¶ 2013 Grand Final
That twenty thirteen GF you guys play against the Roosters is because that Rooster side it may be one of the best sides on paper in hindsight of all time. Like Sunny but Williams, James Maloney, Mitchell Pierce, two of us are check is he on the wing there? Roger's first year Minchella and he was fullback? Like is that How much belief did you guys have going into that game coming up against that side.
Well, we had a whole lot of belief because the boys had been there and done it just so recently as well. So they won eight, they won eleven. They had a bit of a down year because that was the first year Dead's left twelve. Yeah, but those boys were used to playing final So it was a number of players feel this, I reckon when you get to a big moment like that and being young, like I just assumed we're always going to be there because that's the way they acted, Like, that's the way the senior
boys were. So even though probably on paper to a lot of people, you know, Rousters were the better team. I felt like we had championship DNA in our team, which was you know, probably try to even that out a little bit, and like Maddie said, we were eight and eight going into halftime and a couple of things didn't go our way and they and they got us, but we were very confident. We lost to him five times that year too, because we played him in the trial.
You played him five times, We played him in the trials, We played him two times throughout the year, we played him in the first final, and then we played him in the Grand Final and we lost every time. But I reckon by a combined margin of about twenty points like they got us. I think maybe the Grand Final was the biggest score. Yeah wow, And that would ended up blowing out in the end to a trial or two. So we had really good contests against them. So we're
confident going in there. And then just because I'm looking around and playing with guys like Glenn, especially in the Ford pack, Glenn Stewart, Brent Kyte, He's won a Clive church on the leven. Yeah, yeah, Tucky.
Because chairs won the Clive Churchill in the losing side that year he did. Yeah, yeah, I did remember those big backlass yeah on chairs and say as much as you want, I mean, it's you're not breaking any news here.
It's historically being noted the fact that there was a split in the club chairs and they were off with him. Everything was that was that difficulty in the most.
Yeah, yeah, look that I've always said this. I think there'll be a time and Keop knows him, you know personally as well. We were celebrating after his three hundredth weren't we. We had a bit of a kick on. That was a good time. He's really just just like his footy. He took took me a while to warm to him as well. Dai dai. Yeah. Yeah, and because
¶ Tension at Manly
they were like the senior playing group were I don't know, like they were so respected around the league as well. Yes, so I always felt like they had a bit of an aura about him. You know. Some once I rocked up and there were circumstances that you know, played played out in which you know, you could pick one side or the other during the time. But yeah, he did. He struggled. He struggled a bit during that period and you know, credit to him, like it's a completely different
situation now to where he is. I was like going through what he's going through now. But yeah, there were tough.
Times and it had for you to remain in Switzerland.
Yes, yeah, yeah, there was because I got along really well with Brett and in particular me, So when I arrived to the club, Brett was the single one and he's a Prince of Brookvale and as you know, Coops, he's like he runs me. Yeah. So and because I'm single, like I wrack up and he's come on, son, you're with me. You know. We used to go down to water Warfie.
And wearing what your water chairs is wedding, yeah.
Wearing all that gitting and getting up to meet the mean Snake. Used to take off to Melbourne heaps because he liked going down to Melbourne and getting away because he was a bit more of a bigger name. So we used to go down to Melbourne heaps and so yeah, it was. It was difficult the first year because I
don't know if I was just being naive. I didn't you know, I'm a bit not a people pleaser, but I like everyone getting along, so I think maybe I just pretend like it wasn't happening, Like I'd hear murmurs and little different things about it. So I was just like, you know, maybe I can just get everyone out of beer and it'll be sweet. But there was obviously, you know, more more deeper issues because you.
Are a great made of cheass and so is another couple of boas in that's called Jamie Bureau and Tommy Simon's who are also like a couple of Chas's best mates. How hard was it for Chess's best mates, who are the young guys going up against a little bit It would feel sometimes like you're up, You're on the other side to snake Glenn and that obviously you were mates with Glenn, but like I mean with Brett, But was Tommy and JB Like, were they clearly on chess a side now?
To be clear, to be clear with it all, like there was nothing. It was weird energy, like it was just no one said anything, but you could feel it. That's why I was saying, like it was there was a bit of naivity, like like I said, you know,
I'd hang out with all different groups. I'd and just hang out with the Shaw brothers and then d C. But I'd hang out with Georgia Defour and you know, there were always little groups of pockets of four and five people in every game, and I used to just just to float around in all of them, so you could sort of feel that there was some sort of
energy around there. And then as time's gone on and mores come out, and people have done podcasts, some more than you know, some of you talked about more than others,
so you start to piece everything together. Like I said, I thought it was pretending like it wasn't happening in thirteen, started to realize in fourteen, realizing I'm feeling like Switzerland in fourteen fourteen, and then the big I think the tipping point was when a couple of the older players moved on, like when Glenn moved on, when Chucky moved on to Para, and a few of the other older guys retired. That was a really awkward, awkward situation for
everyone involved. And whether what side you see it, and you hear different parts about both sides, you could see where there's three sides to every story, yea one side somewhere in between, there's going to be the truth.
And I'm not digging for anything escape I'm just purely curious because in a football in a football club, when if there's any sort of tension or drama, a lot of it comes to the surface in team meetings where you're sitting and you're doing a review as a team and you're watching a game, particularly if yous have had a bad loss, and oftentimes that that can bring things to the surface.
It must have been some No, this is why it wasn't Maddie, and this is why it took a while for it to pick up and maybe more after the fact. It was so weird, and not in a bad way, but because Chez and Foss didn't say anything in video that sounds weird, right, like the two like our seven and six, they were younger guys. There was definitely a level of respect for the older players that was just
not talked about. It was just you lived like it was an old school sort of feeling where the most vocal in video was definitely Kitty used to talk a whole week. Kitie Mate very vocal and very him. Our front row was like Kitie, Jason King, you know, very articulate, big front rowers who knew the game really well. So they used to we just talk about plans outside of
you know, what we're going to do. Snake would chirp up every now and again and say, oh, we're going to get this on, this is what we're going to do.
Kill it.
Jamie Lyon was reluctant to really say anything. So yeah, it never mate. It never surfaced. Like I'm telling you, it might seem weird to say, like it just never popped up or was never talked about. That could be, you know, now that I'm saying it out loud and thinking about it, that could have been the biggest problem, right, Like, no one really addressed it. It was always just you felt the energy and there was maybe whispers around all
the time, but no one to confront no one. No one wanted to come out and just say all right, this is what we you know, maybe over a few schooners, like I said before, Mattie, where we probably should have addressed it early on, and then who knows what happens in that little run.
It's amazing. It just shows it. I don't think there's any club in the league that in the past has operated so well in amongst distractions and drama like Manly, this one is going to be. This is going to be really a big challenge going forward here with Dally for the rest of the season, just with everything just everything is like it's funny oftentimes this happened when there's drama and you're going to play a game and all the spotlights on the drama that first game you go
out there, of course you're aware of it. You just get on with it and not from times you have a good performance. But it could tell going into Melbourne that that Melbourne game that was going to come to the surface a little bit. I thought when they ran on the field, I thought Daly looked really tired in their game.
Yeah, well, I imagine the week before would have been so easy to get up emotionally for it, you know. I mean, you could really like draw on that and be like, right, it was it's us against you know, I mean, it's us against the club a little bit, it's us against the media. Let's go out there and prove them all wrong. And you get up so high emotionally for it, and then the next week it's like you can't really use the same you can't draw on that same emotion.
Yep, like potentially just going out there to silence a few people up motivation for for not owning him, but some of the other boys who maybe filling the effects within the playing group as well. The difference is with chairs now. And this is what I will say, Like whether you whatever way you viewed or how you feel about what he did, he's completely chalk. It's chalk and cheese.
Now.
He's how I said, maybe we should have addressed it, you know in like back in back in the day. He's well and truly done that, and he's learned from he's learned from that from that moment, and he's come out and like I said, he's so much more confident in himself that he does. Like, yeah, he cares about the club, and he cares about his teammates and all that stuff, but he's not going to be as worried about the reaction, you know what as back in the early days.
Well you just said before about like that real old school mentality of there's that real respect unsaid respect for the leaders. Like in video sessions, they are kind of the only ones that really speak. Everyone else has a downward like doesn't really speak about it. It's funny how
¶ Player Meetings
that kind of you just made me think. That is very much the same at Manly, still very much the same. Like I remember I first got there, no one would talk, no one would talk. There probably be three or four people, you know, the Troy, which is they'd sort of speak. No one else would.
Really talk like a Melbourne did everyone chip in it.
That's what I was going to. That's like I think I reckon. They're like, there's probably a few clubs still like a bit old school like that. They're very respect driven for the old players. But Melbourne it was like, if you've got an idea, no matter who you are, you could be a you could be a trainer. They were trained and trial blokes in there for two weeks sometimes and they would go, hey, Belly, I have an idea.
That's great.
Yeah, we're fantastic and and you probably understand from your era Dad, sometimes you go like shut them somebody. You've told me stories where people who were have spoken up and you guys, get a shut up idiot.
I would Andrew Joey Joey used to do it what they got up and actually decided to walk towards the TV and going Now, if you went there and Joey went, sit the fuck down, your mate, you are playing fucking terrible in no position to preach it anywhere. Sit the fuck down.
Joey. Joey was there during that period as well. He was our assistant coach, Joey, he's our assistant coach. I won't throw a guy under the bus, but this is sort of summed it up, and this is set that sets the tone for the year as well. A player said something during a video session who's new to the club the same year I got there. And then all Brett Stewart did was just a mannerism, like he just moved his body because he used to just sit against
the auditorium just like not listening all the time. And he so he's right at the front, so he's in vision so everyone can see Snaky. And then a player at the back started talking about the game plan or whatever it may be. This is like three or four games in Snake just starts looking at the back of the video like looking up at him speaking, and he didn't tell him to shut up or anything, because he
didn't need to. Everyone just looked and then everyone's just sort of like put their head down and started like giggling to himself. And it was enough that no one ever did it again. It was I can't explain it. I hope you trying to The example lives up to it.
But he's just like moving around in any because Glenn shut used to sit on the other side, so he's trying to look and then and then I'm sitting right behind him because I'm directly behind him, so I've just gone, oh, I put my head down, not at the guy for talking, up, just to the reaction and how it's all playing out, and we were all like, it's that secondhand embarrassment. Well, it just like it's the.
Worst feeling on it, Like just even to even to talk in a public setting is hard enough, and then to be publicly shamed mid sentence as somebody's But the best thing about I think the best clubs do it now, Like I've heard stories of the boys. It's not even just Yellowy and Cleary at Penrith that are chimeing out. You've got young bokes twenty year old who have played two games who chime up with ideas for how they
can be better. And I think that's it's probably the best way to run a club, depending on the culture of the club. But it's it's funny how so many clubs are still stuck in that old school sort of mentality to a.
Degree, Like you know, there's there's pros and cons to it as well. Like earn your stripes before you say my word. Yeah, so you know it was you know, I'm taking a mental note going and saying ship for three years on the beer. But there's also like I had some thoughts over the years that I never I never ever, So I'd go to Kier and would go out and train, and because Kieren and Daily wouldn't say anything, I'm just like, I was, what do you reckon of this?
You know, he's only that'll work? Can you tell Snake and see if we can you know, can we can you go ask Snake if we can have a crack at that or or this is this is why I did that.
But that's that's how things work. There's pockets, combinations, you know, exist right across the forming conversations. Well, I was so lucky in the nineties and he passed on regards again, he's just been diagnosed with cancer. As Malcolm, really Malcolm came to us. It was literally socialism. So it was like anywhere everyone has got basically the same rights, chiefs the captain, but if any it's got an idea, chirp
up and do it now. When he left, another coaches come in, those younger players go yeah, I got an idea the coach you go sorry in that, but like malcolmarin a really tough regime as far as physically, but there are no mind games, and that just formed a family, you know. I think when I look at the modern games sometimes there is so much analysis there. I hear there are so many meetings and video sessions that regardless if it's a business or professional sport, you've still got to love it.
Yeah.
You don't win to comp just purely on discipline. You have to you have to love it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely. Before we move off your football,
¶ Richie Faʻaoso
can you please tell my favorite story you've ever told me? Can you tell the Richie Fayoso story where the morgue.
Oh the morgue? Yeah yeah, I like it already. Yeah, I'm forgetting his name. So yeah, they they just I need to get the story correct because it's been since I told this one.
But I reckon it's five years I still read tell it.
Yeah, So, Mattie, you've been over the Super League, you know the relegation system. So Richie Farsa was part of a team that had just been relegated, and obviously you know everyone's you know down in the dumps, and I think he might have been playing for Castwood Tigers if they missed a season like that could be the team. Anyway, they used to have this crew over there. I know Richie Farsa was obviously one of them. Willie Manhu remember him,
and there was one more. I think Graveyanni potentially guy played a little bit first grade. They used to call them the Mongrels. That was their nickname, right, and that was just around the area anyway, So those boys used to run a mark all the time. Anyway, they're getting relegated or whatever. But they're sitting together on made Monday and fast must just go off just with a mate somewhere and go get it, maybe go get some more schooners or whatever it may be. By this stage, the
coach rolls in to Mad Monday. Anyway, he walks in and everyone's the music's blair and everyone's having a good time and laughing that. He goes turn off the music and he just gives everyone a spray. Mind you, Richie's away, right, so you haven't heard. He hasn't heard any of this. So he comes back in the team's got to spray. Everyone's sitting around all quiet and then when when Richie rolls back in, he sort of looks around and everyone's all quine and he goes, what is this a morgue?
Someone hit the music now? And then apparently I think Madison is his name, gets up. He goes, that's the fucking problem with this club. You fucking munkle start spraying him again, But like, Fuss has missed your initial bit where he's sprayed him. So it's one of the great stories. Richie probably tells it a whole heap better, but he was just he goes, what is any he could do? That click thing? You know that someone hit the music and then everyone so like there's people laughing and then
the coach gets up and he's screaming. But yeah, big, big uncle Fuss. He was one of my favorite teammates ever.
Oh man, that is so he's got a.
Really good Melbourne story as well. Have you heard that one?
Is that the belly ach one Bally?
Yeah, yeah, Frank Benissi was spraying him, but he's got one at every club.
He was, Yeah, I'll try, Yeah, I remember someone really told it.
It was do you know what the short version is? Frank? They weren't supposed to drink. Frank was spraying him in a team meeting in front overyone. Fuss was still half cut, so he thought he'd answer back like kit the music something like that. And then after he was going for about ten seconds, and then Bali was sitting in the mere and goes, Fuss, shut the fuck up and sit.
Down, and then he, yeah, I'm pretty sure it was something like the couple spray for all of them being on the piece, and Frankie was just going just a standard sort of spray from the GM gun, you know, and you bloody idiots, you shouldn't be going out and drinking when you like. And then he got it and he goes he goes, are you calling an idiot, Frank And then apparently it was just like dead air Bell just go still sitting still, sitting in his ritchie, shut.
Up and said, that's right. We called him a name. He's like, but it wasn't alluding to a couple of you idiots. Whatever he goes, you call an idiot trying to step him out, and Belly told him to sit down.
A couple of confidence schooners retirement tough at first, Yeah,
¶ Retirement
it was, it was okay for me, mate, I was pretty lucky, sort of come back from overseas.
Love my time overseas spending. I played two years for Catalans and then a year and a half a Wakik.
Quickly on that was living and perpgnon love.
It, loved it. Yeah, it took a while, Like we had a really loose crew there the first year. Who was Todd Carney, good Start, Dave.
Taylor, William Mason, this could be, this could be all start, this is.
This was an all star team. Gifty Glenn Stewart was over there as well. I loved a schooner. And then the wild card and a guy that might not a lot of people know is Paul Yton the Sharks. Yep mate little Cormel he was. He was loose. So yeah,
we had a we had a really bad gang. We were coming first equal going into the magic Ground over there, which is about halfway through the season, Maddie, and then we nearly didn't make the eight because summer hit and all the beach bars open, and then that that accumulation of that crew just went just went wild, and they apparently Mitchie Pierce just spent some time over there. He come back and said they still talk about our crew.
Like there's an example the use they used the sixteen year, and then there's another year when Chris Walker was there, Texas was there, and they talk about those two crews and if you know, none of that she shit happens anymore and all that.
How did how did the French react? When you're walking down to the beach and big Dave Taylor's down with his shirt off, just walking around by the coal train. They must have been going, who the fuck? What is that the side?
Yeah, the big behemoth he was, and he'd really blown out over there too, so he was about one hundred and thirty of the best. Yeah, he's right around on that you know those little mini skateboards yep.
Kenny skateboard.
Yeah, it was about that big. So he used to just be cruising up up cana Plage. They caught it, which is can a beach, no shirt on and just you know, sometimes have a beer in his hand.
All those poor wheels they would have been hanging on for dear life.
But yeah, big big koalie. Yeah, it was the black.
I remember once shaking his hand and his hand was like felt like about six inches thick.
Yeah, because we used to have pints over there, everyone drinks points. No one drinks schooners, and then they do have schooners and middies if you want to drink them, but you know, everyone has a point and the yeah, the pint would look like a schooner or a midty in his hand when he drank it, like looked like he was completely covering all the rest of us, you know, as you know I remember.
So after then, so I I want to play with the Sunny Coast Falcons as Melbourne's feeder club in twenty eighteen and I was eighteen years old. We had a good young side. Harry Grant was in it, Jeromes Hughes was in it, Paps was in it. And we come up against the Capras rock Hampton. So after then Dave Taylor came back and started playing for the rock Hampton for the c Q Capras. So we come up against him.
And at this plaint, if you thought he blew out in Purpagnon, let me tell you something, he must have swallowed himself again over there, because when he was playing for rock Hampton he would have been one hundred and fifty. I couldn't even recognize him and he was the back roller opposite me.
And it must have been terrifying, you must I.
Was shooting myself. The only thing I had on him was because at that stage he must have backed himself with a little bit of a half bat, so he wouldn't really run at you. He'd like get it and then try to chip and chase some shit over you. But he didn't have the speed like he once had, so we're just bouncing like peraps would pick it up.
Is the second most just purely talented player ever played with, behind Hainsey, who could just do crazy staff but skill level chip and chases like he was doing that in the Super League for a period of that year. Quick
¶ YKTR
off the mark strong as an ox just ticked all the boxes. Just the conditioning and keeping the weight off was his biggest drama.
Hardest thing. Wow, So like coming back, what's the first job in the meet? Was that your goal?
No, not at all. No. I got pretty lucky with it. So talking about normally before him, James Cigar and Isaac John had a clothing brand called y ktr YEP. It done really well for maybe the two or three years that I was overseas, but we were we become really close to my last year at Many just single boys, end of the season, footy trips, BALI, all that sort of stuff. So during that period I was away, I sort of just come back and started flying with those boys.
Once I got back, did some stuff with them. Didn't anticipate it was Isaac was the one who was pretty much running everything. And he goes, mate, like, I'm you got this thing going on. I don't know what it is. We're going to do some sports stuff, but at the end of the day, it's all about the merch people. Remember this, Like one point, it's huge. It was huge, like around them everywhere.
Yeah.
Yeah, so yeah, Isaac said, just come and give the podcast stuff a go. But like a point of difference was because I was a mad US sports fan. I would just only interview players, nothing about footy, very little about footy, and all about you know, who their favorite NBA team is, English Premier League if need be, Like I could go there because I just loved all sports. Then it slowly just organically grew got bigger and bigger, and then you know, the platform become bigger. I ended
up making a shift about three years ago. I was just doing a potty with Mace because because me and Mace went back to the Catalan and manly days. We started doing show together sort of float into levels and then it's it's weird, like there's no like real moment where I was like, oh, this is what I'm going to do now and I'm going to lock in and doing it. But just over time started getting the reps.
Scope taking that step. Because one of the most difficult things when you retire is when you play within a
¶ Willie Mason
system of play or a team. Everyone has code words, you know, am B, defender and get to this, and one of the I think sometimes the mistake or the most difficult thing when you're retire is going away and finding a vocabulary that allows you to explain but not using the terms that you're used to. Is actually going away and fighting your vocabulary. You're very good at that, is it had something you had to work on.
Yeah, I think I've got better over the years. But yeah, because and even sort of going back to the stuff about the video early on, like I've always been very observant. I've always been a punter and like as the boys know, I love a punt, a bit of a gamble. I used to play heaps of cards, so I was really big on mannerisms. But then because one of the best traits I've got from that is I just love soaking
stuff in, like watching people. So I watched heaps of content and then started to realize the space was going where it was and then sort of just try to pivot and try to find my own way in. But even with the sen stuff now, which is asolutely love you get to work with, you know, every now and again we chat with you, Maddie, but sugar is completely different to obviously Bear's head when I have to fill in on the run home, and then I've got Jimmy
Smith on Sundays. So I've just been trying to take little pieces from all of them as much as I can and try to learn, because you know, when you get the opportunity to be around guys with heaps of experience. The last couple of years, I've been chalk and cheese. If you listen to some of my potties early on, and you know, I really struggled as to be expected, but I feel like I've got a lot better.
Than you ever go back and listen to some of the earlier just to sit you're sitting in the car and go wonder how I sounded back then.
I did a couple of years ago. I sort of I think I'm more confident in myself now where I don't really have to go back and listen to them.
There are still, you know, like lessons that you can get from that store of stuff, but now it's more Now I'm sort of learning enough other people because I think I've got past the point where I feel comfortable enough in myself and my own skin because I had mad imposter syndrome doing it to begin with, Like when I started the potty and youve got to remember, this is like twenty nineteen eighteen. Sorry, end of twenty nineteen, no one was doing any of this stuff in our
area as strong as it is now. Now it's really competitive, but I was like, no one wants to listen to me, you know, Yeah, played like a journeyman rugby league player. So then once I got confident in that stage and then started to get more opportunities, and I started to really just embrace it and sort of know where my role was and what I do well, and yeah, just loving it now, like you're doing a little bit of everything, and the level stuff works really well with Mace again,
another personality to work with. And then at the end of the week, I do sen So yeah, I really enjoying it.
What Willie Mason I wanted because I want to not ask out the great need attain one of the greats. It's someone that doesn't strike me as being a lot of help with preparing for a rundown. Would that be fair to say, would you be doing a lot of the heavy lifting?
That's fair, that's fair.
I do.
I do a fair bit of the I guess I was saying to Jack before. There's almost like a little bit of producing going into it. I come up with the plans. I make sure I watch everything. I watch every game, I watch every important show, all the best analysts, and you try to get as many of the views as I can before to formulate a show. And then Mace can just take that wherever he wants.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, he doesn't.
He honestly just says. And he and even though like I don't know how much he watches every weekend and he probably doesn't watch any more of the shows, but he watches. He watches more footy than probably people give him credit for him. But he can come in after I've seen seven different views, and I feel like I've formulated exactly where I wanted to go on a Monday morning. And then he just says something and it takes its own different, different turn and it goes viral and people love it.
Well, that's a perfect combination. You're hearing for him. He's gay.
Yeah, sliding doors moment, mate, it's a full circle come back around.
I wanted to.
Sliding doors circle, mate, two completely different things. One is an oblong, the other one is circle.
We're bringing it back to the sliding doors. Another sliding
¶ Tyson Gamble
doors moment's just come to my head. Willie Mason. He went after a certain Newcastle player one time by the name of Tyson gamble Jack. Were you at the club at the.
State some of my final days at the club?
Yeah?
Yeah, what do you want to know?
I want to know. I want to get Scot's perspective first, because when you're doing a podcast, you've got a lot of good relationships with players. And then Mace comes out calling the night, calling the Knight's spine the worst in the comp outside of klem Ponger, and that Tyson Gambill was a reserve grade, to which he bit straight back and come back at yous. How do you sit in that space because you like to have a healthy relationship with a lot of the boys, right.
Look, I understand that's what makes us unique compared to anyone else. So look, even though I disagree with the take and I said it, I said it to him. I was like, mate, come on, Like we started talking about the spines and I was trying to, you know, think about it, but it was so it was out of nowhere, so like I can't sit there and plan and then start trying to backtrack and try to find worse spines in the competition. Anyway, and then and then Tyson come back and it was so funny, and you know,
I'm like, oh, awesome, right here we go. We've got a little bit of something here that we can use for for the next episode. And then he went row. So people don't realize, like it wasn't the the podcast stuff. He started tweeting tweeting Tyson, so you remember he said what he said on the potty and then Tyson, I believe what I was told. Tyson said it tongue in cheek to a journal, but it's just on the fine print.
So of course, like he was just going, yeah, Mace can fuck yeah, he can fuck off or whatever like that. But it was apparently just you know, very casual or whatever it may be. It was exclamation say anyway, So that's what make Seeson ego read there. The next week, they're playing the Warriors over there, Tyson has a rough game and May starts tweeting he's the worst fucking six more time or whatever it was. So it wasn't actually the podcast stuff. So and then all the backlash come
off the back of it. We had people like because I control the socials for us, me and Luky do we can see we get all the d ms and that they come back from it. And there was so much coming back during that period, and then it got to the point where I was like, all right, now we need it, Like this was gonna be fun this week. But because of that tweet and because he's gone at him and just completely hammered him, I was like, all right,
we've got to pull back. And then we lucky, you know, we're not live with the podcast like you got some but because there were some times where he just went on, you could see him he's just like ready to talk about the Knights, and then we talked about the Knights and he'd just hammer him for a two or three minutes. We'd have to take it out, like I haven't told him a couple of times, so mate, we can't. That's that's that hard. Yeah. I remember.
I remember SKA bike because I was sort of understood this space not always tip blokes up with little things like around, you know, those sorts of headlines and how it is perceived on text versus someone actually saying it. I remember saying to a few of the boys, you
because remember, blokes were sharing it. I remember because there was a few headlines on whatever platforms and blokes were re sharing it saying like, you know, bullshit and whatever on their social media, Like I'm sure you guys got like would have seen a spike numbers, yeah, and social media through that period. It was a bit like a Tyson's a champion fella. Now he cops a lot of you know, for the way he plays. When he came
down for Brisbane. Honestly, I didn't even think he had a bad bone in his body until he played around to like art when the ball went up to David Nofluma and I'd heard words and I heard hadn't heard in the football team for years, but honestly, is that good a fella. But the thing was it was a bit of a you could tell after a period that Willy was playing the game.
This is where I disagree and a lot of things you're saying there. Jack Kyler messaged me by the way he messaged me and goes, mate, Tyson's a legend, like you know, sort of not not levels me directly because we've done a few things together. And I was like, yeah, it's just sort of saying to Mace, I said, to
mace's getting a bit carried away. I think the thing that sort of got Mace more frustrated is because of the backlash off the back of it, because he was getting hambled like a lot of Newie fans and he loves Newcastle. Mace loves Newcastle. So it divided a bit of a fan base as well because a lot of people sort of stuck up for Tyson. A lot of people were probably saying, you know, Tyson's a a good like a solid fire ay, but he's not the best. So all the back and forth, I think that's where
Mace sort of got caught up in a little bit. Yeah, yeah, and it dragged on a little bit longer than it had to. But he's he's complimentary now every now and again, Like it took a while to get past it, but yeah, like.
I understand, will he taste things to the the MTh he takes things to the extreme. But you know, he has played proustraight, He's played the State of Origin, he's one Grand Finals, he's won of a Clove Churchill Medal.
¶ Criticism
Now I look at Willie and you think, oh jeez, that's it's quite harsh. But I see what's far worse. People who first come into the media, whether it be their own podcasts or websites, and absolutely hammer players purely to try to get clicks, to try to get going. Like there used to be a time when you actually had to do your dues and go away to actually form o pinion land to these days people start, we'll just walk into the media and they're made us operandi
to actually becoming someone in the media. It's just hammer as many players as they can and one of them will stick. Yeah, one will get traction.
As you know, Mady like and being with mainstream media at times over the years, like that's sort of how that's what separated us in podcasts when I first started from mainstream media, it was more about good, feel good stories and educating people and telling a different side of story that probably the mainstream wouldn't have shown back in the day. And you used to be you know, some of the clickbait stuff. And then it's sort of like felt like, you know, there are people where it's gone
full circle, it's gone back. In order to make yourself known in a podcast, you know this space, then you then you go hard and try to look for that. But yeah, I reckon it was more just with Mace, wasn't necessarily about continuing continuing it with Tyson, felt like he was going back and forth a little bit with the fan bases.
Yeah he was angry. Yeah, well I don't like like you do it quite well, Matthew. Where you've got to show where you sometimes have to be critical of players, sometimes have to be critical of players. You might know teammates of Jack and I, and you do it very well where you tell your honest opinion, but you don't
need to. There's a lot of people on TV coverage who will sometimes just strip a player down on the back of on the back of articles and things or lack of form, but without providing a solution, you do it quite well.
Where you go.
This player isn't playing well. I think he needs to get back to this to get back to the level we know we can play out. And I think there's what players I know that what the current players don't like is they don't like like people just sort of hitting them straight between the eyes with no with no idea of how they could get better.
Yeah.
I think we all know as players. I mean I could speak personally got Hammard quite a bit when I was playing, and you know, we all know what it's like when a journal would spray on TV and at the time you're going this journey.
As well, like constructive criticism, Yeah, you take that. I I used to love that from coaches. Yep, so you know how to learn, you know what to work on. So coaches just drop me and don't say anything and brush you are, like, what are you going to learn from that?
Well, I've had I've written articles sometimes and had angry calls from coaches, and I say to them straight up, I said, look, at the end of the day, I said, go back and read it. You've read it. You've read parts of it and taken offense. I've just written six hundred words of great advice for you.
Yeah, yeah, go and read it.
Like people will get there and they're so sensitive because you say, look, he's not playing well. You know this side are struggling in this area. If they get back to that, and they'd take offense, and you go, if you're going to take offense of that, if you are so thin skinned you're taking offense of that, I'm sorry, you're in the wrong game.
Yeah, I will say there actually are a few assistant coaches out there who listen to some of your some of the podcasts to get like information.
For sure, there would yeah.
Throwing off now I'm throwing throw off.
Yeah, word, take some stuff off you.
Well, it's you know, like it's it's so easy to just come out and say, oh, that's players ship.
Yeah. People say, let's just we're not having and we're not having to go Macy.
By the way, but Mace will come out and his initial he'll do an initial hit. But then he'll say why he believes that it's so easy if someone just got ah, mate, he can't play stuff like that. Well, if you if that's as big a critique as you can give someone. Well you got an IQ problem.
Well that's a beauty with Mays too, right, Like, even though I'm super planned with what you know, how I think it's going to go and making sure we've got a show that could last a certain amount of time, he is watching all the games, so like, even though he might not be his planned or know where it's going, he's got an opinion on everything. He coaches and it's a strong opinion. Yeah, And he coaches younger and mentors younger kids, and and he's been in He's got a
wealth of knowledge. Like he talks a lot about He's got really good relationships with Wayne and Gus over the years. Gus is a a bit of a mental for him. So when you're constantly around those guys, Yeah, some of the stuff he might say might blow people away, but it's not like it's like I said, even though it's he's not planning the show, there is thought process behind everything what he says.
Yes, yeah, what's his mum? Is his mum going okay.
Yeah I believe so. She had a bit of a scare about a year ago now, But yes, he goes up and I think his brother's living up up the Central coast.
And les Now the younger brother was good football with the younger fellow.
Coming through the Knights, was he So Mace's got I should probably know this a bit a bit better. But he's got about eight brothers and sisters maybe yeah, yeah, something like that.
But he had a younger brother coming through it the Knights in the under twenties. It was good. It was good football, really really good.
Heath Mathan's noted to Mike tythan shit, I don't know. I got my tongue and stuck between my teeth your tongue final, you know what? Before we get the loan story of the last little Mace thing, I remember the first time I ever knew what like, you know, the boys in the off season, they'll get an airbnb together and they'll lock in for a few days and I'll go down to the beach and have a drink. The first time I ever sort of was shown. That was actually Willie Mason and a few of his ex teammates.
They rented a joint just around the corner from us here. Texted, remember that, texted Dad, say mate, come over, bring the boys. We got in there. Let me tell you something. They were well hydrated. It was quite it was it was about mid morning and questions one word for it. Yeah, yeah,
¶ Lone Survivor
a few electro lights and yeah, I remember just going and going. Just why did you bring us to their day?
I didn't realize till I actually walked in and realized I'd walk you into a mad Monday.
Basically, yeah, yeah, it was a loose crew.
So loans explain what it is. I'm not good to explain.
This is the last thing we usually do. You're ready for this. So you listened to the party before.
Yeah, I'm a clips guy. I listened to all the clips.
So okay, yes, so that doesn't come it doesn't come down as a number. That's fine. It doesn't come out as a down for two seconds? Yes, sweet, perfect. So this segment, Loan Survivor, He's going to give you a category and then go It's like, would you rather give you two players or two something? And you pick and you continue to go until there's one left to King of the Hill and they're the winner of that category. Matthew, what is the category?
Greatest teammatee Oh, okay, okay, first to flet MATEO Chris in.
Oh, that's yeah, that's tough. Chrissy spent longer time with Christy and we went to school together.
Okay, christ and he knew the Wolfman, David Williams. Chrissy, Okay, Chrissy. George to fuer.
Oh picking favorites.
I live with Georgie, Georgie.
You know Georgie. Once we had a person associated with their show, like a producer of sorts, who did a bit of a skid on Georgie. Given the Georgie anyway, Georgie sent a message through to the producer. Our producer honestly was in the fetal position for three years.
That would be scary. I remember first time I ever met him. I was down at Lockey Croker's birthday in two thousand and nineteen and Georgie was there blind and he mustn't have realized my last name was John's. And he kept calling me Jonesy. He kept going Cooper Jones, Cooper Jones, and the Brad Parker was going Georgie. He's named fucking John's.
I think you knew, Yeah, that seems like something Georgie would do.
Cooper John.
We used to live around the corner together. We're just not too far away from that was the house that I lived in with Georgie for a year.
Yeah, oh really ye ken Jam Remember we nearly sent munster to the purgatory.
Mate purgatory. Yeah okay, uh, Eric Growth Junior, George to Phil, Georgie, Georgie luke Bert, Georgie, Georgie, Tim Manor, Georgie, Georgie, Maddie Ballen, Georgie, Georgie chock what mar Georgie, oh Mane, he's on a roll. Georgie, Nathan Kalis, Georgie, Georgie Phoebe phooey oh foy was cooled.
But Georgie, Yeah, okay, Georgie, Glenn Stewart, Georgie, Georgie Tamara Tahou Georgie, Georgie d C E D Okay, we've taken the left turn d c E. Brett Stewart uh d C d c E. Jared Haynes, Oh, who are Glenn McGrath d C d C. He's the last one, the biggie Nathan high.
USh, that's easy. Scope.
Thank you for coming. I really appreciate congratulations on your work, mate, Good on you, bro, Thank you mate,