August 12, 2025 • 37 mins
This week on the show, we welcome the brilliant Dan Connell — one of Australia’s sharpest comedic talents. Dan’s journey began right here in Canberra, and he’s since gone on to win over audiences across the country with his quick wit, dry delivery, and razor-sharp observations.
A proud footy tragic (with a soft spot for the Tigers), Dan shares hilarious stories from life on the road, the early days of finding his comedic voice, and the moments that shaped his career. Whether you’re here for the laughs, the footy chat, or a peek behind the curtain of Aussie comedy, this episode is something special.
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):
He's not here for the clickbait all the count signe critics.
It's real and full of deep and meaningfuls with the
Raiders in a circle from laughs to hard truth. Still
tell you and ditch the negative noise and get behind
the boys. This is Raider Nick.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
A bit of a special chat this one. Of course,
we'll talk a bit of footy with this man. But look,
this is a guy I've known for a while and
I sit back and I see him on the TV
these days. He's all over the internet as well. We
claim him as a cam beverybody's actually born and bred
him down at Bateman's Bay. But you know, really cut
his teeth here in Canberra and I speak of this
man Dan kind will of course he'll be down here,
back in our nation's capital for the box Headed Man
(00:45):
Baby Show, one of the comedings of the year. I
reckon this broke down.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Hello to you?
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Are you make great to talk to you? How you doing?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Talk to you? Mate?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
You're an airport somewhere where it go somewhere.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
I am, I mean Timworth Airport. Would you believe up
here for running gig? So I heading home to Melbourne today.
Always on the move, mate.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
That's to Melbourne, mate. I remember, I'll still never forget. Look,
I know you love your footy and we'll crack that
open very very soon. But had a wonderful story where
I went. I visited you one day in Melbourne and
you took me shopping. You just kind of I was
like the woman you left me there, go, I'll pick
you up in an hour and ago and I came
back with all these bags and the Raiders were playing
the Storm all that time, and it was one of
(01:25):
those things where the Storm are flying high and we
had one a game. We're coming off at eight game
losing streak, and I was like, gee, down, I don't
want to go and see my boys get embarrassed. And
then you kind of said, hey, you got to do it.
Your team's in town. You've got to do it. You've
got to get out there and do it. And you
dragged me along. We caught the train, we went to
Amy Park and watched the upset of the decade. My
(01:48):
Mighty Raiders did the job and there was a couple
of really good subplots coming there. That was Josh Puppery
his first game in the NRL. Yeah, So I thank.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
You for that's that the game when Ferguson and graub
it down the sideline and chipped and chain.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yes, And I was the only Raiders fan in that.
I was only Raiders man in the crowd and you
had to hose it down of it because I was
getting a little bit too yahoo it out of here
for a live mate, you better, you better take it down.
But that was the Blake Ferguson play down that edge out.
We knocked him off again. It was Josh Puppoley his
debut and of course this year, Wow, he clocked three
nineteen and every time I interview him, I always mentioned that.
(02:25):
So I got to see him start and you got
to see him clock three nineteen. So thank you for that,
because without your push, who would have been watching at
home in front of a pizza or something.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
No worries, mate, glad to do it.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Mate, you're dad, Well, yeah, you're Dan. He made doing
it doing the comedy run four leength of August at
the Street Theater. That's becoming a bit of a residency
for yourself.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Mate, it is mate. Yeah, I've done it the last
last couple of times i've been up. I've done it
as a part of the Cambra Comedy Festival. So this
time just doing it outside of the festival. Yeah, just
with timings and everything that's lined up well and it's
been a great response. I love the theater. It's a
perfect stand up spot and I've noticed a lot of
stand ups are going there now to the Streets theater.
(03:07):
Everybody knows where it is. And yeah and you know
this Thursday night, but Camber cam Baron's come out no
matter what night I've known. You know some places you
go there weekend people they only like the Friday Saturday night.
But cam Barons they're coming out this Thursday. So it's
filling up. So if you want to come along, bet it,
get in quick well DC.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
It's been a long hard winter and usually cam Baron's
come out of hibernation comes September, but they're starting to
sneak at bit early now, so there's something to go
and see, like a nice comedy guys, comedy act for
yourself without embarrassing you there to get over there and
just leave your keys at the door on it, Dan takeo.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yeah, and it's a nice time today to you'll be
in bed by half us now. I'm having a cup
of tea. You're laughing, but.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Early to car park car parks around there can be
a little bit here go and so I really get
better better and they have a quick drink and warm
into it. Mate. I've got to ask you, though, I've
always you know, I see you. I've seen you, you
know through through little timeline of where you are today.
Fifteen years been there on his four.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Now well yeah, sixteen now we did that. Yeah, we
did that radio show on Queen BNFM seventeen years ago
and I left for Melbourne and spooky and yeah, I
left in twenty ten. I left Canberra to go to Melbourne.
I've been there fifteen years and I did one year
(04:26):
of standing up in Canberra, so yeah, sixteen years. It's crazy.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
I spoke about Josh Puppolehi for the Canbra Raiders. There
his debut. I saw your radio debut that was in
the was it Green Faces or something?
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Green Faces at the Irish Club? Yeah and yeah down
there and yeah you did come to that didn't have
one of two people I knew that I invited and
there wasn't any miracle chip and chases down the sideline,
but we got away with it.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Embarrassing you. I remember it was your debut and there
was a few of us there. I remember how it
all unfolded. You mentioned that Queen nf M team and
radio team, and I actually mentioned your story a few
times on various shows around this station, on both stations.
I'm not claiming unresponsible, DC, but I think I did
help you get inspired. I remember back in the day
(05:14):
there we worked together at a gig in Canberra, and
then we started doing that community radio gig there with
the great Jimmy Buckley. And this was back in the
day where like you know, this is this is pre
social media hype. This was pre where your emails is
more secondary, wasn't your prime source of communication. And you
would come along into my computer because you had like
some kind of hot mail account that you'd log ondo
(05:34):
a couple of times a week. And then we hadn't
done the show for about a month or something, you know,
people were away or there was, you know, whatever reason,
we had missed a couple of weeks, and then you
came back and you caught up with two weeks of
your emails. They've got I still remember it, mate, I
was sitting down and putting my shoes and cleaning my
shoes or something, and then here you are, mate, they've
gotten back to me and they go, who's gotten back
(05:56):
to here? What are you talking about? And you made
registered on the blackboard for green faces, and they've gotten
back to it. But I don't think I'll do it.
It's next, it's in a couple of days too soon.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
The doors open and sometimes Flakes does this and it
throws you in the deep end and you've got to
just swim and you've got to do it. And I
remember you went and done it, and it was a
great show. We knew how funny you were. You made
us all laughing that job without embarrassing again, and you
made us made us all laugh like you did in
the office space. But what I remember then, when you
came off stage, you got swarmed by people that own
(06:30):
clubs asking you if you could go and do a
stand up in their place.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Yeah, yeah, it was nice. It was I didn't know obviously,
the nerves were unbelievable, and I didn't know who was
an affair, but it worked out well. Yeah. All the
people that ran Gigton Camber were at the event, so yeah,
it was so addictive. I think I got one decent
laugh where everybody in the room laughed one time and
that was enough. You know, it just it's very addictive.
(06:54):
I was instantly hooked after that. Thank you, Mane, thanks
for talking me into it.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
No time. I'll just wait for you to have your
own your Netflix special and you can maybe get that
you speak at the addiction. Is that what you're chasing
each week?
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Yeah, it's very especially when you're writing new material and
it starts going well, yeah, it's it's very addictive. The
crowds reaction to something you've written, and that just that feeling,
you know, the doorphins kick off and you definitely want
it more. You know, it's it's it's like anything I
think if you're a musician or whatever industry you're in,
(07:37):
if you're getting good reactions, that's you know, that's what
keeps you going and makes you want to do it more.
So thankfully, so far I keep getting nice reactions, so
makes you want to keep writing this new material. Now.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
I love to see here about this kind of stuff
that doesn't get spoken, to do a little bit deeper
here DC. You know, in radio, when you're having an
off day, when you wake up and an off date
could look like anything. You might be flat from the
week canned, or your child sick, which is always heartbreaking
when your little one's got the flu. You know, yeah,
you know, you know that being a dad, just life
(08:08):
gets in the way and sometimes you rock up and
it just doesn't. You know, you can prepare, but sometimes
you just don't rock up and you're just not in
that flow and you could be a little flat. You
can't and it's hard in radio, you know. You know,
for example, in radio and entertainment industry, you can't really
hide because you're simply to bear your soul whether you're
like it or not. How did a comedian? How do
you prepare for a day that's probably not going according
(08:29):
to plan?
Speaker 3 (08:31):
Yeah? I think you just get better as the years
go on at just switching on and off. Like yeah,
I've had times where you know, like you say, the
little boat might be crooked as a dog and you've
just been with him all day and up all night
and had a couple of hours sleep. But sort of
once you get I just you just managed to figure
out a way that once you get up there and
you're in front of the crowd, you just sort of
(08:51):
switch on for that, you know. Ten sixteen twenty half
now whatever it is, and there's an adrenaline that comes
with the comedy. For example, I'm so sure everyone else
gets it too, is when you're on there's something that
just takes over, like the adrenaline just gets you through it.
I've been really crooked before myself and just had a
horrible day and gone to a gig, and you feel
(09:12):
magic on stage because there's something about the it's called
everybody calls it doctor comedy. You know, once you're up there,
you feel fine, and then you finish it and you
just go back to feeling like that shit. So it's sorry, yeah,
ordinary cut that out, but yeah, yeah, yeah, it's funny.
You just over time. But in saying that, if I
(09:34):
was new to it and a few couple of years
in and I had a kid that was getting sick,
I reckon it'd be a bit more tricky. But just
for the experience over the years, you get a bit
more better at just figuring it out and being able
to switch on at the right time.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
It's unly. I love that doctor comedy. For example, in
the radio, we did the football last night and finalane
football here at the station glad as we mainly, and
I had a good win, good win, mate, very good win.
I was tired and I was busted. It was a along.
It was a bumpy week and there's a lot going on,
and it was cold, and they're kind of, you know,
rocked up on the Friday there and there's like, okay,
(10:09):
I've got to really lift for today, but I having
done much ygy and then you're right and the ball kicks off.
You get into that mode and but for me, like
you know, the boy's going to win, and then it
was a great call. It's funny because when you when
you kind of maybe it's quote unquote probably not up
to scratch in your mind, that actually relieves the pressure
I feel.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, I'll tell you where a strange hatrick
doesn't help, mate, Just to get up a Ricky and
the boys can do. You can lift as well, lift.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Lift, find something. And then I'm driving home and I'm like,
that wasn't so bad what I was worried about before.
It's a process, your stuff, So there's very therapeutic doing
your craft. But ye're right, you're building that resilience is
a wonderful thing, and you take that into life as
well well.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
And you're also you know, you're building resilience from years
of supporting the Raiders and now you're enjoying the good
times where you know, I'm similar with the Tigers. Three
spoons in a row, I'll build a real resilience there,
so now when they come good in the next few years,
I'll be able to really enjoy it.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Just before we touch on all the Tigers, I do
want to ask you where they're at time. Just to
on this performance side of things, there is also the hive.
But sometimes, and it must be even on steroids, for
a comedian to come down after a show, especially a
late show. I might go through a big call where
it's been a great call and everything's connected everything You've
actually had a you know, I've I've contributed really, really
(11:31):
well to the call and it's been a great night.
I'll go to bed and my head will just be
going over the numbers, going over the kilometers in my
mind and I can't get it. And they talk about,
you know, the great Flea from the Chili Peppers talks
about when he tours the world, he has to go
for a walk with his hoodie on just to come
down so he can go to bed as an hour.
It must be the same for a comedian.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Well it is, it's the same thing. As the years
go on, it's probably a bit easier to go to
sleep after a gig now than it was fivetex years ago.
I reckon, when you do a big one, like a
gala or something where there's three thousand and four thousand
people there, they're they're the ones that are a bit
tricky to sleep after, because that is a real you know,
that's a huge high when when that's happening. But just
(12:14):
a regular gig or like a tour show, it's I
just find you do it so much now. Yeah, maybe
for about an hour afterwards, I wouldn't be able to
go straight to sleep, but generally, you know, the show
finished by nine thirty, I could fall asleep by ten thirty.
No dramas these days, but yeah, I remember early days,
and like that one at Green Faces, I reckon I
(12:35):
wouldn't have gone to bed till three am after that.
You know, it's just your heart's just racing for hours afterwards.
But yeah, as the years go on, you just sort
of get a bit more used to.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
It now, Like you just come back and you hey, Dann,
I just bleats on stacee tonight. That's nice. Can you
take the bins out? We've got to exactly look at
the words that's coming over at three and make sure
we have a shower and put the right shirt on.
All right, noll the Monday and.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Life back to reality. That's it, exactly.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
It just one more thing in the creative process. I
love to ask you know we speak about similar you
know with the musicians in the entertainment game. What's your
creative process down?
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Yeah, it's not. It's sort of NonStop. You kind of
your notes in the phone one hundred percent. I'm always
doing that. So have a conversation with someone or overhear
a conversation, or read a news article, see a news
article on the telly, or just anything you can see
that just sort of oh that's funny. I just always
put it on my phone. And then Monday Tuesdays generally
(13:33):
I'll sit down from about nine am till about midday
and nutt it out. Just get a pattern a pen
and sit in a quiet room with no phones, no
laptop and just yeah, look at my yeah, try and
just I scribble the notes from my phone down onto
the paper and then just go for it and see
where I can come up with. You know, a lot
of the time it comes from a real experience or
(13:54):
a real experience of a friend or something, and then
you've just spin it to make it sound like it's
happened to you and put a bit of mail on
top and where you go. And then I'll go out
to open mics and try it probably five to ten
times to see if it works. And generally, if it
doesn't in five to ten, you just put it to bed.
But if it does, you keep it in your set,
(14:14):
and it just keeps getting better and better the more
you do it. So you generally know you know kind
of when you're writing it. And as the years go
and you sort of get better at writing for yourself,
like you know how you're going to say it, and
you know when you're going to raise your voice or not,
or move this way or that. You kind of know
if it's going to be funny a bit quicker. We're
back in the day I probably wrote if I wrote
(14:35):
twenty jokes down, probably two would end up in You
See the Light of Day, where now it's probably ten
out of twenty. We'll See the Light of Day, just
because you get a bit better at knowing what you're doing,
how you're writing, and how are you going to perform it?
Speaker 2 (14:48):
How much of that do you kind of have a plan,
You've got your jokes written down, and how much do
you let ada live and just kind of spare the
moment creative you look take over?
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Do you?
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Yeah, you're sixteen years down the line. Now do you
allow for that? And obviously that comes with experience, and
you mentioned being industry hardened where you can kind of
you kind of have backbones where you can bring it
back to the center. But how much do you leave? Yeah,
jazz player, just improve and go in for a while.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Yeah, i'd tell you, for a full hour show, I
reckon seventy five percent is ready to go, is what
I've planned and written, And then I leave some things
open just a crowd reaction, and I always ask a
couple of questions here and there of the crowd, and
that could take two minutes or ten. It just depends
(15:34):
on the night. So yeah, I always leave a little
bit there. It just keeps me kind of on my toes.
I find now, if I just do an hour of
scripted bang bang bang, it just doesn't I don't know,
it just doesn't give me the what I'm after from
the gig. So I like to leave things that are
off the cuff in there because it keeps you on
your toes and I think you just perform better. I
(15:56):
find I've perform better if i'm if there's a few
things that could go anywhere and I don't know what's
going to happen. And I think crowds generally like that.
They appreciate jokes I guess that you've written and worked on,
but that's stuff. Sometimes you can get that aud live
it on the night and find a punt that's a
bit of a bit of a character and it just
takes everything to a whole new level, you know. So
(16:19):
I like having that in a set out Yeah, yeah,
where probably again, that's just with time, I reckon five
seven years ago, I would have was terrified of talking
to people. I'd just get up and do the set
and get out of there. You know.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Yeah, but I think you mentioned it comes with that
conference within yourself, and yeah, you probably never lose that nervousness.
You just get more mentally stronger and you just become
a container. And just the fact that you can just
bring things back to the middle there. But well, the
great thing about what you guys do and you sleep
with comedians and just having this in depth access with
you now what you might thought might be the winner.
(16:54):
We'll still go. Well, but then some of the improvs
up that you didn't kind of work for, that you
let kind of flow can can actually be in a
school highly in regards to your own year.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Yeah. And the only downside of that is sometimes sometimes
you'll chat to the crowd and it'll just be gone
great and everything you say to a crowd member and
they're saying back to you is just flowing and the
crowd are loving it. And then you go back to
your your material that you've worked for two years on.
He gets nothing. You're like, well, a delicate balance of
(17:26):
trying to find out what they're into. So yeah, but
it's all part of it. Yeah, I just love it.
I last night we were in here in Tamworth last
night we did a show at a place called the
World of Dog and there's about one hundred in there
and just some real characters in the crowd.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
You know.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
It was great. There was a bunch of people from
Narra Brin. One of the blokes was a bit pissed
and just a real character, you know, and he just
gave me. I probably had to cut about three or
four gags out of my set because I got about
six or seven minutes out of him chatting back and forth.
He was front row, and he got up for the
toilet at one point, and that was the whole thing,
and time and how long he was in the toilet
(18:05):
four and what's he doing in there? And then he
came out and all the crowd cheered, and yeah, it
just things like that, you know, makes it. I totally
enjoyed that more than doing the scripted stuff sometimes.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Well, that's what probably gives you the buzz. And I'm
probably about to ask you you know, you mentioned you
chase that high seventeen years ago and you're probably still
chasing that high. But now it's a new high when
you see that in pro of stuff that pops up
and the spare of the moment stuff, and you might
have a bloke in the know in the crowd that
you did yesterday. That's what you're probably that's what you
would just throw off, right.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
That's it. Yeah, Yeah, he's a little nugget sent sent
from the comedy guards.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Yeah, mate, let's turn over the football talk. If you're
here strictly for the comedy chat, you can switch off
now because we'll probably get in a bit of a
rabbit hole that I know. Dan loves his rugby league.
And as he mentioned, we actually together we did a
community radio show where usually coming on Friday nights. And
the one week it was five minutes they let us sign,
and then it ten minutes, sorry, five minutes, then ten minutes,
(19:03):
and then about fifteen minutes, and we had a full
half an hour a couple of times, and here we
are today. I know you're a massive Tigers fan. I
remember so many times we'd watched football together and you know,
your Tigers would be on in the whole room would
change and yeah you right then too. You're a Premiership
inside back then.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Back then we made the prelim in twenty ten and
I should have really won it in twenty eleven. But yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Been some lean years though, and I felt sorry for
the Tigers because I know many many I've got an
uncle that loves the Tigers, you know, since it's the
Balmain era, and it's just one of those things where
I've you know, over the years, I felt that, you know,
with all the different coaching, the coaching turn table, I've
had a foot to you, they just seemed to be
going more further away, further away, and I had a
(19:51):
little bit inside, you know. I've got a good relationship
with Madge mcguie when he was there, and I got
a lot of insight and what was going on with
the club there. But I think Benjie's the right man.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Dan, Yeah, yeah, I can tell you exactly where they
went wrong from day one. Mate. It's clear as day
to me as a fan that's watched so closely. Twenty
ten to eleven when we had a great team, came
out that we were back ending players with their salaries.
So then that screwed us with the cap for thre
three or four years after that, we're paying guys that
were at other clubs or had retired so we had,
(20:25):
you know, we're playing with less cap, so the squad's
not as quality. And then what we did, and I
think it's the worst thing you can do, and I
think maybe the Dragons are doing at the moment. You're
buying old blokes from other clubs that are maybe just
slightly passed it and paying way overs for them to
get them to come to your club. So you put
sign of just putting band aids over open wounds. You
(20:45):
know you need to. I wish we did what we're
doing now a decade ago, because you've got to just
start fresh and be prepared to have a couple of
lean years, get all the youngsters in and start fresh
and get the cap going well again. And I think
that's what done with Benji. I just hope they just
give him four or five years to be that's what
you need. You know, if they had a given I
(21:06):
really think that they had given Jason Taylor five years
or Madge five years, you would see better results. But
you can't just keep chopping and changing. So now now
I'm loving it because I think, you know, Shane Richardson
has been there, done that with other clubs, and they
know you just got to start from the bottom. And
you know, losing a couple of good youngsters this year
hasn't been ideal. But I think you know there's green
(21:29):
grass there for the first time in what eleven twelve years.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
I reckon, Well, you spoke about the young blokes, and
you know the Raiders are a perfect example where we
can't attract a big marquee player. So we've probably find
that out of the door a decade ago, and it's
about bringing the young player here and developing up through together.
And you know that the Panthers, you know, their success
over the years have come from that. They've been that,
they've come through the juniors through Flag and they've build
(21:53):
combinations and then they become so close and everyone talks
about that to that Panroth team, but you can look
at it both ways. It's probably it's more confidence because
they know each other so well and they bang each
other so well, and that's the new energy. We grew
up in an era where, for example, the Premiership you
had to lose one to win one. The panthersn't find
it out the door. Any team can win on the
(22:14):
given day, but I think the Tiger.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
Lose wonder win four. There go strategy.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
But I mean, if you look at the Raiders now,
they're just there's no big marquee. There's a couple of
really good bombers in there with Big Papa and Taps
and Big Red and obviously had, but the salary cap
is quite balanced and.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
I think I personally think Taps is the market. He's
my favorite player. I think he's just an absolute animal. Yeah,
we played you a few weeks ago. When was that
a Campbelltown? That was that night? Yeah, Campbelltown.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Yeah, we've got you again. You beat it in a
couple of weeks actually down here, but.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
We were sort of coming to get you towards the end.
And he's been huge all night and then we've gone
wide and we've sort of made half a break getting
close to the line down in the left corner and
he's come across and made it coming back.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Yes, he's so good, A huge motor and even better
bloke made even better dad. Yeah, Jerome Lewi mate, he's
I love his energy, how he comes to the club.
And there's been well from the beginning, you know, And
it must be it must be so hard for a
Tigers fan to see. You know, you've had to Desko
in the juniors. You've had you know, Mitchell Basis in
(23:26):
your ranks, and you've had these good players that have
been you know, poached by other clubs. You know, you
know Brooksy as well, and you know played last night.
You know that's a premiership winning spine right there. But
I love the fa Jerome Leui has come from from
success and yeah, he's been paid well, but to come
here and to be the leader, and he's sticking by
the guys and his performances a lot. He gets a
(23:48):
lot of criticism about some of his you know, his
performances aren't nine out of ten, but his efforts are.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
Yeah. Yeah, I think he's much love his side. I
love he's and you can just tell our team when
they react to things now. And I think we've lost
six games by four or less this year and we're
just in games. I think he's just changed, you know,
they're just changing the culture, and that's what we need
when just everybody on the same page. When they celebrate now,
(24:16):
you can tell they're all together and singing the team song.
It seems very unified at the moment. I think that
he's a big part of that, just getting that culture
and they're all in. And that's what the Galvin stuff
he clearly you know, he didn't want to be there,
so it was disrupting this good thing they were trying
to get going, and that's why I got so ugly.
But going back to like to Desco and Moses and
(24:39):
Woods like, I'll always be tough on that time because
you know, we had a bit of money. We had
a bit of money at the time to be able
to keep them, and I think they offered them money,
But I just think. I just think, and I thought
the same with Galvin, and I saw Andrew John said
it if you're a young guy and you're a Garnel
like to Desco and that were and Teddy's obviously one
of the greats, and went on one bunch of Thompson whatever.
(25:01):
But I personally, I would want.
Speaker 4 (25:03):
To even if I didn't get along with the board
or whatever, I would want to I would want to
be the guy. If I'm getting a million bucks a
year or nine underground, I'd want to be the guy
that takes the club into the back into the glory days.
You know, wouldn't you want to be that guy? Why
would you want to leave to go to a team
that's already established and I don't know, like Alvin got
what was one point two million for sixty or five years,
(25:27):
but that's awesome money. Be the guy, like carry carry
the club on your shoulders, be that guy to take
him back to glory days, go to the top of
the ladder team.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
It's weird, Well, you made a good A good gesture there,
and the fact that you know the Melbourne Storm do this.
I know the camp Raiders do this and they always
talk about it, and especially the Storm of a better example,
and you know they get Cooper Krank, they get g I,
they get Campsmith, they get really slated to the wall.
Address the current Storm players before they do their preseason
(25:59):
camp and they say, you talk about coming into this
Storm culture. You now sitting there. You're evolving the culture
or part of culture. So it's not about coming to
a culture. And then you can bring that back to
a team that probably hasn't got the most celebrated culture.
Whereas you be that change, you be part of that change.
You can and it's easy. All you're gonna do is
(26:20):
just get on board and then you become the change.
And it's pretty quite simple inste instead of being upset
about the culture and the coach and whatnot, be part
of that change. And with the lack of a phrase
and no punt intended, I think the Lucky Galvin situation galvanized.
The Tigers are a bit more because they've actually been
playing okay. And what a when like the Ruby League
(26:41):
is such a great game, there's so many highs and lows,
not just if you're involved as a player or an administrator,
but as a fan, as a person that really invests
emotionally in this game, and it's such an up and
down game. But for yourself as a Tigers fan, you
couldn't have wrote that script any better. That performance against
you know, a team that's in the top three, that
could push for a premiership. They just dominated them so
(27:02):
so comfortably. It was a great performance and the Tigers.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
Yeah, it was awesome. It was so good. It was Yeah,
I don't really care about the gather and stuff and
the revenge and all that, but I just love that
they had it. You know, with all that on the line,
they had a dig because there's been times in the
last decade where there's big things on the line. You
remember that game against the Raiders that like Art where
we just needed to win to make the aid, and
you know, there's been big events in the last decade
(27:26):
where we just don't turn up. So it was great
just to see them, and I think it just believed
for themselves to know they can be a good side
if they just rip in, so you know, they're not
that far away really, And I think they're twelve now
with a buy this weekend, like, yeah, it's still mathematically
a chance to make the aid, which I don't think
we will. But that's the first time I've said that
in six years, I think, which is nice.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
That's that's very nice. Asked a lot about a lot
of people asking who are your non favorite Raiders players
to watch? And I always be sneaking and say all
the ex boys, like you know Simons I'm still good
mates with, and all the Turkish cowboy But being serious,
there's a lot of players I enjoy watching. I like
to watch Nico Hines at the Sharks, and I'm a
(28:10):
big fan of Dom Young there back at the Knights.
Mate Adam Dewey. He is a footballer. There was I
remember watching him through the you know, the ranks at
South's and then seeing him go to the Tigs as
more of a leader, as more of a five kind
of role. I've been fortunate enough to interviewed him for
a Sydney radio station and seeing what he's like and
felled into his vibe and it's so good to see
(28:32):
that he's been re signed.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
Yeah, it's awesome. I sort of I wasn't too worried
that he was going to leave because you know, they
looked after him after all those acls so and they
after two years, which I think was was the kickout.
I didn't think he might do a year and then
try and get with the pers Bears or something. But
it's great, it's great, And that's another good sign for
(28:54):
the whole club, you know, isn't there. There's a vibe
there and they're all going in the same direction. That's
what you want, which I just love. I'd love one
or two more props. I reckon he just pit short
in the front row. Would need one or two more
decent front rowers and we're sweet.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
I reckon might, but just on Adams. He was outstanding
last week. Made he do we outstanding against the Doorliea
a couple of tries there, mate, he would have gone
back into the sheds, mopp up the bucket and drove
the bus on him.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
Yeah, he did, and he speed. I couldn't believe when
he picked that loose ball up that he ran the land.
It was fantastic. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was good.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
I actually think he's just our best option for half
back for the next little while. I think just takes
a bit of pressure off to roam. I think Fine
is going to be good, but he's kind of just
needs a bit more game time. And I like him
coming off the bench, coming into like a middle sort
of lock five eight rolls the balance.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
He brings versatility and we're happy we've got a black
cloud see me singing. He who's really is that a
good in the back of a really good offseason. He's
really shown his value that he brings. Can play anywhere,
and he's going to be really important roles for us.
It comes September and finals football. And because he can
play anywhere in the back line, he can put him
in the forwards and having you know, Dewey, whether he
(30:14):
actually starts off the bench or starts at lock, you
can just put him anywhere. But starting at seven there
probably the tallest center in the cop he was standing.
And the Tigers are becoming everyone's second favorite team to
the fact of all the crap that they've been through.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
But well, yeah, yeah, the media. The media stuff to
annoys me. It's just relentless like someone you know, someone
drops their bloody drink bottle of training and they're onto it.
You know, it's crazy. The heat on them the last
So that's why another thing I was happy with. I
was happy for the players and Benji that last weekend
(30:48):
because the just always copying it. It was just a
good one because if they lost that game, it would
have been headlines for days after that, and it still
was because they did that solute that they probably should
have done.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
But that's the boy. That's a reaction, that's a that's
a discharge of the crap they've had to. There's a
point in time this year where you tune.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
You know.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
I won't mention the TV shows, I'm a supporter of
all of them, but the magazine shows during the week
you probably don't get to. I mean, you've got on
the cable TV sect to watch me in Melbourne actually,
but yeah, every single story, headline story for the week
would be around the Tigers. And even though we people
in that on that panel that were Tigers members, that
we still bashing up the poor Tigers, and it's just
kind of like, mate, give the tigers a break.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
The fact, Yeah, I don't. I actually don't understand it.
I don't understand why. I thought maybe previously it was
because they didn't like CEOs or chairmans you know, there
was beef there because it seemed personal. But they've gone
now that Pascal and how the other fella and Richo
seems quite a likable, pretty honest guy in the media,
(31:53):
Synding and Benji's teams, but they're still at them, like
what why why are you at us with Like there
was times like we're twelfth at the moment, there's five
teams below us, and I'm not hearing anything about Bennett.
I'm not hearing anything about Oh there's this kind of
on the chopping block, I guess, but Ryles has kind
of floated under the radar, like why are we always
(32:13):
the once? Like what is actually going on there? It
needs actually, as to said long Live, there needs to
have been an investigation like why why is it always?
What is the thing there? I don't I don't, I
don't get it. Now I feel like they're clear, they're
clearly making steps in the right direction. Every one of
those panel on those chat shows picked them to come
(32:34):
last or second last. So we're twelveth So why why
still are you fashionates? Why are you finding every little thing?
You know? Even Galvin and LOUI I have a hug afterwards,
and you you could tell by their mennerisms that you know,
they were just probably saying, you know, let's let it
leave it now and whatever, and then it comes out
this is all fake, It's staged for the camera. You're like,
(32:57):
what do you want it? Like, what are you doing?
It's becoming days of our lives.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
And I can tell you right now, I can tell
you now the gap between how the media you know,
and you know, I'm not knocking the media here, I'm
involved in the media, but just say that kind of
stuff the there, how they portray rugby league and rugby
league reality in the you know, in the in the
bubbles of club land, the gap between the two is
(33:26):
so long. So you could sit there and watch the
show with all this innuendo and go back to the
club and then say I heard this, I heard this,
and they'll just laugh like a lot of it's all
stuff and then unfortunately just beaten up on the tigers.
But where it has an impact are the fans at home.
But in this day and age, in the corporate world,
(33:47):
like sponsors go, you know what, I don't want to
give you my one million dollars because it's just every
time turn the TV and I want to pick up
the paper. It's negative, so I can't I can't afford
to do that, and that's you can't blame them, you know.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
Yeah, what's good is there? It is starting to turn
I think good, good rugby league podcasts now that are
positive and yeah, they're getting really good following and people
are turning off these fossils that are talking crap and
like yourself, like, yeah, you're in the media, but you're
you're raiders, You're positives like you don't do You're not
out there digging for you know, days of our life stuff.
(34:20):
You're out there digging for positive stories and you promote
this guys and you love the team. That's what That's
what the game needs. It doesn't need the drama. We don't.
I don't care about the drama. I want to know,
you know, if I want to see LOUI are giving
his boots to a kid in the crowd and stuff.
I don't care if him and Galvin don't get along,
like he's the stuff. You know.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
The thing is too though, and this is the reality
of it. Galvin and Leui they might have had as mates.
They might have blown up because he's been upset that
he's about to leave. But that happened. That happened a
month get yourself. We've had a blue about I wanted pepperini,
but you ordered the Hawaiian pizza and we've had a
massive blow up about it, which boys will be boys,
(35:02):
and then the papers have just dragged onto that one
blow about the pizza for a month long. Where its mate,
We've forgot that three weeks ago. We've moved on. That's
what Sunday was. That was the fact that they moved
on to this and that shows what the real reality
of the of the club wind is and how separated
and had distance what gets reported and publicized, which is
it's scary because the people that don't understand that, like
(35:23):
you know, you know, good old Anti Nessel and Pedal
sitting at home with a cup of tea watching the
box thinking that it's all actuality and obviously you know
the kids are the same. But as I mentioned, the
corporate world affects it too. Mate, Well, I think unfortunately
that's just the way it kind of unfolds. But the
more you win, the more pressures off and you can
feel it.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
You know.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
There's the great thing about having they there. He'll attract
players to come and play under, you know, under especially
being still being involved in the representative program.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
Totally, totally, and I really think it's swinging the I
think the rugby league fans in general, it's smarter now
than Yeah, those shows given credit because you you look
on a say Fox or someone puts up a dramatic story.
Now if you look at it on Facebook and you
check the comments, people are just just turning on. Like
(36:14):
you know, it's either lay off the Tigers or you
get Have you got anything else to talk about? This is?
You know, it's just become, as I say, Days of
our Lives dramatic crap. And I think people are starting
to catch onto that and switching to those positive podcasts
that are showing good for the gaming in a good
light as opposed to bad.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
Well, I think you mentioned that the podcasts and people
like yourself made. So maybe once you start a couple
of more years, when you start having your own show,
you can probably start to push through the Tigers support.
But it could be potentially the number one member. But
Dan better let you go, mate, it's been a long
while going to be what to catch.
Speaker 3 (36:53):
But yeah, killed the time perfectly, mate, been great choose.
It feels good to get all that tiger stuff off
my chest, up down, very therapeutic.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
Mate, anytime, mate, anytime. All right, we'll talk soon all
about our mate.
Speaker 3 (37:06):
Cheers mate to you mhm
He's not here for the clickbait all the count signe critics.
It's real and full of deep and meaningfuls with the
Raiders in a circle from laughs to hard truth. Still
tell you and ditch the negative noise and get behind
the boys. This is Raider Nick.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
A bit of a special chat this one. Of course,
we'll talk a bit of footy with this man. But look,
this is a guy I've known for a while and
I sit back and I see him on the TV
these days. He's all over the internet as well. We
claim him as a cam beverybody's actually born and bred
him down at Bateman's Bay. But you know, really cut
his teeth here in Canberra and I speak of this
man Dan kind will of course he'll be down here,
back in our nation's capital for the box Headed Man
(00:45):
Baby Show, one of the comedings of the year. I
reckon this broke down.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Hello to you?
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Are you make great to talk to you? How you doing?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Talk to you? Mate?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
You're an airport somewhere where it go somewhere.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
I am, I mean Timworth Airport. Would you believe up
here for running gig? So I heading home to Melbourne today.
Always on the move, mate.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
That's to Melbourne, mate. I remember, I'll still never forget. Look,
I know you love your footy and we'll crack that
open very very soon. But had a wonderful story where
I went. I visited you one day in Melbourne and
you took me shopping. You just kind of I was
like the woman you left me there, go, I'll pick
you up in an hour and ago and I came
back with all these bags and the Raiders were playing
the Storm all that time, and it was one of
(01:25):
those things where the Storm are flying high and we
had one a game. We're coming off at eight game
losing streak, and I was like, gee, down, I don't
want to go and see my boys get embarrassed. And
then you kind of said, hey, you got to do it.
Your team's in town. You've got to do it. You've
got to get out there and do it. And you
dragged me along. We caught the train, we went to
Amy Park and watched the upset of the decade. My
(01:48):
Mighty Raiders did the job and there was a couple
of really good subplots coming there. That was Josh Puppery
his first game in the NRL. Yeah, So I thank.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
You for that's that the game when Ferguson and graub
it down the sideline and chipped and chain.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yes, And I was the only Raiders fan in that.
I was only Raiders man in the crowd and you
had to hose it down of it because I was
getting a little bit too yahoo it out of here
for a live mate, you better, you better take it down.
But that was the Blake Ferguson play down that edge out.
We knocked him off again. It was Josh Puppoley his
debut and of course this year, Wow, he clocked three
nineteen and every time I interview him, I always mentioned that.
(02:25):
So I got to see him start and you got
to see him clock three nineteen. So thank you for that,
because without your push, who would have been watching at
home in front of a pizza or something.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
No worries, mate, glad to do it.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Mate, you're dad, Well, yeah, you're Dan. He made doing
it doing the comedy run four leength of August at
the Street Theater. That's becoming a bit of a residency
for yourself.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Mate, it is mate. Yeah, I've done it the last
last couple of times i've been up. I've done it
as a part of the Cambra Comedy Festival. So this
time just doing it outside of the festival. Yeah, just
with timings and everything that's lined up well and it's
been a great response. I love the theater. It's a
perfect stand up spot and I've noticed a lot of
stand ups are going there now to the Streets theater.
(03:07):
Everybody knows where it is. And yeah and you know
this Thursday night, but Camber cam Baron's come out no
matter what night I've known. You know some places you
go there weekend people they only like the Friday Saturday night.
But cam Barons they're coming out this Thursday. So it's
filling up. So if you want to come along, bet it,
get in quick well DC.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
It's been a long hard winter and usually cam Baron's
come out of hibernation comes September, but they're starting to
sneak at bit early now, so there's something to go
and see, like a nice comedy guys, comedy act for
yourself without embarrassing you there to get over there and
just leave your keys at the door on it, Dan takeo.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yeah, and it's a nice time today to you'll be
in bed by half us now. I'm having a cup
of tea. You're laughing, but.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Early to car park car parks around there can be
a little bit here go and so I really get
better better and they have a quick drink and warm
into it. Mate. I've got to ask you, though, I've
always you know, I see you. I've seen you, you
know through through little timeline of where you are today.
Fifteen years been there on his four.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Now well yeah, sixteen now we did that. Yeah, we
did that radio show on Queen BNFM seventeen years ago
and I left for Melbourne and spooky and yeah, I
left in twenty ten. I left Canberra to go to Melbourne.
I've been there fifteen years and I did one year
(04:26):
of standing up in Canberra, so yeah, sixteen years. It's crazy.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
I spoke about Josh Puppolehi for the Canbra Raiders. There
his debut. I saw your radio debut that was in
the was it Green Faces or something?
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Green Faces at the Irish Club? Yeah and yeah down
there and yeah you did come to that didn't have
one of two people I knew that I invited and
there wasn't any miracle chip and chases down the sideline,
but we got away with it.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Embarrassing you. I remember it was your debut and there
was a few of us there. I remember how it
all unfolded. You mentioned that Queen nf M team and
radio team, and I actually mentioned your story a few
times on various shows around this station, on both stations.
I'm not claiming unresponsible, DC, but I think I did
help you get inspired. I remember back in the day
(05:14):
there we worked together at a gig in Canberra, and
then we started doing that community radio gig there with
the great Jimmy Buckley. And this was back in the
day where like you know, this is this is pre
social media hype. This was pre where your emails is
more secondary, wasn't your prime source of communication. And you
would come along into my computer because you had like
some kind of hot mail account that you'd log ondo
(05:34):
a couple of times a week. And then we hadn't
done the show for about a month or something, you know,
people were away or there was, you know, whatever reason,
we had missed a couple of weeks, and then you
came back and you caught up with two weeks of
your emails. They've got I still remember it, mate, I
was sitting down and putting my shoes and cleaning my
shoes or something, and then here you are, mate, they've
gotten back to me and they go, who's gotten back
(05:56):
to here? What are you talking about? And you made
registered on the blackboard for green faces, and they've gotten
back to it. But I don't think I'll do it.
It's next, it's in a couple of days too soon.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
The doors open and sometimes Flakes does this and it
throws you in the deep end and you've got to
just swim and you've got to do it. And I
remember you went and done it, and it was a
great show. We knew how funny you were. You made
us all laughing that job without embarrassing again, and you
made us made us all laugh like you did in
the office space. But what I remember then, when you
came off stage, you got swarmed by people that own
(06:30):
clubs asking you if you could go and do a
stand up in their place.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Yeah, yeah, it was nice. It was I didn't know obviously,
the nerves were unbelievable, and I didn't know who was
an affair, but it worked out well. Yeah. All the
people that ran Gigton Camber were at the event, so yeah,
it was so addictive. I think I got one decent
laugh where everybody in the room laughed one time and
that was enough. You know, it just it's very addictive.
(06:54):
I was instantly hooked after that. Thank you, Mane, thanks
for talking me into it.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
No time. I'll just wait for you to have your
own your Netflix special and you can maybe get that
you speak at the addiction. Is that what you're chasing
each week?
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Yeah, it's very especially when you're writing new material and
it starts going well, yeah, it's it's very addictive. The
crowds reaction to something you've written, and that just that feeling,
you know, the doorphins kick off and you definitely want
it more. You know, it's it's it's like anything I
think if you're a musician or whatever industry you're in,
(07:37):
if you're getting good reactions, that's you know, that's what
keeps you going and makes you want to do it more.
So thankfully, so far I keep getting nice reactions, so
makes you want to keep writing this new material. Now.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
I love to see here about this kind of stuff
that doesn't get spoken, to do a little bit deeper
here DC. You know, in radio, when you're having an
off day, when you wake up and an off date
could look like anything. You might be flat from the
week canned, or your child sick, which is always heartbreaking
when your little one's got the flu. You know, yeah,
you know, you know that being a dad, just life
(08:08):
gets in the way and sometimes you rock up and
it just doesn't. You know, you can prepare, but sometimes
you just don't rock up and you're just not in
that flow and you could be a little flat. You
can't and it's hard in radio, you know. You know,
for example, in radio and entertainment industry, you can't really
hide because you're simply to bear your soul whether you're
like it or not. How did a comedian? How do
you prepare for a day that's probably not going according
(08:29):
to plan?
Speaker 3 (08:31):
Yeah? I think you just get better as the years
go on at just switching on and off. Like yeah,
I've had times where you know, like you say, the
little boat might be crooked as a dog and you've
just been with him all day and up all night
and had a couple of hours sleep. But sort of
once you get I just you just managed to figure
out a way that once you get up there and
you're in front of the crowd, you just sort of
(08:51):
switch on for that, you know. Ten sixteen twenty half
now whatever it is, and there's an adrenaline that comes
with the comedy. For example, I'm so sure everyone else
gets it too, is when you're on there's something that
just takes over, like the adrenaline just gets you through it.
I've been really crooked before myself and just had a
horrible day and gone to a gig, and you feel
(09:12):
magic on stage because there's something about the it's called
everybody calls it doctor comedy. You know, once you're up there,
you feel fine, and then you finish it and you
just go back to feeling like that shit. So it's sorry, yeah,
ordinary cut that out, but yeah, yeah, yeah, it's funny.
You just over time. But in saying that, if I
(09:34):
was new to it and a few couple of years
in and I had a kid that was getting sick,
I reckon it'd be a bit more tricky. But just
for the experience over the years, you get a bit
more better at just figuring it out and being able
to switch on at the right time.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
It's unly. I love that doctor comedy. For example, in
the radio, we did the football last night and finalane
football here at the station glad as we mainly, and
I had a good win, good win, mate, very good win.
I was tired and I was busted. It was a along.
It was a bumpy week and there's a lot going on,
and it was cold, and they're kind of, you know,
rocked up on the Friday there and there's like, okay,
(10:09):
I've got to really lift for today, but I having
done much ygy and then you're right and the ball kicks off.
You get into that mode and but for me, like
you know, the boy's going to win, and then it
was a great call. It's funny because when you when
you kind of maybe it's quote unquote probably not up
to scratch in your mind, that actually relieves the pressure
I feel.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, I'll tell you where a strange hatrick
doesn't help, mate, Just to get up a Ricky and
the boys can do. You can lift as well, lift.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Lift, find something. And then I'm driving home and I'm like,
that wasn't so bad what I was worried about before.
It's a process, your stuff, So there's very therapeutic doing
your craft. But ye're right, you're building that resilience is
a wonderful thing, and you take that into life as
well well.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
And you're also you know, you're building resilience from years
of supporting the Raiders and now you're enjoying the good
times where you know, I'm similar with the Tigers. Three
spoons in a row, I'll build a real resilience there,
so now when they come good in the next few years,
I'll be able to really enjoy it.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Just before we touch on all the Tigers, I do
want to ask you where they're at time. Just to
on this performance side of things, there is also the hive.
But sometimes, and it must be even on steroids, for
a comedian to come down after a show, especially a
late show. I might go through a big call where
it's been a great call and everything's connected everything You've
actually had a you know, I've I've contributed really, really
(11:31):
well to the call and it's been a great night.
I'll go to bed and my head will just be
going over the numbers, going over the kilometers in my
mind and I can't get it. And they talk about,
you know, the great Flea from the Chili Peppers talks
about when he tours the world, he has to go
for a walk with his hoodie on just to come
down so he can go to bed as an hour.
It must be the same for a comedian.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Well it is, it's the same thing. As the years
go on, it's probably a bit easier to go to
sleep after a gig now than it was fivetex years ago.
I reckon, when you do a big one, like a
gala or something where there's three thousand and four thousand
people there, they're they're the ones that are a bit
tricky to sleep after, because that is a real you know,
that's a huge high when when that's happening. But just
(12:14):
a regular gig or like a tour show, it's I
just find you do it so much now. Yeah, maybe
for about an hour afterwards, I wouldn't be able to
go straight to sleep, but generally, you know, the show
finished by nine thirty, I could fall asleep by ten thirty.
No dramas these days, but yeah, I remember early days,
and like that one at Green Faces, I reckon I
(12:35):
wouldn't have gone to bed till three am after that.
You know, it's just your heart's just racing for hours afterwards.
But yeah, as the years go on, you just sort
of get a bit more used to.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
It now, Like you just come back and you hey, Dann,
I just bleats on stacee tonight. That's nice. Can you
take the bins out? We've got to exactly look at
the words that's coming over at three and make sure
we have a shower and put the right shirt on.
All right, noll the Monday and.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Life back to reality. That's it, exactly.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
It just one more thing in the creative process. I
love to ask you know we speak about similar you
know with the musicians in the entertainment game. What's your
creative process down?
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Yeah, it's not. It's sort of NonStop. You kind of
your notes in the phone one hundred percent. I'm always
doing that. So have a conversation with someone or overhear
a conversation, or read a news article, see a news
article on the telly, or just anything you can see
that just sort of oh that's funny. I just always
put it on my phone. And then Monday Tuesdays generally
(13:33):
I'll sit down from about nine am till about midday
and nutt it out. Just get a pattern a pen
and sit in a quiet room with no phones, no
laptop and just yeah, look at my yeah, try and
just I scribble the notes from my phone down onto
the paper and then just go for it and see
where I can come up with. You know, a lot
of the time it comes from a real experience or
(13:54):
a real experience of a friend or something, and then
you've just spin it to make it sound like it's
happened to you and put a bit of mail on
top and where you go. And then I'll go out
to open mics and try it probably five to ten
times to see if it works. And generally, if it
doesn't in five to ten, you just put it to bed.
But if it does, you keep it in your set,
(14:14):
and it just keeps getting better and better the more
you do it. So you generally know you know kind
of when you're writing it. And as the years go
and you sort of get better at writing for yourself,
like you know how you're going to say it, and
you know when you're going to raise your voice or not,
or move this way or that. You kind of know
if it's going to be funny a bit quicker. We're
back in the day I probably wrote if I wrote
(14:35):
twenty jokes down, probably two would end up in You
See the Light of Day, where now it's probably ten
out of twenty. We'll See the Light of Day, just
because you get a bit better at knowing what you're doing,
how you're writing, and how are you going to perform it?
Speaker 2 (14:48):
How much of that do you kind of have a plan,
You've got your jokes written down, and how much do
you let ada live and just kind of spare the
moment creative you look take over?
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Do you?
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Yeah, you're sixteen years down the line. Now do you
allow for that? And obviously that comes with experience, and
you mentioned being industry hardened where you can kind of
you kind of have backbones where you can bring it
back to the center. But how much do you leave? Yeah,
jazz player, just improve and go in for a while.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Yeah, i'd tell you, for a full hour show, I
reckon seventy five percent is ready to go, is what
I've planned and written, And then I leave some things
open just a crowd reaction, and I always ask a
couple of questions here and there of the crowd, and
that could take two minutes or ten. It just depends
(15:34):
on the night. So yeah, I always leave a little
bit there. It just keeps me kind of on my toes.
I find now, if I just do an hour of
scripted bang bang bang, it just doesn't I don't know,
it just doesn't give me the what I'm after from
the gig. So I like to leave things that are
off the cuff in there because it keeps you on
your toes and I think you just perform better. I
(15:56):
find I've perform better if i'm if there's a few
things that could go anywhere and I don't know what's
going to happen. And I think crowds generally like that.
They appreciate jokes I guess that you've written and worked on,
but that's stuff. Sometimes you can get that aud live
it on the night and find a punt that's a
bit of a bit of a character and it just
takes everything to a whole new level, you know. So
(16:19):
I like having that in a set out Yeah, yeah,
where probably again, that's just with time, I reckon five
seven years ago, I would have was terrified of talking
to people. I'd just get up and do the set
and get out of there. You know.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Yeah, but I think you mentioned it comes with that
conference within yourself, and yeah, you probably never lose that nervousness.
You just get more mentally stronger and you just become
a container. And just the fact that you can just
bring things back to the middle there. But well, the
great thing about what you guys do and you sleep
with comedians and just having this in depth access with
you now what you might thought might be the winner.
(16:54):
We'll still go. Well, but then some of the improvs
up that you didn't kind of work for, that you
let kind of flow can can actually be in a
school highly in regards to your own year.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Yeah. And the only downside of that is sometimes sometimes
you'll chat to the crowd and it'll just be gone
great and everything you say to a crowd member and
they're saying back to you is just flowing and the
crowd are loving it. And then you go back to
your your material that you've worked for two years on.
He gets nothing. You're like, well, a delicate balance of
(17:26):
trying to find out what they're into. So yeah, but
it's all part of it. Yeah, I just love it.
I last night we were in here in Tamworth last
night we did a show at a place called the
World of Dog and there's about one hundred in there
and just some real characters in the crowd.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
You know.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
It was great. There was a bunch of people from
Narra Brin. One of the blokes was a bit pissed
and just a real character, you know, and he just
gave me. I probably had to cut about three or
four gags out of my set because I got about
six or seven minutes out of him chatting back and forth.
He was front row, and he got up for the
toilet at one point, and that was the whole thing,
and time and how long he was in the toilet
(18:05):
four and what's he doing in there? And then he
came out and all the crowd cheered, and yeah, it
just things like that, you know, makes it. I totally
enjoyed that more than doing the scripted stuff sometimes.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Well, that's what probably gives you the buzz. And I'm
probably about to ask you you know, you mentioned you
chase that high seventeen years ago and you're probably still
chasing that high. But now it's a new high when
you see that in pro of stuff that pops up
and the spare of the moment stuff, and you might
have a bloke in the know in the crowd that
you did yesterday. That's what you're probably that's what you
would just throw off, right.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
That's it. Yeah, Yeah, he's a little nugget sent sent
from the comedy guards.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Yeah, mate, let's turn over the football talk. If you're
here strictly for the comedy chat, you can switch off
now because we'll probably get in a bit of a
rabbit hole that I know. Dan loves his rugby league.
And as he mentioned, we actually together we did a
community radio show where usually coming on Friday nights. And
the one week it was five minutes they let us sign,
and then it ten minutes, sorry, five minutes, then ten minutes,
(19:03):
and then about fifteen minutes, and we had a full
half an hour a couple of times, and here we
are today. I know you're a massive Tigers fan. I
remember so many times we'd watched football together and you know,
your Tigers would be on in the whole room would
change and yeah you right then too. You're a Premiership
inside back then.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Back then we made the prelim in twenty ten and
I should have really won it in twenty eleven. But yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Been some lean years though, and I felt sorry for
the Tigers because I know many many I've got an
uncle that loves the Tigers, you know, since it's the
Balmain era, and it's just one of those things where
I've you know, over the years, I felt that, you know,
with all the different coaching, the coaching turn table, I've
had a foot to you, they just seemed to be
going more further away, further away, and I had a
(19:51):
little bit inside, you know. I've got a good relationship
with Madge mcguie when he was there, and I got
a lot of insight and what was going on with
the club there. But I think Benjie's the right man.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Dan, Yeah, yeah, I can tell you exactly where they
went wrong from day one. Mate. It's clear as day
to me as a fan that's watched so closely. Twenty
ten to eleven when we had a great team, came
out that we were back ending players with their salaries.
So then that screwed us with the cap for thre
three or four years after that, we're paying guys that
were at other clubs or had retired so we had,
(20:25):
you know, we're playing with less cap, so the squad's
not as quality. And then what we did, and I
think it's the worst thing you can do, and I
think maybe the Dragons are doing at the moment. You're
buying old blokes from other clubs that are maybe just
slightly passed it and paying way overs for them to
get them to come to your club. So you put
sign of just putting band aids over open wounds. You
(20:45):
know you need to. I wish we did what we're
doing now a decade ago, because you've got to just
start fresh and be prepared to have a couple of
lean years, get all the youngsters in and start fresh
and get the cap going well again. And I think
that's what done with Benji. I just hope they just
give him four or five years to be that's what
you need. You know, if they had a given I
(21:06):
really think that they had given Jason Taylor five years
or Madge five years, you would see better results. But
you can't just keep chopping and changing. So now now
I'm loving it because I think, you know, Shane Richardson
has been there, done that with other clubs, and they
know you just got to start from the bottom. And
you know, losing a couple of good youngsters this year
hasn't been ideal. But I think you know there's green
(21:29):
grass there for the first time in what eleven twelve years.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
I reckon, Well, you spoke about the young blokes, and
you know the Raiders are a perfect example where we
can't attract a big marquee player. So we've probably find
that out of the door a decade ago, and it's
about bringing the young player here and developing up through together.
And you know that the Panthers, you know, their success
over the years have come from that. They've been that,
they've come through the juniors through Flag and they've build
(21:53):
combinations and then they become so close and everyone talks
about that to that Panroth team, but you can look
at it both ways. It's probably it's more confidence because
they know each other so well and they bang each
other so well, and that's the new energy. We grew
up in an era where, for example, the Premiership you
had to lose one to win one. The panthersn't find
it out the door. Any team can win on the
(22:14):
given day, but I think the Tiger.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
Lose wonder win four. There go strategy.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
But I mean, if you look at the Raiders now,
they're just there's no big marquee. There's a couple of
really good bombers in there with Big Papa and Taps
and Big Red and obviously had, but the salary cap
is quite balanced and.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
I think I personally think Taps is the market. He's
my favorite player. I think he's just an absolute animal. Yeah,
we played you a few weeks ago. When was that
a Campbelltown? That was that night? Yeah, Campbelltown.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Yeah, we've got you again. You beat it in a
couple of weeks actually down here, but.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
We were sort of coming to get you towards the end.
And he's been huge all night and then we've gone
wide and we've sort of made half a break getting
close to the line down in the left corner and
he's come across and made it coming back.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Yes, he's so good, A huge motor and even better
bloke made even better dad. Yeah, Jerome Lewi mate, he's
I love his energy, how he comes to the club.
And there's been well from the beginning, you know, And
it must be it must be so hard for a
Tigers fan to see. You know, you've had to Desko
in the juniors. You've had you know, Mitchell Basis in
(23:26):
your ranks, and you've had these good players that have
been you know, poached by other clubs. You know, you
know Brooksy as well, and you know played last night.
You know that's a premiership winning spine right there. But
I love the fa Jerome Leui has come from from
success and yeah, he's been paid well, but to come
here and to be the leader, and he's sticking by
the guys and his performances a lot. He gets a
(23:48):
lot of criticism about some of his you know, his
performances aren't nine out of ten, but his efforts are.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
Yeah. Yeah, I think he's much love his side. I
love he's and you can just tell our team when
they react to things now. And I think we've lost
six games by four or less this year and we're
just in games. I think he's just changed, you know,
they're just changing the culture, and that's what we need
when just everybody on the same page. When they celebrate now,
(24:16):
you can tell they're all together and singing the team song.
It seems very unified at the moment. I think that
he's a big part of that, just getting that culture
and they're all in. And that's what the Galvin stuff
he clearly you know, he didn't want to be there,
so it was disrupting this good thing they were trying
to get going, and that's why I got so ugly.
But going back to like to Desco and Moses and
(24:39):
Woods like, I'll always be tough on that time because
you know, we had a bit of money. We had
a bit of money at the time to be able
to keep them, and I think they offered them money,
But I just think. I just think, and I thought
the same with Galvin, and I saw Andrew John said
it if you're a young guy and you're a Garnel
like to Desco and that were and Teddy's obviously one
of the greats, and went on one bunch of Thompson whatever.
(25:01):
But I personally, I would want.
Speaker 4 (25:03):
To even if I didn't get along with the board
or whatever, I would want to I would want to
be the guy. If I'm getting a million bucks a
year or nine underground, I'd want to be the guy
that takes the club into the back into the glory days.
You know, wouldn't you want to be that guy? Why
would you want to leave to go to a team
that's already established and I don't know, like Alvin got
what was one point two million for sixty or five years,
(25:27):
but that's awesome money. Be the guy, like carry carry
the club on your shoulders, be that guy to take
him back to glory days, go to the top of
the ladder team.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
It's weird, Well, you made a good A good gesture there,
and the fact that you know the Melbourne Storm do this.
I know the camp Raiders do this and they always
talk about it, and especially the Storm of a better example,
and you know they get Cooper Krank, they get g I,
they get Campsmith, they get really slated to the wall.
Address the current Storm players before they do their preseason
(25:59):
camp and they say, you talk about coming into this
Storm culture. You now sitting there. You're evolving the culture
or part of culture. So it's not about coming to
a culture. And then you can bring that back to
a team that probably hasn't got the most celebrated culture.
Whereas you be that change, you be part of that change.
You can and it's easy. All you're gonna do is
(26:20):
just get on board and then you become the change.
And it's pretty quite simple inste instead of being upset
about the culture and the coach and whatnot, be part
of that change. And with the lack of a phrase
and no punt intended, I think the Lucky Galvin situation galvanized.
The Tigers are a bit more because they've actually been
playing okay. And what a when like the Ruby League
(26:41):
is such a great game, there's so many highs and lows,
not just if you're involved as a player or an administrator,
but as a fan, as a person that really invests
emotionally in this game, and it's such an up and
down game. But for yourself as a Tigers fan, you
couldn't have wrote that script any better. That performance against
you know, a team that's in the top three, that
could push for a premiership. They just dominated them so
(27:02):
so comfortably. It was a great performance and the Tigers.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
Yeah, it was awesome. It was so good. It was Yeah,
I don't really care about the gather and stuff and
the revenge and all that, but I just love that
they had it. You know, with all that on the line,
they had a dig because there's been times in the
last decade where there's big things on the line. You
remember that game against the Raiders that like Art where
we just needed to win to make the aid, and
you know, there's been big events in the last decade
(27:26):
where we just don't turn up. So it was great
just to see them, and I think it just believed
for themselves to know they can be a good side
if they just rip in, so you know, they're not
that far away really, And I think they're twelve now
with a buy this weekend, like, yeah, it's still mathematically
a chance to make the aid, which I don't think
we will. But that's the first time I've said that
in six years, I think, which is nice.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
That's that's very nice. Asked a lot about a lot
of people asking who are your non favorite Raiders players
to watch? And I always be sneaking and say all
the ex boys, like you know Simons I'm still good
mates with, and all the Turkish cowboy But being serious,
there's a lot of players I enjoy watching. I like
to watch Nico Hines at the Sharks, and I'm a
(28:10):
big fan of Dom Young there back at the Knights.
Mate Adam Dewey. He is a footballer. There was I
remember watching him through the you know, the ranks at
South's and then seeing him go to the Tigs as
more of a leader, as more of a five kind
of role. I've been fortunate enough to interviewed him for
a Sydney radio station and seeing what he's like and
felled into his vibe and it's so good to see
(28:32):
that he's been re signed.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
Yeah, it's awesome. I sort of I wasn't too worried
that he was going to leave because you know, they
looked after him after all those acls so and they
after two years, which I think was was the kickout.
I didn't think he might do a year and then
try and get with the pers Bears or something. But
it's great, it's great, And that's another good sign for
(28:54):
the whole club, you know, isn't there. There's a vibe
there and they're all going in the same direction. That's
what you want, which I just love. I'd love one
or two more props. I reckon he just pit short
in the front row. Would need one or two more
decent front rowers and we're sweet.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
I reckon might, but just on Adams. He was outstanding
last week. Made he do we outstanding against the Doorliea
a couple of tries there, mate, he would have gone
back into the sheds, mopp up the bucket and drove
the bus on him.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
Yeah, he did, and he speed. I couldn't believe when
he picked that loose ball up that he ran the land.
It was fantastic. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was good.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
I actually think he's just our best option for half
back for the next little while. I think just takes
a bit of pressure off to roam. I think Fine
is going to be good, but he's kind of just
needs a bit more game time. And I like him
coming off the bench, coming into like a middle sort
of lock five eight rolls the balance.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
He brings versatility and we're happy we've got a black
cloud see me singing. He who's really is that a
good in the back of a really good offseason. He's
really shown his value that he brings. Can play anywhere,
and he's going to be really important roles for us.
It comes September and finals football. And because he can
play anywhere in the back line, he can put him
in the forwards and having you know, Dewey, whether he
(30:14):
actually starts off the bench or starts at lock, you
can just put him anywhere. But starting at seven there
probably the tallest center in the cop he was standing.
And the Tigers are becoming everyone's second favorite team to
the fact of all the crap that they've been through.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
But well, yeah, yeah, the media. The media stuff to
annoys me. It's just relentless like someone you know, someone
drops their bloody drink bottle of training and they're onto it.
You know, it's crazy. The heat on them the last
So that's why another thing I was happy with. I
was happy for the players and Benji that last weekend
(30:48):
because the just always copying it. It was just a
good one because if they lost that game, it would
have been headlines for days after that, and it still
was because they did that solute that they probably should
have done.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
But that's the boy. That's a reaction, that's a that's
a discharge of the crap they've had to. There's a
point in time this year where you tune.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
You know.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
I won't mention the TV shows, I'm a supporter of
all of them, but the magazine shows during the week
you probably don't get to. I mean, you've got on
the cable TV sect to watch me in Melbourne actually,
but yeah, every single story, headline story for the week
would be around the Tigers. And even though we people
in that on that panel that were Tigers members, that
we still bashing up the poor Tigers, and it's just
kind of like, mate, give the tigers a break.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
The fact, Yeah, I don't. I actually don't understand it.
I don't understand why. I thought maybe previously it was
because they didn't like CEOs or chairmans you know, there
was beef there because it seemed personal. But they've gone
now that Pascal and how the other fella and Richo
seems quite a likable, pretty honest guy in the media,
(31:53):
Synding and Benji's teams, but they're still at them, like
what why why are you at us with Like there
was times like we're twelfth at the moment, there's five
teams below us, and I'm not hearing anything about Bennett.
I'm not hearing anything about Oh there's this kind of
on the chopping block, I guess, but Ryles has kind
of floated under the radar, like why are we always
(32:13):
the once? Like what is actually going on there? It
needs actually, as to said long Live, there needs to
have been an investigation like why why is it always?
What is the thing there? I don't I don't, I
don't get it. Now I feel like they're clear, they're
clearly making steps in the right direction. Every one of
those panel on those chat shows picked them to come
(32:34):
last or second last. So we're twelveth So why why
still are you fashionates? Why are you finding every little thing?
You know? Even Galvin and LOUI I have a hug afterwards,
and you you could tell by their mennerisms that you know,
they were just probably saying, you know, let's let it
leave it now and whatever, and then it comes out
this is all fake, It's staged for the camera. You're like,
(32:57):
what do you want it? Like, what are you doing?
It's becoming days of our lives.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
And I can tell you right now, I can tell
you now the gap between how the media you know,
and you know, I'm not knocking the media here, I'm
involved in the media, but just say that kind of
stuff the there, how they portray rugby league and rugby
league reality in the you know, in the in the
bubbles of club land, the gap between the two is
(33:26):
so long. So you could sit there and watch the
show with all this innuendo and go back to the
club and then say I heard this, I heard this,
and they'll just laugh like a lot of it's all
stuff and then unfortunately just beaten up on the tigers.
But where it has an impact are the fans at home.
But in this day and age, in the corporate world,
(33:47):
like sponsors go, you know what, I don't want to
give you my one million dollars because it's just every
time turn the TV and I want to pick up
the paper. It's negative, so I can't I can't afford
to do that, and that's you can't blame them, you know.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
Yeah, what's good is there? It is starting to turn
I think good, good rugby league podcasts now that are
positive and yeah, they're getting really good following and people
are turning off these fossils that are talking crap and
like yourself, like, yeah, you're in the media, but you're
you're raiders, You're positives like you don't do You're not
out there digging for you know, days of our life stuff.
(34:20):
You're out there digging for positive stories and you promote
this guys and you love the team. That's what That's
what the game needs. It doesn't need the drama. We don't.
I don't care about the drama. I want to know,
you know, if I want to see LOUI are giving
his boots to a kid in the crowd and stuff.
I don't care if him and Galvin don't get along,
like he's the stuff. You know.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
The thing is too though, and this is the reality
of it. Galvin and Leui they might have had as mates.
They might have blown up because he's been upset that
he's about to leave. But that happened. That happened a
month get yourself. We've had a blue about I wanted pepperini,
but you ordered the Hawaiian pizza and we've had a
massive blow up about it, which boys will be boys,
(35:02):
and then the papers have just dragged onto that one
blow about the pizza for a month long. Where its mate,
We've forgot that three weeks ago. We've moved on. That's
what Sunday was. That was the fact that they moved
on to this and that shows what the real reality
of the of the club wind is and how separated
and had distance what gets reported and publicized, which is
it's scary because the people that don't understand that, like
(35:23):
you know, you know, good old Anti Nessel and Pedal
sitting at home with a cup of tea watching the
box thinking that it's all actuality and obviously you know
the kids are the same. But as I mentioned, the
corporate world affects it too. Mate, Well, I think unfortunately
that's just the way it kind of unfolds. But the
more you win, the more pressures off and you can
feel it.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
You know.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
There's the great thing about having they there. He'll attract
players to come and play under, you know, under especially
being still being involved in the representative program.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
Totally, totally, and I really think it's swinging the I
think the rugby league fans in general, it's smarter now
than Yeah, those shows given credit because you you look
on a say Fox or someone puts up a dramatic story.
Now if you look at it on Facebook and you
check the comments, people are just just turning on. Like
(36:14):
you know, it's either lay off the Tigers or you
get Have you got anything else to talk about? This is?
You know, it's just become, as I say, Days of
our Lives dramatic crap. And I think people are starting
to catch onto that and switching to those positive podcasts
that are showing good for the gaming in a good
light as opposed to bad.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
Well, I think you mentioned that the podcasts and people
like yourself made. So maybe once you start a couple
of more years, when you start having your own show,
you can probably start to push through the Tigers support.
But it could be potentially the number one member. But
Dan better let you go, mate, it's been a long
while going to be what to catch.
Speaker 3 (36:53):
But yeah, killed the time perfectly, mate, been great choose.
It feels good to get all that tiger stuff off
my chest, up down, very therapeutic.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
Mate, anytime, mate, anytime. All right, we'll talk soon all
about our mate.
Speaker 3 (37:06):
Cheers mate to you mhm
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.