OZZIE , OZZIE , OI, OI, OI...!

Raider Nick chats to 1994 Grand Final hero; Paul Osborne

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good to hear your voice again, OZI, Oh, the.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
Great roader, Nick, You're a living legend my friends.

Speaker 1 (00:06):
How's life mate? Back in the country. Of course, magic round.
We're going to go to a lap of honor around
sun Court of course, Raiders v. Bulldogs. It must be
exciting times coming up.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Yeah, now looking forward to a little bit, Jed Legg
because it's quite a trip from the Northern Hemisphere. But
I'm looking forward to seeing all the boys. Everybody's going apparently,
so it should be a good time.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
Everyone by Johnny Lomax, though unfortunately I'm hearing.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
I'm not sure about Johnny, but obviously a good friend
Q won't be there. His brother was going to come
along Brendon, but he can't make it, so I'm not sure.
I thought Johnny might have been coming. I have to
ring the beginning, so if he comes along, rig the.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
Big unit, mate. Look, let's just start from the beginning.
Of course. Look ninety one salary cap dramas hit the club.
It was a mess for a while where we lost Lazo,
we lost Toddy, we lost all our depth in there.
Tim Sheen's recruits yourself, how did that come about?

Speaker 2 (01:02):
Assi? Well, I was obviously at Saint George at the time,
and I was negotiating with them. They offered me the
next like a three year deal, and when it came
time to sign, they went back a little bit on
their mount And it was around the time that the
Raiders sort of went through all that Sen's he called

(01:23):
me and we had a chat and I was pretty
excited actually, because obviously even though they lost some good players,
there were still some talent Bounnie. So I flew down
and met him in Canberra and signed pretty much on
the spot. So I was quite lucky, quite pleased. I
was a little bit obviously the next the next two

(01:43):
years Saint George made the next two Grand finals, but
I think I thank god they lost. Thank god they lost.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
So Shean's he's very calculated about his decisions and why
he calls people DA. What were some of the words
he said to you in regards to getting you at
the club.

Speaker 2 (02:01):
You want to do in a Grand final? He said
another one to be honest, it was how long ago?
Was it? Nick? Three years ago?

Speaker 1 (02:12):
Because it was a time too where the Raiders were
such a big nursery and Chinsy and Sean mccreley used
to grow their own talent. There's lots of juniors coming through.

Speaker 2 (02:22):
Yeah, there was, and it was a very strong and
stuff I.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
Thought at the club and they cover there, but was
it some experience and also some size and what was it?

Speaker 2 (02:32):
To be honest, it was I've been in Saint George
for seven years and I don't think I played with
a decent halfs combination. I mean there was some decent players,
but not at the level that they had down here.
And I was quite quite excited to be able to
play with Stick and Laurie and Clydie was still here
and Steve Walters was the hooker obviously, and the backs

(02:54):
are still at Maul and I think Badgers full back
at the time. And there's a lot of good young
kids coming through, lot Mellows and and Toots and David
Boyle and guys like that. So there was obviously they
lost some talent. They lost some of the guys like
David Barnhill and Nigel Gaffey and players like that that

(03:16):
weren't internationals, but that's good, solid first graders and they left,
but they still, you know, they had a lot of
kids coming through, so I was pretty excited to be
able to come down and play obviously with that quality,
and they retained the big five obviously in the guys
that I mentioned. So it was just, you know, it's

(03:38):
just an opportunity too good. And ninety two was a
tough year for us, obviously, even tougher. As I said,
George made their grandfather. But the thing is.

Speaker 1 (03:50):
About that about Ossie. Remember we played all the Raiders,
played the Dragons in the last round of ninety one
to Cement to conquer ite it. I think it was
a top three back then. And did you play that
game at Bruce last game was?

Speaker 2 (04:05):
I think it was ninety wasn't it? Ninety was the start?
Ninety was the start.

Speaker 1 (04:10):
Ninety was like the first money was the opening.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
First time a Bruce stadium. Yeah, we were actually I
was Saint George and I was captain. Actually we scored first,
but I think we lost forty two fours.

Speaker 1 (04:21):
It was. It's interesting how you're involved in some of
the moments there. Obviously that was the first game with Bruce,
and then.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
When when you go into the facility of Brandon, I
obviously got in the dressing room. They have quite a
lot of photos up around the wall, and I mean
there won in Raiders Kid, But there's also a fat
of me when I was playing at Saint George. I
think I'm by it.

Speaker 1 (04:45):
Yes, that time was popping up and that footage keeps
popping out, But we'll get back to that. There's a
really cool piece of segue there in that first game
with the Raiders, Bruce that you were part of. I
was captaining the Red be there, but obviously leaving a
club that you went through there through. What was it
like coming Can you remember your first time hitting canbra Yeah,

(05:07):
it was funny.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
I flew down actually, and Stick and I didn't get
on really at the time, and we didn't like each other.
And at the time, the officers for the Raiders was
underneath Queenband League Club just on the on the river
bank there, and that's where Tim was in. I met him,
I went spoke to him and Ricky was working for
the club at the time, and he left him be
Stick and there's just like comfortable, uncomfortable silence going him.

(05:34):
That's all both thinking. We laugh about it now. I
don't like him still, but we get on. But so
that was my first thing. I'd flown down quite early
and he left me with I think Mullows and Brett
Heatherington were there. They were they might have been living
at the TAJ at the time, which was that that

(05:55):
place over at Seaford over there. And the training was
at five and it was like one o'clock or something,
and Tim said to the board and there are any
kids at the time, can you take take him and
show marines. They took me at the Kippacks tavern, I think,
which is obviously the other side of town. I think
we had about ten schooners each Friday. I was driving

(06:18):
before training. You know, they could knock him down those
two either on.

Speaker 1 (06:22):
Nothing changed there.

Speaker 2 (06:24):
It was hilarious. It was hilarious. Unfortunately I had to
get on the scales as well, so it wasn't pretty
as a result. But that was my introduction, I think
to the first training session. I was still I was
still in the coppsite, New Town at the time, so
I was sort of flying back and forth, wow and
back and back in those days. Well, he didn't train.
Training didn't really start until January, I think full time

(06:46):
training back then whenever it was. And so we moved
down here just after Christmas. Came down to a few
training sessions pretty Christmas bot Hyder was living up in
Penis at the time and was traveling back four so
I'd go out and train with him. Wow, out in
the western part of Sydney and some dog track in

(07:07):
the middle of nowhere was stinking hot.

Speaker 1 (07:10):
Interesting because back then, because it was only it was
not professional yet, so he only needed to train twice
a week.

Speaker 2 (07:16):
Yeah, they said two or three times a week. But
you know, obviously I didn't get much of an off season,
so I'd have a week off and then have to
start training again. It wasn't exactly the fittest bloke in
the world.

Speaker 1 (07:27):
So his was moved back to Penrith.

Speaker 2 (07:29):
Did Henley I think the first year I think that
he was down, but I think Karen lived up there.
Still he had quite a he's on acreage, I think,
just sometimes some just out of Penrith. So I'd go
and train with him.

Speaker 1 (07:45):
Yeah, that was wow, Seines.

Speaker 2 (07:47):
He just knows that nice and hot in the western
suburb of Sydney in the summer.

Speaker 1 (07:52):
Ready tell you is that actually played Penrith in round
one in ninety two. That was a Grand Final replay.
You got the w downey in a tough game. What
was what was it like running out? So you come
from the Dragons and this is this is the ironic part.
You come from the Dragons where you're missing the finals
in the last few seasons, and then you come to
the Raiders, which was stacked, stacked, stacked. You mentioned camera, camera,

(08:14):
and then you play like Panters. So you're involved in
a Grand final replay in round one, so it's just
you get straight through, you get thrown back into the
deep end.

Speaker 2 (08:22):
I think for memory, didn't we Yeah, you knocked.

Speaker 1 (08:24):
Them off in a tight one? What was it? Remember
the standard like going to training with those all those
internationals and Tim Sheen's, Bobby McCrae, all these innovation.

Speaker 2 (08:33):
Uh. I think the thing that I do remember most
was that it was quite There's obviously a lot of
banter amongst the boys. Box in particular, it was hilarious
and stick and and you know there's a lot of
there's a lot of chat chatter here and there. But

(08:53):
when training started ball work in particular, they just switched on.
You know, it's just like completely different level. And that
was what I noticed. The difference was just the professionalism
in the way that those guys just said, okay, you
know we muck around. We can do this, we can
do that. Bangot, we're switched on now and they were
switched on. But ninety two was a difficult year because,

(09:16):
as you said, I'd come here to play on a
successful side and we missed out on the Semis. I
don't know where we finished up. We had a lot
of injuries. I think Clydie was out for bid and
Laws was out and so George obviously made the Semis
and went on to the Grand Final. So it was
funny because we're at we're at a pub. I think
when we were in the Kingston Hotel or something watching

(09:36):
the Grand Final, the whole the first grade side and
Stick said to me, what's wrong, Fats, And I said,
what do you think you know I'll come here. He said, yeah,
well there any difference between both clubs. As you know,
I had nothing to give back.

Speaker 1 (09:58):
And then the next year all around the Black Clube.
Phil Blake was with us at the time, and then
he goes back to Saint George as well, and then.

Speaker 2 (10:04):
Yeah Blake, he was he there in ninety two.

Speaker 1 (10:06):
He was in there ninety two that year here I
think George Machines he got in for coverage as well,
because Laurie and Ricky that groin problem and.

Speaker 2 (10:14):
Ninety three we should have won the camp.

Speaker 1 (10:16):
Really, what was that like now knowing that Okay ninety
two was the ultimate revealed ninety three cheens? He comes
back from a plane from Pacific with all those Polynesians,
as we mentioned, your Wikis and r Drukus, all those
guys Q all them, and then you know your Westley's
and all that coverage, and all of a sudden the
Raiders are lapping the top five teams a bit, the
Broncos twice that What was it like for yourself knowing

(10:38):
that you're in Okay the machine started starting to really
fire now and could end up on Grand Final Day.

Speaker 2 (10:43):
Yeah, it was pretty it was. It was great. It
was good fun because you know what I realized then
was that we could be behind with ten minutes ago
fifteen minutes a game I'd always win, you know, they
just switched on. But we really it was a really
good side. And I don't think Roubes played much that

(11:04):
year because he was a bit too young, but obviously
Johnny was in in Q and I think know we
played there. Yeah, but it was really solid and as
you said, we beat the boncos. I think before Ricky
did his ankle, we beat he beat them on a

(11:26):
Friday night down here.

Speaker 1 (11:27):
And you had a blind on and you scored that
match try.

Speaker 2 (11:30):
Corner scored a try, one of my many tries, and
we were on fire. The following week we played Cronulla,
I think from memory, I hurt my shoulder actually, and
and I missed the following week which is the Paramatta game,
and obviously was in the box halfway when Stick did

(11:51):
his ankle and that was the end of the season
for us. So that was it was a little surreal
at the time and even back on it, it was
just like didn't win another game because I mean it
was sixty were killed with the score was massive when against.

Speaker 1 (12:07):
Paramount Record School sixty I can't remember.

Speaker 2 (12:10):
Yeah, anyway, and Stick did his ankle, dislocated and broke it,
and I was in the shed when Charles House put
it back in pretty ugly, and so.

Speaker 1 (12:21):
You went down in the box out of concern.

Speaker 2 (12:23):
Yeah, well, you know, I just it was I think
before it was redeveloped, so you could sort of come
out of those boxes and you go straight into the
shed and they carried him off and he was in
a lot of pain, obviously, and it was still dislocated,
and it was I think I think his dad might
have been in there by this point, and I'm not

(12:45):
sure if Heizil Bomba was in there. I think it
might have been Brian. I was in there with him
and Charles's house. It was very few of us, and
I remember Charles didn't say anything that cut his beat
off and just went click, just clicked it back in.
Didn't give him any notice. I didn't give me notes
and he screamed. And but he, you know, did a

(13:08):
great job, really, but unfortunately, yeah, obviously have surgery and
he's got but there was some concern he mightn't play,
it was so bad. And but you know, luckily for
him for the club, he was back on deck next
year and the rest is history. But they were really,

(13:29):
we really were on a roll leading to the Sami's up.

Speaker 1 (13:32):
Until absolutely you beat everyone in the top five by
twenty plus. I remember you actually beat the Dragons, your
former club in Adelaide, thirty to two, you know, and
they were actually, you know, they were flying high as well.
So we're just far ahead of everyone. And I remember
we played Manly. Manly used to always have the wood onness.
So we played him at home and he's always get
us at Canberra, but we put thirty on them as well.

(13:53):
One afternoon we're just flying high.

Speaker 2 (13:56):
There was it was. It was great fun. I enjoyed it. Actually,
when you lose, Ricky is such an integral part of
that team. Really.

Speaker 1 (14:04):
I remember the paper the next out the Telly was
front and back page of that ankle, and it was
just and then I just I can't imagine what went
around the.

Speaker 2 (14:12):
Club memories Maine. We lost and Sir George George should
have won the Grand final really, so I was quite
pleased they didn't.

Speaker 1 (14:21):
Just quietly we dodged a board there. Ninety four rolls around.
Ricky has a good off season and he's get into
ninety four and then start the season and then he
ended up playing reserve grade.

Speaker 2 (14:33):
What happened there was he I break my foot. I
think it was about around eleven or twelve. I actually
started the year. I was really fit because I knew
there was going to be pressure on for spots and
I broke my toe and I missed three or four games.
Came back a little bit early. I'm not sure it

(14:54):
was against but still wasn't right, and I couldn't because
I couldn't run because of my toe. I wasn't sort
of super fit, and you know then I just couldn't
get picked into the team for the last six or
seven games of the year, and I went and gains
by forty points. I was the only person on the
sideline hoping they'd lose, aside Buddy Windn't you know, I

(15:19):
can't watch this.

Speaker 1 (15:20):
They were just on fire. And we get to the
situation where we just start lapping teams. We get to
the end of the season.

Speaker 2 (15:29):
We beat North twice teams mostly I think we look
we started the year on pretty much where we picked
up before Ricky got injured.

Speaker 1 (15:38):
It was a really there was a there was a game.
I spoke to Sheen's about this a few weeks ago,
and I remember, obviously what happened in ninety three. We
just missed Ricky's leadership in the way that he's just
that the true wizard. We missed it. He's missed it,
and he's all say it, and Ricky humble, he says, Okay,
Trevors schedel on Staniu winning, but they went the half
they trained all year. Whereas you guys said no, we
missed Ricky, but sechines he would have had to go

(16:00):
away and thinking okay, how do we win without Ricky
because we need just in case he goes down again.
And remember there was a game, there was a critical
game in ninety four. We played that Manly team again
that could always just to get us Cliffy Lions and
Tubs just to always pull their socks up against us.
We're playing Manly, no Ricky, Na Laurie, no half. So
had Stonia and tutz Kroker play. It was I think

(16:20):
the first time Seensy put Toots at six Stony at seven.
Tutsi gets sent off with possession of the ball accidentally
elbowing two. So we're down to twelve men and we
beat them by thirty again and I remember all everyone
walked away out of Bruce thinking, okay, we've finally found
out how to beat teams and win without Ricky And
that was a huge stepping stone forward to win a premiership.

(16:42):
That was a huge turn.

Speaker 2 (16:44):
Yeah. The thing I remember a lot about ninety three
in particular was that we lost a lot of the
guys were playing red footy and Stick didn't get picked
for Nis Sir Wills from memory, I think, so he
was part of it and would often step into five
eight and he was just a revelation really because he

(17:04):
was a winger. Originally when I first went down there,
he was playing on the wing, and then he moved
into five eight and obviously ended up in the forward pack.
But Toots was just you could put him anywhere. Really.
You had guys like Piggy Boyle and guys that could
come in but full of eye, yeah, Albert, and just
different guys like that that would you know, slot in

(17:26):
for guys that were away on Rep duty. But Sticky
was there. I'm not sure who took his place in
the L side in ninety three, but I remember we
played team we played Little Warra and we played a
couple other teams with everybody out, like all the REP
guys out, and stick was there and he smacked them really,
and you know, it was the lead up to ninety four.

(17:46):
Were those those young kids got some experience. Mulow's was
playing on the wing I think or center at the time,
and the Badge retired at the end of ninety three.
Goy Belcher and Mulows went back to full back and
Kenny Nagas had a few Kenny Aegas came as well,
don't forget you know, I had the flash. So a
lot of those young kids sort of stepped up, and

(18:09):
I was really very fan. Yeah yeah, So you know,
it was just there's just so much talent there and
and you obviously had those key guys in those key positions,
and then you had these young kids coming through, so
it was just, you know, it's just a good time.
Could fund it fun to.

Speaker 1 (18:30):
Be part of ninety four. That same year too, you
made your debut on on Logo Award winning television. Of course,
did the whole show about a couple of years ago.
Because League round up it was Cray.

Speaker 2 (18:42):
Was smaller, but it wasn't he on this podcast feel small?
He's He's Nellie as you noticed in the message, and
then he brushed today because I'm having an immediate man
with that.

Speaker 1 (18:56):
Smaller small extends his best wishes. Did this very smaller?

Speaker 2 (19:00):
It was?

Speaker 1 (19:01):
It was unreal like that would have been such a
great thing because without embarrassing you, you're a natural natural Panels.

Speaker 2 (19:07):
It was a terrible show. What are you talking about?

Speaker 1 (19:11):
You did well?

Speaker 2 (19:14):
Why did I thought it started? Ninety five started ninety four.

Speaker 1 (19:17):
Starting It was been around for a while, but that
version it was obviously it was a you know, like
a provisional market of Illawarra and Canbra. It's Elvis used
to do with both of them, and then obviously restarted
thinking started we could probably they could probably just fund
it on their own, so we did.

Speaker 2 (19:35):
Because it was I've got a good air for radio,
I haven't got one for TV.

Speaker 1 (19:40):
So you also did some stuff on some stints on
radio as well.

Speaker 2 (19:45):
Yeah, one a four point seven and that was good fun.

Speaker 1 (19:48):
So what was it about the media though? Because of
your personality just started to come forward and that you're
a very comfortable doing media. Did you Did you enjoy
the media?

Speaker 2 (19:56):
I think I think because I had so many kids,
I just wanted an excuse to get out of the
house to talk a bit more. It was good, It
was good fun. I think Badge was on the radio
in ninety three and he'd sort of give me, he'd
get me to come on and he carved me out.

(20:17):
You know, I had a crackative about something one know,
and then he on radio sort of hit back and said,
you know, we've got raiders of an option this weekend.
We're auctioning and a Malmaininger's Austrange, Jersey, Ricky Shorts state
of origin Jersey, Paul Osborne state of origin Jersey. He
went up. Hang on, he hasn't got one of them learned.

(20:37):
I learned very early on not to not to ridicule
some blocks, and Badge was one of them. But it
was good fun. I mean, the thing I noticed about
Camber was one thing down. It's very during my time. Look,
Sir George is a big club obviously, but you'd rarely
have TV there, whereas he'd have Smally and Chapo and

(21:01):
Lynchy from Prime and pretty much every training session and
Timmy Gabor was there from the ABC, and it was
just a lot of coverage, a lot of media. So
it's different living in a one team town as opposed
to being in Sydney with how many clubs are.

Speaker 1 (21:18):
And also too Saint George you mentioned a huge club.
You know, so much tradition there and you know some
big board members and fans and not so much in
the nineties it wasn't It was probably less scrutinized, but
there was pressure to play for such a powerhouse club,
you know. I mean, one of the Jewsys was on
the trophy, you know, with non proven there and like
Johnny Rapel played. It was their pressure playing for the

(21:38):
for the Dragons and obviously coming to Canberra one team
town loved. And then there's you become friends with the
media people and they just look after in the media
and you become the media like you did.

Speaker 2 (21:49):
Yeah, yeah, I really enjoyed the time. So Georgia. I
went there from school and I went there in eighty five.
We played under twenty three as we won the final.
We only lost two or three games. They used to
have the club championship, you.

Speaker 1 (22:04):
Know, where they were three great.

Speaker 2 (22:07):
Reserve grade bat canber in the grand final we made
all three grades and Saint George lost seven to six
in first grade and there was just a strong club
Yead and back in those days you had you know,
you had serial reserve grade guys that were just happy
to play for the for a club and place reserve
grade was solid back up you they could play the

(22:29):
old game in first grade, but they just you know,
it was a really strong club. And it was interesting
because that first year we were so strong across the
board and then they lost the first grade grand final
and then didn't make the Semis again for the next
six years I was there, so you know, it's sort
of unwrapped a little bit, but a really strong club.

(22:49):
I get pulled up now even I lived in Hong
Kong four will as you know, and when we moved
back to Australia, we lived in the Shire and I
got pulled up. I got a lot of people come
up and talk to me about George more than anything else.
So it's really obviously a famous club, a lot of
support base and you know a lot of people support it,

(23:11):
so it was a big club, but didn't have the
success whereas in Canberra. We came down here and it
didn't have massive fan base other than in Canberra and
everybody knew who you were on television you're near the journey,
so it was you know, it was a different type
of environment from the one I've been used to, but
I enjoyed it obviously.

Speaker 1 (23:31):
But it seemed to suit you in that time of
your life because you just you just became Canbra like
you became such a can and Ricky paor Sticky and Donnie.
They have problems with the Sydney Siders coming to Canberra,
and you know, galvanit caramelizing into like they're buying into
the culture. But there's still like a Sydney Sider living
in Canberra and then they go home on every break

(23:52):
and then they leave once they're finished. But you just
became Canberra.

Speaker 2 (23:57):
Please. It chased me out of down then, But I
think it was different back then, Like you people wanted
to come and play Canbra because of the success. And
I think you're obviously competing now with different places. You
can go to Townsville or you can go to Melbourne
and go to Auckland. It was different. It's different now

(24:18):
as compared to what it was like thirty years ago.

Speaker 1 (24:21):
Was the ever talking about the cold though, like how
it is today and how Cambra's like hasn't got much
life and whatnot. It didn't seem to have that this is.

Speaker 2 (24:29):
Where, this is where. This is a sneaky bit. They
bring you down in the summer, right. I came down
and had a look around and I moved to Isaac's.
When I first moved down in the summer, that's Isaac's
a great spot. But in the winter I didn't get
the sun. And then you train it were trained to
see if for aval back in those days, and the

(24:51):
ducks used to come in overnight and shit everywhere. I
had to say that, and you train drills and covered
in Dutch shit. So it was freezing. And it was
there that I learned to where you put your socks
on it and you put a plastic bag over your
feet and then put your boot on because it was
so cold and they get wet and it was just miserable.

(25:15):
But conversely, Sites hated playing there in the winter. It
used to be funny. We'd run out and we'd be okay,
and we'd look and they don't want to be here,
and we win by forty points. So even like a
Sunday game as cold in the middle of winter, and
you could tell Sites did not want to be there.
And I hi myself. When I was a Saint George,

(25:36):
I didn't play many games down here against Cambro. I
missed that one you asked me about earlier. I didn't
play in that game and I was out injured, I think,
But I remember coming down it was so cold, played
Seaford Oval and it was just freezing. You couldn't wait
to get out of here. And that's what I realized,
what I noticed when I was playing for the raisor
is you get ac climatize to get used to the cold.

(25:57):
And you could tell when the clubs didn't want to
be their teams didn't want be there.

Speaker 1 (26:01):
You had teams beaten before they got off the bus
because the cold beat them. Other nature was on that
was wearing a green jumper every night. That's a good
time because there we're huge schools against some of those
top sides that you want to be.

Speaker 2 (26:15):
That was the other thing I noticed is.

Speaker 1 (26:16):
Twenty man ninety many the other ones that'll compete because
of Bose would have a good game plan.

Speaker 2 (26:20):
You know. Yeah. But the thing i'd see. Other thing
I noticed a look my time as George played first
grade for five or six years, and the biggest win
i'd had there was, you know, bout twenty points or something,
whereas here you'd pack on forty Mlow's that go great.
You know, they just run length of the field laws
and you know Kenny and those packs, these young kids,

(26:43):
they run you thing right, get down and you know
we'd try, try, try, try, and you know it'll be close.
And then they just turned on the only time I
wasn't I remember, and I think it might have been
ninety three. We played the Tigers and we're leading to thirty.
We'll leave ten right with about ten go. And that
was when they were playing you know basketball. I think

(27:05):
Alan James was coaching at the time. The structure it
was just like touch football and they just kept going
price and fortunately the clock run out because if it
kept going, I've been thirty two.

Speaker 1 (27:15):
All I think I remember that because I got a
number that loves the Tigers and Lauren Nicholes going can't
seek with his yeah team Brasher kicked it from the
sideline to square it up at thirty two or I remember.

Speaker 2 (27:26):
Yeah, And I do remember it was the one time
change you just lost his ship. Shit. And I think
it might have been the week like it was a
week or two before that Broncos game we talked about earlier,
so I was late in the season. It was just
one of those games, you know.

Speaker 1 (27:41):
But what he changes? Can you remember some of the.

Speaker 2 (27:47):
No, but he was it wasn't the forwards. Actually he
was dirty on the backs. It's just surprising. So they
got the big spray. But I remember thinking at the time,
I can't we can't stop this. What's going on? What's
this is what I feel like, I just couldn't couldn't
stop him.

Speaker 1 (28:07):
One of those moments there. But obviously probably edg your
mind on the Broncos and you knock them off in there.
Probably okay, mate ninety four. Can you remember watching that prelium,
the qualifying fall against Norse Inny and Johnny Lomax gets
sent off because by then he was blooding Dave Wesley
and Hesro and they were part of that rotation. The

(28:29):
prop rotation back then it was. It wasn't as crucial
and game plan he has it is in the modern time.
But back then, because you were ready to go overseas,
weren't you.

Speaker 2 (28:39):
Yeah, I'd gone, I'd sign a contrail. I can't remember
where I was going. I might have been to Warrington
or Sad. I can't remember I was going. I played
the last six or seven games in Reggie's I think
reserve grade, and I signed a contract to go to season.
The first week of the semis, I think Q had

(29:01):
got injured and they asked me to stay an extra week,
and then I stayed I think the next weekday the
second game was the one that Johnny got sent off,
and I was at home watching it and I went, oh,
it's interesting, and I think I was flying out the

(29:21):
next day and I think, I'm not sure if I
think Brian to call me back on the on the
on the landline, because that maybile was back in those days,
and said, oh, look, we think we think you got
it off, but can you wait. And so I contacted
whoever it was. I think Steve Martin was the coach.

(29:44):
I'm not sure where it was, and he was pretty
dirty because I had already delayed by a week. Anyway,
I made the decision to stay. And the hearing for
Johnny was on the Wednesday, Grand final week and he
got one week and they appeeled it and they didn't
have the appeal until the Friday. And you know they

(30:07):
we obviously trained during the week and there'd been some
ball sessions and.

Speaker 1 (30:11):
So trained obviously trained with the first grade squad.

Speaker 2 (30:14):
Yeah, I'd been training with them all along, but I hadn't.
I didn't get the game. And so I trained and
I had a ball session, I think Heather I had
a ball session and Johnny had a ball session on
the Thursday, because back in those days you trained Tuesday, Thursday,
Saturday morning. And then they had the thing on the Friday.
On the Friday, and I still didn't know I was

(30:34):
playing night when when Johnny got suspended, and we didn't
find out till the next morning. We're at at Bruce
at the stadium and we had our Saturday session, and
you know, the five guns walked out of the meeting
with Tim. They all looked miserable because he told me
you was starting me, and he just so it was

(30:57):
right on the wis to sit well. On the Saturday
morning for the ball session, we sit down and do
the game plan. So Tim starts righting on the boarding,
turned around, he said, you know, she's going to play
tomorrow and then and that's how I found out. Didn't
tell me personally, just told the whole team. So it's
a bit of a shock. You know, that was quite

(31:20):
It's quite a pleasant shock, obviously, but I think I'm
nervous about what if, what if my stuff? What if
I lose?

Speaker 1 (31:27):
But you had every right to think like that, honestly,
because you finished in reserve grade and obviously you know
right and West Wesley. It's just it was just such
a shock to everyone and it can't you came in
and I think Sticky says quite quite comically how they
were trying to what do you think?

Speaker 2 (31:46):
You know?

Speaker 1 (31:46):
They were saying, what's wrong with you? Scenes? You like
they thought something was scenes gonna bump on the head
on the way out something.

Speaker 2 (31:53):
Well, actually, because you text me that I was the
last misses I've got for you missed that podcast a
couple of years ago when I ended up getting on
the drink with Stick Remember that night, Yes, I do. Anyway,
we're talking about a few times we talked about it,
and he says, oh you know so, Yeah, I said

(32:15):
you didn't want me, said I didn't want your fat
None of us did. He said, so, But I mean
every ride I wouldn't want to me either. I wouldn't
have picked me.

Speaker 1 (32:28):
Did did Zy talk to you about what his expectation
was and the reason behind it and what your assignment was?

Speaker 2 (32:35):
Yeah, he just he said, if we're playing the Bronco as,
you'd be the last bloke I picked because the game
would be too fast, he said, but you know they
had they had a bigger pack and a slow pack
and so, and he wanted to exploit the short side.
So he changed the game plan a little bit to
create a short side for me because they'd been playing

(32:57):
the fifty, which basically meant you're head in the middle
of the ground, and then you had Ricky and Laurier
on either side. So then they moved to like a
seventy thirty, so you would, you know, you take the
ball to the you know, two thirds over, and then
I would have the short side and didn't have Ricky
and Laurier and everyone else set out, you know, as
a distraction, so I would obviously work very well. I don't,

(33:20):
let's be honest, I have no idea how it happened,
but you know, it's just just one of those things,
and you know, it was very pleasant to be part of.

Speaker 1 (33:31):
Now the week. Now when you get named, was it
you mentioned your pleasant week?

Speaker 2 (33:35):
Day? I'd like to day.

Speaker 1 (33:37):
But how nervous were you? But you would mean like
that you'd have been shipping yourself.

Speaker 2 (33:40):
I was all right, Actually, I remember the time thinking
I wasn't that I was sort of I was when
he went. I then had to go home and get
my gear and find shorts and get shorts that actually
fit me, Finmars socks, you know, do all that stuff.

(34:01):
And it wasn't until I felt pretty relaxed, to be
perfect we flew up that afternoon. We stayed at the
campany on travel Edge. I remember we went to Na
Name's restaurant about Maine, I think, or somewhere. I'm thinking
it is cool card. I can't remember who I were
in with. But the next morning we got breakfast, went
for a bit of a walk and it wasn't until

(34:21):
we actually got to the ground that had hit me,
because we got the team bus and we drove to
the footy stadium and there was just so many people there.
And the thing that I remember about the football stadium
lot I played it a lot of times, played one
of the first games there when it opened, when I
was in George, and when it was you know, when
you had ten thousand people, that looked empty. It looked

(34:43):
you know. But we walked down the tunnel and it
was pretty full and it just it was just imposing.
Like the stadium when it was full was just imposing.
So that's when I got nervous and I thought, oh,
they make a mistake. But I remember from the kickoff
Matt Bella knocked on. I'm just thinking, don't make a mistake.
Don't make a mistake. Maybe don't touch the football. I

(35:06):
don't do anything, you know, I just didn't want to.
I didn't want to be the reason they lost. I
didn't particularly care if I did anything in particular. I
just wanted to do my job and then get out
of there.

Speaker 1 (35:18):
So the first try, laid on for fer that dummy.

Speaker 2 (35:21):
It was.

Speaker 1 (35:23):
Mate. Something you talk about a higher power. He shone
down on you that day.

Speaker 2 (35:28):
Oh, it was, it was. It was very It was
obviously a very special day for me. I did fortunately,
I think at the time I had malt outside me
and and any decent football team will look up and go,
are we worried about Osborne? Don't we worried about Meninga?
Unfortunately they all looked at maut So. But you know,

(35:52):
it was. It was good. It was good fun. I
enjoyed it.

Speaker 1 (35:55):
The game because you were a short your short sightst
and the gameplay machines just work because he's laid on
the first two tries down a short sight.

Speaker 2 (36:05):
Yeah, it's good fun. It's good fun. Not quite, it
was Kenny. Still the second try with Kenny, he still
had to run like eightys I think, and be two
or three players. But I'm happy to take credit for
it now. It was good.

Speaker 1 (36:21):
I was sorry a big bomber and Sheensey. They always
argued to say that it was Bomber's idea to get
you on there, to start you and then he wanted
you to play the full eighty minutes.

Speaker 2 (36:34):
Yeah, I think I think I believe Shansy more than
my crat, but I don't care. Made the decision, made
quite happy they did.

Speaker 1 (36:45):
It was great because once you're laid on that first
try for and they all went and congratulated, but they
went or congratulated you, and you could see the excitement
and the and the pats on the back you got
from from Mal and Boxing and all of them. That
would have injected so much more confidence than you. You
would have been ready to roll after.

Speaker 2 (37:03):
That, right. Yeah, I remember I stick to in particular
because I love playing Ricky Like it was just a yeah,
I got so much joy out because you just made
you want to play better, and so that was good obviously.
And to be perfectly honest, mate, I think all everybody
that you talk to, all of us, there was just

(37:25):
a special feeling that day we went there on the
bus and everyone was pretty calm and relaxed and just
felt right, you know. I just felt like today was
going to be a good day and and it obviously was.
And we didn't I mean until the kickoff prior Marty

(37:46):
Beller knocked on, but there was never any doubt really
that we weren't going to win and win by plenty,
and we did. And it just it just the way
it worked out. Everybody played very well, everyone played the
best their ability and it worked and it was you know,
it was great fun and everyone you know, a lot

(38:06):
of people talk about that. So I've been one of
the best ever and I think you know, it's because
everybody played so well and it was so dominant in
the Grand Final. It was just a special, special day,
a special special team. And I'm obviously looking forward to
seeing everybody at the game on Friday night.

Speaker 1 (38:25):
Yeah, Laurie and Laurie and he said it recently that
was there was an earness, like a positive eariness. And
then Laurie would say he actually had a moment to
himself when it was that kind of quiet earingess pre
game and he goes, if a few was if all
every single one of us here bring our a grain
which is good enough to beat anyone, And it just happened,
and it just happened like that. But for yourself, they're

(38:47):
putting on just doing the little things, putting on your socks,
your short so just getting ready, preparing. You haven't played
for a couple of months in the top grade and
you're about to run out in a simply the best
Winfield Cup Grand final in front of that packed in.
It's just amazing how you just dealt with your emotions
so well and you just played so on that first
quarter there.

Speaker 2 (39:08):
Well, you know it was a good side mate, you know,
and one of the one of.

Speaker 1 (39:12):
The key position. And you mentioned Marty Beller who was
an origin player, and Broken Shi and Darren Britten, all
those guys were.

Speaker 2 (39:19):
First of all, yeah, I know they were. But it
was a special team. I mean the guys that I
played with, you you just had to do your job,
really and I had a very specific job from Tim,
and you know it was my tenter year grade, so
I've been playing for a long time and that's one
of the things you said to me. You know, your
whole experience and you know you wanted it, so I

(39:41):
knew that that you know, you give your best and
I was fortunate to be playing with in a side
that was just so good. Really, you don't have to
you don't have to do much, just got to sometimes
just turn up and be a part of that part
of the show and worked out for us.

Speaker 1 (40:00):
Of course, it was because it was Mao's last game.
He went on a winning note, and there was a
great little caveat there with yourself and you mentioned the
two years of the dragons, not you know of being
there and you finally get one and you finish on
that note that that would have been that night, I mean,
all that once all the hurrah had finished in the
celebration and finished, and then you had that kind of

(40:20):
time to yourself where you could just kind of process
and smell the roses. What was some of the thoughts
and what was your feeling when when it all kind
of cut quite down.

Speaker 2 (40:30):
I didn't I barely drunk and drank anything after the
game because I just wanted to feel, you know, I'd
won a couple of lower grade grand finals at Saint George,
but there wasn't at this level obviously, and it was
a little I mean, it was just a it was

(40:51):
just a great night really in your flap flow at
the Canberra and the plane got delayed a little bit
and we came in quite late and the reception was unbelievable.
But I just wanted to I just wanted to enjoy it,
you know. I didn't want to write myself off or
I just wanted to enjoy the night. And I did,
you know when you know, I went to bed at

(41:14):
like five in the next morning, I think, But I
just it was just fun to sit back and think,
you know, I did it, and we did it, and
it was wide gone to the club, and you know,
I then sort of decided soon after that, you know,
I wasn't going to go to England. I was just

(41:34):
that I was happy that was enough. Yeah, I just thought,
what a good note to go to go out on. Really,
and here we are thirty years still.

Speaker 1 (41:46):
Talking about it. And the great ironic thing, too is
the little side cavea too is the ninety four Commonwealth Games.
And what was born out of austrain chance was the
ass and then you that became your thing as well.

Speaker 2 (42:02):
And I used to get a bit of that at
this I used to get in trouble off Chamesy because
I'll be waving on the crowd. I think I would
have started ninety three, but yeah, I really had a
good relationship with the supporters, and.

Speaker 1 (42:17):
You did, like I said, you became Cambra and that
was you became Canberra and didn't did someone give you that?
Didn't they you the key? They didn't give it. They
didn't Tuglong give you the key or something.

Speaker 2 (42:25):
I'm the king. I'm still the technically the king at
Tuggingong because there's been none since me.

Speaker 1 (42:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (42:34):
Maybe I live in Sweden now as you know you
did you maybe I'll move back and take over the kingdom.

Speaker 1 (42:42):
You should, mate. You went up a gee. Obviously you're tired.
He played Westbok Con and you played at Westboak Corn
of Warriors. But then your your your role at league
round up went up a gee because you weren't playing.
But he ended up coming back and helping out reserve grade.
I remember that time. How did that come about?

Speaker 2 (42:58):
I had a lot of injuries. I think it was
ninety six. Maybe I didn't want to play first grade
because I just didn't want to tarnish and it wasn't
at peak condition. But belli Ac was a coach at
the time. Yeah, Craig Belly and I had a lot
of injuries and I was playing the local comp so
I just came back and I quite six or seven

(43:20):
games I think in reserve grade. It was just nice
to be part of it, to be honest here, and
there was some young I think there's a couple of
guys playing reserve grade that went on and played a
bit of first grade. So I was quite happy just
to come and help out.

Speaker 1 (43:37):
Yeah, still a very powerful time at the club. Of course,
it was all during all the Super LEAs stuff.

Speaker 2 (43:42):
On the Super League.

Speaker 1 (43:42):
That's right, it's very vocal about Super League.

Speaker 2 (43:46):
Was how do you remember all that stuff? I can't
remember what.

Speaker 1 (43:49):
I've actually seen tapes man recently, great you.

Speaker 2 (43:53):
Got to get a life, mate, you got to get
a life brother.

Speaker 1 (43:55):
Well, the Great, the Great count did go over there.
But Dixon who done was all the Raiders stuff. He
I did a couple of projects internally for the club,
and he gave me boxes of tapes and there were
lots of new snippets and bits of lead ground up
and stuff.

Speaker 2 (44:09):
Especially that super Smallly looks the same as he did.

Speaker 1 (44:12):
He actually looks younger.

Speaker 2 (44:14):
He must get boktops or something, Yeah, you think, I think.
So he dies his.

Speaker 1 (44:19):
Hair, clearly, he's he's looking good.

Speaker 2 (44:22):
He's put some weight on there since he left television,
hasn't he? He's looking great. He's not thirty way, didn't.

Speaker 1 (44:29):
He He's actually he's a big training. He loves the training,
and he's always in. He's always in the.

Speaker 2 (44:36):
Catch. He's always catching fish on.

Speaker 1 (44:38):
Natural tan down the case.

Speaker 2 (44:40):
Does work, he does.

Speaker 1 (44:41):
He's about to finish up. Actually more time you got
down anymore?

Speaker 2 (44:47):
When did I? I saw you at his what was
his birthday? Sixtyeth a couple of years and sixtieth. Yeah,
that last year here before years ago.

Speaker 1 (44:55):
The only person I ever known to m c their
own first did a great job. Of course, the Great
was a bit of a who's who that night. Timmy
Gable was there as well, Great Man, and the old
all Wing television crew, they were all there. Even the
weather man was there. That's all right, mate. Let's get
through the set of six they were sent through. There

(45:16):
was a bunch of questions. I picked out the best
that tell a great story. Let's just get right in.
Donna from Sydney wants to know who was your favorite
teammate or was he wis a club? Let's just say
for the Raiders in your time there, the stick Master,
everyone says Ricky Bellamy says, Ricky Mouse says Ricky Laurie says,

(45:36):
Ricky says, and you know what the great thing about
that is they've all got different reasons why.

Speaker 2 (45:42):
It is your reason why because he made me want
to play all for him, So he made be a
bitter player.

Speaker 1 (45:49):
Really because they'd give you a spray afterwards.

Speaker 2 (45:51):
I don't want to this is it? You might?

Speaker 1 (45:56):
You might, Okay, well, Sticky, because he raised the bar
and made you want to play better. That's a great answer.

Speaker 2 (46:03):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (46:03):
Donad from Sydney, Bobby from Canberra. I mean, okay, who
was your toughest opponent when you get any era? But
let's just keep it at the ratest thing when you're
at the Raiders. Who was the toughest opponent?

Speaker 2 (46:15):
I never I was never quite a fan of playing
David Gillespie or Less Davidson, but I'd say probably Les Davidson.
M M hard. No, he didn't talk. They never talked
those blogs. I just mean hurt you didn't they Less Davidson.

Speaker 1 (46:38):
He Less Davidson.

Speaker 2 (46:40):
He came to Cambra, really he was. He was here
for a pre season. They ended up kind of I think.

Speaker 1 (46:46):
Okay from okay from Sounds. He came to Canberra for
a while.

Speaker 2 (46:49):
It was he was here for a couple of trials. Yeah,
I can't remember, but he definitely was down there. He
was there was some talk coming anyway, move on question
number three.

Speaker 1 (46:57):
Didn't happen Number three? This one miss Shell from Canada,
wants to.

Speaker 2 (47:02):
Know you're making these up.

Speaker 1 (47:04):
No. What was it like being inducted in the Raiders
Hall Fame last year?

Speaker 2 (47:11):
It was? It was one of the highlights of my
football career. It was a very special mic.

Speaker 1 (47:19):
Wonderful because there's some players that could have been there
that aren't going to get probably inducted because it's very
strict procedure, but yourself and you at the club for
a couple of years that it's a huge that's.

Speaker 2 (47:31):
A huge mate. Fifty one games, I think the cuts
fifty there was an honor. Really was it really one
of the honors of my life. Was wonderful. All my
kids are there, My wife came with me from Sweden,
had a great night. You weren't there, Nick, Why weren't
you there?

Speaker 1 (47:48):
I think my mum is seventy f mate that counts.
I had to like. It was controversial week which I
like to forget very controversial, very controversial, and I look
made in ordue respect to mate. Your speech was outstanding, mate,
thank you, very outstanding. Thank you Michelle from Canada. It's

(48:09):
a good one. Question number four besides your family, what
do you miss most about Canberra?

Speaker 2 (48:17):
The people? The people you're quban?

Speaker 1 (48:24):
Does that comp well, that's actually Ian from Queen Bean.
Send that one in.

Speaker 2 (48:29):
Good people and good people in the Camber, queen In area.

Speaker 1 (48:32):
I really loved what you mentioned about the JR. When
you said, this is the JR that I see in
obviously the fire situation when he came and checked out.

Speaker 2 (48:41):
Story mate, that's a great story. Just turned up, didn't
say anything, dropped off generators, some water, a bit diesel,
so you're right and off you went.

Speaker 1 (48:51):
Off you went.

Speaker 2 (48:53):
It's a good man, great man JR.

Speaker 1 (48:56):
I love Jr. Okay, Linda from Brisbane once know how
many times have you watched the ninety four Grand Final
this week? Just in general, like if you could cap it?

Speaker 2 (49:08):
I watched the first fifteen minutes.

Speaker 1 (49:13):
Have you upgraded each generation to the technology obviously the
HS then to DVD and the Blu array out. Do
you have a digital copy something with it on your
phone somewhere.

Speaker 2 (49:22):
I don't know. I know, to be honest, I don't
have it. I don't actually have a copy. But the
Raiders on Instagram or somewhere, they postuff about it all
the time. But you know it's obviously been watched, you know,
on the old occasion.

Speaker 1 (49:39):
It's interesting because Kenny nagas sait On here. When I
spoke to me about it, he says, I've never watched
it back, and if someone puts it on it at
a barbecue, I skip it because he doesn't want to
distort his experience of actually the game and having you
know how if you can watch tape, but just that
becomes your memory posts to the actual the moment. He's
never ruined his moment. And then you ask Fernsy and

(49:59):
then Rube I spoke to, and they've watched the heaps
of times. And Fernsy's quite quite good because he obviously
got the man of the matter Club Church met all
that day, so very easily served. He's watched it a
thousand times. But he goes, when I think of that game,
I still think of the game being there in the moment,
not the tape.

Speaker 2 (50:14):
You know, my greatest memory My greatest memory of it
was I just have this vision in my head of
red and I remember when Fernsi scored that first try
that I dumm eat and it opened up and just
because I was so slow, I couldn't get through and
score myself. But I just remember, because remember this to
paint the d goal red because it was the Windfield Cup.

(50:36):
I just have this vision of red in my head.
That's my That's one physical memory I have as just
seeing red, which is the first try.

Speaker 1 (50:45):
And actually for the Grand Final they painted the whole
goal line Rader post. Yeah, that's an interesting one called
I love this question. Thank you Linda from Brisbane. This
last one. How to wrap it up? This set of six?
Gary from camera? Do you still own that jersey forty
six from Grand First?

Speaker 2 (51:04):
Actually Dennis Carnahan's had it for the last five years. Wow,
I'm having a coffee with him on the next couple
of days to get it back. You still have it.
I'm not sure they're giving us a sign jersey for
this thirty year things, so I don't know whether I'll

(51:25):
stick that up or I'll get I don't have any
I have a picture of that first try which is
quite a long one which is very wide where I
don't know if you see it where the ball I
think I'm passing the border fernsy and mouths in it. Nah,
I'm not sure. Dave obviously himself like a wide angleer

(51:48):
has the clock. So it was two minutes and eleven
seconds I think had gone before we scored the first try.
And there's a big crowd. So I have that picture
up at home, but it's not anywhere prominent more. Wife
hangs it downstairs in the cellar in Sweden. Decay, Ah,
so she I have that up, but I don't know.

(52:11):
I said that I showed her picture. I said, what
are we going to do with this? We're going to
put it up. She wants to put it.

Speaker 1 (52:16):
Up, put it unt next to get the jersey out
there frame next to it. I wonder if it's in
good and I wonder if Dennis has kept it in
good condition.

Speaker 2 (52:23):
He would have. He's a Ratus fan, so he's looked
after it.

Speaker 1 (52:26):
I trust him, all right, I was, mate, that's it, brother,
gone million an hour. But it's been a good one.
And there you go, mate, Thanks for coming on the
show again and all the best. My my pleasure legendary.

Speaker 2 (52:40):
It's always good talking to my friend