):
I can see he's adjusted some of his ways at
the Broncos. But as you know, there's certain non negotiables
when it comes to being a professional athlete, particularly rugular
and one is physical fitness, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (28:57):
Yeah, one hundred percent And it was massive on that.
That and hard work, like if you didn't have them too,
like it didn't really matter how how good of a
player you were. He just he wouldn't ye, he just
wouldn't budge on them.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Two things about Harry Grant when he went there.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
That was awesome obviously. I remember like it was one
game we beat the Broncos and he was getting chance
it off the field and that was obviously awesome obviously
with what he's going on to do now in the game.
To play with him and to have him at the club,
I think you know it was it was awesome.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
Seemed like that year just had like a tight group,
like I think Gubby Joshy Reynolds was there as well,
Brooksy Elijah Taylor was that his last year.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
He's the one. The funniest bloke really.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
I've heard. I've heard he is a terrific by.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
Have you you got to see he's got a page
Have you seen it? Yeah? Yeah, if you want to
get a good inside, yeah, have a look at that.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
He was also that year, I think it was twenty twenty.
Was he also like practicing to be a pilot as well.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Yeah, so he was practicing to be a pilot.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
Yeah, yeah, he'd fly on his days off of that, yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Off and that. Yeah, it was actually there's there's a
there's a couple of stories.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
A couple of flying their days off as well.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
Monday and the next day was it was.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
I've heard that one. I was getting I remember your
guys mad Monday, the boys were facetiming me and Elijah
was there and then like he was he was flying
like a couple of days later.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
Yeah, and David, Yeah, and not play long time together. Yeah, yeah,
it's yeah, it's sort of crazy how sort of he's
he's career sort of finished up, but you know, I
still got love for him.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
Still still over there playing.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Yeah, still over there. Plan I'm not too sure.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
It's making he bounces around from country to countries. Not
in Japan. It's like Serbia. Isn't the Contrick over there
as well?
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Contric's playing that Catalan.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
He's a cad I saw them, Yeah, not for is
one of the one of the one of the strangest blokes,
but one of the Melbourne He was so a breath
of fresh air from like the people that Melbourne usually recruited.
Let me just tell people, nother wouldn't have been the
normal bloke that Craig Bellamy would have signed. But no
(31:10):
fer he was so different to everyone that he'd like
kind of it was refreshing to the group and he
fit in really well. But he is so he's so
like what's the word he's not He's not arrogant. But
he would just say the funniest ship to belly Ache
and that Bellya could go, No, fer mate, great work
on those plus one carry mate, we need more of
(31:31):
it from here. And he'd be sitting at the back
of room video session and you go, belly A, come on,
I'm the no office. He goes, I'm opening three hundred
and sixty five days of a year, no public holidays.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
I remember there was one session. He one year, twenty twenty.
I think you got Winger of the Year and I
come here, come in a full time. I said, you
killed it. He goes, It's just another day in the office,
but just just do something. And then there was another game.
This is another story. I don't smashed timody stories. But
(32:07):
we we verse rabbit o's and we got pumped and
then all right, social media did its thing and whatever
and come after him, and then it come out on
Twitter and said it wasn't my fault. It was the
forwards they had said before because he's because he's such
a good blokeer like he we just we just it
(32:27):
just goes down. I was in the middle of that day.
I just let it go over my head and you know,
I still love him.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
What took of all places you go? What took him
to serve you anyone? I'm not sure. I see it
on his Instagram and that that he's over there. I
don't know. I don't know where. I don't know. Yeah, yeah,
this Belgrave. I don't know what he's doing over there though,
because he's he's too good. I've seen some of his highlights,
like he posted something the other day he was dead
to walking over the line scoring.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Well, it might just be lifestyle, I mean living in
the Balkans. Yeah, but enough shot mate, it's spreading around
the becoming a franchise mate.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Can you run through as well? The one hundred and
sixteen game try scoring drought, which you broke because because
that just that just turned into like the biggest thing
on social media, just like when's Alex twelg and the
score that game it was against the storm A when
you scored.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Yeah, against Storm. I think it was only try that
game as well?
Speaker 1 (33:20):
Yeah, what is it was like? Yeah it was a
really low scoring game.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
Aeah, no it was high score, but like scoring on now.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
Did what was that? What was that feeling like when
you score?
Speaker 2 (33:32):
Yeah, bro, I could look good about that. But to
be honest, obviously it was good to get the monkey
off the back, but one hundred and sixteen games.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
What did it feel like for a bloke who hadn't
scored in one hundred and sixteen games? Was it like
complete foreign territory when you cross the line? Really?
Speaker 2 (33:51):
I didn't know. When I got up, I was like weird,
I just like it just what it feels off the score.
But then I was I did have to do much
as well, thinking in the back head it was a shit.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
I remember if you went to the video referee, if
they took it off. Yeah. I remember the try because
like someone dropped it and it just bounced up and
Clem was there, David Klemar and he like went to
lunch at it. Saw you sort of backed away and
you just like a stavy man on a burrito.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
Yeah, it was. It was crazy.
Speaker 4 (34:19):
I asked, did you have any did you have any
disallowed in those one hundred and sixty how many Cups
game one hundred and sixteen one hundred and sixteen games?
Did you have any that were actually disallowed by the
video ref?
Speaker 2 (34:28):
I had one against camera and it was actually a
proper good try. It was like kick Chase on katchick
and then like it was like well bobbled into my
hand and I ran away and scored under the post
and they disallowed it.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
You would have been did you celebrate hard?
Speaker 2 (34:42):
What's that?
Speaker 1 (34:42):
Did you celebrate it hard?
Speaker 2 (34:44):
I thought, yeah, it was early days as well. How
good is this? I've got my first cry and I
took it off. Man, it just didn't you like?
Speaker 1 (34:51):
After that first try one hundred and sixteen game one
didn't like? Was it a week or two later? You
scored another one?
Speaker 2 (34:56):
A couple of weeks later? I scored against Cowboys? Yeah, yeah,
I remember the man, I remember that happens.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
People were going here it comes.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
And there was enough ordinary try as well. I haven't
actually scored a try. If you really want to, if
you really want to luck on it.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
Down, you come close all the time in and around
the post because you've got footwork, and we all sit
because whenever the Tigers played, the boys always back at it.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
Run and we'ren't be watching. They go fucking.
Speaker 2 (35:23):
Yeah close. But I think, you know what, it's become
such a thing that when I think, when I come
to that sort of position to score, people just think
I'm not letting this bug score. He's never scored.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
Imagine that on the like on the tip sheet where
it's got like head on a plate, you know, come up,
he's the Tigers this week. It's just your head on
a plate going.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
We can't let Alex.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
What about what about like your training and diet because
you mate, you're ripped. What's what's your diet?
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Like? Yeah, I try to do like heaves and paleo.
I do heaps, trying to do anything like process and
stuff like that you're cooking or animal fats and stuff
like that, and he stick to like no seed oils.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
Are you into that the like that carnival diet the
people do?
Speaker 2 (36:06):
No, not really, because I lost my fish as well.
Like I eat a lot of like your world caught
fish and stuff like that. I try like that's eighty
percent of the time, ninety percent of the time yep,
then like yeah, ten percent of the time, sort of
just enjoy myself a.
Speaker 3 (36:17):
Big I heard a story once where some of the
boys told me, you'll order a big mac or something
you wanted.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
To, Yeah, you wanted to. Tim Manner's story twenty seventeen
World Cup Tom Manner before we vers tong that he goes, Bro,
you got to promise me that after the game, because
it was our final game for the tournament. He goes,
after the game, we have a big Mac together. Oh yeah, bro,
you got my work. You got my work. And then
(36:46):
I was eating and then he looked up. He looked
at me, and I'll pick up the big and I'm like, yea,
how good is this? And then like twenty minutes later
or something, he looks in the bin and it was
just all the bread and everything else and the meat
was missing. What are you doing? And then yeah, that
story is just stuck with you.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
I'll tell you what. But there's a lot of bread
on a big mac like this, you know, I'd almost
want them to take just the middle piece out, happy
to do the double paddy. When did you become?
Speaker 2 (37:12):
When did this all start?
Speaker 1 (37:13):
I started this week because I've yeah, I've started. I
don't know if you you know Twilight, but I let
myself go sort of the last year and a half. Look, yeah,
I know, but I got a fast wearing baggy clothes.
By the way, I've completely lost all my muscle masks,
not that I had much to begin with that.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
Do you have cheat days? Yeah, mainly after a game
or something. I'll try to join myself a bit, but
I try to sort.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
Of what does enjoy yourself? Intel? For Twaley?
Speaker 2 (37:42):
Just like, yeah, got a restaurant or something with my
missus or one of the boys.
Speaker 1 (37:46):
And what's like what's your cheat meal? What do you get?
Speaker 2 (37:48):
Mustill stay away from like deep stuff like chips now
still I won't need that sort of stuff, but like
I have a burger or something.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
Yeah, yeah, like that mashed potato and veggies. And do
you drink alcohol?
Speaker 2 (37:58):
Not really everything then, but yeah, like just definitely not,
but you're mad. I'll have a crack or wedding and
that special pasion my mates birthday or something like that.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
Yeah are you are you married?
Speaker 2 (38:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Yeah? See the barbecue? Yeah yeah, well I saw the
barbecue and I didn't know whether you tied or not
or not.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
I was looking for some of the comments that people
were sending me. What were they punching this?
Speaker 1 (38:26):
I saw because I saw your partner on there. I
just wasn't sure where because you're because you're taking your
ring off.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Yeah, no, I don't wear it. Was was getting to me,
but I said, Babe, I can't. We can't. Jewelry. Don't worry.
Speaker 1 (38:37):
Dad does it all the time is wrong nightclubs.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
But for me, because I wore it accidentally in the game,
I've got to take it off and just CD my finger,
so now it just actually stuck on. Really, Yeah, it's terrible.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
Even if we get divorced, it's gonna stay. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
You can get them cut. You can get them like
sword off I think, or like they chain them off.
Similarly they cut you know when they cut a cast off.
Have you ever had a cast? Yeah, I've had a
cast Actually, Mate trips me out every time. Have you
seen the sow that they make to cut a cast off.
It can cut through the cast, but it can't cut
your skin. Have you seen that.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
It's been a while since I've got one of them.
Speaker 1 (39:15):
I've seen the test. I've seen like videos of it.
So they do it. They can't and that's why when
it hits your skin, the blades like, it can't penetrate
through skin, but it can penetrate through the plasa.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
It's the same thing for the ring.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
I'm pretty sure it's the same thing for the ring.
Speaker 3 (39:28):
Yeah, to give it a correck. Trish has gone away
to the Goldie. What did the wife things when you're
going on mate? Look at all these comments? Did she
go off fantastic?
Speaker 2 (39:39):
Yeah it was. It was good for her, but yeah,
not too good for me.
Speaker 3 (39:43):
The confidence here's one fair When I was over at
the Olympics last year at Paris, buzz Field Buzz Rossfield
can filled in for the Family podcast in my role.
So anyway, Trish rainy and she goes, is there.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
Anything I need to know? And I went like what?
Speaker 3 (40:04):
And because Cooper or Jack had asked Buzz a question,
do you ever like you find.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
Out Verry Verry stories? Like do you ever hide stories
from people that you know?
Speaker 2 (40:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (40:12):
And he goes, oh, yeah, what do you say, I've
got a hold DOSSI here on your husband Matt.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
Yeah, yeah, he's yeah, he'd said that, Like Buzz He
was like, yeah, I've got a couple of stories. He's like,
I've buried some of like your dad because I like him,
and we were like what what I said?
Speaker 3 (40:27):
I think he's marking around Anyway. When I got through that,
I get a call from Buzz.
Speaker 1 (40:33):
Mate, how are you listen? Buzz I really appreciate feeling.
Speaker 3 (40:38):
Yeah, yeah, mate, yeah mate, I'm just ringing into state
your missus is an outstanding.
Speaker 2 (40:45):
Sort thanks Buzz.
Speaker 1 (40:51):
Yeah, Buzz is married, don't he?
Speaker 2 (40:53):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (40:54):
Yeah, so you shouldn't be a threat. You'd like to
think Buzz isn't a threat of taking missus? What if
she left me for Buzz, I'll tell you I would
no longer be on this Goodbye glouse, twilighty. Some random questions.
What's your segment?
Speaker 3 (41:14):
Nah?
Speaker 1 (41:14):
Just random? I was just thinking about you. Blake's in
your career and it's born off in the stories. Who knows.
Speaker 3 (41:21):
The best player you've played with toy.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
Say Benji Benji? Yeah, yeah, it was just like even
see him run around now, I man like some of
the stuff he does, like it's still got it. You
don't say people in our game now doing it, you
know what I mean? And even playing with him, mate,
it's just unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Was he Like, was he hero growing up?
Speaker 2 (41:40):
Like? Were you definitely one of them? Yeah, Like you'd
always go in the backyard. I remember me and my
brothers playing in the backyard and then we used to
like stepping the Benji the Marshall.
Speaker 1 (41:49):
Did you try the slip past?
Speaker 2 (41:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (41:53):
What about the best blake you've played? Again? Someone you
come up with?
Speaker 2 (41:56):
God man, that he walked off. That guy is just
too good. Yeah. I'd say Desco obviously played with him
early in my career, but yeah, just like every time
I versed him, he's always been doing the s is
strong and.
Speaker 3 (42:11):
He's that big across the that year very Italian that Yeah,
that year that you played with him before he ran
to the Roosters, he was like untouchable, unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
Yeah, Like I think it was his he's had. I
mean he's had unbelievable years since then, but I think
like that year for the Tigers just before he left,
it was some of the stuff he was doing. It
was like his highlights from that. He's crazy.
Speaker 2 (42:32):
Yeah, I think that's when he sort of just started
playing origin in that as well, and just yeah, he
was unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (42:37):
Who manages you tually? So you'll stay at the club.
The teammate you're closest with it, come close with all the.
Speaker 2 (42:48):
Boys, like I get it wrong, really well with all
the boys. But I mean, obviously you know, he's been
there some of my highest moments, some of my lowest moments.
And yeah, built a really good connection even with his family,
his mummy's dad and my wife and we're all sort
of close to each other now.
Speaker 3 (43:03):
And tally, what about mate, the teammate. If you're going
on a long haul flight, who's the one that if
you come and sat next to you went, oh fuck.
Speaker 2 (43:14):
Tito. Yeah yeah, And that's imagine you're going to the
fourteen now sitting next to him and he's just in
your ear.
Speaker 3 (43:23):
It's always with you, mate, Come on, dabby, mate, what
about the opponent now? Last this one of you, Jack
and your coops. Who's the opponent you come up against,
whether it be sledging, whatever reason that you just go
fuck this guy. Not not that you dislike them, but
every time you come up against me, go, man, it's
(43:44):
going to be hard work today, Like he's going to
be sledging and everything.
Speaker 1 (43:48):
M h oh, go on, what aret you coops? Anyone
stick out?
Speaker 2 (43:52):
Probably mahoney, read money.
Speaker 1 (43:56):
Niggling.
Speaker 2 (43:57):
If you drop a ball, he's just coming across. And yeah,
but he's a really good bloke off the field. Actually
I'm off the field, but yeah, little things like that.
But even just watching him sometimes you can just tell
people just get an yeah.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
Sledging much of a thing, mate, It should be fair.
I can't even remember the last time I was. I
was well, I haven't played in a while, but I
wasn't getting sledged much when I was playing. Maybe they
felt sorry for me. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (44:20):
I think they feel sorry for me.
Speaker 1 (44:24):
Anyone you come up against you when man, this guy's.
Speaker 4 (44:27):
One person I'll tell you what twilight he was on
the field. There's one person who was on my team
who I would hate to be against, Tyson Gamble. So
round two and twenty twenty three we played the Tigers.
In this game, everyone was getting into KP got knocked out.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
Oh it was a crazy game.
Speaker 4 (44:43):
And I remember so Tyson Gamble come from the Broncos
for the first time and lovely bloke, right. We all
expected him to be a bit of a rap bag,
but he was that nice and quiet. We're like, oh,
maybe it was just at the Broncos, Like he doesn't
really do it here at Newcastle whatever. He came off
the bench that day for KP because he was playing fourteen,
put up a bomb to the novice and I swear
(45:06):
to God, the words that come out of his mouth
I'll never be able to repeat. And the whole team
like looked at him and went, fuck, where's this bloke been?
Speaker 2 (45:13):
The whole persons.
Speaker 4 (45:15):
Yeah, but yeah, Like that's one player I would hate
to be on his bad side opposite him.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
One that was on our side who used to sledge
horrendously at training and on the field, Will Chambers. Chamber
was the most relentless sledge I've ever seen. One time
he got suspended for five weeks and like he came over,
you know on the training side, it's like the NRL
side and then the boys who aren't playing and they
prepared the NRL side. So he was playing my center
in the non NRL side preparing during the week and
(45:43):
the job of that team is to basically you challenging
the NRL side, but you're just preparing them to play
good on the weekend. Chambers took it upon himself to
like emasculate everyone on the NRL side, so that they
went into the game with no confidence and they were
the worst players and the like to the point where
he was because he was a senior player and like
(46:04):
was so tight with belly.
Speaker 5 (46:06):
He was also he was saying, like, mate, they don't
rate you're here and that, like saying ship like that
the teammates mate. He was so funny and then he'd
give us. He'd give us infant like when we're playing
Queensland Cut. He'd find out dirt on players, the opposition
players in the Queensland Cut that we're playing against, and go,
here's some stuff I found on this player if you
want to go after him.
Speaker 1 (46:26):
We were like, holy ship. He was the best I've
ever seen and he was so good at it. He
put people off their game so much.
Speaker 2 (46:32):
Similar yeah, oh yeah. He used to just like gound
the field and just yeah, just say some personal stuff
to blokes. I was playing with some blokes at the
time and he's just other the stuff he say, you
wouldn't you wouldn't say, you know what I mean, And
he just.
Speaker 3 (46:47):
Man, what about like your favorite field in the league?
Feel yeah, field opposition, Yeah, traveling.
Speaker 2 (46:56):
Favorite probably Bank West, best part of the East.
Speaker 1 (47:01):
What about least favorite field the place he.
Speaker 2 (47:05):
Or New Zealand. Every time we go to New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (47:07):
It's it's a hard game to players.
Speaker 3 (47:09):
Always wet as and cold and hard to get a
purchase on the ball.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
Yeah. And then Towns.
Speaker 1 (47:16):
Yeah, it's sweaty up in town. Like they hit you
around the ball, you just drop it.
Speaker 3 (47:20):
This is so hard at first coming to the competition,
right first time we ever played up there. We walk
in and we go, oh, yeah, like you know, you're
in an air condition bus, hotel, into the air condition bus.
You got off the bus and you go straight into
the dressing room was air conditioned, and I'm thinking, fact,
this is okay. Then we go out for our normal
twenty to twenty five minute warm up. Mate, we come
(47:41):
back in and we're just completely fucked. It took us
a long while and to actually understand how we had
to play it that week.
Speaker 1 (47:47):
Going north is actually like it's harder. People think playing
in the rains hard when you go north and it's
dry and the sweat gets on the ball, sweat, it's
way worse than water. That's funny because I'm a real
big here. I reckon in hot, humid conditions the leather
ball was better. It's really funny the leather ball. When
(48:07):
when a little bit of moisture went on the leather ball,
it actually become more tacky. But I mean if I
was pissing down a completely different piece, but I think
the synthetic ball would sweat. It's actually slips. Yeah, it's
such an advantage for those teams out there who practice
it all the time. I remember when in COVID when
we were playing at Sunshine We're based out of Sunshine
(48:27):
Coast and Storm was playing Cowboys and this is a
famous story. All the boys tell it to bag out
Monster all the time. And Munster like he's known for
saying ship before he even thinks about it, and he
always wants to have the last word in like right
before warm up and always I always don't know why
he wanted to the boys going right out of towns
(48:48):
all day. Let's you know, take him into a grind,
will beat him in the back end of the game.
They want to do the flashy stufflet's do it. And
Monster right before he goes bloody oath boys, he goes
and guess what, it's too bloody hot for him up here.
They can't handle the heat and everyone just went so
they've come down from Townsville.
Speaker 3 (49:07):
Oh, who's a bloke in the shed like that? That
always hit the last word. I'll probably say my mad
funny with everyone gets in that mood to let people know.
In a dressing room, it's all different characters and there's
nothing worse before the game when everyone starts to talk
and it's like everyone and everyone's gone, and remember and
(49:29):
remember this, we're a bloken outside. I'm not going to
say who he is because it highly embarrassing for him.
We're playing one day and the coaches left two minute warning,
ready to go, and everyone goes and the chief Paul
Harry and the captain goes, right.
Speaker 1 (49:43):
Anyone got your final words? Who's got something to say?
And this blake said, yeah, I have.
Speaker 3 (49:47):
I don't know about you blokes, a really bad feeling
about today.
Speaker 1 (49:54):
Just what you want to hear.
Speaker 2 (49:56):
It looks like a mad bloke to play. He looks
like have you had much to do with him before? Mate?
Speaker 1 (50:01):
He is one of the best, one of the best
blokes as well.
Speaker 2 (50:03):
Yeah, sorry, I got a frog in my.
Speaker 1 (50:05):
Throat getting all emotions. I don't know what that was vencral. Yeah, mate,
one of the best. He's just and for someone who's
so like not old, but like he's been around for
a long time, he's just he fits him with every
age group, you know what I mean, Like the eighteen
year olds that go down to Melbourne. He's he because
he's kind of got like a kid brain. So he
gets on with them, gets along with all the older boys.
(50:27):
He's We're at the time we come back in newyears
Zoo once and Cooper rings me and goes, where's that?
And I said, me and Mum, we're just coming back
from the harbor. He goes, heah, me and.
Speaker 3 (50:36):
Monster here we're wondering the other time, get back and
have a beer. Okay, So we arrive back anyway, the
boys have got the music on, and then Trish, my wife,
she always tries to dictate the music, so she'd puts
something on Monster and change it. She puts something and
he changed it straight away, and she goes, Cameron, this
is my house if you don't mind.
Speaker 1 (50:54):
He goes, time to go to bed.
Speaker 2 (50:55):
To it this.
Speaker 1 (50:58):
No, this story is and he feels bad because she
turned her back and I said, probably time for you
to go to bed, and she turned around. Filthy and
Munster fell on the grenade for me and said, oh, no,
I said it. I said it and then no, I
know because we kept it quiet for it because he
didn't want me to get in trouble and I was
blind and we're singing karaoke on this machine and yeah,
(51:21):
Mum like wouldn't have him at the house for like
ag Yeah.
Speaker 3 (51:25):
She holds a grudge. My favorite favorite destination to go away?
Speaker 2 (51:33):
You have a guess of that one. I've said a few.
Speaker 1 (51:37):
Do you go there a lot?
Speaker 2 (51:38):
No, I've been there once where it was crackout like
it's probably my favorite place i've been. I've been in
Europe of stuffs that since.
Speaker 1 (51:44):
But crazy that city built in the desert. Remember when
we then did you go to the Is it the Atlantis?
That big water park there the water park?
Speaker 2 (51:52):
Yeah, but there's a new hotel Atlans now app it's unbelievable,
but they just built it.
Speaker 1 (51:57):
More and more people are moving there.
Speaker 2 (51:59):
The water park was cracked when we.
Speaker 1 (52:00):
Said, O mate, yeah, we went Dad. Dad went down
this water slide. We were too young to go on
the water like as a weight limit was like a
height limit, and Dad went down on his own and
it's the one where they said we're come on. It's
one of the ones where the floor goes out from
underneath you and you jet through and you go through
like the shark tank.
Speaker 2 (52:19):
That's where I went. I went to that one in
the air that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (52:22):
Dad come down, that'd say that ship down.
Speaker 2 (52:26):
You have to walk up all them stairs. Yes, I
was walking up and walking down. I think the only
way you can come down is through the slide. But
then when I when I got up the top, I
realized everyone's walking because they've seen like it's dangerous.
Speaker 1 (52:38):
Because you're free fall. It's a he It's like there's
there's no rules over there. So you actually don't trust
you know, like you got to water park here, you
trust the ride. Yeah, because they're not going to hurt me.
Here in Dubai, it's kind of like.
Speaker 2 (52:51):
You don't know what's going on.
Speaker 1 (52:53):
You need to do You need a visa in a
passport to live there, because it seems like more and
more people are going to live.
Speaker 2 (52:59):
Sure, he's me go that panics no tax Yeah, yeah, right,
twelve percent or something or to.
Speaker 1 (53:06):
Some people go there to hide. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (53:10):
For a while, there was Martha Capital of the World,
so all the Russians, the Russian oligarchs and people involved
Russian Marchia to get on the bad side of the law.
The in Dubai and the Admirance. They say, okay, you
can come and live here, as long as you behave yourself,
you play, We're going to throw you out.
Speaker 1 (53:24):
Because they want the money.
Speaker 2 (53:26):
You know.
Speaker 1 (53:26):
Well, they've just built this massive wave pool over there
as well. Like Joey, Joey went over there last year.
Matthew's brother Lighting hiding from the law. Yeah, he went
over there and he reckons. It's like the best wavepool
on earth. They've built in Dubai. Shout out to any
of the surfers that are listening, want to go over Finally,
what are you going to do when your tie which
(53:46):
you like to coaching strength and conditioning hopefully hopefully? Yeah,
he's made Tindy entirely made that.
Speaker 2 (53:58):
I was leading you.
Speaker 1 (53:59):
That's you're may will give you a crack on our
show for sure, mate, Yeah bloody no, yeah, good one
hundred mate. Set you're an a Lebanese footy show. You're
not a bad idea? You do we Mitch Moses, Isaac Moses,
well what it does? Look what we did for Benji
in the show Benji if that show was so bad
(54:20):
he went into coach, Yeah, that one did. How many
episodes did Benji last on that? Not enough? Probably six
too many? Seven, Thanks tiy.
Speaker 3 (54:36):
Hey brother, thank him coming all the way here. And
once again, I thank you a lot for the stuff
you do for our show. And congratulations on your career,
mate and going forward.
Speaker 2 (54:45):
Good on your brother.
Speaker 1 (54:46):
Thanks, Thanks, don't say thank
Yeah, this is you're Hey, you're in a safe place.
You're in.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
We'll get under it.
Speaker 3 (00:06):
We're moving now. But mate, you're in the trust tree. Okay,
have a branch does before?
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:12):
We just wish that now our class our house was
a little bit closer to you though, because, as you said,
you had to get a passport to come over. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I had to get passport to go through customs. Got
that up through that, which is good.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Yeah, can you tell us about this for a sec?
So what exactly is it?
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Serve? Up the road? Ask for ten? You've got something.
It's like a traditional Arabic drink. You know everyone back
home eleven on Jordan. Is it like vodka? It's like vodka? Yeah,
pretty much.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
And you were saying because I went to have a
little swig of it, like I had a smell of it,
and you said, if you had to drink it, like
does that it will kill you?
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Really funny.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Every culture has their drink like that, like you know,
like you look at the Russians. It's a vodka that
like people and people think that vodka was just part
of our culture, like Western culture for so long, but
it wasn't, you know, I went vodka.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
When Winston Churchill, God, here we got When Winston.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Churchill went twent to Stalin and that first time and
they were going to break up the world World War two,
he came back and said he forced a drink mouth wash,
sorry hand.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Wash, which was was.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Was vodekap, but it just wasn't in the Western domain.
And you go Croatia got Wreca, You've got Hungarians got polinka.
Everyone's got that drink and just blow your head off
your shoulder.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, as you said, that's that's definitely like the Middle Eastern.
That's that's what they gave.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
That's as strong as it gets.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
That's a strong ninety. I think even sometimes some of
the old school Arabs they make it like, oh, it's crazy.
Even if you drink it like that now, you won't
be able.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
To Like if I drank it now and then tried
to finish the potty, what I just would would I
be like?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Or could I drive the drivers? Depends? Everybody deals with
a figure.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
I'm pretty hard to put the microphone up or is
it okay?
Speaker 2 (02:03):
That's good?
Speaker 1 (02:04):
I don't know if you've how many is this your
first party?
Speaker 2 (02:06):
How many parties? Done? A few? But this is the
best one is the best one? Yeah, this is first
grade the first.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Are you are you Marini?
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Yes. So your family left from around Triple up north.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
No, so my mom's from a place called hot Ship
like it's I don't know exactly where it is, but
it's a bit down from Tripley I think. And but
that's from Jordan. That yeah, but that's full Jordanium. My
mom's full full Lebanese. Wow. Actually first Jordanians and a
real player, so that's cool. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Do they have an international team?
Speaker 2 (02:41):
They have international team for soccer soccer a couple of times,
but I don't think they go too good.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
You're the only one.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
My best made Brian Carney, who, by the way, was
the first Irishman to play in the n r L.
Well sorry Scotty good as dad was pack he was second.
But he went to Jordan by himself and went to
Petra and then after that when out in the desert
with the better one for about.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Four or five days, he said, it was unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
I definitely recommend people to go. I was actually meant
to go there last year. It ended up coming to Fruition.
But it's unbelievable. Obviously, the Petra's there, They've got the
Dead Sea, they got a lot obviously where for Christians
and stuff like that. The Jordan River which he has
got baptized. Yea, there's a few things going on there.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
What were the circumstances that led to your mom and
dad coming to Australia.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Well, dad was real young. Obviously overseas it's a bit
like it is now that people come over here for
sort of a better opportunity. My dad come over and
he was like sixteen seventeen. He left his family and
sort of just started working here from a very young
age brief seventeen eighteen as a welder. And then my
mum she was his next one neighbor. And then the
rest is issue. My mum was from a similar sort
(03:50):
of situation, came here for a better opportunity. There's not
much work opportunity and stuff over there. A lot of
people now they got Dubai and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Have you got a dual passport?
Speaker 2 (04:00):
No, just iz he just Australia.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Yeah, that's n't believe it.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
You must, Like you think about your mum and dad
and the sacrifices they made and things like that you're
coming out I imagine at the time, you know, not
possibly not knowing the language and have to grind and work,
you know, yeah, you like it's it's pretty amazing that, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
One hundred percent. Man. Obviously they didn't come here with much,
not even not really how to speak the English and
stuff like that. Even god Rest my dad sold but
he was like freshly, like they just come here to
work and yeah, just try to do their best.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
And do you listen to Middle Eastern music?
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Like what's your little bit? Heaps to the boys now
like Tito Romei and that they always put it on
in the gym and that. But really, yeah, I'm not
I'm not a massive feel of it.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Yeah, I think that some aer and the Middle East
was so close together far, but yeah, they love it.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Who's like the Middle Eastern artists? Who's our listeners to
go and listen to?
Speaker 2 (04:54):
There's a Farrez cram something like that. Yeah, you've got
a couple of them, but I'm not good.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
At But we're gonna blame youth for the whole, the.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Whole crazy crazy backlash from that then Yeah, but yeah,
obviously coming from a Lebanese but I think it's all
sort of fun and games and well.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
What I'm just going to replace the bird? The bird
in basically Sydney culture, I reckon Now when someone cats
you off, I'm going.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
To Maie John's just what's different nunciations?
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Court? How do you? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Because roll the tongue man, I got to live Italian. Yeah,
I'm Italian because like in a rugby league environment where
there's so many different cultures like tongue and smoon Lebanese,
you just you almost start to feel like the other
boys culture. Like I played with a lot of I
played with a lot of Kiwis and Sarmon's, and they
(05:51):
just teach you the swear words and everything, and you
just you know what I mean, like from the outside
looking at and people go, oh, like that's but even
though you know, like those boys aren't Lebanese, like they
actually feel Lebanese because you're around that culture all the time.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
One hundred some days I come home and mister start talking.
I won't ever realize I'm putting on a bit of
a tongue. What are you talking with that? Remember the
boys all the day?
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I do it all the time. Whenever I see like
whenever me and Samuela to see each other. It's like
I turn tongue.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
And you look Tom from the from the waist down. Man,
It's funny like how like Tom Shank. I mean the
Sydney clubs have always been like that, Like I Tally.
I remember playing at Belmore Oval and mates, all right,
(06:43):
you want you've bought the drink.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
But.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Yeah, like come on and like particularly the dogs, you
know that strong Lebanese and Lebanese Arab culture of Belmore,
whereas the Newcastle maybe we had the indigenous boys and
all the rest of us were just honkys. You know.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Well you had Owen Craigie who used to live with it, right.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Yeah, and yeah he lived with that. He'd lived with
Trisha and I. He's a young Indigenous player, freak. Never
seen anything like it, the talent. He won a gold
medal in the school Boy Olympics the week before he
came to us as a young guy. I played first grade,
played first grade sixteen.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Yeah for the night was it did? David with the Knight,
he played.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
For the Tigers as well as he had to step
with the West Tigers went South Sydney for just just
lost his way out.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
He's going good. Now he's going good but lost his
way back on his career that game over that win
over the Doggie, sorry, tily outstanding, What like what does
that mean for the for the club because it's been
it's been an up and down near for you guys.
But to get a good win over a top four side.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Yeah, it was obviously massive. Anytime we come across them
Western Sydney teams, mate, it's it's always a big occasion.
And obviously this this game was the only time we
has Doggies all year, and I guess there's a bit
of hype going into it and stuff like that, and
you know, boys turned up and putting the cracker before. Obviously, yeah,
good to get the results going into a buy. You
know how it's going to a buy. You play ship
(08:05):
and you lose a long long days the next game.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
You know, and may you twilight.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
And I said this to you on the show, Like
you and the boys on the couch, we we take
the piece and a bit of fun. But I'm telling
you we yeah, we sit back in the greenroom and
watch all the games and mate with why the way
you played? For a long time I remember talking and
Tivan Cleary about you did he.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Debut you, I haven't. I've actually brought into the club.
Did he left twelve months later?
Speaker 3 (08:36):
I remember watching like I'll talk to young Fords sometimes
and I say, if you want to know how to
make your career and get the best out of yourselfe
to watch Alex twelve.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Number one. He's ridiculously fit.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Number two he's got good acceleration and primarily the most
important thing your good late footwork. You know, if you
get late footwork, you're always punching yourself through and getting offloads.
So good on your mate, do so good?
Speaker 2 (08:59):
It means I'm from your mate. Yeah. Obviously it's been
tough like the last couple of years and stuff, But
you know, I think the club we've gone a lot
better this year than we were last year. So I
think for us it's all about improvement now.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Now, like your loyalties of the club like it must
have been, because Tigers have been under the microscope for
a long time, like it must have been. It's a
it's a good sign of your character to stay at
a club that has probably been under the pump for
side like ever since you come into first grade.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Really right, Yeah, to be honestly, like I've had a
few opportunities to leave and go when I come up
to a contract, even you know, particularly the last time
I come off contract, I sort of I was actually
I drove up to merely and I was actually speaking
of Sea Bowl and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
But make sure to look at this.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Older just moved here with you guys have to stay
passport that dog is obviously as well. I was very
close there. But you know, for me, I'm a loyal
type of guy mate, and you know, I'm really great
for our stayed and yeah, I think you.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Know it's listening to blokes like gal who stay at
and become like one club at Sharks and they deliver
a premiership there like in a long time that they
haven't seen success. I imagine like if you guys can
and it looks like you guys going up Tigers as
a club, if you can, you know, jag a premiership
by the time you're finished playing like that had means
so much to you, I imagine one.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Hundred percent, Like you know, the club means a lot
to me. Obviously almost played there now for ten years.
I think next year you'll win with tenth season. So
if I you know, one day when I wrap it up,
I'd love to, you know, play finals and win the premiership.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
And those Tigers fans they're like that the scenes when
you guys play a like art Oval and they're all
on the hill like they seem like they're passionate, like
they'll get into your if you aren't playing well, but
they're they're loyal, Like it's a good fan base to have.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
One hundred percent. I think we play some of the
best footy there. Like you play a few more games there.
But yeah, like you said, man, if you're not playing well,
you get you get boot off. Playing well, they get
rolled by a.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Big bit Paramounta and the Tigers. You don't realize what
enormous support you have until you start winning. We can
get on a roll all of a sudden, like you man,
everyone comes out.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Of the woodwork.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
Before before we talked further in your career, Fletcher ninety,
how much has your life changed since you started appearing
on that.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
See it's crazy, you know, I might have more of
a future there than but then honest, it's been awesome man,
Like it's just good man like, especially like you know,
the Arab communities, man, they just love it, like you know,
and like it's just yeah, it's just been awesome.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Yeah, make the barbecue the other day and I had
to do podcasts see filthy mate, that was that was awesome.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Yeah, it was cracker spiel to make it mate. I
heard you got the night on the on the entry
for Customs.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Reputation Proceeds.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
It was good man, it was. It was cracking out
of the boys over obviously bring him down to green
Acre and we enjoyed it. Man.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
First of all, HANDI do that in the first time
Fletcher has ever been that far out. Well, Fletch thinks
like us western what like, just take us back. The
first thing you ever did with Fletchinghindi was that when
they had you Benji happy and you forgot to you
forgot the Tigers team song.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Yeah, I think that was the first time. And then
to be honest, it was just that and nothing. I thought.
It was just like one of them segments. I was
just like and they started asking from these things at
me and I was just like responding how I thought
it was just of natural instinct And then next minute
I knew it blew up. And then and a few
segments later and do you.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Enjoy doing it. Do you enjoy doing that stuff? Like?
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Is that made to me? It's like it's honestly, it's
like a it's honor and it's a privileged to work
with your dad and to work with fletching Heinie. Mate,
good guys, I'll look up to you.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
And I was a parafin growing up so liked he
was like yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
Yeah, you know what, like, you guys take the piss
out of him so much that probably like a lot
of the modern generation don't realize how good he was. Heindi. Yeah,
it's actually say because you guys go never won a premiership.
So people still growing up now who never saw Heindi,
we'd go like, look at this to lose he first.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Started doing our show and they started doing the flesh
and heidis and taking the piss and all that sort
of stuff. Some of Heindi's old text. When I'd run
into him, that'd say, oh, you know, we're a bit
worried about what's going on. You know, we think he
should be a serious commentator. Okay, sorry, Heindi a serious commentator.
But the other thing I said.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
You know what boys think of it like this, there's
a million commentators there's me of him around, but there's
not many flesh and Heindis. That's the thing. And I
think people are screaming like ever since like the Old
Footy Show's finished, people are screaming for that sort of content,
like funny just taking the pissed up like even't had
that in a long time since the Old Footy Show finished.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
It's awesome segment to watch it. I watched them guys
every week.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
Yeah, it's fletched Heindi and calf and Magic Ground. They're
sitting on the sideline doing sort of the alternate commentary
and the Warriors are playing and Luke Metcalfe looks over
at them not long before before full time and sees
them at full time, just goes straight over sits with
(14:18):
them and like just goes oh boys like going, I
love you blokes, love everything you do. And they're like
so funny. Really that's yeah, It's amazing how many of
the boys they want to do that sort of stuff,
but they they don't do it because like they're not
like not embarrassed, but they're afraid of being shamed.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
To get into them.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
They take the piss out of them all the time.
But there's so many like undercover funny blokes in the
NRL who just behind closed doors. They're the funniest people ever.
But then as soon as a Michael camera gets in
front of their face, they stiff and right up. Jerome
Hughes is one of them. Hughesy is one of the
funniest blokes ever. Takes piss out of everyone, and then
as soon as he has a glass of red wine,
just turns into an absolute animal. Trice said to me
(15:01):
once that we had the Parents weekend.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
She has that guy see a player and yeah, t Hughes,
She goes, Oh my god, he's awful.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
He's a champion red one right. But like him, particularly
like when he when a camera comes out, he doesn't
show that side of himself. I'm sure when the boys
finish up playing, they'll get out of their skin. The
Tigers like that bloke who's the who's the secret funny guy.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
I don't know if he's a secret, but Tito ever
since he come man, he's just got everyone in the
stitches and he's got that like I don't know if
he's got that sort of comedy sort of Kevin Hart
sort of style about him, and he sort of he's
just yeah, he's awesome man, but.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
He's he seems like the height, like the energy man.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
He's the energy man. But every day you can't you
can't have it. You can't have a down day, bro.
You can't just walk in and just go back to work.
You just got to You got to face him, and
he gets you.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Up for it.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
So I imagine sometimes you walk in the train and
you feel a little bit tired and he's starts going,
oh fuck.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
I'll tell you who like undercover as well, the fine
new boys like Lato and Samuela. I play with them
at Manly. They had good value too. They are funny,
funny blokes, particularly Samuela. His parents are so nice.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
Also nice people in Jordan and Jurdah for a bit
the last few years, but it's such nice.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Yeah, you went to paramounta Marist Yeah, params yeah, she's
great history of rugby league there.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Yeah, yeah, I went to school there. Obviously grew up
in Maryland, so I was only down to the road
west Mead. But yeah, they used to be a real
mad footy school. But then I think when I come
in the Prince with torn brother, Patty sort of brushed
all the foot. He put it to the side and
started focusing on the school stuff, the education.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
How do you go with academics?
Speaker 2 (16:42):
I was sure. I was all right, yeah, yeah, I
don't know if you h.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Yeah, it's a bad time, but you can't remember Marris
was sort of Westfield Sports High before Westfield Sports type.
When I was coming through the old commons Pan cup mate,
they won it.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
They were just stacked and there they.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
Recruit get guys from all over New South Wales and
the country areas.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Was there any other NR old boys who went to
that school or sportsman Kaylors?
Speaker 2 (17:15):
I thinkparentity Paul Gunn went there.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Yeah, yeah, right, because he was Paramouna Jr.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Yeah, yeah, apparently he went there.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Anyone in your year might Nah.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
All my mates were just knock about blokes.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Bikes.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
Cooper Steady ones are lovely. They are so your paramounta junr.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
On top of that, yeah, Para junior did all my
came through, all my juniors through power. We were all
successful in mates. Issue bore all that twenties and then yeah,
just like I said before, then I haven't picked up
a twenty year old.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
And any like the blokes have gone on with you
to make it out of those.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Sites to I played a lot of more junior footy
with you.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Yeah, yep.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
I think he's retired now, but from me hip injury,
I feel I verse most of the boys like Roamy,
are you right, Toro May versus verse that you're younger,
but he played Oh so is.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
That your age group?
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Are you born in nineteen o seven, six ninety six? Yeah, okay,
so you're still young, tailing far out. He's been around for.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Yeah, Roami, who was like all them. Yeah, it was
a massive rivalry para, especially us coming through the grades. Yeah, yeah,
it was massive.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
When you have Ivan the Tigers that you only had
him for twelve months. You were saying, yeah, like could
you see him him as a coach back then? Could
you see how good he was? Like obviously he's had
so much success now, but you didn't have it as
much back down.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Yeah. To be honest, man, that year that he had us,
we ended up on twenty eight or thirty points, but
it was the tightest year in a long time. We
finished ninth, but on twenty eight points, and there was
just that falling against didn't get us in there. Man.
He was an awesome coach. I can't speak quite enough
of him. Yeah, especially as a young bloke. Just the
way he nursed me through that first year of an
RL was just it was awesome.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
And then returned to Penris. But I suppose they've got
a pretty good half back. It's probably you know, yeah
as well he was actually living with the time, not
like that.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Yea.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
Even see even like that the game you guys, Ver's
the Dogs. The other day, we're watching it. Remember like back
in the probably like a decade ago where basically across
the NRL there was that many gun players and they'd
all come through that Melbourne system and you were like,
oh he used to play, you know, like James Maloney's
come through the Melbourne system. Heats the boys who would
(19:45):
go there, their value go up. Then they'd sign as
the star player somewhere else. You see in that game
where Tiger's Verse Dogs, it was like nine or ten
Penrick games in it. Yeah, like look the may brothers
like obviously Critter and all those boys. But yeah, you
see the sliding like he's done such a good job.
But they've got so many duns out there in Penrith.
But the amount of blokes that have come through that
(20:06):
system now and they've just like dispersed in the NRL.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
That's crazy, man, the nursery out there, Like I said before,
since we were young, like yeah, Penrith have always had
a massive great n See.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
What Tailor is going to be. Tailor man is going
to be a good pick up for his Yeah going forward, mate,
he's man.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
He's a powerhouse and awesome player. Man and awesome blokers
were off the field. Oh yeah, I'll get along, say,
well with both of them, you know and Tailor and
you're just awesome blokesmen off the field, and like on
the film, there's obviously athletes, especially Tailor.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
He's everything pretty misunderstood a tailor, I think.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
So. Yeah, he's obviously been through a lot on that
over the last sort of twenty four months. But yeah, man,
if you if you get in conversation him off the field, man,
he's most down to earth, you know, I can't speak.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
I love what they're do, Like obviously they do the
potty and like vogues together to even Terrell, it's there.
I love how they embrace just how like a different
mold they are, particularly like Terrell, he acknowledges he's like
you know I'm not.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
I'm not.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
I'm not changing who I am to be a Rubby
League player, Like this is what I love doing. I
love logan and doing this stuff. Like he just bes
himself a.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
One hundred percent man and he embraces it like you
said before me, like he's he's happy to be different.
And I think that the positive thing out of all
of this is Benji like encourages him and everyone else
to be themselves. And that's massive, man know, for him
to encourage it. And you know they're both awesome blokes
and Terror he's the funniest bloke. He's one of them
on the cover funny guys.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Cheers rang out Brenda Smith and gets I just need
to ask your favorite. I thought, geez, what's going on here?
Speaker 3 (21:37):
And he said, oh mate, Terrell rang me and he
wants to come on your shower. I said, fuck yeah,
just send me his number and I rang him up
and he's like, oh mate, thanks so much.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
I said, I remember when you said that. I was like,
that's I would not have picked that. I wouldn't have
to be so keen to do it.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
He's a low key, funny guy, bro. He's very like,
how's Benji Young, he's gone good man, Like, yeah, I
was so happy on the weekend. I get the results
in such a good team. And you know, he's been
awesome this year, you know, especially you know with the
cars that he got dealt early with the whole Galvo
situation and had to go through it again with Hooker
and stuff like that. Mate, he just dealt with it awesome.
And yeah, yeah, I can't speA highly enough of him.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Way and do you go toil because you played with
Benji as well?
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Right? Yeah? I played with him so my first so
eighteen I didn't play sorry, yeah, nineteen twenty and twenty
one so played together three years. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
How's that when you have a you have a crossroads
where you play and then he ends up being your coach?
Is that kind of weird?
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Sometimes? Yeah? Or not really, to be honest, I always
stay in touch with it. When he left and he
was working out Fox, I stay in touch with him.
But probably the element there that's like at the start,
I was like we used to play together, yeah, you know,
But in saying that, like, yeah, it's been awesome man.
We obviously have a really good relationship because we've been
together through so much.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
But yeah, he seems like he's so loved by all
the players. Like I remember when Harry Grant went to
you guys on a loan and when he come back,
he was like Benji. Benji was obviously playing with his then,
but he was like, mate, Benji is just he just
has the whole, like he just owns the room. Like
all the boys love him. He's just the best bloke, shouts,
shouts a lot of the beers and stuff like that.
(23:11):
So he's us with him like he had crocodiles in
his pockets.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
Oh yeah, you would have coached him as all right, Yeah,
I a little bit in two thousand and five.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Yeah, the back end of that year did a little bit.
He was It was really it was really good. At
that side.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
They had the harsh combination was he and Scotty Prince
Prince He was more the student of the game. Benji
back in those days was just a free wheeler and tunes.
He was happy to do that. Like you know, most
of the coaching I did was with Princey as far
as he's kicking. But with Benji, you know, you just
let him be Benji.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
He was the maverick. You know, he was the one
that sort of made give the side a complete completely
different point of difference to the rest, but made he's
done a good job a tier. He's done a good job.
Made he should tackle the players more because since she
tackled he holy fucking oh mane two, he's on fire.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
Yeah, he's been killing the frust man. Yeah. I think
over the last month of foot especially like he's been
the best player and you know, especially on the weekend man,
like he's probably the difference in a lot of ways.
So yeah, yeah, he's he's just been awesome. Man. I
couldn't be happier for him.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Yeah, did you because you played you would have played
Lebanon with him before he even came to the Tigers.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Right, Yeah, yeah, so he was he was still young,
twenty seventeen. He was like, he's too younger than me,
so he would have been like maybe eighteen.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
It was Freddie Fitler coach and he coach.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Yeah, and it was just by a chance that our
captain got knocked out in the woman. He was holding
the pad for one of the boys and you know,
boys run through the pad that captain was holding the pad,
and then one of the boys run too hard and
she mocked him on. I think he got stretched off
on that. So it was as was as was eighteenth man.
So Ads came in and won us the game. That game,
(24:55):
she scored the winning try and the rest was history.
And Freddy picked him the whole the whole tournament and
end the debut on the next year.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
And did you were you coached by Michael Checker as well?
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Nah? So the last World Cup I missed, But yeah,
Checks the good blog, I have a really good lad should.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Be himage, tremendous fellow Maronite.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Yeah he's a fellow. Yeah, and people people get surprised
on to people he's Lebanese, but.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
Yeah, yeah, it's actually Checks Maroon Hite.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
The other thing about Checked that some he's highly like.
I think he actually coach on the NRL these days,
as far as the assistance to a lot of the
works the head coaches like the real figurehead. He's a
great presence. I think he could. I think that check
where he made his money the clothing industry, in fashion,
made his money in fashion really.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
For Blake the dresses so poor, he's made some money.
I'll tell you that. One time he invited us to
his house and I was thinking maybe fellow LEO will
be in green Acher early and something sent me that
address was could you I was like, up there they
mentioned I.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
Remember, I remember, I need to only one mate. I
probably I would have played maybe four first grade games.
And I get a call from a random number and
it was Michael Checker and he was coaching in Japanese
rugby at the time, over Pan twenty twenty one and
we're staying up in Noosa and he was like, mate,
what's doing And I said, oh, no, not much and
(26:18):
he's like, mate, I'm over coaching in Japanese. Ruby, I'm
thinking about getting I need a new fly half. I
thinking about maybe bringing a league over if you're interested.
And I was like, oh mate, check it up. And
I didn't get the message clearly. He thought like, oh mate,
my time in the NL was done. And I was going, oh,
you know, check, I'm still quite young. I'd love to
chance my hand still here in the N round and
he goes, oh really, and is that funny? Is that
(26:45):
I appreciate you not laughing Twilight and I disrespect you?
And I was like, oh shit, okay, no mate, check
So I'll hold off. In hindsight, jeseus it would have
been a good opportunity to go over there live in
Japan for twelve months. I can imagine he must have
been ready to say, oh really, because I was talking
to Belly anyway, have a good career being coached by Madge.
(27:06):
How was Madge?
Speaker 2 (27:08):
Yeah? It was good, man like, honestly, like speaking honestly, like,
you know, the first couple of years, Mate, we're going
really well, and I think there was a stage there.
We saw the plateau and you know, there was a
lot of media attraction and stuff like that, a lot
of pressure on the club. And to be honest, man like,
he's a really good coach. I can't speak high enough
of him, and I know he got it. It was
tough for him when he was at Tigers, you know,
(27:29):
with all the media and stuff like that. But but
he sort of showed me what it took to be
a first grader. Yeah right, and sort of I'm in
debt him from that sort of point of view. You know,
Army camps every year and sort of just a week
to beak grind. So I was still young obviously when
I had him, and Mate, yeah, he's an.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Awesome How were those Army camps were?
Speaker 2 (27:48):
They tough, tough, really, yeah, especially I think the first one,
I was like, it was three days, but it was
just like it was relentless, no sleep, no sleep, blind
forward ye, proper, proper army care. But it was like massive,
I open up a good experience and that obviously you've
done a couple, but that first one. Man, Yes, it's.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Hard to it's actually hard to explain it to people sometimes,
just how bad, particularly the ones with no sleep, where
people are like, what, you stayed up for three days
no sleep and you're trying to explain how hard it was.
People don't get it. Yeah, it is the worst thing
in the world if you.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
Make it have no sleep for three days. Most weekends
totally different. Yeah, but that's yeah. I mean like mad
just had a little bit of criticism, and like thinking
about Madge is one of the most disciplined men you'd
ever come across, and the first cousin of disciplined stubbornness,
and it takes him a lot to change his ways.
(28:45):
I can see he's adjusted some of his ways at
the Broncos. But as you know, there's certain non negotiables
when it comes to being a professional athlete, particularly rugular
and one is physical fitness, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (28:57):
Yeah, one hundred percent And it was massive on that.
That and hard work, like if you didn't have them too,
like it didn't really matter how how good of a
player you were. He just he wouldn't ye, he just
wouldn't budge on them.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Two things about Harry Grant when he went there.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
That was awesome obviously. I remember like it was one
game we beat the Broncos and he was getting chance
it off the field and that was obviously awesome obviously
with what he's going on to do now in the game.
To play with him and to have him at the club,
I think you know it was it was awesome.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
Seemed like that year just had like a tight group,
like I think Gubby Joshy Reynolds was there as well,
Brooksy Elijah Taylor was that his last year.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
He's the one. The funniest bloke really.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
I've heard. I've heard he is a terrific by.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
Have you you got to see he's got a page
Have you seen it? Yeah? Yeah, if you want to
get a good inside, yeah, have a look at that.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
He was also that year, I think it was twenty twenty.
Was he also like practicing to be a pilot as well.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Yeah, so he was practicing to be a pilot.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
Yeah, yeah, he'd fly on his days off of that, yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Off and that. Yeah, it was actually there's there's a
there's a couple of stories.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
A couple of flying their days off as well.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
Monday and the next day was it was.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
I've heard that one. I was getting I remember your
guys mad Monday, the boys were facetiming me and Elijah
was there and then like he was he was flying
like a couple of days later.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
Yeah, and David, Yeah, and not play long time together. Yeah, yeah,
it's yeah, it's sort of crazy how sort of he's
he's career sort of finished up, but you know, I
still got love for him.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
Still still over there playing.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Yeah, still over there. Plan I'm not too sure.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
It's making he bounces around from country to countries. Not
in Japan. It's like Serbia. Isn't the Contrick over there
as well?
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Contric's playing that Catalan.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
He's a cad I saw them, Yeah, not for is
one of the one of the one of the strangest blokes,
but one of the Melbourne He was so a breath
of fresh air from like the people that Melbourne usually recruited.
Let me just tell people, nother wouldn't have been the
normal bloke that Craig Bellamy would have signed. But no
(31:10):
fer he was so different to everyone that he'd like
kind of it was refreshing to the group and he
fit in really well. But he is so he's so
like what's the word he's not He's not arrogant. But
he would just say the funniest ship to belly Ache
and that Bellya could go, No, fer mate, great work
on those plus one carry mate, we need more of
(31:31):
it from here. And he'd be sitting at the back
of room video session and you go, belly A, come on,
I'm the no office. He goes, I'm opening three hundred
and sixty five days of a year, no public holidays.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
I remember there was one session. He one year, twenty twenty.
I think you got Winger of the Year and I
come here, come in a full time. I said, you
killed it. He goes, It's just another day in the office,
but just just do something. And then there was another game.
This is another story. I don't smashed timody stories. But
(32:07):
we we verse rabbit o's and we got pumped and
then all right, social media did its thing and whatever
and come after him, and then it come out on
Twitter and said it wasn't my fault. It was the
forwards they had said before because he's because he's such
a good blokeer like he we just we just it
(32:27):
just goes down. I was in the middle of that day.
I just let it go over my head and you know,
I still love him.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
What took of all places you go? What took him
to serve you anyone? I'm not sure. I see it
on his Instagram and that that he's over there. I
don't know. I don't know where. I don't know. Yeah, yeah,
this Belgrave. I don't know what he's doing over there though,
because he's he's too good. I've seen some of his highlights,
like he posted something the other day he was dead
to walking over the line scoring.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Well, it might just be lifestyle, I mean living in
the Balkans. Yeah, but enough shot mate, it's spreading around
the becoming a franchise mate.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Can you run through as well? The one hundred and
sixteen game try scoring drought, which you broke because because
that just that just turned into like the biggest thing
on social media, just like when's Alex twelg and the
score that game it was against the storm A when
you scored.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Yeah, against Storm. I think it was only try that
game as well?
Speaker 1 (33:20):
Yeah, what is it was like? Yeah it was a
really low scoring game.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
Aeah, no it was high score, but like scoring on now.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
Did what was that? What was that feeling like when
you score?
Speaker 2 (33:32):
Yeah, bro, I could look good about that. But to
be honest, obviously it was good to get the monkey
off the back, but one hundred and sixteen games.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
What did it feel like for a bloke who hadn't
scored in one hundred and sixteen games? Was it like
complete foreign territory when you cross the line? Really?
Speaker 2 (33:51):
I didn't know. When I got up, I was like weird,
I just like it just what it feels off the score.
But then I was I did have to do much
as well, thinking in the back head it was a shit.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
I remember if you went to the video referee, if
they took it off. Yeah. I remember the try because
like someone dropped it and it just bounced up and
Clem was there, David Klemar and he like went to
lunch at it. Saw you sort of backed away and
you just like a stavy man on a burrito.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
Yeah, it was. It was crazy.
Speaker 4 (34:19):
I asked, did you have any did you have any
disallowed in those one hundred and sixty how many Cups
game one hundred and sixteen one hundred and sixteen games?
Did you have any that were actually disallowed by the
video ref?
Speaker 2 (34:28):
I had one against camera and it was actually a
proper good try. It was like kick Chase on katchick
and then like it was like well bobbled into my
hand and I ran away and scored under the post
and they disallowed it.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
You would have been did you celebrate hard?
Speaker 2 (34:42):
What's that?
Speaker 1 (34:42):
Did you celebrate it hard?
Speaker 2 (34:44):
I thought, yeah, it was early days as well. How
good is this? I've got my first cry and I
took it off. Man, it just didn't you like?
Speaker 1 (34:51):
After that first try one hundred and sixteen game one
didn't like? Was it a week or two later? You
scored another one?
Speaker 2 (34:56):
A couple of weeks later? I scored against Cowboys? Yeah, yeah,
I remember the man, I remember that happens.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
People were going here it comes.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
And there was enough ordinary try as well. I haven't
actually scored a try. If you really want to, if
you really want to luck on it.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
Down, you come close all the time in and around
the post because you've got footwork, and we all sit
because whenever the Tigers played, the boys always back at it.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
Run and we'ren't be watching. They go fucking.
Speaker 2 (35:23):
Yeah close. But I think, you know what, it's become
such a thing that when I think, when I come
to that sort of position to score, people just think
I'm not letting this bug score. He's never scored.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
Imagine that on the like on the tip sheet where
it's got like head on a plate, you know, come up,
he's the Tigers this week. It's just your head on
a plate going.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
We can't let Alex.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
What about what about like your training and diet because
you mate, you're ripped. What's what's your diet?
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Like? Yeah, I try to do like heaves and paleo.
I do heaps, trying to do anything like process and
stuff like that you're cooking or animal fats and stuff
like that, and he stick to like no seed oils.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
Are you into that the like that carnival diet the
people do?
Speaker 2 (36:06):
No, not really, because I lost my fish as well.
Like I eat a lot of like your world caught
fish and stuff like that. I try like that's eighty
percent of the time, ninety percent of the time yep,
then like yeah, ten percent of the time, sort of
just enjoy myself a.
Speaker 3 (36:17):
Big I heard a story once where some of the
boys told me, you'll order a big mac or something
you wanted.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
To, Yeah, you wanted to. Tim Manner's story twenty seventeen
World Cup Tom Manner before we vers tong that he goes, Bro,
you got to promise me that after the game, because
it was our final game for the tournament. He goes,
after the game, we have a big Mac together. Oh yeah, bro,
you got my work. You got my work. And then
(36:46):
I was eating and then he looked up. He looked
at me, and I'll pick up the big and I'm like, yea,
how good is this? And then like twenty minutes later
or something, he looks in the bin and it was
just all the bread and everything else and the meat
was missing. What are you doing? And then yeah, that
story is just stuck with you.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
I'll tell you what. But there's a lot of bread
on a big mac like this, you know, I'd almost
want them to take just the middle piece out, happy
to do the double paddy. When did you become?
Speaker 2 (37:12):
When did this all start?
Speaker 1 (37:13):
I started this week because I've yeah, I've started. I
don't know if you you know Twilight, but I let
myself go sort of the last year and a half. Look, yeah,
I know, but I got a fast wearing baggy clothes.
By the way, I've completely lost all my muscle masks,
not that I had much to begin with that.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
Do you have cheat days? Yeah, mainly after a game
or something. I'll try to join myself a bit, but
I try to sort.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
Of what does enjoy yourself? Intel? For Twaley?
Speaker 2 (37:42):
Just like, yeah, got a restaurant or something with my
missus or one of the boys.
Speaker 1 (37:46):
And what's like what's your cheat meal? What do you get?
Speaker 2 (37:48):
Mustill stay away from like deep stuff like chips now
still I won't need that sort of stuff, but like
I have a burger or something.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
Yeah, yeah, like that mashed potato and veggies. And do
you drink alcohol?
Speaker 2 (37:58):
Not really everything then, but yeah, like just definitely not,
but you're mad. I'll have a crack or wedding and
that special pasion my mates birthday or something like that.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
Yeah are you are you married?
Speaker 2 (38:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Yeah? See the barbecue? Yeah yeah, well I saw the
barbecue and I didn't know whether you tied or not
or not.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
I was looking for some of the comments that people
were sending me. What were they punching this?
Speaker 1 (38:26):
I saw because I saw your partner on there. I
just wasn't sure where because you're because you're taking your
ring off.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Yeah, no, I don't wear it. Was was getting to me,
but I said, Babe, I can't. We can't. Jewelry. Don't worry.
Speaker 1 (38:37):
Dad does it all the time is wrong nightclubs.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
But for me, because I wore it accidentally in the game,
I've got to take it off and just CD my finger,
so now it just actually stuck on. Really, Yeah, it's terrible.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
Even if we get divorced, it's gonna stay. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
You can get them cut. You can get them like
sword off I think, or like they chain them off.
Similarly they cut you know when they cut a cast off.
Have you ever had a cast? Yeah, I've had a
cast Actually, Mate trips me out every time. Have you
seen the sow that they make to cut a cast off.
It can cut through the cast, but it can't cut
your skin. Have you seen that.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
It's been a while since I've got one of them.
Speaker 1 (39:15):
I've seen the test. I've seen like videos of it.
So they do it. They can't and that's why when
it hits your skin, the blades like, it can't penetrate
through skin, but it can penetrate through the plasa.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
It's the same thing for the ring.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
I'm pretty sure it's the same thing for the ring.
Speaker 3 (39:28):
Yeah, to give it a correck. Trish has gone away
to the Goldie. What did the wife things when you're
going on mate? Look at all these comments? Did she
go off fantastic?
Speaker 2 (39:39):
Yeah it was. It was good for her, but yeah,
not too good for me.
Speaker 3 (39:43):
The confidence here's one fair When I was over at
the Olympics last year at Paris, buzz Field Buzz Rossfield
can filled in for the Family podcast in my role.
So anyway, Trish rainy and she goes, is there.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
Anything I need to know? And I went like what?
Speaker 3 (40:04):
And because Cooper or Jack had asked Buzz a question,
do you ever like you find.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
Out Verry Verry stories? Like do you ever hide stories
from people that you know?
Speaker 2 (40:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (40:12):
And he goes, oh, yeah, what do you say, I've
got a hold DOSSI here on your husband Matt.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
Yeah, yeah, he's yeah, he'd said that, Like Buzz He
was like, yeah, I've got a couple of stories. He's like,
I've buried some of like your dad because I like him,
and we were like what what I said?
Speaker 3 (40:27):
I think he's marking around Anyway. When I got through that,
I get a call from Buzz.
Speaker 1 (40:33):
Mate, how are you listen? Buzz I really appreciate feeling.
Speaker 3 (40:38):
Yeah, yeah, mate, yeah mate, I'm just ringing into state
your missus is an outstanding.
Speaker 2 (40:45):
Sort thanks Buzz.
Speaker 1 (40:51):
Yeah, Buzz is married, don't he?
Speaker 2 (40:53):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (40:54):
Yeah, so you shouldn't be a threat. You'd like to
think Buzz isn't a threat of taking missus? What if
she left me for Buzz, I'll tell you I would
no longer be on this Goodbye glouse, twilighty. Some random questions.
What's your segment?
Speaker 3 (41:14):
Nah?
Speaker 1 (41:14):
Just random? I was just thinking about you. Blake's in
your career and it's born off in the stories. Who knows.
Speaker 3 (41:21):
The best player you've played with toy.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
Say Benji Benji? Yeah, yeah, it was just like even
see him run around now, I man like some of
the stuff he does, like it's still got it. You
don't say people in our game now doing it, you
know what I mean? And even playing with him, mate,
it's just unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Was he Like, was he hero growing up?
Speaker 2 (41:40):
Like? Were you definitely one of them? Yeah, Like you'd
always go in the backyard. I remember me and my
brothers playing in the backyard and then we used to
like stepping the Benji the Marshall.
Speaker 1 (41:49):
Did you try the slip past?
Speaker 2 (41:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (41:53):
What about the best blake you've played? Again? Someone you
come up with?
Speaker 2 (41:56):
God man, that he walked off. That guy is just
too good. Yeah. I'd say Desco obviously played with him
early in my career, but yeah, just like every time
I versed him, he's always been doing the s is
strong and.
Speaker 3 (42:11):
He's that big across the that year very Italian that Yeah,
that year that you played with him before he ran
to the Roosters, he was like untouchable, unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
Yeah, Like I think it was his he's had. I
mean he's had unbelievable years since then, but I think
like that year for the Tigers just before he left,
it was some of the stuff he was doing. It
was like his highlights from that. He's crazy.
Speaker 2 (42:32):
Yeah, I think that's when he sort of just started
playing origin in that as well, and just yeah, he
was unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (42:37):
Who manages you tually? So you'll stay at the club.
The teammate you're closest with it, come close with all the.
Speaker 2 (42:48):
Boys, like I get it wrong, really well with all
the boys. But I mean, obviously you know, he's been
there some of my highest moments, some of my lowest moments.
And yeah, built a really good connection even with his family,
his mummy's dad and my wife and we're all sort
of close to each other now.
Speaker 3 (43:03):
And tally, what about mate, the teammate. If you're going
on a long haul flight, who's the one that if
you come and sat next to you went, oh fuck.
Speaker 2 (43:14):
Tito. Yeah yeah, And that's imagine you're going to the
fourteen now sitting next to him and he's just in
your ear.
Speaker 3 (43:23):
It's always with you, mate, Come on, dabby, mate, what
about the opponent now? Last this one of you, Jack
and your coops. Who's the opponent you come up against,
whether it be sledging, whatever reason that you just go
fuck this guy. Not not that you dislike them, but
every time you come up against me, go, man, it's
(43:44):
going to be hard work today, Like he's going to
be sledging and everything.
Speaker 1 (43:48):
M h oh, go on, what aret you coops? Anyone
stick out?
Speaker 2 (43:52):
Probably mahoney, read money.
Speaker 1 (43:56):
Niggling.
Speaker 2 (43:57):
If you drop a ball, he's just coming across. And yeah,
but he's a really good bloke off the field. Actually
I'm off the field, but yeah, little things like that.
But even just watching him sometimes you can just tell
people just get an yeah.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
Sledging much of a thing, mate, It should be fair.
I can't even remember the last time I was. I
was well, I haven't played in a while, but I
wasn't getting sledged much when I was playing. Maybe they
felt sorry for me. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (44:20):
I think they feel sorry for me.
Speaker 1 (44:24):
Anyone you come up against you when man, this guy's.
Speaker 4 (44:27):
One person I'll tell you what twilight he was on
the field. There's one person who was on my team
who I would hate to be against, Tyson Gamble. So
round two and twenty twenty three we played the Tigers.
In this game, everyone was getting into KP got knocked out.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
Oh it was a crazy game.
Speaker 4 (44:43):
And I remember so Tyson Gamble come from the Broncos
for the first time and lovely bloke, right. We all
expected him to be a bit of a rap bag,
but he was that nice and quiet. We're like, oh,
maybe it was just at the Broncos, Like he doesn't
really do it here at Newcastle whatever. He came off
the bench that day for KP because he was playing fourteen,
put up a bomb to the novice and I swear
(45:06):
to God, the words that come out of his mouth
I'll never be able to repeat. And the whole team
like looked at him and went, fuck, where's this bloke been?
Speaker 2 (45:13):
The whole persons.
Speaker 4 (45:15):
Yeah, but yeah, Like that's one player I would hate
to be on his bad side opposite him.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
One that was on our side who used to sledge
horrendously at training and on the field, Will Chambers. Chamber
was the most relentless sledge I've ever seen. One time
he got suspended for five weeks and like he came over,
you know on the training side, it's like the NRL
side and then the boys who aren't playing and they
prepared the NRL side. So he was playing my center
in the non NRL side preparing during the week and
(45:43):
the job of that team is to basically you challenging
the NRL side, but you're just preparing them to play
good on the weekend. Chambers took it upon himself to
like emasculate everyone on the NRL side, so that they
went into the game with no confidence and they were
the worst players and the like to the point where
he was because he was a senior player and like
(46:04):
was so tight with belly.
Speaker 5 (46:06):
He was also he was saying, like, mate, they don't
rate you're here and that, like saying ship like that
the teammates mate. He was so funny and then he'd
give us. He'd give us infant like when we're playing
Queensland Cut. He'd find out dirt on players, the opposition
players in the Queensland Cut that we're playing against, and go,
here's some stuff I found on this player if you
want to go after him.
Speaker 1 (46:26):
We were like, holy ship. He was the best I've
ever seen and he was so good at it. He
put people off their game so much.
Speaker 2 (46:32):
Similar yeah, oh yeah. He used to just like gound
the field and just yeah, just say some personal stuff
to blokes. I was playing with some blokes at the
time and he's just other the stuff he say, you
wouldn't you wouldn't say, you know what I mean, And
he just.
Speaker 3 (46:47):
Man, what about like your favorite field in the league?
Feel yeah, field opposition, Yeah, traveling.
Speaker 2 (46:56):
Favorite probably Bank West, best part of the East.
Speaker 1 (47:01):
What about least favorite field the place he.
Speaker 2 (47:05):
Or New Zealand. Every time we go to New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (47:07):
It's it's a hard game to players.
Speaker 3 (47:09):
Always wet as and cold and hard to get a
purchase on the ball.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
Yeah. And then Towns.
Speaker 1 (47:16):
Yeah, it's sweaty up in town. Like they hit you
around the ball, you just drop it.
Speaker 3 (47:20):
This is so hard at first coming to the competition,
right first time we ever played up there. We walk
in and we go, oh, yeah, like you know, you're
in an air condition bus, hotel, into the air condition bus.
You got off the bus and you go straight into
the dressing room was air conditioned, and I'm thinking, fact,
this is okay. Then we go out for our normal
twenty to twenty five minute warm up. Mate, we come
(47:41):
back in and we're just completely fucked. It took us
a long while and to actually understand how we had
to play it that week.
Speaker 1 (47:47):
Going north is actually like it's harder. People think playing
in the rains hard when you go north and it's
dry and the sweat gets on the ball, sweat, it's
way worse than water. That's funny because I'm a real
big here. I reckon in hot, humid conditions the leather
ball was better. It's really funny the leather ball. When
(48:07):
when a little bit of moisture went on the leather ball,
it actually become more tacky. But I mean if I
was pissing down a completely different piece, but I think
the synthetic ball would sweat. It's actually slips. Yeah, it's
such an advantage for those teams out there who practice
it all the time. I remember when in COVID when
we were playing at Sunshine We're based out of Sunshine
(48:27):
Coast and Storm was playing Cowboys and this is a
famous story. All the boys tell it to bag out
Monster all the time. And Munster like he's known for
saying ship before he even thinks about it, and he
always wants to have the last word in like right
before warm up and always I always don't know why
he wanted to the boys going right out of towns
(48:48):
all day. Let's you know, take him into a grind,
will beat him in the back end of the game.
They want to do the flashy stufflet's do it. And
Monster right before he goes bloody oath boys, he goes
and guess what, it's too bloody hot for him up here.
They can't handle the heat and everyone just went so
they've come down from Townsville.
Speaker 3 (49:07):
Oh, who's a bloke in the shed like that? That
always hit the last word. I'll probably say my mad
funny with everyone gets in that mood to let people know.
In a dressing room, it's all different characters and there's
nothing worse before the game when everyone starts to talk
and it's like everyone and everyone's gone, and remember and
(49:29):
remember this, we're a bloken outside. I'm not going to
say who he is because it highly embarrassing for him.
We're playing one day and the coaches left two minute warning,
ready to go, and everyone goes and the chief Paul
Harry and the captain goes, right.
Speaker 1 (49:43):
Anyone got your final words? Who's got something to say?
And this blake said, yeah, I have.
Speaker 3 (49:47):
I don't know about you blokes, a really bad feeling
about today.
Speaker 1 (49:54):
Just what you want to hear.
Speaker 2 (49:56):
It looks like a mad bloke to play. He looks
like have you had much to do with him before? Mate?
Speaker 1 (50:01):
He is one of the best, one of the best
blokes as well.
Speaker 2 (50:03):
Yeah, sorry, I got a frog in my.
Speaker 1 (50:05):
Throat getting all emotions. I don't know what that was vencral. Yeah, mate,
one of the best. He's just and for someone who's
so like not old, but like he's been around for
a long time, he's just he fits him with every
age group, you know what I mean, Like the eighteen
year olds that go down to Melbourne. He's he because
he's kind of got like a kid brain. So he
gets on with them, gets along with all the older boys.
(50:27):
He's We're at the time we come back in newyears
Zoo once and Cooper rings me and goes, where's that?
And I said, me and Mum, we're just coming back
from the harbor. He goes, heah, me and.
Speaker 3 (50:36):
Monster here we're wondering the other time, get back and
have a beer. Okay, So we arrive back anyway, the
boys have got the music on, and then Trish, my wife,
she always tries to dictate the music, so she'd puts
something on Monster and change it. She puts something and
he changed it straight away, and she goes, Cameron, this
is my house if you don't mind.
Speaker 1 (50:54):
He goes, time to go to bed.
Speaker 2 (50:55):
To it this.
Speaker 1 (50:58):
No, this story is and he feels bad because she
turned her back and I said, probably time for you
to go to bed, and she turned around. Filthy and
Munster fell on the grenade for me and said, oh, no,
I said it. I said it and then no, I
know because we kept it quiet for it because he
didn't want me to get in trouble and I was
blind and we're singing karaoke on this machine and yeah,
(51:21):
Mum like wouldn't have him at the house for like
ag Yeah.
Speaker 3 (51:25):
She holds a grudge. My favorite favorite destination to go away?
Speaker 2 (51:33):
You have a guess of that one. I've said a few.
Speaker 1 (51:37):
Do you go there a lot?
Speaker 2 (51:38):
No, I've been there once where it was crackout like
it's probably my favorite place i've been. I've been in
Europe of stuffs that since.
Speaker 1 (51:44):
But crazy that city built in the desert. Remember when
we then did you go to the Is it the Atlantis?
That big water park there the water park?
Speaker 2 (51:52):
Yeah, but there's a new hotel Atlans now app it's unbelievable,
but they just built it.
Speaker 1 (51:57):
More and more people are moving there.
Speaker 2 (51:59):
The water park was cracked when we.
Speaker 1 (52:00):
Said, O mate, yeah, we went Dad. Dad went down
this water slide. We were too young to go on
the water like as a weight limit was like a
height limit, and Dad went down on his own and
it's the one where they said we're come on. It's
one of the ones where the floor goes out from
underneath you and you jet through and you go through
like the shark tank.
Speaker 2 (52:19):
That's where I went. I went to that one in
the air that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (52:22):
Dad come down, that'd say that ship down.
Speaker 2 (52:26):
You have to walk up all them stairs. Yes, I
was walking up and walking down. I think the only
way you can come down is through the slide. But
then when I when I got up the top, I
realized everyone's walking because they've seen like it's dangerous.
Speaker 1 (52:38):
Because you're free fall. It's a he It's like there's
there's no rules over there. So you actually don't trust
you know, like you got to water park here, you
trust the ride. Yeah, because they're not going to hurt me.
Here in Dubai, it's kind of like.
Speaker 2 (52:51):
You don't know what's going on.
Speaker 1 (52:53):
You need to do You need a visa in a
passport to live there, because it seems like more and
more people are going to live.
Speaker 2 (52:59):
Sure, he's me go that panics no tax Yeah, yeah, right,
twelve percent or something or to.
Speaker 1 (53:06):
Some people go there to hide. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (53:10):
For a while, there was Martha Capital of the World,
so all the Russians, the Russian oligarchs and people involved
Russian Marchia to get on the bad side of the law.
The in Dubai and the Admirance. They say, okay, you
can come and live here, as long as you behave yourself,
you play, We're going to throw you out.
Speaker 1 (53:24):
Because they want the money.
Speaker 2 (53:26):
You know.
Speaker 1 (53:26):
Well, they've just built this massive wave pool over there
as well. Like Joey, Joey went over there last year.
Matthew's brother Lighting hiding from the law. Yeah, he went
over there and he reckons. It's like the best wavepool
on earth. They've built in Dubai. Shout out to any
of the surfers that are listening, want to go over Finally,
what are you going to do when your tie which
(53:46):
you like to coaching strength and conditioning hopefully hopefully? Yeah,
he's made Tindy entirely made that.
Speaker 2 (53:58):
I was leading you.
Speaker 1 (53:59):
That's you're may will give you a crack on our
show for sure, mate, Yeah bloody no, yeah, good one
hundred mate. Set you're an a Lebanese footy show. You're
not a bad idea? You do we Mitch Moses, Isaac Moses,
well what it does? Look what we did for Benji
in the show Benji if that show was so bad
(54:20):
he went into coach, Yeah, that one did. How many
episodes did Benji last on that? Not enough? Probably six
too many? Seven, Thanks tiy.
Speaker 3 (54:36):
Hey brother, thank him coming all the way here. And
once again, I thank you a lot for the stuff
you do for our show. And congratulations on your career,
mate and going forward.
Speaker 2 (54:45):
Good on your brother.
Speaker 1 (54:46):
Thanks, Thanks, don't say thank
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.