August 1, 2025 • 47 mins
In this powerful episode, we sit down with rugby league icon Mal Meninga, whose legacy as a player, captain, and coach has shaped generations of the sport. From his early days breaking through in Queensland to leading the Canberra Raiders to glory, Mal reflects on the mindset, discipline, and heart it took to become one of the game’s true immortals.
We delve into the golden era of the Raiders, his leadership philosophy, and how he transitioned from dominating on the field to mentoring the next wave of champions. Mal shares personal stories of resilience, responsibility, and what it means to truly lead — both in sport and life.
Whether you’re a die-hard league fan or someone chasing greatness in any field, this conversation offers rare insight into the spirit of a true Australian sporting legend.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey Dawn, A bit of a go back in time
kind of vibe for this episode. We go back and
celebrate the team of nineteen ninety four. Of course, it's
been thirty one years since we won our last premiership
against the Dogs when we smoke the Dogs there of
course Malmedinger's last game and look thirty one years later
it might happen again a Raiders Grand Final with the
(00:21):
Cannarbury Bulldogs potentially. I mentioned Big George, Big Melmaninger last year.
I caught up with Mal on the celebration at Magic
Ground when we played the Dogs in Brisbane and spoke
to him about all things. Let's go back in the
archive for Raidynick at night, enjoy.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
And now for the last time.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
After seventy footballs day to young Melmaneger, one hundred and
sixty six games for Canberra, forty one tests for Australia
and around him some superstars out for Poba.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Malta, pushed on for j So Smith.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
And Decepter Honeymna Dragon Pursus Dragon's after them the drops.
The club was grand delight as their stadium captain School
was a try on the Grand Final, a big fella
against his own pleats of the cap.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
The big smile says it all.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Can braa champion.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Hello, Rading Nick here. Great to have your company to
this special occasion, this special edition of Rating Nick at
Night as we chat to the thirteenth and mortal Malmoninger
thirty years Where were you back then? Were you even born?
And if you were, do you remember these moments? I
certainly do. What an outstanding afternoon it was at the
(01:45):
Sydney Football Stadium. There was a day to remember. Sit
back and enjoy part one of my chat with Malcolm
Norman Meninga.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
Hey Malhowe, Yeah, good Nick, I'm fine mate. Travel was good, Yeah,
travel is always.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
Good when you get there.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Made that's it?
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Yeah, so it's ah, I thought as bad as everyone
was making that to be it must confess.
Speaker 5 (02:07):
I got off the plane and it was beautiful.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
You brought the weather from Camber because we've had a
good take down here.
Speaker 5 (02:13):
Yeah, I know it's been great down camera.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Outstanding, Malcolm Norman Meninga, great to talk to you now.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Oh thanks mate, Thanks introduction And I was never part
of the spine, but anyway we got the victory, which
was great.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Let's just say that you probably put a lot of
feed down spines of opposition with.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
Well, the bear spine gave me a nice little past
that I gave me a try.
Speaker 5 (02:36):
So I was pretty happy with that.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
How does it feel to go back now it's been
three decades. I still remember it like it was yesterday,
a young kid growing up in Queen Bee, and I
had signs and posters posted all over my house. I
had Mum cooking the green snacks and all the family.
Here was a day Grand Final. I remember it like
it was yesterday. What's it like for you now?
Speaker 4 (02:55):
No, I know, well it was. It was a special day.
You know, obviously my last game in the news, so
wels Roger League Cup. Obviously for the Raiders as well.
Speaker 5 (03:04):
So it was a special day and forever thankful. You know.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
The way the team played, We're very good on the day,
we trained well all week, everyone played their potential. I
felt that enabled me to go out of winter. So
you know, I was extremely privilege and honored. And I
think the team in early every day, mate, because that's
the way you want to retire from from our great game.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Do you believe in a higher power, a higher source?
After that weekend?
Speaker 4 (03:32):
Well, I believe in the fact that when you put
the work and effort in, you get the reward. And
I felt that particularly, you know, I mean it's tough
to win the win a competition in the NRL, you know,
so it's really it's a tough.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
Game to play and.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
Survive, you know, to your mid thirties is you know,
for me, I was blessed and yeah, it's just just
a you get reward for the effort you put in.
And I felt that we rewarded that day because of
the effort.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
You mentioned about it's tough to just get to the
Grand final day and played in an era where we
played in many Grand finals when a couple of premierships already.
We have that drama in ninety one with the salary
cap stuff. Now we lose a lot of league and
bleed a lot of players from the club. All that coverage.
We had the Nigel Gaffies of the world to David
Barne because they all left as well. We lose Lazo
(04:22):
and Toddy They, Marky Bell, Paul Martin huge and then
ninety two was a bit of a rebuild, but also
suffered lots of injuries too. We didn't make we didn't
make the finals. Was a bit of a rebuild. Sheensy
and Lancey go to the Polynesian capital and bring back
a bunch of Pacific players, no names like Ruben Wiki
and Johnny Lomax and Noah and the late Q Pongia
(04:45):
filled those gaps and then we start ninety three with
the bang. We win the Challenge Cup. And it wasn't
just winning that. It wasn't pre season football. Raiders were
playing that. He were playing some outstanding magic. In February,
He's win the preseason Challenge, the I September, You're beating
the top four, the Broncos, manly St. George, You're putting
(05:05):
thirty on these teams. Momentum was suggesting, now we're going
to win in ninety three.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Yeah, until Ricky unfortunately break his ankle just to cad
and broke his ankle. You know, it was it was
certainly was a turning point and we struggled.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
Obviously, you fill that void.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
You know, it was the back end of the year,
you know, going to the finals and no, you know,
no sort of no, no captain of the middle, you know,
no captain, but I guess off the off the back
foot onto the front for his great kicking game, great vision,
you know, so we did struggle, you know, off the
back of that in ya She's he tried med fired five.
(05:44):
That wasn't that wasn't successful. We ended up getting beaten.
I think it was against the Bronx. I feel like
just from memory.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
And Dragons in week one, just yeah, I think Badge
even played seven and it was just one of those, yeah,
that we missed Ricky. And then obviously the Broncos fought
hard against the bron but it was we've bound.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Gets right, you know, so you know, just one of
those one of those times where we didn't adjust and
adapt as quick as we could have, you know. But
you know, Rick it was a huge miss, you know,
being out around that time of the year.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Something tells me that cheans he would have went away
thinking I can't I need to learn how to win
without rick if that happens again, because by then he
was suffering some injuries, had he had the stern, he
had the sort of the groin problems in ninety two,
and then obviously ninety four rolls around, and there was
a point in time in ninety four obviously we start
the season where we're winning games, and it clicked in
(06:37):
a game, and you would have known yourself. Manly for
some reason. Manly, for some reason, had the wood on us,
they could beat us. Bruce that Cliffy Lyons had Pully
socks up against us and just play wizardry performances ever
since eighty seven. There was a game in ninety four.
Laurie was out, Ricky was out, so that was first
time sheens. He put Jason Croker at six, put Toots
(06:58):
at six, and then Steve was playing, so we had
our regular origin halves out. Toots get sent off with
the football accidentally your bowing too. So we're down to
twelve men against Manly with no Ricky, with no Lorri,
and we put thirty on that day. Now we all
walked away thinking, Okayjiwy's we're going to be hard to
beat this year because we've done that. We see without
(07:20):
without Lorry, but without Ricky as well.
Speaker 5 (07:24):
Yeah, are the game well? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (07:26):
I do, well, I do vividly, you know, because you
learn your lessons, don't you.
Speaker 5 (07:30):
You know, from the previous year.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
Years, and I think as opposed to ninety three ninety four,
you know, we're a year older as well, you know,
So you mentioned that the Kiwi boys obviously they are
starting to find their feet. And then we had Allons
and crakerp you know, David Boyle, all those good young kids.
Now Dave Ferner obviously Toots was he was sent off,
(07:54):
but you know he We had those players of another
year older who were obviously trying and when they were
better players than they out. So we're a better footy
team for sure. Ninety four we can handle handle all that,
you know. So yeah, we're supremely confident. And I think
you know, the other motivating factor I talked, I remember
(08:14):
talking to the team about it is that they were
motivated because you know, thankfully enough, they wanted to send
me off a winner, you know, So this this is
the thing I talk about. I'm always you know, fell
honored and privileged and thankful that you know, they they
felt that, you know, they.
Speaker 5 (08:32):
Needed to play well, you know, for me, and it
proved that way.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
But you know, we're much more experienced footy team in
ninety four.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
We'll touch on that week building up to the Grand
Final where the senior boys or box and Sticky and
laws all behind your back, got everyone ready to play
for you, to send you out on a note. But
it really clicked in ninety four a game against the Sharks,
who were you know, Johnny Lang led Sharks team with
any Houses in there and young Matt Rodgers and some
(09:00):
football team that was pushing for finals. You put fifty
on them at home. And then not long after that
you got to Newcastle at Marathon Stadium, which is always
a tough place to win. You put fifty on Newcastle
at home. That was a big game where Mulow's went yeah,
Marlow's yeah.
Speaker 5 (09:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
You had a Blake grog, Gary Belcher who was an
international and the advertised and then you put Mulows back
at full back and where you'd swit the next level.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
Yeah, well that's what I'm saying. Like, you know, obviously
Badgers retired in ninety three. Unfortunately couldn't send him out
a winner. But you know we had the Brett Mullins
and like the Kenny Nagus's No. One and Ruku was
let's not forget about no, we had a great player.
He was They're just coming into their own and you know,
it was just one of those those years where you
(09:45):
know the team clicked. You know, we had great players
in all positions. Really, we had representative players in all positions.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
You know, Yeah, I often say I often say that.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
You know, when you look at the team itself and
you look at the careers that all those players had,
you know, that was probably the best. What it is,
It was the best footy team I played in club
team I played in my career. You know, I went
sixteen years. So there's no doubt that was the best side.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
And it's kind of and it.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
Was sorry, Nick, it was ruthless, that's the other thing.
And it was so competitive and ruthles because we learned lessons,
you know, lessons in ninety ninety three and obviously you
know from the what happened in ninety one. Yeah, we
often talked about us and them mentality. Us I mean
out of Sydney, of course, you know, so there was
all that us and them mentality, and you know, they're
(10:37):
doing things to prevent us from from being successful. So
you know, we knuckle down and we built. We built
a sort of a fortress and we're very hard to
beat at home. And you know, we knew been confident
enough that we could you know, win competitions.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
We we just pretty much the momentum was there. And
I mentioned that, you know, winning games without players. You know,
Laurie was out, so Jason so To Senior went into
six for a long back and back run of that year,
and we were just melting teams, just racking our big
scores that the machine was firing. We get into we
get into the finals and we played Norse in Week
one and we handled Norse pretty well. The Norse were
(11:15):
a fair football team. We found it really hard to
win the Norse in the Oval, going to Stie played Norse.
They were striving for their first Grand Final and they
were very entitled to be in the mix. We beat
them well and then we bounced into the game the
prelim against the Bulldogs and when you look at look
at it now, it's a it's a great game to watch.
But at the time it was the loss that we
(11:36):
maybe needed to reset.
Speaker 5 (11:40):
From a memory.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
I mean, I don't believe in resetting, but you know, yeah,
I mean we had to do it the hard way
after that, you know, and we didn't lose it by much.
Speaker 5 (11:51):
We didn't lose much in.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
Confidence, but you know, it would have been good because
like you said, you know, yeah, I carrying some more
injuries for the from the the year year year that's
gone basically, So yeah, it would have been good to
have arrest, but just the way it is in the
toughest up footy teams. I remember the prelim final, you know,
we struggled to get through that, were we I think
(12:13):
we started really well, but you know, we struggled to
be consistent and play out the eighty minutes so and
I think that was probably the the awakening we wanted,
you know, leading into the Grand Final that week, you
know that.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Well.
Speaker 5 (12:29):
I think it was against Norse again, won't it.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Yeah, yeah, played Norse again, so yes.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
We played Noise again.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
So yeah, it was very funky, so.
Speaker 5 (12:38):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
So we're very clunky, and I think that was the
awakening we needed, you know, to get through that that
final week.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
It was a good end. I mean it was a
clunky game. I think Norse were up at some stage,
but then obviously that gorgeous back climb that that you
had put some late points on to get that score
back out. The week leading up to it, of course
I mentioned Johnny. Of course it was late. I had
all on here last week and obviously they were trying
to appeal the suspension and they thought they were going
to get off, but he didn't get off. And then
(13:06):
you get your coach who is probably know, one of
the best coaches that ever ever come to a rugular
league clipboard, and he says to you, I want to
start Paul Osborne, who hadn't played first grade for a
long long time. What was your thoughts when he was
going to start with Aussie?
Speaker 5 (13:24):
Well, plenty of experience, I mean with Ossie.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
Obviously we had a pretty young bench Dave Wesley, but Heatherington,
those type of guys are pretty pretty young. And I
remember talking a Sheen's about it all and he thought
it was a good player, remembering that Sheensy stopped him England.
He could have went to England, you know, a few
weeks earlier because he wasn't really part of the plans
led him through the finals so as he didn't play
(13:49):
any footy at all, but he just needed someone to
obviously start the game with that experience. But you would
never have never do to you know what he did
in that that first twenty odd minutes of the game,
and it was it was, you know, he was super
and it got us to a lead that you know,
we couldn't be run down after that.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Well, that was the most diplomatic answer all the other
four guys they asked, so they were dirty on on
Sheen's he's saying, what are you thinking of you on drugs?
Did you knock that you bump on the way to
the stairs up here, like all of them are off?
And then.
Speaker 5 (14:24):
I can add to that, well, I can add to that. Nick.
Speaker 4 (14:26):
So after about twenty one minutes of Shawn, Bob and
mc cray come on to the field, obviously his carriers
the tray head trainer at the time, and and he
had the ward and I said to Bomber, I said, listen,
you need to get Osie off now. He's making him
many hairs. He thinks he's he thinks he's the wizard.
He's playing Ricky Spot at the moment he's making it.
I said, may get him off, please, And thankfully Sheen's
(14:47):
he did that.
Speaker 5 (14:49):
But he played his role. And obviously, you know, like
I said before, he set up, you know all those
points beginning of the game. We never never got run
down Sheen's.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
I've been fortunate enough to have spent time with Sines
over the years to talk football with him, especially about
the Raiders' days. He strikes me as obviously it's quite
transparent on what he did. How he was so innovative
with his football, especially at the Raiders in the nineties.
We'd bring in technology in him and Bomber the science
of They brought the science to rugby league and it
showed with us. And then even and Bomba McCrae was
(15:23):
telling me that after nineteen ninety you had opposition teams
coming to training taking notes almost.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
I can't remember that, imagine that now, I think, I think,
I think I don't think that's well, I can't remember that,
to be honest with it.
Speaker 5 (15:38):
Who can't spend the yard Bomber but he loves that.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
But my point, I think, I think the thing I
say about that is that they were very innovative and
they did bring new things to us and and but
the players were very open to that.
Speaker 5 (15:51):
You know, we actually love love that innovation.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
And she's used to take us through Thie some stuff
with Bomber and then then I asked this question, what
do you think about it?
Speaker 5 (16:00):
As we say no, and he stops it.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
You know, so he listened to us about about some
lead invative stuff and then you know, things that we
liked or we just kept it in so he kept
on trying to think about new ways too for us
to engage us in training, and you know, we're part
of all those decisions, which.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Was great, and even to fill those spots as we
mentioned with the Polynesian Boys. But one of what I was,
what I was getting at there was he's very calculated
about his moves. And we saw what he did in
eighty nine and he played Steve Jackson as a bit
of a wild card. You know, the bound main defense
weren't really too familiar with him. It was almost sight
with Ossie as well. And Ozzie mentioned last week too, Goes.
She's exact words was him, if we're going to play
(16:37):
the Broncos, he wouldn't have started because I was just
too quick. Whereas the Bulldogs were a bit more. They
had like Bella and Broken Shyer and Darren brit his
biggest sized rotation and os he just fit that especially.
He was good on those short sides as well, on
deceptive short sides.
Speaker 5 (16:50):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
It was a great. It was a great play and
it's just you gotta hand it to Sheen's he just, yeah,
field coach.
Speaker 5 (16:56):
Not only attack, but if not only attack.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
What I say is that we had a lot more
experiences other two young fellows, you know, who become really
good players for the club and you know, like Dave
Wesley actually he played for Queensland and things.
Speaker 5 (17:09):
Off the back of all that and obviously you know.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
Played for the PG culwill soon you know, so he
had these young kids that are exciting young kids that
because Dave West who was an explosive.
Speaker 5 (17:21):
Player, very hard to tackle and you know, and off
the back of.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Him and Ricky's kicking game, we will always get film disition.
And then Heather was was a totally different player to
come on and he was a great offloader of the football.
You know, it's very hard to contain work right, high
work rate, and defensively you know he was he was
very good too, but it's just that the way things
panned out. You know, he was great on short sides
(17:46):
and that's the way he played. But his experience was
I think was the was a catalyst too. Obviously, you
know our starts.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Talking to some of the boys, especially Fernsy of course
Club Church and Maylist that day speaks but there was
an eeriness in the sheds before we are all positive,
eariness and Laurie.
Speaker 5 (18:04):
We had a great week Nick.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
Honestly, there was It was one of those one of
those games that you dream about where every player that
Preppers was spot was, you know, faultless honestly and leading
into the game and then you know, I tell the
story with with the toss of the coin with you know,
Junior Peers and how nervous I thought he was. And
I went and told she that and but we're calm,
(18:27):
you know, we're ready to go.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
We're prep was good.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
You know, we left no stone unturned and when we
played accordingly, but I think they were nervous, you know,
so uh so that's Altay nine. But but it's like
it's Bar Bar Lamb as well, you know, so similar
similar things were very nervous, where yeah, we're we're very obviously,
you know, Bargain knocked out early in the game as well.
Speaker 5 (18:52):
That didn't help help accidentally, but you know, you could
tell that there was.
Speaker 4 (18:56):
A there's a nervous energy about them as opposed to
our composed.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Yeah, obviously bar was the only one that had Grand
Final experience. And there's actually a snippet on YouTube of
the whole introduction to the ninety four Grand Final. I
just watched it just before now and it had the
coin toss there with the great Greg McCallen. Of course,
that was his last game as a referee in Australia,
and there was you could tell Barr was nervous. He
was nervous because he's up against this team full of
internationals and yourself without embarrassing that there was a sense
(19:24):
of jeez, I want this, and there was a sense
of ruthlessness in your eyes.
Speaker 5 (19:28):
Yeah, well, yeah, well, you know that's what that's what happens.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
You know when I mean I said goals at the
beginning of the year around around all that, you know,
I wanted to know so many people get the opportunity
to leave what they're passionate about on their own terms,
and you know that was a golden mine. We made
a decision earlier in the year that was going to
be my last year and it was obviously recorded, and
(19:53):
my goals were to play a Grand Final and to
score a try and a grand follow because you know
I played in plenty of but never really scored in
a Grand Final. And you know then I wanted to
go on the Kangaroo Tour. That was was my goals.
Speaker 5 (20:06):
You know, so.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
When you set those sort of goals and you know
you're trying to reach, read for reach for them, you know,
sometimes that paired out, particularly if you if your football
mates you put the effort in.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
I love when Ray Warren commentated the game when you
ran out and said he wants to be on the
Kangaroo Tour before that, he wants this real bad. And
we say, we talked about the regular league gods. Now
they've showe on the Raiders. That day you had, you had,
you had the Bulldogs beaten from the kick of poor
old Marty Beller.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
Yeah we did. Yeah, you know again.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
You know it was the foot of gods. You know,
we don't we don't set out we set it out.
We set out in our prep that we're going to
play outy minutes and we're going to take the game
into extra time if need be. That's that's the way
there was our attitude, you know, so we wanted to
we come out and in a way it was sort
of and inclimactic in a way you know where we
ended up ended up in the game. But you know,
(21:03):
we were prepared to eighty nine, were prepared to go
the distance and you know, that's what that's all we
were thinking about. We were thinking about the way we
won the game. We're thinking about, you know, we're going
to grind and we're going to we're going to just
hang in there and just keep playing footy and never
give up.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Could you feel a sense of an out of body
experience when they took me into that intercept to put
on Jason Smith, Like that's where we talk about the
Rugby league Gods you in that way, that way it
was just outstanding and again without embarrassing you there the
big fist pump that you did at the end immortalized
in stone.
Speaker 5 (21:41):
That was a goal that was a goal of mine.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
It's not not the way it was was called, but
you know, like I said, it was a goal that
I wanted to score a try on the Grand Follower.
Was really determined to do that, and you know, Jason
obviously gave me the best parts probably had all year,
and just enough distance.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
Just to get just to get to the try line,
you know for me.
Speaker 4 (22:01):
You know, so, but again I go back to, you know,
putting that effort in and and we're in that space
in the game where they had to do things they
had they had to make big plays all the time
just to get back into the game, and those sort
of things happen when you have to do that.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
I remember talking to a interviewing Jonathan Thurston when he retired,
and he was a very very passionate Raider of supporter
growing up and a genuine that embarrassing now like we
all loved you. Now you were all our idol and
hero running out that we all loved you, especially Ann
here in Queenland and Canberra, and obviously Thurston did. And
I said, what's your favorite memory with the Raiders and
(22:44):
he goes mouth scoring in the ninety four ground finally
a big fist pump.
Speaker 5 (22:48):
Yeah, well it wasn't It wasn't orchestrated that way, but
like I said, I wondered it. I wanted to score
a try and you know, I mean, you couldn't, you
couldn't fit it.
Speaker 4 (22:58):
Well, was the last tribe, my last try of my career,
in the last try of the game as well. And
it's funny, it's ironic because you know when we played
on the Kangaroo too, France, France and Bezier and I
scored the last try there, you know, so you know
the footy gods were on my side, but it had
a bit of a bad patch with it with the arm.
But you know, I had a pretty blessed career as
(23:20):
well that you know, played with some great players and
team and great some great teams and under some great coaches,
So I was pretty blessed.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Well when it was all over, obviously you were fortunate
enough to get Pick to captain and take the Kangaroos
over for ninety ninety four, which talking to Box earlier,
he was said that he's proud of that because that
was the last one. And then you mentioned Needer to
score at the end there. What was it like taking
going on the plane but running out with in that
In the first test there was seven Raiders players in
(23:48):
that game, Marlow's at full back, obviously Ricky and well
we had Alfie game run, but Ricky was still on
the in the side and he came off and started
at seven in the last two games, and Ferns and
there Clydey. Yeah, how how key? How key was that
having those established combinations in those important positions, especially back then.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
Oh well, the first game it didn't work too good
because it got done at Wembley, but.
Speaker 5 (24:11):
You know.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
Again, you know we it makes a lot of hell
of easier. And there was a lot of a lot
of us and a lot of broncos, really, wasn't it,
you know. So so those combinations were great. We've had
great rapport, were all great mates still, you know, I
remember we had the ninety four kangaroo reimn' there well
back and everyone turned up as well, like it is,
(24:33):
it will be on Saturday, you know, so you know
we'll you know, it's it's it's funny how sport bombs people.
And you know we don't see each other all that often,
but you know, when you get back together again, it
seems like you had seen each other and talk to each.
Speaker 5 (24:48):
Other yesterday, you know.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
So that's that's the beauty of it, and and it
brings back some great memories and you know, we're all mates.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
When it was all over, and obviously you had a
kangaroo to or to organize, and obviously you're the leader there.
Can you remember a period where Auburn, all the celebrations
were over and you're just had your moment to yourself
where you could reflect because it was your last game,
where you know, you stared at the ceiling in bed
and just totally processed it all and realized JE always
what an end? How well did that go for me?
Speaker 5 (25:19):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (25:19):
I know I was one of those one of those
guys that could put aside things, you know.
Speaker 5 (25:26):
So it was one of those guys that could, you know,
like you might have.
Speaker 4 (25:29):
A bit of trauma happening over here and the talents
over there and would be your personal life or with
Shooty and I was one of those guys that could
just bottle that up and just put it to a
side and go out and play it. And that was
the same with the Kangaroo Tour. I remember we had
to go down and obviously I selected in the in
the Kangaroos on the on the Sunday night and found
(25:50):
out we had to go down to Sydney to do
our medical bend medicals and get all our passports and
all those sort of things organized and bese Beseil who
was a coach, and plenty of things of those. It
was fantastic and you just had an eskie there for
for us, full of full of cans and ice and
(26:10):
you know, so we got through our medicals and just
having a few beers with it was the rest rest
of the players, you know, so that's what you do.
You know, you've got to celebrate, and we did celebrate.
And then there's a time you finish celebrating and you
get on with playing footing, you know, so you get
on play with life in general.
Speaker 5 (26:28):
So that's what happened. And we had a job to
do because we were playing for our country.
Speaker 4 (26:33):
And and I obviously I'm the Aussie coach and the
more at the at the moment, and the thing I
say to him is that you know, it's the highest
greatest personal honor you can you can have, you know,
and anything anything you do is represent your country and
put those colors on them.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
Mate. It's as Ricky said, it's really good that you're there,
really rejuvenizing the passion in the Aussie jersey. We've got
a quick set of six y a couple of questions
here for your mawn that the fans of sending a
couple from overseas as well. Firstly, we'll ask you this
one from Mary from Canberra asked, Okay, this is going
to be a tough one and we say this respectfully,
if you could your favorite teammate in that ninety four
(27:12):
period and why.
Speaker 5 (27:15):
In ninety four. I mean, because you know, I come
down with Gary Belcher and the Queenslanders.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
Gary l the Queenslanders, so you know, we got on
really really well. And but yeah, through through that era
they're all mates. I mean, we're still still all connect
you know. I catch with Ricky all the time.
Speaker 5 (27:33):
Even Lasso is back in town, you know, so I
catch up with him. You know.
Speaker 4 (27:36):
So it's hard to say, you know, your best mate,
but you know, get I get on well with all
of them. You know, Steve Waller's obviously can't to have
Boxy as well. We got on really well and played
footy and reputty together as well, so you know, great.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
He just sorry, he just mentioned that. Of course, in
all these REP programs he played with you, he was
he was the only captain that he ever had, was you,
and he was just like the big brother for him.
And without getting to.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
A few times, Nick, I must confess, what's that I've
got him out of trouble a few times.
Speaker 5 (28:09):
Well.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
He also mentioned said to kick him in the ass
a few times as well to keep him there. But
he looks back in life and appreciates that though.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
I guess, you know, yeah, well, you know I said
that to my wife the other day that you know,
when we look at the team, you know, like and I.
Speaker 5 (28:26):
Was probably looked a lot older that a lot of
them with big.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
Yeah, I sort of the big brother in a way,
and I used to I used to love that role,
being the big brother and looking after him. And you know,
still enjoy it obviously, you know. So yeah, I mean
that's the role I had in the team, and and
you know I felt comfortable doing that, you know, I was.
They're all all good people, which you know, like I
(28:50):
said before, I'm always always grateful the fact that you know,
the teams I played in, those players that I played with,
you let me do what I achieved in the game.
Speaker 5 (29:00):
So you know, forever grateful again, and.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
Ricky Sticky quite publicly, Sion used to write him hard,
but he's grateful and he and he used to just
feel there used to be a confidence just running out
with you on the field sharing that memory.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
I remember him asking that much because you know, I
love him, you know, so I love the player because
I just wanted to be the best they can be.
That's that's the reason why you're right write them all.
And you know, because I was sort of that that
brotherly figure, you know. So you like I said, I
felt it was my duty. I was the leader of
the team. I was the captain of the team, and
(29:35):
and now I hold them accountable, you know, for their actions,
and you know, and I hold myself accountable. So one
thing I learned learned playing foot is that you're going
to lead by example before you can actually.
Speaker 5 (29:48):
Talk about it.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
And you know, cash tis players for what they what
they don't you know what they're not achieved, because you
just know how much potential they got and you just
keep writing them.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
Maybe I want to ask you this, and Sheens said
said this said a few years ago, goes, don't ask
him that because he'll come out and deck me. Jeenze
said once that you will be apprehensive getting the captaincy
of Dean Lance, but you're a little bit apprehensive becoming
the captain.
Speaker 5 (30:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
For me, looking back at that now, what I want
to add to that is, for me, that's that's crazy
because you just don't want to embarrass you Again, you're
just a natural leader, not just in your stature, just
how your humility and how you like you just said,
how you wanted to bring the best out of everyone
and I love that story. You talk about how Wayne
Bennett got your set and your goals early, and you're
obviously a goal driven man and you probably still do that.
(30:39):
So all that wrapped up for someone to be hesitant
to be a leader like for me, I find that
really interesting and I'd love to hear your answer now
about all that.
Speaker 4 (30:47):
Now, Well, Wayne, Underwayne and see house here in Brisbane.
He put me the captain of the footy team. And
I struggled, you know, So I struggled to understand that because.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
I was worried about everybody else, you know, so I did.
Speaker 4 (31:03):
I played my best foot he you know, obviously wanted
to help everyone, but I didn't have that responsibility of leading,
so I just led by example that way, you know, so.
Speaker 5 (31:12):
Without having to.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
So I'm not an overly big speaker, you know, talker,
you know, so I like to lead by actions, That's
that's the thing. But you know, but in eighty nine,
when Cheesey asked me to do it, I was ready
to go. I reckon because I was off the back
of those four broken arms. So I had to work
my butt off to get back, you know, fit again
and and confident again that I could I could be
(31:37):
the player I wanted to be, you know, and I
felt I had more in me as well. So I
felt that the leadership was going to bring that out
of me as well. So Yeah, ironically I didn't go
ask Speazy for it. Cheesey approached me about it. And
if if She's didn't approach me about it, I wouldn't
have you know, I wouldn't. I wouldn't have chased it.
Speaker 5 (31:57):
But when we talked about it, I think I thought
it was time, you know, I thought I was right
to go.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Yeah, because you were just such a natural born leader.
How much have has the goal setting impacted? And every
time people have asked you, well, I asked you a
few times when we've when I've been around you in
regards to those arms, like you had four arms, like
to come back and start again in your rehab. That's
not easy to do.
Speaker 5 (32:23):
Yeah, But.
Speaker 4 (32:25):
Yeah, I was at a time in my life though
that through goal setting, there was this I had like
a growth mindset, Nick, So I was always looking to
improve myself. And again because because I couldn't play, it's
the hardest I've a trained in my whole life. Are
you actually? I mean Brent Tide and those guys that
(32:46):
were injured the same time. I used to grab and
we used to go training all the time, and we're
get training to when I was trained nearly three hours
a day because because I was going to I wanted
to play foot again. You know, I was going to
give myself some time. But if I come back and
played for I was going to do it the way
I wanted to do it, and I wanted to be
the best player I possibly could be. So you know,
(33:06):
I made that commitment. I did it for eighteen months
and and it proved successful for me.
Speaker 5 (33:12):
You know, so.
Speaker 4 (33:14):
Off the back of you know, I learned how to
set goals and be an effort driven by Wayne. You
know that they sort of principles rose and allowed me
to finish how I want to finish.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
Awesome. Let's go on a question to gym from New
Zealand wants to ask, Okay, your toughest opponent, And that's
an interesting question because a lot of opposition would have
seen you as a tougher ponent to handle one on
one sit opposing if you will, Yeah, I.
Speaker 4 (33:43):
Just think I just think, you know how I answer
this because I get that question all the time, and
I feel.
Speaker 5 (33:48):
That you've got to be tough to play the game,
you know.
Speaker 4 (33:51):
I mean, you've got to be in that that headspace
where you know, we've got to be confident and you've
got to share character and you know. So the thing
that I was challenged mostly by was you know, my
own thinking, you know, my own confidence. So I always
(34:12):
answer that question now by saying that my.
Speaker 5 (34:15):
Toughest of patent was me. Wow.
Speaker 4 (34:17):
And if I got myself right and I got my
mindset right, and I wanted to play, you know, play footy,
you know, I rise above that and said no, no
opposition could beat me.
Speaker 5 (34:28):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Did you feel that you would have noticed being.
Speaker 5 (34:32):
Where it worked for me? Neck?
Speaker 4 (34:34):
Honestly, yeah, I mean I didn't. I didn't fear anyone.
The other person I feared most was myself and not
playing the way I should play.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
No one would have known that within you if you
look back at it now in hindsight and even.
Speaker 4 (34:50):
Well, well, the thing about what I found out in
life is that you had to fell across the across
the pitch I want in the beacher. You know, answer
is anything life, you know, so whatever business or you know,
whatever you're doing with radio, I mean.
Speaker 5 (35:04):
You want to be the best you can be at it.
Speaker 4 (35:06):
You don't want to someone you know, look opposed and
you've beating you, running around you, running over top of you,
tackling you every time, you know. So that's that's the
challenge of you know, you know, leaving a bit of
a legacy or playing the plan how you want to
play and feel comfortable, how you leave the game.
Speaker 5 (35:24):
It's it's what you want to do.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
That's the best answer for the toughest point I've ever heard.
That's outstanding. I love it. I love it, ipreciate that.
Speaker 5 (35:34):
Well, that's that's that's how that's how I live my life,
you know.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
So you still do the goal setting today? Oh absolutely, Wow,
that's awesome.
Speaker 4 (35:41):
And I make make sure what the teams I'm involved with,
we do goals all the time, you know, and how
we want to how we want to play, and we've
got goals off field and on field, you know, so
we make sure that all those sort of things.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
I meant, I'm inspired now. Question three plan against Ricky
Laurie and Claudy. This was Billie from QUI me wants
to know what was it like at origin level because
you're so close in one team Yeah, how was it
like having to play? I mean in ninety one you
had to oppose against Sheensy he was coached, but also
against Ricky and Laurie. How you would just you're with
(36:13):
them a part of the town plan all the time.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Regret, my only regret in my life is that I
never captain a successful Queensland team.
Speaker 5 (36:22):
You know, so.
Speaker 4 (36:24):
And yeah, again you learn your lessons, but you know
I struggled honestly, I honestly struggled against Larry, Ricky and Clytie,
you know.
Speaker 5 (36:35):
But it's not in saying that. You know, you still try,
but not like I didn't. I didn't hate them put
them that way. Yeah, that's I just played.
Speaker 4 (36:45):
That's that's where That's where I come to the other
point that you know, when I was coaching queens and
it's not about it's not about your teammates you play
every weekend with. It's about the jersey, you know. So
if I would have if what I've done that I've
learned that. I learned that over time. But it's not
the person in the jersey that you're playing against, the
jersey the other person's playing with because they're on the opposition,
(37:06):
and that Jersey wants to beat it.
Speaker 5 (37:08):
Yeah, so that's the way. That's the way I look
at look at things. You know.
Speaker 4 (37:12):
So you know the Rays are wearing the lime green,
you know, and they're going to play the Bulldogs, you know,
on Friday night, and you know it's they might have
mates playing in the Bulldog side, but you're playing against
the Jersey and that's that that Jersey wants to beat you.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
But also your mention you're doing that emotional speech up
to eighty nine saying it's a great point for Australia
and the Queensland. But winning a game final with your
with your mates, so you work with every day exactly.
Speaker 4 (37:37):
Yeah, yeah, you're with them, you know, eleven months the year. Yeah,
yeah exactly. You know say it's not only training, but.
Speaker 5 (37:45):
You're playing for the but that's your socializing.
Speaker 1 (37:47):
As well, you know, so in the trenches, it's in.
Speaker 4 (37:50):
The trenches and every every day of every week and
every month, you know, the year. So that's it goes
great satisfaction in.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
The cold of camera wearing shopping bags obvious.
Speaker 5 (38:03):
I like that very on the piece.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
That's amazing birely from Queening. Great question there. As we
move on a question for now of our set of
six training from Townsville. Wants to know this could be
a couple of questions here part of it. How close
were you leaving Canberra, I asked box said today in
eighty eight when when Wayne left to establish himself as Broncos,
the Broncos were starting up and they were already stacked
(38:27):
the likes of the King and Jean Miles and young
Alfi Langer and obviously Kevy went back there and later on,
and there's also the Gold Coast Giants. There was a
huge array of Queenslanders, obviously yourself and Boxhead and Gary
Coyne and Badge and those kind of guys, and the
late Peter Jackson and whatnot. But that would you would
have got so much interest to come back and it
(38:49):
would have been very your all. You guys left the
brisbe the VRL to make it in the big leagues.
You did, You'd set some great goals and achieved some
great things, and then going back high would have been
such a such a great finish to the story. Why
why what was it about Camber that you wanted to
stay nowt in all those times because you would have
been hunted by those.
Speaker 4 (39:09):
Guys or I send success. You know, I told Jack
I don't go because I smelt success. You know, we
made the final in eighty seven Underway and obviously won't
had to go. But we're assembling a pretty special footy team.
You know, Ricky came in eighty eight, Laurie is already there,
Lazo was there. You know, no one knew Steve Wolds
(39:32):
had he come to the Raiders and you ended up
being one of the best hookers that ever played.
Speaker 5 (39:35):
The game I played with played with. Gary was there,
Gary Coyne was there, Dean Lance was there.
Speaker 4 (39:40):
You know, Sammy Bacco at the time, I told him
not to leave, you know, because a sense, a sense
victory not too far away, and to be and to
be in part of a team, you know, I was
part of the community then being part of a team
outside of New South Wales and Chance wouldn't have premiership
was a big attraction. So that's the reason I stayed
(40:02):
is because I felt we're going to be successful.
Speaker 5 (40:06):
That's and that's any reason I stayed, you know, it's
because that's success. And now I'm still living here. You know,
it's a great place, the great community to be involved in.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
There's there's a question about that after you set of
six great one from turning from Townsville. But there's also
that time where before you resigned ninety four you thinking
about going back to Saint Helen's.
Speaker 5 (40:24):
Right, Yeah, well that was that.
Speaker 4 (40:26):
It was after ninety ninety wanted the sealar account that
to be. You know, I was interested because what they
wanted to do they wanted to sign me a four
or five year contract and coach afterwards. I had office
from South South Queensland side, you know South these Queensland Side,
had all these crushes, had all these offers, but I
(40:48):
wanted to win premierships. That's I felt, and I felt
that by staying home that was that was the best
for me from an opportunity. I after footy as well,
and I think that proved pretty correct as well.
Speaker 1 (41:04):
Great question here from Chaney. This one's from Ian from camera. Now,
this is an interesting question. I'd love to talk to
about this one. How many times have you watched the
ninety four Grand Final? Now, are you a guy that
would sit down on a rainy afternoon and put on
a Grand Final and watch?
Speaker 5 (41:19):
No, No, I don't.
Speaker 4 (41:20):
I mean I watched it a couple of times because
it might be on on TV basically in the off season,
you know, So it comes up that today time I
watch it, I probably should watch it more because of reunion,
so I can remember a bit more about things.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
It's interesting because Kenny nagus Kenny, and he says, I've
never watched it before because I don't want to distort
my memory of the actual moment of the day. Yeah,
that's a really good answer, as he says he doesn't
remember because he's watched it so much. All he knows
all you know, all your members is seeing red on
that first try because of the old Winfield Cup in
lay of the he says he's watched it a million times.
(42:01):
But when Percy says he's watched it heaps of times,
but his memory is still of the day of the
pre he recognized like it was yesterday. Laurie's the same, Rick,
he's the same. Everyone's got different relationships with watching it,
and it's it's interesting to see that. Yeah, you've seen
it a few times, but that was a great question there.
So not a guy that will sit down and put
eighty nine on just show the kids or something.
Speaker 5 (42:20):
Or no, not really popcorn. They're not interested anyway, I'll.
Speaker 1 (42:25):
Tell you what. Ninety four Grand Fine one of my
favorite movies of all time, not Mayre on mal Street.
Last question of the said of six George from camberra
Now my questions to a lot of the other guys
that I've left Camber obviously not many. He's still local.
What you The question has always been what do you
what do you miss about camera? But for you, you're
still based on the act. What is it about Canbra?
(42:46):
Now you've come back, You've had more returns to camera
than Jaws.
Speaker 5 (42:50):
Well, I went back.
Speaker 4 (42:51):
I went back the Queensland whilst coach to the Queensland team.
But soon as I got the gid, I come back.
I come back home again, you know, back to all,
back to the camera again, and obviously married a camera girl,
you know, so which is you know, which obviously helps.
But I honestly love the lifestyle in camera. I've got
(43:13):
nothing to do down camera because I've obviously involved with
rugby league, but I just love the lifestyle. I just
like how easy it is to get around. Everything's available
to your school. It's great. It's a tenmid trip to
the airport for me without much traffic, you know, and
if you're going to go plain about the cold, Well,
you shouldn't be living there anyway, you know. So I'm
(43:35):
happy with the place. And when people talk about the cold,
I mean I've spent time playing over you know, in
England in particular, and you know I played the winter
months over there.
Speaker 5 (43:45):
It's camera's not cold.
Speaker 1 (43:48):
The camera is actually great.
Speaker 5 (43:49):
It's what you make of it, exactly exactly.
Speaker 1 (43:52):
There's worse. Now, there's one thing I always wanted to ask,
and I spoke to JR. And if it's cheensy about this,
the most disappointment to come out of the whole ninety
four program, and unfortunately the whole Super League thing got in.
Speaker 5 (44:05):
The way of this.
Speaker 1 (44:06):
We were meant to play Wigan in the World Club Challenge.
That was meant that was supposed to happen in nineteen
ninety five. It was scheduled to play at Bruce Stadium
and obviously Wigan had beat Brisbane the year before in
Brisbane and they and you talk about that Raiders team
that you're involved in them now that your captain off
was stacked. That Wigan side was amazing as well. They
nearly you know, they took you to the war in
the ninety four Kangaroo and blocks like Gary Connolly had
(44:28):
off here and Robinson and the late Vager Twigamala and
Edwards and Phil Clark and Dannis Spitz. They were stacked
and their bench was amazing. That would have been the
ultimate show raided Canberra v Wigan. Unfortunately Ken Arthursen canceled
it because of the whole Super League thing. But there
was rumors that you were going to come back and
play in that game in ninety five.
Speaker 5 (44:49):
Was that true? Yeah, no, that's true.
Speaker 1 (44:51):
You were training to get ready for it.
Speaker 5 (44:53):
Yeah, I would have loved to have played.
Speaker 4 (44:55):
I mean, the thing that they got one of the
things that we played in the World Club in at
the back end of eighty nine.
Speaker 5 (45:02):
But how ridiculous it was that we played in the
Sunday We jumped on the plane.
Speaker 4 (45:05):
On Thursday and to play a Saturday night over and
mid Manchester against Witness. We just blew out of steam,
you know, we you know we will winning at half time,
but doing run out of steam basically. So it would
have been good to play against Wigan with better prep
time basically.
Speaker 5 (45:24):
So yeah, no, I was keen on it.
Speaker 1 (45:27):
But this wasn't ever to be Unfortunately it didn't go down,
and unfortunately that was never to be. That would have
been such a that that would have been thing for
the history books.
Speaker 5 (45:37):
Yeah, it would have been good, but anyway it didn't happen.
Speaker 1 (45:40):
What's the most thing you're looking forward to tomorrow in
the reunion as we finish up.
Speaker 4 (45:45):
I wanted to see the team win, obviously, you know,
so we get a happy Ricky, you know, afterwards it
would be good. That'll be fantastic because then we can
have a great time. I'd have to worry about, you know,
consoling stick. But yeah, I think, you know, with first
things first we want to go to witness a really
good performance by the Raiders and where they they're victorious,
(46:09):
and then after that anything can happen.
Speaker 1 (46:11):
How much now that you're not involved with another organization
anymore that you do, you feel like you can relax
back into the Green again.
Speaker 5 (46:20):
I've always been relaxed back in the Green, you know.
But you workers work, isn't it? You know? So, But
you know, it doesn't mean it doesn't mean I don't I.
Speaker 4 (46:29):
Don't you know, I'm not passion not passionate camera Raiders,
you know, man, I always will be, you know, so,
and everybody that's played the green jersey, Will Will will
say that, you know, so, it's a very special, be
a very special day for all of us, and you know,
be more special if the team.
Speaker 5 (46:46):
Can put in a really good performance.
Speaker 1 (46:48):
Well, now I know you're not You're not be gone
getting the limelight and all the kind of the hohoha
around and stuff. But enjoy every moment of your teammates,
Enjoy every moment of the accolades, get from the mighty
greens of what's down there. You guys deserve it all because.
Speaker 4 (47:04):
I'll be in the corner. Don't worry having a couple
of beers. That's that's made in the dark. Now I'm
happy to that.
Speaker 5 (47:08):
Well.
Speaker 1 (47:09):
Dean Lance coined the phrase after eighty nine, saying that
camera has a soul. By ninety four, Cambra became the
creator and the creative well being for all us fans.
And there was always this therapeutic, therapeuticness of malamn Inger
leading at the Camber Raiders on a Friday night. You
could have had you could have just been through the
worst part of your life. But then you think you
know what things are going to be okay, You kind
(47:30):
of oozed enthusiasm now and talk to always.
Speaker 5 (47:35):
Yeah, thanks, appreciate it.
Hey Dawn, A bit of a go back in time
kind of vibe for this episode. We go back and
celebrate the team of nineteen ninety four. Of course, it's
been thirty one years since we won our last premiership
against the Dogs when we smoke the Dogs there of
course Malmedinger's last game and look thirty one years later
it might happen again a Raiders Grand Final with the
(00:21):
Cannarbury Bulldogs potentially. I mentioned Big George, Big Melmaninger last year.
I caught up with Mal on the celebration at Magic
Ground when we played the Dogs in Brisbane and spoke
to him about all things. Let's go back in the
archive for Raidynick at night, enjoy.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
And now for the last time.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
After seventy footballs day to young Melmaneger, one hundred and
sixty six games for Canberra, forty one tests for Australia
and around him some superstars out for Poba.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Malta, pushed on for j So Smith.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
And Decepter Honeymna Dragon Pursus Dragon's after them the drops.
The club was grand delight as their stadium captain School
was a try on the Grand Final, a big fella
against his own pleats of the cap.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
The big smile says it all.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Can braa champion.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Hello, Rading Nick here. Great to have your company to
this special occasion, this special edition of Rating Nick at
Night as we chat to the thirteenth and mortal Malmoninger
thirty years Where were you back then? Were you even born?
And if you were, do you remember these moments? I
certainly do. What an outstanding afternoon it was at the
(01:45):
Sydney Football Stadium. There was a day to remember. Sit
back and enjoy part one of my chat with Malcolm
Norman Meninga.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
Hey Malhowe, Yeah, good Nick, I'm fine mate. Travel was good, Yeah,
travel is always.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
Good when you get there.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Made that's it?
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Yeah, so it's ah, I thought as bad as everyone
was making that to be it must confess.
Speaker 5 (02:07):
I got off the plane and it was beautiful.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
You brought the weather from Camber because we've had a
good take down here.
Speaker 5 (02:13):
Yeah, I know it's been great down camera.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Outstanding, Malcolm Norman Meninga, great to talk to you now.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Oh thanks mate, Thanks introduction And I was never part
of the spine, but anyway we got the victory, which
was great.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Let's just say that you probably put a lot of
feed down spines of opposition with.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
Well, the bear spine gave me a nice little past
that I gave me a try.
Speaker 5 (02:36):
So I was pretty happy with that.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
How does it feel to go back now it's been
three decades. I still remember it like it was yesterday,
a young kid growing up in Queen Bee, and I
had signs and posters posted all over my house. I
had Mum cooking the green snacks and all the family.
Here was a day Grand Final. I remember it like
it was yesterday. What's it like for you now?
Speaker 4 (02:55):
No, I know, well it was. It was a special day.
You know, obviously my last game in the news, so
wels Roger League Cup. Obviously for the Raiders as well.
Speaker 5 (03:04):
So it was a special day and forever thankful. You know.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
The way the team played, We're very good on the day,
we trained well all week, everyone played their potential. I
felt that enabled me to go out of winter. So
you know, I was extremely privilege and honored. And I
think the team in early every day, mate, because that's
the way you want to retire from from our great game.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Do you believe in a higher power, a higher source?
After that weekend?
Speaker 4 (03:32):
Well, I believe in the fact that when you put
the work and effort in, you get the reward. And
I felt that particularly, you know, I mean it's tough
to win the win a competition in the NRL, you know,
so it's really it's a tough.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
Game to play and.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
Survive, you know, to your mid thirties is you know,
for me, I was blessed and yeah, it's just just
a you get reward for the effort you put in.
And I felt that we rewarded that day because of
the effort.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
You mentioned about it's tough to just get to the
Grand final day and played in an era where we
played in many Grand finals when a couple of premierships already.
We have that drama in ninety one with the salary
cap stuff. Now we lose a lot of league and
bleed a lot of players from the club. All that coverage.
We had the Nigel Gaffies of the world to David
Barne because they all left as well. We lose Lazo
(04:22):
and Toddy They, Marky Bell, Paul Martin huge and then
ninety two was a bit of a rebuild, but also
suffered lots of injuries too. We didn't make we didn't
make the finals. Was a bit of a rebuild. Sheensy
and Lancey go to the Polynesian capital and bring back
a bunch of Pacific players, no names like Ruben Wiki
and Johnny Lomax and Noah and the late Q Pongia
(04:45):
filled those gaps and then we start ninety three with
the bang. We win the Challenge Cup. And it wasn't
just winning that. It wasn't pre season football. Raiders were
playing that. He were playing some outstanding magic. In February,
He's win the preseason Challenge, the I September, You're beating
the top four, the Broncos, manly St. George, You're putting
(05:05):
thirty on these teams. Momentum was suggesting, now we're going
to win in ninety three.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Yeah, until Ricky unfortunately break his ankle just to cad
and broke his ankle. You know, it was it was
certainly was a turning point and we struggled.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
Obviously, you fill that void.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
You know, it was the back end of the year,
you know, going to the finals and no, you know,
no sort of no, no captain of the middle, you know,
no captain, but I guess off the off the back
foot onto the front for his great kicking game, great vision,
you know, so we did struggle, you know, off the
back of that in ya She's he tried med fired five.
(05:44):
That wasn't that wasn't successful. We ended up getting beaten.
I think it was against the Bronx. I feel like
just from memory.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
And Dragons in week one, just yeah, I think Badge
even played seven and it was just one of those, yeah,
that we missed Ricky. And then obviously the Broncos fought
hard against the bron but it was we've bound.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Gets right, you know, so you know, just one of
those one of those times where we didn't adjust and
adapt as quick as we could have, you know. But
you know, Rick it was a huge miss, you know,
being out around that time of the year.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Something tells me that cheans he would have went away
thinking I can't I need to learn how to win
without rick if that happens again, because by then he
was suffering some injuries, had he had the stern, he
had the sort of the groin problems in ninety two,
and then obviously ninety four rolls around, and there was
a point in time in ninety four obviously we start
the season where we're winning games, and it clicked in
(06:37):
a game, and you would have known yourself. Manly for
some reason. Manly, for some reason, had the wood on us,
they could beat us. Bruce that Cliffy Lyons had Pully
socks up against us and just play wizardry performances ever
since eighty seven. There was a game in ninety four.
Laurie was out, Ricky was out, so that was first
time sheens. He put Jason Croker at six, put Toots
(06:58):
at six, and then Steve was playing, so we had
our regular origin halves out. Toots get sent off with
the football accidentally your bowing too. So we're down to
twelve men against Manly with no Ricky, with no Lorri,
and we put thirty on that day. Now we all
walked away thinking, Okayjiwy's we're going to be hard to
beat this year because we've done that. We see without
(07:20):
without Lorry, but without Ricky as well.
Speaker 5 (07:24):
Yeah, are the game well? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (07:26):
I do, well, I do vividly, you know, because you
learn your lessons, don't you.
Speaker 5 (07:30):
You know, from the previous year.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
Years, and I think as opposed to ninety three ninety four,
you know, we're a year older as well, you know,
So you mentioned that the Kiwi boys obviously they are
starting to find their feet. And then we had Allons
and crakerp you know, David Boyle, all those good young kids.
Now Dave Ferner obviously Toots was he was sent off,
(07:54):
but you know he We had those players of another
year older who were obviously trying and when they were
better players than they out. So we're a better footy
team for sure. Ninety four we can handle handle all that,
you know. So yeah, we're supremely confident. And I think
you know, the other motivating factor I talked, I remember
(08:14):
talking to the team about it is that they were
motivated because you know, thankfully enough, they wanted to send
me off a winner, you know, So this this is
the thing I talk about. I'm always you know, fell
honored and privileged and thankful that you know, they they
felt that, you know, they.
Speaker 5 (08:32):
Needed to play well, you know, for me, and it
proved that way.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
But you know, we're much more experienced footy team in
ninety four.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
We'll touch on that week building up to the Grand
Final where the senior boys or box and Sticky and
laws all behind your back, got everyone ready to play
for you, to send you out on a note. But
it really clicked in ninety four a game against the Sharks,
who were you know, Johnny Lang led Sharks team with
any Houses in there and young Matt Rodgers and some
(09:00):
football team that was pushing for finals. You put fifty
on them at home. And then not long after that
you got to Newcastle at Marathon Stadium, which is always
a tough place to win. You put fifty on Newcastle
at home. That was a big game where Mulow's went yeah,
Marlow's yeah.
Speaker 5 (09:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
You had a Blake grog, Gary Belcher who was an
international and the advertised and then you put Mulows back
at full back and where you'd swit the next level.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
Yeah, well that's what I'm saying. Like, you know, obviously
Badgers retired in ninety three. Unfortunately couldn't send him out
a winner. But you know we had the Brett Mullins
and like the Kenny Nagus's No. One and Ruku was
let's not forget about no, we had a great player.
He was They're just coming into their own and you know,
it was just one of those those years where you
(09:45):
know the team clicked. You know, we had great players
in all positions. Really, we had representative players in all positions.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
You know, Yeah, I often say I often say that.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
You know, when you look at the team itself and
you look at the careers that all those players had,
you know, that was probably the best. What it is,
It was the best footy team I played in club
team I played in my career. You know, I went
sixteen years. So there's no doubt that was the best side.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
And it's kind of and it.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
Was sorry, Nick, it was ruthless, that's the other thing.
And it was so competitive and ruthles because we learned lessons,
you know, lessons in ninety ninety three and obviously you
know from the what happened in ninety one. Yeah, we
often talked about us and them mentality. Us I mean
out of Sydney, of course, you know, so there was
all that us and them mentality, and you know, they're
(10:37):
doing things to prevent us from from being successful. So
you know, we knuckle down and we built. We built
a sort of a fortress and we're very hard to
beat at home. And you know, we knew been confident
enough that we could you know, win competitions.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
We we just pretty much the momentum was there. And
I mentioned that, you know, winning games without players. You know,
Laurie was out, so Jason so To Senior went into
six for a long back and back run of that year,
and we were just melting teams, just racking our big
scores that the machine was firing. We get into we
get into the finals and we played Norse in Week
one and we handled Norse pretty well. The Norse were
(11:15):
a fair football team. We found it really hard to
win the Norse in the Oval, going to Stie played Norse.
They were striving for their first Grand Final and they
were very entitled to be in the mix. We beat
them well and then we bounced into the game the
prelim against the Bulldogs and when you look at look
at it now, it's a it's a great game to watch.
But at the time it was the loss that we
(11:36):
maybe needed to reset.
Speaker 5 (11:40):
From a memory.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
I mean, I don't believe in resetting, but you know, yeah,
I mean we had to do it the hard way
after that, you know, and we didn't lose it by much.
Speaker 5 (11:51):
We didn't lose much in.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
Confidence, but you know, it would have been good because
like you said, you know, yeah, I carrying some more
injuries for the from the the year year year that's
gone basically, So yeah, it would have been good to
have arrest, but just the way it is in the
toughest up footy teams. I remember the prelim final, you know,
we struggled to get through that, were we I think
(12:13):
we started really well, but you know, we struggled to
be consistent and play out the eighty minutes so and
I think that was probably the the awakening we wanted,
you know, leading into the Grand Final that week, you
know that.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Well.
Speaker 5 (12:29):
I think it was against Norse again, won't it.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Yeah, yeah, played Norse again, so yes.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
We played Noise again.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
So yeah, it was very funky, so.
Speaker 5 (12:38):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
So we're very clunky, and I think that was the
awakening we needed, you know, to get through that that
final week.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
It was a good end. I mean it was a
clunky game. I think Norse were up at some stage,
but then obviously that gorgeous back climb that that you
had put some late points on to get that score
back out. The week leading up to it, of course
I mentioned Johnny. Of course it was late. I had
all on here last week and obviously they were trying
to appeal the suspension and they thought they were going
to get off, but he didn't get off. And then
(13:06):
you get your coach who is probably know, one of
the best coaches that ever ever come to a rugular
league clipboard, and he says to you, I want to
start Paul Osborne, who hadn't played first grade for a
long long time. What was your thoughts when he was
going to start with Aussie?
Speaker 5 (13:24):
Well, plenty of experience, I mean with Ossie.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
Obviously we had a pretty young bench Dave Wesley, but Heatherington,
those type of guys are pretty pretty young. And I
remember talking a Sheen's about it all and he thought
it was a good player, remembering that Sheensy stopped him England.
He could have went to England, you know, a few
weeks earlier because he wasn't really part of the plans
led him through the finals so as he didn't play
(13:49):
any footy at all, but he just needed someone to
obviously start the game with that experience. But you would
never have never do to you know what he did
in that that first twenty odd minutes of the game,
and it was it was, you know, he was super
and it got us to a lead that you know,
we couldn't be run down after that.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Well, that was the most diplomatic answer all the other
four guys they asked, so they were dirty on on
Sheen's he's saying, what are you thinking of you on drugs?
Did you knock that you bump on the way to
the stairs up here, like all of them are off?
And then.
Speaker 5 (14:24):
I can add to that, well, I can add to that. Nick.
Speaker 4 (14:26):
So after about twenty one minutes of Shawn, Bob and
mc cray come on to the field, obviously his carriers
the tray head trainer at the time, and and he
had the ward and I said to Bomber, I said, listen,
you need to get Osie off now. He's making him
many hairs. He thinks he's he thinks he's the wizard.
He's playing Ricky Spot at the moment he's making it.
I said, may get him off, please, And thankfully Sheen's
(14:47):
he did that.
Speaker 5 (14:49):
But he played his role. And obviously, you know, like
I said before, he set up, you know all those
points beginning of the game. We never never got run
down Sheen's.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
I've been fortunate enough to have spent time with Sines
over the years to talk football with him, especially about
the Raiders' days. He strikes me as obviously it's quite
transparent on what he did. How he was so innovative
with his football, especially at the Raiders in the nineties.
We'd bring in technology in him and Bomber the science
of They brought the science to rugby league and it
showed with us. And then even and Bomba McCrae was
(15:23):
telling me that after nineteen ninety you had opposition teams
coming to training taking notes almost.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
I can't remember that, imagine that now, I think, I think,
I think I don't think that's well, I can't remember that,
to be honest with it.
Speaker 5 (15:38):
Who can't spend the yard Bomber but he loves that.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
But my point, I think, I think the thing I
say about that is that they were very innovative and
they did bring new things to us and and but
the players were very open to that.
Speaker 5 (15:51):
You know, we actually love love that innovation.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
And she's used to take us through Thie some stuff
with Bomber and then then I asked this question, what
do you think about it?
Speaker 5 (16:00):
As we say no, and he stops it.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
You know, so he listened to us about about some
lead invative stuff and then you know, things that we
liked or we just kept it in so he kept
on trying to think about new ways too for us
to engage us in training, and you know, we're part
of all those decisions, which.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Was great, and even to fill those spots as we
mentioned with the Polynesian Boys. But one of what I was,
what I was getting at there was he's very calculated
about his moves. And we saw what he did in
eighty nine and he played Steve Jackson as a bit
of a wild card. You know, the bound main defense
weren't really too familiar with him. It was almost sight
with Ossie as well. And Ozzie mentioned last week too, Goes.
She's exact words was him, if we're going to play
(16:37):
the Broncos, he wouldn't have started because I was just
too quick. Whereas the Bulldogs were a bit more. They
had like Bella and Broken Shyer and Darren brit his
biggest sized rotation and os he just fit that especially.
He was good on those short sides as well, on
deceptive short sides.
Speaker 5 (16:50):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
It was a great. It was a great play and
it's just you gotta hand it to Sheen's he just, yeah,
field coach.
Speaker 5 (16:56):
Not only attack, but if not only attack.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
What I say is that we had a lot more
experiences other two young fellows, you know, who become really
good players for the club and you know, like Dave
Wesley actually he played for Queensland and things.
Speaker 5 (17:09):
Off the back of all that and obviously you know.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
Played for the PG culwill soon you know, so he
had these young kids that are exciting young kids that
because Dave West who was an explosive.
Speaker 5 (17:21):
Player, very hard to tackle and you know, and off
the back of.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Him and Ricky's kicking game, we will always get film disition.
And then Heather was was a totally different player to
come on and he was a great offloader of the football.
You know, it's very hard to contain work right, high
work rate, and defensively you know he was he was
very good too, but it's just that the way things
panned out. You know, he was great on short sides
(17:46):
and that's the way he played. But his experience was
I think was the was a catalyst too. Obviously, you
know our starts.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Talking to some of the boys, especially Fernsy of course
Club Church and Maylist that day speaks but there was
an eeriness in the sheds before we are all positive,
eariness and Laurie.
Speaker 5 (18:04):
We had a great week Nick.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
Honestly, there was It was one of those one of
those games that you dream about where every player that
Preppers was spot was, you know, faultless honestly and leading
into the game and then you know, I tell the
story with with the toss of the coin with you know,
Junior Peers and how nervous I thought he was. And
I went and told she that and but we're calm,
(18:27):
you know, we're ready to go.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
We're prep was good.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
You know, we left no stone unturned and when we
played accordingly, but I think they were nervous, you know,
so uh so that's Altay nine. But but it's like
it's Bar Bar Lamb as well, you know, so similar
similar things were very nervous, where yeah, we're we're very obviously,
you know, Bargain knocked out early in the game as well.
Speaker 5 (18:52):
That didn't help help accidentally, but you know, you could
tell that there was.
Speaker 4 (18:56):
A there's a nervous energy about them as opposed to
our composed.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Yeah, obviously bar was the only one that had Grand
Final experience. And there's actually a snippet on YouTube of
the whole introduction to the ninety four Grand Final. I
just watched it just before now and it had the
coin toss there with the great Greg McCallen. Of course,
that was his last game as a referee in Australia,
and there was you could tell Barr was nervous. He
was nervous because he's up against this team full of
internationals and yourself without embarrassing that there was a sense
(19:24):
of jeez, I want this, and there was a sense
of ruthlessness in your eyes.
Speaker 5 (19:28):
Yeah, well, yeah, well, you know that's what that's what happens.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
You know when I mean I said goals at the
beginning of the year around around all that, you know,
I wanted to know so many people get the opportunity
to leave what they're passionate about on their own terms,
and you know that was a golden mine. We made
a decision earlier in the year that was going to
be my last year and it was obviously recorded, and
(19:53):
my goals were to play a Grand Final and to
score a try and a grand follow because you know
I played in plenty of but never really scored in
a Grand Final. And you know then I wanted to
go on the Kangaroo Tour. That was was my goals.
Speaker 5 (20:06):
You know, so.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
When you set those sort of goals and you know
you're trying to reach, read for reach for them, you know,
sometimes that paired out, particularly if you if your football
mates you put the effort in.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
I love when Ray Warren commentated the game when you
ran out and said he wants to be on the
Kangaroo Tour before that, he wants this real bad. And
we say, we talked about the regular league gods. Now
they've showe on the Raiders. That day you had, you had,
you had the Bulldogs beaten from the kick of poor
old Marty Beller.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
Yeah we did. Yeah, you know again.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
You know it was the foot of gods. You know,
we don't we don't set out we set it out.
We set out in our prep that we're going to
play outy minutes and we're going to take the game
into extra time if need be. That's that's the way
there was our attitude, you know, so we wanted to
we come out and in a way it was sort
of and inclimactic in a way you know where we
ended up ended up in the game. But you know,
(21:03):
we were prepared to eighty nine, were prepared to go
the distance and you know, that's what that's all we
were thinking about. We were thinking about the way we
won the game. We're thinking about, you know, we're going
to grind and we're going to we're going to just
hang in there and just keep playing footy and never
give up.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Could you feel a sense of an out of body
experience when they took me into that intercept to put
on Jason Smith, Like that's where we talk about the
Rugby league Gods you in that way, that way it
was just outstanding and again without embarrassing you there the
big fist pump that you did at the end immortalized
in stone.
Speaker 5 (21:41):
That was a goal that was a goal of mine.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
It's not not the way it was was called, but
you know, like I said, it was a goal that
I wanted to score a try on the Grand Follower.
Was really determined to do that, and you know, Jason
obviously gave me the best parts probably had all year,
and just enough distance.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
Just to get just to get to the try line,
you know for me.
Speaker 4 (22:01):
You know, so, but again I go back to, you know,
putting that effort in and and we're in that space
in the game where they had to do things they
had they had to make big plays all the time
just to get back into the game, and those sort
of things happen when you have to do that.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
I remember talking to a interviewing Jonathan Thurston when he retired,
and he was a very very passionate Raider of supporter
growing up and a genuine that embarrassing now like we
all loved you. Now you were all our idol and
hero running out that we all loved you, especially Ann
here in Queenland and Canberra, and obviously Thurston did. And
I said, what's your favorite memory with the Raiders and
(22:44):
he goes mouth scoring in the ninety four ground finally
a big fist pump.
Speaker 5 (22:48):
Yeah, well it wasn't It wasn't orchestrated that way, but
like I said, I wondered it. I wanted to score
a try and you know, I mean, you couldn't, you
couldn't fit it.
Speaker 4 (22:58):
Well, was the last tribe, my last try of my career,
in the last try of the game as well. And
it's funny, it's ironic because you know when we played
on the Kangaroo too, France, France and Bezier and I
scored the last try there, you know, so you know
the footy gods were on my side, but it had
a bit of a bad patch with it with the arm.
But you know, I had a pretty blessed career as
(23:20):
well that you know, played with some great players and
team and great some great teams and under some great coaches,
So I was pretty blessed.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Well when it was all over, obviously you were fortunate
enough to get Pick to captain and take the Kangaroos
over for ninety ninety four, which talking to Box earlier,
he was said that he's proud of that because that
was the last one. And then you mentioned Needer to
score at the end there. What was it like taking
going on the plane but running out with in that
In the first test there was seven Raiders players in
(23:48):
that game, Marlow's at full back, obviously Ricky and well
we had Alfie game run, but Ricky was still on
the in the side and he came off and started
at seven in the last two games, and Ferns and
there Clydey. Yeah, how how key? How key was that
having those established combinations in those important positions, especially back then.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
Oh well, the first game it didn't work too good
because it got done at Wembley, but.
Speaker 5 (24:11):
You know.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
Again, you know we it makes a lot of hell
of easier. And there was a lot of a lot
of us and a lot of broncos, really, wasn't it,
you know. So so those combinations were great. We've had
great rapport, were all great mates still, you know, I
remember we had the ninety four kangaroo reimn' there well
back and everyone turned up as well, like it is,
(24:33):
it will be on Saturday, you know, so you know
we'll you know, it's it's it's funny how sport bombs people.
And you know we don't see each other all that often,
but you know, when you get back together again, it
seems like you had seen each other and talk to each.
Speaker 5 (24:48):
Other yesterday, you know.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
So that's that's the beauty of it, and and it
brings back some great memories and you know, we're all mates.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
When it was all over, and obviously you had a
kangaroo to or to organize, and obviously you're the leader there.
Can you remember a period where Auburn, all the celebrations
were over and you're just had your moment to yourself
where you could reflect because it was your last game,
where you know, you stared at the ceiling in bed
and just totally processed it all and realized JE always
what an end? How well did that go for me?
Speaker 5 (25:19):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (25:19):
I know I was one of those one of those
guys that could put aside things, you know.
Speaker 5 (25:26):
So it was one of those guys that could, you know,
like you might have.
Speaker 4 (25:29):
A bit of trauma happening over here and the talents
over there and would be your personal life or with
Shooty and I was one of those guys that could
just bottle that up and just put it to a
side and go out and play it. And that was
the same with the Kangaroo Tour. I remember we had
to go down and obviously I selected in the in
the Kangaroos on the on the Sunday night and found
(25:50):
out we had to go down to Sydney to do
our medical bend medicals and get all our passports and
all those sort of things organized and bese Beseil who
was a coach, and plenty of things of those. It
was fantastic and you just had an eskie there for
for us, full of full of cans and ice and
(26:10):
you know, so we got through our medicals and just
having a few beers with it was the rest rest
of the players, you know, so that's what you do.
You know, you've got to celebrate, and we did celebrate.
And then there's a time you finish celebrating and you
get on with playing footing, you know, so you get
on play with life in general.
Speaker 5 (26:28):
So that's what happened. And we had a job to
do because we were playing for our country.
Speaker 4 (26:33):
And and I obviously I'm the Aussie coach and the
more at the at the moment, and the thing I
say to him is that you know, it's the highest
greatest personal honor you can you can have, you know,
and anything anything you do is represent your country and
put those colors on them.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
Mate. It's as Ricky said, it's really good that you're there,
really rejuvenizing the passion in the Aussie jersey. We've got
a quick set of six y a couple of questions
here for your mawn that the fans of sending a
couple from overseas as well. Firstly, we'll ask you this
one from Mary from Canberra asked, Okay, this is going
to be a tough one and we say this respectfully,
if you could your favorite teammate in that ninety four
(27:12):
period and why.
Speaker 5 (27:15):
In ninety four. I mean, because you know, I come
down with Gary Belcher and the Queenslanders.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
Gary l the Queenslanders, so you know, we got on
really really well. And but yeah, through through that era
they're all mates. I mean, we're still still all connect
you know. I catch with Ricky all the time.
Speaker 5 (27:33):
Even Lasso is back in town, you know, so I
catch up with him. You know.
Speaker 4 (27:36):
So it's hard to say, you know, your best mate,
but you know, get I get on well with all
of them. You know, Steve Waller's obviously can't to have
Boxy as well. We got on really well and played
footy and reputty together as well, so you know, great.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
He just sorry, he just mentioned that. Of course, in
all these REP programs he played with you, he was
he was the only captain that he ever had, was you,
and he was just like the big brother for him.
And without getting to.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
A few times, Nick, I must confess, what's that I've
got him out of trouble a few times.
Speaker 5 (28:09):
Well.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
He also mentioned said to kick him in the ass
a few times as well to keep him there. But
he looks back in life and appreciates that though.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
I guess, you know, yeah, well, you know I said
that to my wife the other day that you know,
when we look at the team, you know, like and I.
Speaker 5 (28:26):
Was probably looked a lot older that a lot of
them with big.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
Yeah, I sort of the big brother in a way,
and I used to I used to love that role,
being the big brother and looking after him. And you know,
still enjoy it obviously, you know. So yeah, I mean
that's the role I had in the team, and and
you know I felt comfortable doing that, you know, I was.
They're all all good people, which you know, like I
(28:50):
said before, I'm always always grateful the fact that you know,
the teams I played in, those players that I played with,
you let me do what I achieved in the game.
Speaker 5 (29:00):
So you know, forever grateful again, and.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
Ricky Sticky quite publicly, Sion used to write him hard,
but he's grateful and he and he used to just
feel there used to be a confidence just running out
with you on the field sharing that memory.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
I remember him asking that much because you know, I
love him, you know, so I love the player because
I just wanted to be the best they can be.
That's that's the reason why you're right write them all.
And you know, because I was sort of that that
brotherly figure, you know. So you like I said, I
felt it was my duty. I was the leader of
the team. I was the captain of the team, and
(29:35):
and now I hold them accountable, you know, for their actions,
and you know, and I hold myself accountable. So one
thing I learned learned playing foot is that you're going
to lead by example before you can actually.
Speaker 5 (29:48):
Talk about it.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
And you know, cash tis players for what they what
they don't you know what they're not achieved, because you
just know how much potential they got and you just
keep writing them.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
Maybe I want to ask you this, and Sheens said
said this said a few years ago, goes, don't ask
him that because he'll come out and deck me. Jeenze
said once that you will be apprehensive getting the captaincy
of Dean Lance, but you're a little bit apprehensive becoming
the captain.
Speaker 5 (30:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
For me, looking back at that now, what I want
to add to that is, for me, that's that's crazy
because you just don't want to embarrass you Again, you're
just a natural leader, not just in your stature, just
how your humility and how you like you just said,
how you wanted to bring the best out of everyone
and I love that story. You talk about how Wayne
Bennett got your set and your goals early, and you're
obviously a goal driven man and you probably still do that.
(30:39):
So all that wrapped up for someone to be hesitant
to be a leader like for me, I find that
really interesting and I'd love to hear your answer now
about all that.
Speaker 4 (30:47):
Now, Well, Wayne, Underwayne and see house here in Brisbane.
He put me the captain of the footy team. And
I struggled, you know, So I struggled to understand that because.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
I was worried about everybody else, you know, so I did.
Speaker 4 (31:03):
I played my best foot he you know, obviously wanted
to help everyone, but I didn't have that responsibility of leading,
so I just led by example that way, you know, so.
Speaker 5 (31:12):
Without having to.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
So I'm not an overly big speaker, you know, talker,
you know, so I like to lead by actions, That's
that's the thing. But you know, but in eighty nine,
when Cheesey asked me to do it, I was ready
to go. I reckon because I was off the back
of those four broken arms. So I had to work
my butt off to get back, you know, fit again
and and confident again that I could I could be
(31:37):
the player I wanted to be, you know, and I
felt I had more in me as well. So I
felt that the leadership was going to bring that out
of me as well. So Yeah, ironically I didn't go
ask Speazy for it. Cheesey approached me about it. And
if if She's didn't approach me about it, I wouldn't
have you know, I wouldn't. I wouldn't have chased it.
Speaker 5 (31:57):
But when we talked about it, I think I thought
it was time, you know, I thought I was right
to go.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Yeah, because you were just such a natural born leader.
How much have has the goal setting impacted? And every
time people have asked you, well, I asked you a
few times when we've when I've been around you in
regards to those arms, like you had four arms, like
to come back and start again in your rehab. That's
not easy to do.
Speaker 5 (32:23):
Yeah, But.
Speaker 4 (32:25):
Yeah, I was at a time in my life though
that through goal setting, there was this I had like
a growth mindset, Nick, So I was always looking to
improve myself. And again because because I couldn't play, it's
the hardest I've a trained in my whole life. Are
you actually? I mean Brent Tide and those guys that
(32:46):
were injured the same time. I used to grab and
we used to go training all the time, and we're
get training to when I was trained nearly three hours
a day because because I was going to I wanted
to play foot again. You know, I was going to
give myself some time. But if I come back and
played for I was going to do it the way
I wanted to do it, and I wanted to be
the best player I possibly could be. So you know,
(33:06):
I made that commitment. I did it for eighteen months
and and it proved successful for me.
Speaker 5 (33:12):
You know, so.
Speaker 4 (33:14):
Off the back of you know, I learned how to
set goals and be an effort driven by Wayne. You
know that they sort of principles rose and allowed me
to finish how I want to finish.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
Awesome. Let's go on a question to gym from New
Zealand wants to ask, Okay, your toughest opponent, And that's
an interesting question because a lot of opposition would have
seen you as a tougher ponent to handle one on
one sit opposing if you will, Yeah, I.
Speaker 4 (33:43):
Just think I just think, you know how I answer
this because I get that question all the time, and
I feel.
Speaker 5 (33:48):
That you've got to be tough to play the game,
you know.
Speaker 4 (33:51):
I mean, you've got to be in that that headspace
where you know, we've got to be confident and you've
got to share character and you know. So the thing
that I was challenged mostly by was you know, my
own thinking, you know, my own confidence. So I always
(34:12):
answer that question now by saying that my.
Speaker 5 (34:15):
Toughest of patent was me. Wow.
Speaker 4 (34:17):
And if I got myself right and I got my
mindset right, and I wanted to play, you know, play footy,
you know, I rise above that and said no, no
opposition could beat me.
Speaker 5 (34:28):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Did you feel that you would have noticed being.
Speaker 5 (34:32):
Where it worked for me? Neck?
Speaker 4 (34:34):
Honestly, yeah, I mean I didn't. I didn't fear anyone.
The other person I feared most was myself and not
playing the way I should play.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
No one would have known that within you if you
look back at it now in hindsight and even.
Speaker 4 (34:50):
Well, well, the thing about what I found out in
life is that you had to fell across the across
the pitch I want in the beacher. You know, answer
is anything life, you know, so whatever business or you know,
whatever you're doing with radio, I mean.
Speaker 5 (35:04):
You want to be the best you can be at it.
Speaker 4 (35:06):
You don't want to someone you know, look opposed and
you've beating you, running around you, running over top of you,
tackling you every time, you know. So that's that's the
challenge of you know, you know, leaving a bit of
a legacy or playing the plan how you want to
play and feel comfortable, how you leave the game.
Speaker 5 (35:24):
It's it's what you want to do.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
That's the best answer for the toughest point I've ever heard.
That's outstanding. I love it. I love it, ipreciate that.
Speaker 5 (35:34):
Well, that's that's that's how that's how I live my life,
you know.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
So you still do the goal setting today? Oh absolutely, Wow,
that's awesome.
Speaker 4 (35:41):
And I make make sure what the teams I'm involved with,
we do goals all the time, you know, and how
we want to how we want to play, and we've
got goals off field and on field, you know, so
we make sure that all those sort of things.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
I meant, I'm inspired now. Question three plan against Ricky
Laurie and Claudy. This was Billie from QUI me wants
to know what was it like at origin level because
you're so close in one team Yeah, how was it
like having to play? I mean in ninety one you
had to oppose against Sheensy he was coached, but also
against Ricky and Laurie. How you would just you're with
(36:13):
them a part of the town plan all the time.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Regret, my only regret in my life is that I
never captain a successful Queensland team.
Speaker 5 (36:22):
You know, so.
Speaker 4 (36:24):
And yeah, again you learn your lessons, but you know
I struggled honestly, I honestly struggled against Larry, Ricky and Clytie,
you know.
Speaker 5 (36:35):
But it's not in saying that. You know, you still try,
but not like I didn't. I didn't hate them put
them that way. Yeah, that's I just played.
Speaker 4 (36:45):
That's that's where That's where I come to the other
point that you know, when I was coaching queens and
it's not about it's not about your teammates you play
every weekend with. It's about the jersey, you know. So
if I would have if what I've done that I've
learned that. I learned that over time. But it's not
the person in the jersey that you're playing against, the
jersey the other person's playing with because they're on the opposition,
(37:06):
and that Jersey wants to beat it.
Speaker 5 (37:08):
Yeah, so that's the way. That's the way I look
at look at things. You know.
Speaker 4 (37:12):
So you know the Rays are wearing the lime green,
you know, and they're going to play the Bulldogs, you know,
on Friday night, and you know it's they might have
mates playing in the Bulldog side, but you're playing against
the Jersey and that's that that Jersey wants to beat you.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
But also your mention you're doing that emotional speech up
to eighty nine saying it's a great point for Australia
and the Queensland. But winning a game final with your
with your mates, so you work with every day exactly.
Speaker 4 (37:37):
Yeah, yeah, you're with them, you know, eleven months the year. Yeah,
yeah exactly. You know say it's not only training, but.
Speaker 5 (37:45):
You're playing for the but that's your socializing.
Speaker 1 (37:47):
As well, you know, so in the trenches, it's in.
Speaker 4 (37:50):
The trenches and every every day of every week and
every month, you know, the year. So that's it goes
great satisfaction in.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
The cold of camera wearing shopping bags obvious.
Speaker 5 (38:03):
I like that very on the piece.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
That's amazing birely from Queening. Great question there. As we
move on a question for now of our set of
six training from Townsville. Wants to know this could be
a couple of questions here part of it. How close
were you leaving Canberra, I asked box said today in
eighty eight when when Wayne left to establish himself as Broncos,
the Broncos were starting up and they were already stacked
(38:27):
the likes of the King and Jean Miles and young
Alfi Langer and obviously Kevy went back there and later on,
and there's also the Gold Coast Giants. There was a
huge array of Queenslanders, obviously yourself and Boxhead and Gary
Coyne and Badge and those kind of guys, and the
late Peter Jackson and whatnot. But that would you would
have got so much interest to come back and it
(38:49):
would have been very your all. You guys left the
brisbe the VRL to make it in the big leagues.
You did, You'd set some great goals and achieved some
great things, and then going back high would have been
such a such a great finish to the story. Why
why what was it about Camber that you wanted to
stay nowt in all those times because you would have
been hunted by those.
Speaker 4 (39:09):
Guys or I send success. You know, I told Jack
I don't go because I smelt success. You know, we
made the final in eighty seven Underway and obviously won't
had to go. But we're assembling a pretty special footy team.
You know, Ricky came in eighty eight, Laurie is already there,
Lazo was there. You know, no one knew Steve Wolds
(39:32):
had he come to the Raiders and you ended up
being one of the best hookers that ever played.
Speaker 5 (39:35):
The game I played with played with. Gary was there,
Gary Coyne was there, Dean Lance was there.
Speaker 4 (39:40):
You know, Sammy Bacco at the time, I told him
not to leave, you know, because a sense, a sense
victory not too far away, and to be and to
be in part of a team, you know, I was
part of the community then being part of a team
outside of New South Wales and Chance wouldn't have premiership
was a big attraction. So that's the reason I stayed
(40:02):
is because I felt we're going to be successful.
Speaker 5 (40:06):
That's and that's any reason I stayed, you know, it's
because that's success. And now I'm still living here. You know,
it's a great place, the great community to be involved in.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
There's there's a question about that after you set of
six great one from turning from Townsville. But there's also
that time where before you resigned ninety four you thinking
about going back to Saint Helen's.
Speaker 5 (40:24):
Right, Yeah, well that was that.
Speaker 4 (40:26):
It was after ninety ninety wanted the sealar account that
to be. You know, I was interested because what they
wanted to do they wanted to sign me a four
or five year contract and coach afterwards. I had office
from South South Queensland side, you know South these Queensland Side,
had all these crushes, had all these offers, but I
(40:48):
wanted to win premierships. That's I felt, and I felt
that by staying home that was that was the best
for me from an opportunity. I after footy as well,
and I think that proved pretty correct as well.
Speaker 1 (41:04):
Great question here from Chaney. This one's from Ian from camera. Now,
this is an interesting question. I'd love to talk to
about this one. How many times have you watched the
ninety four Grand Final? Now, are you a guy that
would sit down on a rainy afternoon and put on
a Grand Final and watch?
Speaker 5 (41:19):
No, No, I don't.
Speaker 4 (41:20):
I mean I watched it a couple of times because
it might be on on TV basically in the off season,
you know, So it comes up that today time I
watch it, I probably should watch it more because of reunion,
so I can remember a bit more about things.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
It's interesting because Kenny nagus Kenny, and he says, I've
never watched it before because I don't want to distort
my memory of the actual moment of the day. Yeah,
that's a really good answer, as he says he doesn't
remember because he's watched it so much. All he knows
all you know, all your members is seeing red on
that first try because of the old Winfield Cup in
lay of the he says he's watched it a million times.
(42:01):
But when Percy says he's watched it heaps of times,
but his memory is still of the day of the
pre he recognized like it was yesterday. Laurie's the same, Rick,
he's the same. Everyone's got different relationships with watching it,
and it's it's interesting to see that. Yeah, you've seen
it a few times, but that was a great question there.
So not a guy that will sit down and put
eighty nine on just show the kids or something.
Speaker 5 (42:20):
Or no, not really popcorn. They're not interested anyway, I'll.
Speaker 1 (42:25):
Tell you what. Ninety four Grand Fine one of my
favorite movies of all time, not Mayre on mal Street.
Last question of the said of six George from camberra
Now my questions to a lot of the other guys
that I've left Camber obviously not many. He's still local.
What you The question has always been what do you
what do you miss about camera? But for you, you're
still based on the act. What is it about Canbra?
(42:46):
Now you've come back, You've had more returns to camera
than Jaws.
Speaker 5 (42:50):
Well, I went back.
Speaker 4 (42:51):
I went back the Queensland whilst coach to the Queensland team.
But soon as I got the gid, I come back.
I come back home again, you know, back to all,
back to the camera again, and obviously married a camera girl,
you know, so which is you know, which obviously helps.
But I honestly love the lifestyle in camera. I've got
(43:13):
nothing to do down camera because I've obviously involved with
rugby league, but I just love the lifestyle. I just
like how easy it is to get around. Everything's available
to your school. It's great. It's a tenmid trip to
the airport for me without much traffic, you know, and
if you're going to go plain about the cold, Well,
you shouldn't be living there anyway, you know. So I'm
(43:35):
happy with the place. And when people talk about the cold,
I mean I've spent time playing over you know, in
England in particular, and you know I played the winter
months over there.
Speaker 5 (43:45):
It's camera's not cold.
Speaker 1 (43:48):
The camera is actually great.
Speaker 5 (43:49):
It's what you make of it, exactly exactly.
Speaker 1 (43:52):
There's worse. Now, there's one thing I always wanted to ask,
and I spoke to JR. And if it's cheensy about this,
the most disappointment to come out of the whole ninety
four program, and unfortunately the whole Super League thing got in.
Speaker 5 (44:05):
The way of this.
Speaker 1 (44:06):
We were meant to play Wigan in the World Club Challenge.
That was meant that was supposed to happen in nineteen
ninety five. It was scheduled to play at Bruce Stadium
and obviously Wigan had beat Brisbane the year before in
Brisbane and they and you talk about that Raiders team
that you're involved in them now that your captain off
was stacked. That Wigan side was amazing as well. They
nearly you know, they took you to the war in
the ninety four Kangaroo and blocks like Gary Connolly had
(44:28):
off here and Robinson and the late Vager Twigamala and
Edwards and Phil Clark and Dannis Spitz. They were stacked
and their bench was amazing. That would have been the
ultimate show raided Canberra v Wigan. Unfortunately Ken Arthursen canceled
it because of the whole Super League thing. But there
was rumors that you were going to come back and
play in that game in ninety five.
Speaker 5 (44:49):
Was that true? Yeah, no, that's true.
Speaker 1 (44:51):
You were training to get ready for it.
Speaker 5 (44:53):
Yeah, I would have loved to have played.
Speaker 4 (44:55):
I mean, the thing that they got one of the
things that we played in the World Club in at
the back end of eighty nine.
Speaker 5 (45:02):
But how ridiculous it was that we played in the
Sunday We jumped on the plane.
Speaker 4 (45:05):
On Thursday and to play a Saturday night over and
mid Manchester against Witness. We just blew out of steam,
you know, we you know we will winning at half time,
but doing run out of steam basically. So it would
have been good to play against Wigan with better prep
time basically.
Speaker 5 (45:24):
So yeah, no, I was keen on it.
Speaker 1 (45:27):
But this wasn't ever to be Unfortunately it didn't go down,
and unfortunately that was never to be. That would have
been such a that that would have been thing for
the history books.
Speaker 5 (45:37):
Yeah, it would have been good, but anyway it didn't happen.
Speaker 1 (45:40):
What's the most thing you're looking forward to tomorrow in
the reunion as we finish up.
Speaker 4 (45:45):
I wanted to see the team win, obviously, you know,
so we get a happy Ricky, you know, afterwards it
would be good. That'll be fantastic because then we can
have a great time. I'd have to worry about, you know,
consoling stick. But yeah, I think, you know, with first
things first we want to go to witness a really
good performance by the Raiders and where they they're victorious,
(46:09):
and then after that anything can happen.
Speaker 1 (46:11):
How much now that you're not involved with another organization
anymore that you do, you feel like you can relax
back into the Green again.
Speaker 5 (46:20):
I've always been relaxed back in the Green, you know.
But you workers work, isn't it? You know? So, But
you know, it doesn't mean it doesn't mean I don't I.
Speaker 4 (46:29):
Don't you know, I'm not passion not passionate camera Raiders,
you know, man, I always will be, you know, so,
and everybody that's played the green jersey, Will Will will
say that, you know, so, it's a very special, be
a very special day for all of us, and you know,
be more special if the team.
Speaker 5 (46:46):
Can put in a really good performance.
Speaker 1 (46:48):
Well, now I know you're not You're not be gone
getting the limelight and all the kind of the hohoha
around and stuff. But enjoy every moment of your teammates,
Enjoy every moment of the accolades, get from the mighty
greens of what's down there. You guys deserve it all because.
Speaker 4 (47:04):
I'll be in the corner. Don't worry having a couple
of beers. That's that's made in the dark. Now I'm
happy to that.
Speaker 5 (47:08):
Well.
Speaker 1 (47:09):
Dean Lance coined the phrase after eighty nine, saying that
camera has a soul. By ninety four, Cambra became the
creator and the creative well being for all us fans.
And there was always this therapeutic, therapeuticness of malamn Inger
leading at the Camber Raiders on a Friday night. You
could have had you could have just been through the
worst part of your life. But then you think you
know what things are going to be okay, You kind
(47:30):
of oozed enthusiasm now and talk to always.
Speaker 5 (47:35):
Yeah, thanks, appreciate it.
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