#48 | Jamie Humphreys

Hey, what's up guys. Welcome back to the podcast.

This week, we've got a very exciting guest, Jamie Humphrey's former teammate of myself and friend of the podcast. We actually recorded this a couple of weeks ago, prior to him getting injured. We decided to hold it off for a couple of weeks just to sort of let him get through his stuff, and now it's released today.

Really good chat.

Just talk to him about transition to South Sydney and what's it like being a boom youngster sort of coming into first grade and doing such a good job under Wayne Bennett and the South Sydney Rabbit Oz, as well as a little bit of time on his stuff at Manly.

Hope you enjoy it and have a good week.

He picked it up himself and put the hat on.

I wasn't even going to give it to him, we.

Were I'm stolen it. It's mine now.

Yeah, you love it? You love a hat?

You know what?

Weird?

How's your chewing going in that mine? Sorry, you've been the loudest tour said yeah, uh mate. First of all, I'm going to give him a big injury. My humps one of the my humps, my hust black eyed peace. Jamie Humphries today one of the greats, one of the great blokes and playing outstanding for souse at the moment. We played together with the Blacktown Workers, the mighty Blacktown Workers, shout out. Yeah, the hard knocks School of hard Knocks.

We're a lot of you know, I.

Don't want to say he was, you know, he took a lot of stuff from me.

But you were a mentor. You said that before he arrived.

Yeah, mental, Yeah, I was kind of his mentor, Jamie.

You'd probably agree with that absolutely, especially out there at Blacktown Coops. Definitely took me under his wing and show me the ropes. And yeah, very grateful.

To be in the gym, would you say in the gym as well?

Yeah for sure.

Yeah, we're on the m four knock shops around the area. Had it all.

What's let me tell you something like two years ago when we played together. Look, you always had an outstanding rig. The boys would always be so jealous of Jamis. Looking your mirror, yeah, but did set you would have you? How many keys have you put on since then? Because you're you're looking freaking ridiculous At the moment, the physique.

Look, I don't know exactly, but I've definitely put on a little bit of weight, been on the bug for a while.

So career team, yeah, because you always were into the buys and tries.

I remember when you were the first one.

Jamie used to be the first one in the gym and then he do Bears Andrew Berridge, our strengthen conditioner at the time.

Do Bezs's program.

Shout out the Bears.

And everybody be in the spa or the sauna and Chami W'd still be in there just ripping into the bicyc Yeah.

Well, no, it's a good point. You raised, like with Bears, training with him a lot, kind of growing up. He's been with me kind of coaching me throughout all the junior grades. It was pretty funny how like we actually kind of progressed similarly, like we were Sea Ball together and then went up to Flag and then my first pre season was his first pre season NRAL as well. So yeah, it took a lot from Bears And probably the biggest thing was the work ethic he's doing.

He's like strength and conditioning for like Formula one now. Yeah, yeah, he's doing He's training a lot of them, and I said to it because I messaged him the other day and I was like, do they need a lot of strength?

And he was like, he said, mate, it's so.

Like their legs need to be so strong because when the G four, Yeah, they needed like it's like doing leg press.

They lose about tan HuLos in a race eight to tulos just sweat.

Well.

Even the next stuff he was saying is really important for them with like like you said, all the force and everything that's right.

Yeah, yeah, imagine to fit like like we talk about jockeys all the time. Jockey's going to ride, you know, fifty two kilos and well, I mean to be no different form formula, it'll be exactly the same, you know, just you know, having to keep yourself trim all the time wouldn't be a problem for you. Coups. Of course, Jamie, we always kid, We always.

Like you know, yeah, I mean I think so, I don't.

I don't really remember, like looking back, but I always played a lot of sport growing up. I was really big into surf, li saving as a kid, and did athletics and soccer at rugby. I did everything, so I think kind of naturally I'd probably say from my mum, I was always a bit thicker set, especially my legs, so yeah, probably always had a little bit of size growing up.

I bet she'll be staked here. And if I said I got I got thick legs for my mum, she with spoon.

He's the one who tells me that.

For my sister, Cops at some top well doesn't Cop And people say, oh my god, you just look exactly like Andrew and in physique and everything. She just like, no, but we should let people know, Like Jamie, you are about fourth generation footballer. Yeah, you know, your grandfather ran the game, your Stephen was celed a number of clubs. So mate, you've been around it your whole life.

Yeah, I have. Ever since I can remember. Really, I've been around footy.

Like my brother and I used to wallwork at the Tigers when Dad was there, so that was in that era of Benji and Robbie when they were they were killing it there. So yeah, as early as I can remember, I've always been involved in footy and Pop and Dad were always at all my games. And yeah, my grandma's probably my biggest fan as well, so.

They always are.

Did you ballboy when they won the comp two thousand and five. You would have been pretty young now.

I was I think two years old, so yeah, that would have been pretty tough. Yeah.

No, it was from probably eight to twenty eleven. Oh yeah, that was a really good side. And Benji was at the peak of his powers at the time. And I

So once a continuous call when it first started, like me and Andrew on the cusp of first grade and I'm doing a thing on the Newcastle Nights saying, oh, you know, they're struggling at the moment there, you know, you know what, I don't know what the answer is. Needs to hear this person ring up and go oh hello, how are you going? They go, hello, how are you? Oh yeah, I'm a big night supporter. I just you know,

Really, what giving you as a plug?

Yeah?

I didn't say that she was an alias and I got I rang and said, were you just on the continuous call? She goes, oh, you know, just giving you a bit of support.

That's that's low.

We were just saying out in the living room, Jamie, you moved to South Sydney and you started your congratulations like run us through the first impressions of South.

Yeah.

So obviously I've been at Manly for a long time and kind of probably never really expected to move, especially kind of at this stage, but it was something that came about kind of midway through last year. An opportunity came up there and it was something that kind of humbled me, like a club, like the house was showing interest and there's something I'm kind of really happy I did.

At the moment, Well, Jeremie, you hit the jackpot in the fact that you've landed a club which is a great club. I mean, Manly's a great club. South Sydney has will so much history, great supporters. But you landed at a club with a great Wayne Bennett as a young player when you signed at Souse. Was he already there to get Was he down to go the next the following season?

It was kind of right at that time when that was all happening, And to be honest, it was confirmed right before I signed, and that was kind of the thing that.

Tipped me over the edge for sure.

It was such an exciting prospect for me. Obviously, I'd never met Wayne before that, and I didn't really have too much to do with him before I signed there. He was still working at the Dolphins at the time, but it was definitely something that really excited.

When was the first time you met him? When when was you didn't meet him? Because he wasn't there, like the first few weeks of preseason either, right, So he didn't meet him until what three weeks into.

Preseason it would have I think he started early December, so it would have been three or four weeks into preseason at that point. I just remember him walking in the building and everyone just went completely silent. You just see him walking around, and I heard a few of the boys saying he doesn't like shaking hands.

So Jackson's the same thing.

I wasn't sure what to do, and he come up to me straight away, and like I made eye contacted him, and I was so nervous and he stuck his hand out to shake my hand, and I was like, Okay, at least I didn't have that awkward.

Counter it pulls it away, pulls it away last minute. Yeah, I love.

The boys used to say all the time that they like try to get him. It's like one handshaker day or something, right, Like, I.

Think I've shaken his hand maybe once or twice since I've met him.

So it's so.

It's just in general he actually said that, like like when we first when he first started, he kind of got everyone together and laid the platform of what he wanted for the preseason, and one of the things he said was, boys, don't shake my hand every day.

It's going to have It's not one thing to say before we go on about Wayne, I want to ask you that because you're going at SOUS. You arrive at SOUSE on your first day, which to explain to people walking into a new dressing rooms like walking to a new school. Yeah, but you've got Cody Walker, you're Jack White, and you've got Latrell Mitchell, all those really Cam Murray at the time, all these big personalities. How did you feel and what was your plan for day one?

Or to be honest, I was extremely nervous, Like I was. I prepared myself as best I could in the off season. I always try and I trained pretty hard and prepare myself as best I can.

But I can't lie. I was extremely nervous.

But to be honest, the first impression I had of all those guys that you just mentioned was like they were so welcoming and just really nice guys. It's the same but mainly like those those big dogs.

Yeah, really like they've.

Got so much time for young guys coming through, which I felt coming through the grays there, and it was exactly the same as.

Us now Jamie. The next big test, Like you walk into the dressing room okay, and you're feeling your way. The next thing you want to do is you want it. You want to actually build a positive image of yourself. You want them to look at you and go, yep, he's worthy. Tell me about the first fitness session. What was all the first test? What did you do, because that's the next step.

Look to be honest, it was a complete nightmare for me actually, so I, like I said, I tried to prepare myself as best I could, and in fact I probably overdid it a little bit. So me coming into that first day preseason, I actually had a bit of a niggle in my achilles, which was obviously not what you want kind of in the back of your head going into it.

But yeah, we had the fitness test and as I got.

Out on the field he had the one point too, and did my best in that got a really good score, but straight away I was feeling that achilles. Anyway, I got through the session and just got absolutely flogged the whole time, as you'd imagine kind of going in early preseason, and then I remember I got through it all, come off the field, and this this feeling in my achilles wouldn't go away and it actually ended up keeping me out up until Christmas, as I did just saying it

Who is when you talk about fitness, who's because every club's got like a fitness freak and you at Mainly you were winning a lot of the fitness theres Ribbon Garrick's another one who was winning there at SEUs. Your first impression like who was someone that you trained with and you were like.

This guy's a freak.

Yeah, well I think me.

I actually started a week later than most of the boys because mainly went quite far last year in the in the finals, so a lot of those boys weren't actually doing the testing with me. I was kind of doing it by myself and with a few of the other young guys coming through. But since I joined back in with the boys, Tyrone Monro was actually extremely fit, right, like really like clean runner, like just glides to be honest, like really really cool and he's definitely up there in the fitness there.

I saw him interview the other day. She's class act.

Yeah, it seems like it's on three sixty or something.

Yeah, he was really really good so that. But I mean, Jamie, you said you probably went too hard their first training session. But first impressions are so important because, as you know, a new bloke walks into the club, then you're ready for one point two kilometer time trial, which is a nightmare, and all of a sudden, I can't train boys, you know, they're like, oh, here we go.

Yeah, I was wigging out, Like I genuinely was like I knew I was going to a new club and I wanted to make that impression. Like you said, I know how important first impressions are, so my head was falling off. To be honest, I was like I could feel it as soon as I started. I was like, no, I can't stop. I can't stop, And that probably made it worse. But it's funny, like, as I said, my

As you need.

It's going to take time, Like it's not something you can just do and fix and get back out there. And obviously for me coming there, it was really important for me to be out on the field.

As much as I could, or that's what I thought.

But after that one conversation with Wayne, he just put all the pressure off and just straight away made me feel so calm.

Well, Jamie, with your first heading for your first full year in first grade, that limited preseason or you know, from Christmas, I think I'll put you in good stead. I mean, you're obviously really fit. But I see Blakes all the time. By the time they get mid season, they've completely burned themselves out. So I think Wayne would have been aware of.

That one percent.

And like I said, he's just like I wasn't actually progressing through much to the rehabit at the time. I think again, it probably was guilty of trying to do too much. And as soon as he said that to me, that's kind of when I turned the corner and I actually kind of probably started progressing, which helped me get back out on the field. Straight after Christmas and then

Did you do the Army camp?

Yeah, we did.

We did.

It was that was just before Christmas, and that's kind of that was where I wanted to get to. I wanted to be able to do that. And that's what Wayne said to me as well. He's like, look, I don't care like if you're not on the field, I just want you to get ready for that, Like I want you as you know, like getting around the boys and doing stuff like that. That's where you build that connection with the ways. And yeah, we did that just

Oh, the Institute a sport.

Yeah, yeah, whether the rowers are preparing for the Olympics there. So we actually did a like three days training with them, which was pretty brutal and we got fogged.

On top of that as well.

Back to the future for Wayne, because the Raiders were ahead of everybody else. Wayne went there a nine eighty seven as co coach and I think they started then at the Institute of Sport just opened up and that's where the Raiders used to used to train. They had about five six years jump on everyone else as far as powerlifting and everything to play against them was it was a nightmare. They could actually people like melmurn England, they could pull you apart. It was. It was terrifying.

Did you do like, obviously that sounds a bit different to the army style. Did they do like a man of the camp for that?

Well, firstly, it was extremely different, like it was run by army guys, which was like, you know what they're like, they're they're pretty So I was going to say discipline, but I haven't.

Fhres, what have we got here?

Shine your shoes they get India.

Oh no, they definitely do. But straight away, like we come off the bus and everyone's like shitting themselves thinking, oh god, here we go. Here we go again, like most of the boys have already been on a few and straight away the guys were like, look, this isn't what you're expecting. We're not going to carry Jerry kNs and like do obstacle courses and that we're here to train with Olympians and show you a different side of professional sport, which was it was honestly really cool.

It was very cool. Yeah, that's different.

You're probably like a lot of people get The Army camp puts you under such fatigue and that you understand what teammates respond well to like adversity, but seems like that individuals will probably take more out of it in terms of how to train an elite level, right.

Yeah, And I mean it definitely still had that kind of physical challenge to it, Like we did a lot of stuff in the gym and conditioning sessions, all that stuff, and we were training with these Olympians doing what they do. But the good part about it was we actually we had sleep and we had food, which was probably what you don't get people on the other on the other camp.

On Wayne, I think sweets what we're coaching. You train hard physically, have high standards for on the field and off the field. No mind games like players. Players respond to that. Players will train hard players with all those things. I think what really burns players out sometimes is you get smart ass coaches trying to play my games with young men. Is none of that with Wayne, No, not at all.

And like you said there, he's massive on those first two things. First, so train hard. He's massive on that. He's always talks about effort and driving that in the team. And even the standards that you said, he's massive on standards across the board. Doesn't matter who you are. It doesn't matter if you're the youngest in the team or the most capped. It's the same across the board, which is like, it's exactly how it should be. And he drives that and he lives that himself.

Who's been your mentor? Like, of all the players on the field, who's been the greatest help?

Oh, Cody's been massive? Yeah, one hundred percent.

And it's funny like Cody actually had a pretty interrupted preseason as well, so we actually didn't train together at.

All until Round one.

To be honest, Like, I'm pretty sure he was touching go there for a while if he was going to play Round one, and I was the same kind of didn't get that many reps in before Christmas, so I didn't actually have that much time to develop that connection with him. But he'd always talked to me after training off the field, and he'd always be out there watching

When you look at the side. When when it came the news came out that Canra Murray did his achilles, then it came out that Latroal Mitchell could have been up to seven or eight weeks out, I think everyone went, yeah, there are in a lot of trouble. I had just initially making your way into the eight. When I heard those injuries, I thought, no, I don't think it can happen. But the emergence of yourself tell us dunk and joke Gray,

On game day, it's very calm like. It's probably something I noticed straight away. It's very calm like. He just has that presence where I think you mentioned it before. He's been through everything and he's probably seen everything, so nothing fazes him at all, and that definitely rubs off on the boys.

Like I remember my first game was the Charity Shield.

We're up in Mudgie and I had actually had started on the bench, so I think by the time I come on it was he might have been thirty nil down and we go into halftime, I think thirty to six, and I didn't know what I was expecting. If it was, I was expecting a spray. I think most coaches probably are thinking that at that time. But he had like three or four words to say that look extremely calm. Come up to me and said, look, you're going to play half back in this second half. That's all he

Like all in our role players probably respond differently to the way, like some people like to be ridden quite hard and be pushed some you just got to let them do their thing. Maybe say a couple of things to him. Do you see Wayne treat you differently than he might treat the other boys, Like, does he knows he worked everyone out?

I think so for sure. Yeah, I think like you still he's still had the sprain and him on the training field of course, and he's got a lot of tough love as well. But at the same time, he knows exactly what to say to each person I think to get him up for what the job he needs them to do.

Well telling me Adam Adam Reynolds used to be his pet and they were sort of like you know, Cheach and Chong best together that, Yeah, he's pet piece out of each other Jack and.

Yeah, he used to just take the piss out of him all day. So like Wayne is obviously like they're a bit like good cop, bad cop. So obviously, uh, Ad was back and and Wayne would be you know, as he does. He tried to get onto the field after he'd have a laugh and then be a bit stale, and Reno just say like stupid things like he's the time to go back to the retirement home.

Just put him on show in front.

Of the boys.

But that's the thing, that's what Wayne's good.

You can have a laugh at himself, can't he?

Oh yeah, who's his pet?

Now?

I'll tell you what.

He has a really really funny relationship with my good mate Fletcher and Wires. He's actually a Newcastle boy. Their their banter is actually hilarious. Like I crack up every single day every single meeting we have like there is something going on and yeah, they're just into each other every day.

It's very good.

Letting people know Fletchers.

He was at mainly with possibly one of the most unique caacters in rugby league.

Absolutely Woods.

He used to call him Dama because he just was.

He thought at any point he could just flip and become a serial killer. So what are human white? Because what are hum and Wayne's like, they're both kind of unique characters.

What are they?

Yeah?

I think that's why they They've got such a funny relationship is because they're both so unique and Wayne is actually hilarious, Like he's so funny and he takes the piss out of Fletched NonStop. But the thing with Fletcher's he'll give it back. Fletcher's like he's a rookie, he's young, and I think that's why it works so well because he probably doesn't expect to get it back.

Yeah, what be more nervous? Charity shield gone on that second half? We were Round one.

Debut Charity Shield.

Yeah, Like I said, I kind of didn't have the preseason I was preparing myself to have or that I expected to have. So that was my first time pulling on that jersey and yeah, I kind of I knew the importance of that game is it's only a trial, but it means a lot to the club, to the fans.

You've got Bunny Bunny's TV. The guy that runs Bunny's TV. He's always there at the ground, like film and training.

REGGI rabbit, lending your support to people, you know, taking matters into his own hands.

Shout out to Reggie. Yeah, how do you like?

Dad asked about what you're more nervous for then, because you know you're only so early into your career. How many games you played, but you've you're looking like you've played a lot more games than you actually have. That that moment earlier in the year when you kick the field goal. Do you find a lot of young guys

Well, I think, I mean, I've taken a lot of lessons from the people I've been around, and in my time it mainly I was lucky enough to be under Daily and Kiren and yourself coops of course. Yeah, So

This Jamie and I was watching it in the come to mind and you know, excuse me if I'm completely wrong, but I never am didn't help you. The fact that it was a bouncing ball and you didn't have time to think, like you just had to go and grab the ball and turn around as creature, couldn't just nudget like sometimes when you get time you catch the ball, you're steady, and that one second and me and things can go through your mind. You didn't have time.

Yeah, no, that was exactly right, Like we were kind of I was thinking it throughout the set and then all of a sudden, we've gone.

I think Cody took a short side of play for as he does, like.

You're seeing something and he's taken, and I'm like, oh, well, that's not where I want to be when I want to kick a field goal. Anyway, So like the play evolved and I kind of. I was chatting to Cody as it happened and was going to get a two pass, and all of a sudden he gets a bad pass from dummy half ends up on the floor, he passes someone else and then they.

Throw it over my head.

And like you said, I just ended up having like no time to think, and I knew I wanted to do it. I was still ended up in a really good position, and if anything, it probably helped because They've gone chasing the ball that way and I'm actually over here, so ended up having a little bit more freedom to get my kick away.

Bounce pass.

Bounce pass works every time the defense. And poor old Shane Flanagan flann with our old assistant coach, really gave him a heart attack up for that game that the press he did.

Yeah, Jamie, Like, so the first test that you walk into the dressing room, you're getting through the you're nervous. The second test is, ya, you're out on the fitness field. You've got to prove yourself there, prove you worthy, prove your tough and to push yourself. And the third test is you need a break through a game. You break need to break through moment to really after the game, come off and really phil sing the team song and

Well, I actually never felt that way because I guess all the messages I got from Wayne was just about doing my job. Like he never said anything about doing anything like that, didn't that the team didn't need, or like trying to stand out, as you said, And obviously personally I'm probably thinking that a little bit. But after having those conversations with him, all my focus on doing my job, and that's I think that's kind of going into Round one, that was that was the biggest thing

I remember Jack when you when Jack debut at South I remember saying he would get a text message from a random number and would just say Rusty at the bottom. Does he still do that, Russell Crowe? Does he send the boys text message on their debut or No?

I didn't get one personally, so I don't know Jackman, But no, Actually I did meet Russell actually in the preseason. He come into the club and I was stilling my rehab stuff in the gym and he come right in and said hello, which I was. Yeah, I was pretty star struck, to be honest, but yeah, No, that was a cool moment. But I've heard kind of from the guys and stuff like that who've been there a while.

It's a favorite Russell Crowe movie fell.

I can't get fast Gladiator.

Yeah, I mean, with the emergence of the second one coming out that came out this year or last year. I think everyone went back and watched the first one. It just ships on the new one.

The old one is so good.

I mean, Paul Paul Mescal scary scar. He just doesn't look like gladiator. He doesn't hold himself like a gladiator. Too good looking, not to say that, he doesn't have

Yeah, correct, what about.

It's my opinion to the Mescal faily.

Look another mainly bloke that rabbits have poached one of another one of our teammates, Shoey Josh Schuster.

How should we been going?

No, she has been really good, like as you know you've been around him. There's a narrative sometimes that he doesn't train as hard or whatever, but he trains just as hard as anyone I've ever seen, and.

Truly he does.

And he's had a few setbacks that his time it's south so far. He's had a few half injuries and stuff like that. But he is someone I've seen who really puts in the work and he trains so hard.

I'll tell you what. If he can get going, Jeez will be handy as a ball playing back row, you can just feed the ball too early and get going. I really hope he does because I really like Shoey. I played with his uncle. But what I really like about him Jamie is the fact that he could be one hundred meters down the road on the other side of the road and he could yell out, you know, like he's a gregarious, big personality. I like that he is.

He's He's someone I've got a lot of time for se He someone I'm.

Really hoping has a bit of luck with like with those injuries, and it's hard to come by sometimes, but I know, I know he'll put in the work and I'll tell you what.

Jesus is into his golf at the minute.

He loves his golf. He loves it.

Every second post on Instagram is the should we playing golf? If I said, are you going to training or you just out playing golf?

Every time he leaves train he's in the polo and he's in the shorts. Ready, I'm not kidding. He leaves the training ground in his polo like straight to.

The golf court and he's getting some freebies. I reckon, he must have six set of clubs.

Yeah, he probably does.

Yeah, I saw things. I knew you played with the London Broncos took in the second but they've actually brought out a it's recruitment recruitment push and it's called be like Jamie.

Really did you know?

I actually did it until I did a bit of media after the game last week and someone asked me about it and I had no idea. So yeah, I've seen it since then, but yeah, no, I did. I spent a I spent three or four years there in the Bronco system. Like my old man worked.

Over as his he worked for British Airways, so did he?

Okay?

Yeah, our family moved over there in twenty fourteen, Yeah, which was a massive move.

I come from a big family, so it.

Was based in London.

Yeah right, yeah, so as.

You know, rugby union's probably the dominant code over there,

Did you play union over there?

Yeah?

Yeah, I played.

I played soccer, I played union and I played league, so league was kind of I kind of got into league through the London Broncos system there. I played My local team was the Elmbridge Eagles in yeah, in Surrey, and kind of got picked up by the Broncos through that system and then yeah, played there in the under sixteens in the nineteens and did a bit of training there with their team.

This is history that club.

Yeah, yeah, this is a random question, right, But one thing I always noticed about you with your kicking, like you've got a very perfect ball drop those people that don't know about is like the drop from the hand down to the foot when you're kicking, which you don't see a lot in league of perfect ones. Playing union and soccer over in the UK, a lot of their ball drops are perfect, especially in the Super League. Did you get a heap out of your kicking game from England?

Yeah?

I actually I played a lot of soccer as a young kid, and that's always what Dad said to me when I ask him. He's like, he didn't let me play footy until I was a bit older, and he's like, I just one I love playing soccer and two he knew it would help me with my kicking.

And no, you're right.

I definitely took a lot from playing rugby union and those guys in that game, like I always looked at them and technically they're they're almost perfect with the way they kicked the ball, even goalkicking as well, Like it's quite different when you watch union in league kicks the way they set up the ball, and I think Clear is probably the closest kicker to he broke me union kicker in terms of that kind of process, and that's definitely something I've taken from them and try and implement

For sure, we're talking before, but London Broncos Coops and Jane Bee aware of it. But they were brought up that they were brought as an affiliate to the Brisbane Broncos and they would send a lot of the young guys and play over this. So initially in the early days they had a really young side.

Well the Broncos sent them to London.

They would send their players there. So the bloke who came back and filled in for Joey Leo Donover, he was a young player who the Broncos said over Brisbane Broncos London Broncos and they were just it'd get them rather than play reserve grade or Queensland Cup. It would basically it would fast track them and they come back anyway. The interesting story about it is the fact that Richard Branson, when Super League first hit Richard Branson was watching rabul

Wow.

One of the London Broncos boys who actually played at Newcastle, Minor Ronnie Gibbs one of the Flamingos and got thrown out for life.

Ronnie Gibbs.

Gibb you know that he used to dive at the feet of the kickers when.

They kick sat read the room. Look at the reference you make to Gives. I'm sorry, we don't even who Ronny Gibs. You know what Ronni Gibbs is?

Ronnie share to Ronnie. Yeah, that's just shut you up. Sorry, That's what is all about. It's a clash of generation.

Clash of generations. Before we move on, just go back to Sous for a second because in recording this where you're leading into the Rooster's game, big Souse and Rooster's rivalry. Obviously your first year at SOUSE, is the week a big emotional week, Like it seems like Saus really buy in to their history.

History is massive.

It's like probably the first kind of we talk about impressions of the club. Like everyone talks about the history. It's it's written on all the walls at our training center. There's photos of every team of every era, and yeah, the history is a massive part of the club, and obviously the rivalry the Roosters is a big part of that. And it's exciting for me. Kind of got into this

The left center's handy.

Yeah, he goes.

My god, he looks fit.

I reckon he had about ten triers of training the other day.

So yeah, I'll tell you right now, like I've got a good eye for talent. I reckon it'll be something really, that's my tip.

Like who's coaching South Sydney. I reckon one day he'll be a career coach as well.

Yeah it'll be Premiership when one day.

First on backstage, weird question.

For you when you were over in England, given the time difference and everything, did you actually get to watch much NRL?

No, not at all.

I did because I mean, growing up, I'm massive footy head. Yeah, obviously been around it for so long, Like I love watching footy, but it's just it's yeah, like you said, it's hard with the time difference and everything like that. I try and catch the highlights and stuff like that, but rugby union and football soccer definitely dominates the TV over there.

That's the other thing.

Like it's barely on TV, so it's kind of kind of hard to come by. And yeah, I try to watch as much Super League as I could as well, But no, I really didn't have much. Yeah I thought.

I spoke to Josh Kiddy last week and he was he was saying he watches every AFL game from from Chicago.

Yeah, he gets up all watching RL. App now where you can watch the rules making. I think it's shown on Fox Sports two over there, but there's no, I'm sorry, on on Sky but there's no real app. We see all the games over there now. Yeah, it's it's funny like the EPL. The English Premier League is such a monolithic beast. There's even rugby union clubs going broke over there now. They're just taking all the sponsorship, all the broadcast money. It's just so big. Here was your side over there?

I was an Arsenal man.

Jack you Arsenal, wasn't Jack?

Yeah?

Will we die?

Yeah?

Liverpool man?

Yeah, so's my dad and my brother.

Actually you can't when you grow up throughout through the eighties, Liverpool, Liverpool, Liverpool.

Yeah a second dad and my brother big fans. So yeah, every time Arsenal would play Liverpool, me and my brother would have that little rivalry.

You go down to the pub and just fight on the street.

Was it the Emirates then or were they still playing at Highbury?

No, the Emirates, Yeah it wasn't.

Yeah, you go many games, not as because.

We were playing sport when whenever they play. But I went to a couple when.

Yeah, I loved it like you said, it's it is so big over there.

It's well, it's it's like a.

Religion, right yeah, Like we were joking about you guys down down in the pub and fighting, but when it's a rivalry game, talk about Souths and Brewsters, like they'd be going down and if there's the opposition team coming, you'll run on the other way because they'll actually beat you up on the street.

Right.

Yeah, It's like I've never really seen anything quite like it.

It's yeah, a lot of people's livelihood base is based around if the team wins them.

The English fans, they're just so good, Like even earlier this year in Vegas, awesome Wigan, who do we can play against Warrington? But the fans were just the singing and the chanting.

Like even in the rugby union. I remember watching a few games at Twicken Them like when the Wallabies would go over and play and the whole stadium is singing. It's like it's yeah, it's like it's it's sweet, sweet que the atmosphere.

Yeah, how did you.

Get to Manley going from England? When you come back to Australia, how where was the transition from London? Broncos to Mainley, all.

Right, So I think we always planned as a family to come back. Obviously, we've got a lot of family here in Australia and Dad kind of went over there. He worked for British Airways previously as well, so it was always planned to be like kind of a short kind of stint and he actually finished up there and he started working at Manly, So Dad came back home and yeah, went into the role of Cel Manley.

Yeah, And I.

Actually I was in school at the time and it was kind of weird timing for me. I'd just kind of finished my first season of under nineteen at the Lindon Broncos and was in school kind of finishing that, and that kind of come to me and asked.

Me, He's like, well, are you interested in coming back? My family were going to stay for a little bit.

Are you interested in coming back early and kind of getting started at Mainly, And I genuinely had to think about it because I wanted to finish school and at the time I felt very settled there and there was opportunities to progress through the London system or possibly go to another Super League club at the time, and I just I knew I wanted to come home, and I knew if I wanted to chase my dream.

Which was to play footy, the best place to do that was here. And it was kind of a big move.

Again, like I'd never actually lived on the Northern Beaches until I moved here in twenty twenty, so I kind of moved here and it was a well win because at the time it was COVID, I didn't know anyone, I wasn't in school, and then footy got canceled, so

I mean, streets around here, how did you handle the gang warfare?

Yeah?

No, on the on the walks down to the beach, it gets a bit messy sometimes, So yeah.

I'm having an to the guys in East la and blood, but maybe bringing a franchise out here. How was it going from you playing for London Broncos just suddenly your first game out here.

Oh yeah, completely different, like and I never like kind of was in the system here. I left when I was twelve eleven, so I'd always played junior footy in the Southern Shire in I played for delas Al. I was lucky enough to be coached by Adam Dykes and I had like played with k Dikes he's at Cronulla and sam Stone Street.

He's also oh he's having a good year Sampson.

We were all in the same team growing up and like we barely lost the game, to be honest. So moving over to England and it was actually something Dad always said to me, I can't drop my level to the players around me because they don't play a league over there as much.

So that's hard.

I was guilty of it, I think, And I don't know if it's coaching or anything like that, but it is very different style. So coming back to Ship or everything felt so quick to me, like so quick. Did just struggle initially, like I think I did. Yeah, I think I think I struggled to adapt a little bit. But at the time I was so lucky to have a good team around me, like guys like Kyo played in that team, Tolu y.

Yeah go.

So, yeah, we all come through together, which was massive for me. They were all kind of part of the spine with me, and I think that definitely helped. And Brett Fulton was the coach and he helped me massively as well, just kind of getting getting I know, how to play footy. It is probably just adapting to the speed of everything. And honestly, it was the best thing I ever did coming back early because I didn't and I waited a year or waited a couple of years.

So you'll be playing good football, comes attention, you get

Yeah, no, it's again.

I think back to Wayne and what he kind of instills and one of the first things he said to me, kind of before the trial games even started, just like, just don't pay any mind to it. He's really big on not and it's a hard thing to do, but to not have feelings on how people feel about you. At the end of the day, it's just an opinion.

And that's kind of the mindset that I've had with it all to see.

How suonn you have any policy on social media?

No, not not particularly, but at the same time, he's just he's all about making sure your focus is on

And yeah, you're at the start, yeah exactly.

Yeah, And I kind of I lean on a few people who have helped me along the way, and Dad's one of them as well. He's he's been big on it, and it's just focusing on what I'm doing and not too much.

On the media.

Have been caught a few times, you know when used to go on away trips. Our big go was with a young play. You're ringing go good day, Steve Simpson, yep, ringing the mobile on the back in the day it was the hotel phones, Steve Simpson, because you know, because you know you're because I'm trying to We figured it out, Steve Simpson. There, yeah, here's this. My name's my name's John Laurie. I write for the DEI Telegraph. Can't just ask a few questions? Oh yeah, sure you know where

Peter Robinson who was like he's he was the wealth officer.

At Melbourne Storm.

I remember our second year there. He got Harry Grant saying that he had a he had a radio interview, but it was just robot and he goes he did a full like a full back around. It's like, well, welcome to Melbourne Firm. Here, I want to see boy five. And we've got Harry Grand down the line and Harry is like start asking all these questions and like sort of luped him up a little bit and then just

He tells it how it is, mate.

He had him going for like fifteen minutes, just sort of just all these little back, back stabbing questions.

We had a bloke called Darren Tracy and we'd ring him and gad, Darren, how are you going? Yeah, yeah, look, I can't say who I am, but I'm a scout for the Western Suburbs. We've been watching what you're doing, mate, you're loving it. You're really really good mate. Listen, is there any chance there's a coffee shop just across the roads. Che's coming over there, mate, I'll be there in about fifteen minutes, just quick, you go, Oh yeah, mate, you'd

Remember when we were at Manly, Remember the prank war that went on for a bit. John Bonisara JB had to put an end to. He's like, guys, it's getting too far. Morgan Harper was in the heart of it. Half Josh Alloway, Yeah, I think Josh through Josh through Harps's bag in the water. And then somebody put took Harps's car off, like the wheels off.

It all start took us through.

It just it started so suddenly like it would have been someone took took a weight off their barbelle in the gym, so it was uneven, and it just gradually just keep going back and forth and back and forth. It ended because I think Joshy Alloway all Harps thought

That was ruthless.

It was hilarious.

Morgan Harper's cat they removed.

They took the tires off and they put it on bricks. And remember someone did something to Jimmy Dimmick's motorbike. Oh yes, they took they took the pin out or something. Yeah, just one thing and like they flicked it out and he's so I wouldn't start like it wouldn't. They wouldn't ignite and start, and all he had to do was just put it back in. But Jimmy, not like knowing much about motorcycles, obviously rang like the nrm A and was there for like three hours and they came and he was treated.

Like they were like, oh, you just have to put

I think that's how it all started with the car. Someone blame Sabi and then he got thrown into into it all and then yeah, god, yeah they had to put a stop to it because who knows where it would have gone.

Oh make good time, Like was going back to manly for a second, Yeah obviously, Yeah, did come through their SG ball twenties, end up full time and talk to us about the circumstances the relationship between you and man Like when when did you were they not going to re sign and you went okay, well old fire opportunity at South or did they want to resign you?

Well, so I guess going back to it, Like like you said, come through playing SG ball there came through like progress through all the grades played, flag played, carp did my first pre season with Theirs, which was yeah, it was.

I'll never forget.

Yeah.

I even remember before that he'd call me in because I always used to like go on the field of narrab And and kick.

I just practice, and.

He'd sometimes just be walking around behind the behind the tree, just looking around so I couldn't see him. And I've seen him a couple of times and I like would go over, like walk over, like with my hand out looking to shake his head and just walk away. Would show no interest, even though he knew I was doing the free sason with him. And then one day he come after me, like when I was kicking.

He's like he gave me.

He's like, I don't want you to do this training before we start. At the time lived down here at Colorade's like, all right, I want you to start here at Coloroid Beach.

Go around, go up around long reef, around the golf course. Run yeah.

Yeah, yes, he told me to do that.

He's like, mate, you better be doing it because I'll be watching. He lives on the beach, so I'd be out there every day every day doing tough. I never saw him, never saw him once. I bet he wasn't even there.

A lot of those coaches started strength and conditioners. That was first thing. He was fitness trainer of the Bronco. I think Wayne was originally when for the police Force team.

Yeah, yeah, actually yeah, I remember asking him about that. Yeah, yeah, was the same I heard back in the day. He was as fit as they can.

That was his run around the long reef.

Well, back in the olden days, like before the error of you know you have three assistant coaches, Yeah, you have all this stuff. There was one or two of you, so you had to kind of be skilled in all areas gym, fitness, attack, defense, you know.

Now a's a psycology, player, welfare, all of one.

Media manager Yeah yeah, massage therapist yeah.

Shout out quite a craig.

Yeah, sorry, I'll get back to you.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So I come through and yeah, like I said, trained with des and then obviously whatever happened there and Seeps come in and I had my first season with Sieves and kind of felt like I had a.

Really good pre season, which is what they kind of told me as well, and.

Kind of started in the halves, which is where I'd always played, and then kind of halfway through that year, Steeves come and spoke to me and said, look, I feel as though your best progression in the first grade will be as a hooker.

Which at the time is probably fair.

Like Fozz and Cherry were there at the time in the halves and Chewy was doing good things as well, so as a young guy coming through, that's kind of where they saw me. And he basically said to me, look, we want you to we want you to try this transition to see how it goes.

And I was more than happy to do it. Like I said, I've been at the club.

For a long time and you're playing. Really I remember I was there when you moved to hooker. You're playing, you're playing out You played outstanding as a half back and a hooker.

Well, it's a good way to get first in the first grade because of the fact that you don't have to organize every woman. Yeah, you get out there and just make your tackles and you just go.

Even I think even at the time when Des was there,

And like depending on where injuries were hard to prepare.

Yeah, yeah, and like even at training, like on the weekend I was playing in the harves, but at training I was only doing stuff at hooker. So I was like, it was a bit unsure how things were going to go. And that gave me a lot of clarity coming in and just focusing on being a hooker, which was interesting for me because like I said, I'd always come through as a half, so that was a really big challenge. I remember obviously wrestling with the forwards and.

Doing all the role and rocks so like, and it really is.

It's a completely different preseason to what I'd probably been used to, So it probably probably helped tough me up a bit as well.

Just the very nature of HOOKI just moving all the time, ruck to ruck up and back.

And I probably had a lot to learn.

Like that's kind of when Mick Ennis come in and was doing a fairbit and I can't help. I can't thank him enough for the help he gave me, especially kind of mindset wise in that position. So yeah, I had a really good pre season, felt like I was doing a lot of things right. And actually at the time, I think Kroas was injured, so I was getting a lot of reps kind of in that NL side, which was like, it's what.

You want to be doing.

Yeah, So kind of the time rolled around where we were preparing to go to Vegas, and at that time is when kind of we spoke about extending at the club, which was cool and it was something I was really keen to do. I was excited by the prospect of kind of being their long term. It was the club i'd kind of come through the grades with and it's very exciting for me.

So a lot of your mates are there too.

Under Like like you said, I came.

Through the grades with a lot of them, had grown really close to a lot of the older guys there and hails how's he of course shout out to Stephen how is he? He was always there and giving me advice and stuff like that as well. So yeah, all the coaching stuff were really good. We mentioned Jimmy Dimmick as well. So yeah, it kind of came around and it was left out of the Vegas trip, which was it was what it was, and they kind of said to me like, oh, we want you to play in

Yeah, I was probably just probably.

Just trying to understand my role within the team and I didn't really see that. And at the time the club was saying they wanted me long term as a hooker, so it was kind of at that time where it was, and I was off contract at the end of the year as well, So and mainly had also said to me they wouldn't stand in the way if another opportunity came up. So yeah, was playing the year started hooker, about two or three games he didn't got moved to

A little bit is the word.

Yeah, But yeah, it was still.

Loving my time there and love being around the boys, and yeah, that's when Souths kind of really kicked up their their interest in me and kind of pitched me the idea of yeah, the opportunity to play consistent first grade, which is probably where what I wasn't getting at the time because it.

Was bizarre, right, like, you signed two weeks before you actually make you NRL debut at Rocky.

Yeah, and you go out there in the.

Halves, well after doing a whole pre season of book again, but you play out standing I think, and you score a good try. A lot of Manly fans were kind of puzzled, going, hang on, we've had this bloke and we've let him, We've let him go off contract, haven't stood in the way of him signing with South. We've just you know, blooded him in the first grade. He's playing outstanding. Why have we let him go?

Yeah, it was I mean, it was all a bit of a whirl win for me as well. Like to be honest, I spoke about it before. I wasn't sure where I stood, and that was probably the hardest.

Thing for me.

I just I didn't know, and that's probably what made up my mind in the end. If I felt if I felt settled and comfortable in where I was and what the club saw on me and where I was going to go, I probably would have never had any intention of leaving. Like I love the club, I love the fans, love all the boys, So it was a big thing for me to kind of move. I never

So yeah, it kind of made up my mind in that regard.

And obviously having Wayne coming there as well, I knew that was something as a young player that's that's not an opportunity that comes around very often.

It's funny to say that because danly Chree even said exactly the same thing.

Yeah, and you know what the best part about that joke is it doesn't get old. It's even better here when you hear it the second time around.

It be funny all year.

Seriously, it keeps on going.

A Jamie look we have do you have a tough talk for Jamie?

Now?

I don't you don't know you've left it out.

Dad usually does a segment, right, it's all the hard hitting journal journo questions.

I had one ready saying such as if if Wayne offered you a two year extension, but you had to give him a massage.

With your massage, I think I would outsource that to my good friend Fletcher.

Wise, Fletcher do it too, you do it for free.

Give it a Halsey, Yeah, you know I was. I went into the many sheds after the whole the win against Eels, after the whole chest saga, see a few of the boys, and I told Halsey you were.

Coming on the pod. Halsey was foaming as a man has.

Stephen Hales is he's the assistant coach, one of the assistants in at Manly there, but when we were there, he sort of looked after the boys. We called him the Brady's, like the boys that weren't playing first grade who go back to Blacktown. But their job is to prepare the the you know, the seventeen for that week by mimicking penros attack and things like that. And how's he He's just he's just one of the great characters.

He'd always get absolutely and he was always sweety.

How's he always had a thin layer of sweat on him.

And he was so sweating all over the barbecue one day.

And Brooks's barbecue, anyway, he was, and he was he was up there all the time, all the day.

He's gone.

You know, boys, we'd get up there and he'd be so nervous because obviously he was so passionate about wanting the Bradies to get out there and have a good job.

Right, so he's just competing.

He was actually nervous. He's got are we all on board with this? Are we all on board with this?

Hails he It's fine, get your cholesterol down, We will do a good job for you today.

It's okay. One of the great blakes.

Fuck yeah, we had a lot of He probably had a lot of stressful moments out there when we'd start doing our own thing.

Yeah, remember when.

This is it's a good insight this into what it's like to not be in the starting seventeen each week.

Right.

So a lot of clubs they will kind kind of they'll tell you exactly what play by play what to do. So Penrith hit this option, they'll go down the short side. So the NRL side, they actually know what's coming when you're training against them. And I remember how he would say, so,

So I remember we got it. We got in together one day and we were like, you know what, look, we'll we'll do that.

But like if we do, if we see something, let's just take it. Let's at the end of the day, it's it's their mistake by not numbering up, and we get good reps of practicing our football. I do you think he's not going to tell that was our du So then I remember we did something we did We're doing edge of the edge and our edge. We did something that they weren't expecting, just a little variation, and we skinned them and it was like it was dead sat World War three.

It was like, what is going on, Penrith, don't do that. That wasn't on the video.

Boys, it wasn't in the video, and we're going, guys, this is an NRL side. They will probably do something that the boys aren't going to expect exactly.

I can recall a couple of times where that happened, and the best times were when we've got to play, so all right, keeps you running this play, then we're going to get back to this spot and we're going to go do this again. And when the boars halfway in the air to you as a half, the play changes and everyone's screaming. That's the most stressed I've ever seen any of those coaches.

I remember seeing Halsey when you got your I give you your jersey that time he walked in. Halsey he had all the sausages and steaks and after the barbecue and he goes, oh, Maddie, here youing And I never met Halsey sign you're doing all right? Just knocking at the barbie. He goes, yeah, yes, if you've got a butcher shop around here, And he goes no, why And I said, oh no, because you're doing the barbie. He said, I'm Actually, he's.

Got to start. He'll love the plug. He'll love a good plug.

Thanks Jamie for coming over, big effort, pleasure maybe to be a part of it.

Welcome anytime.

Thank you, Jamie, Thank you, and my congratulations on how you're playing mate. Head down us up, brother, that's good stuff.

Thank you, Thanks so much.

Appreciated.