¶ Wally v Pricey
As we're assumed with Penrith Fox, one of the downsides of success is players got to be let go with the salary account. So the situation situation with you, like, how did was it the fact that the dogs just come in with other clubs was such a big offer that basically had to.
Oh, it wasn't necessarily about the money. I lost my grandfather I think a year before or two years before, and I was.
A great wally.
Yeah, a big shout out the wall, you know, yeah, it was Yeah, I lost him, bro, and I was just like fuck I as I spent more time with him, and I sort of just wanted me to move back home spend more time with him, and all these offers started.
I didn't.
I made the decision just after we passed away.
That I wanted to move back.
So that's when all the clubs and all that kind of stuff wanted the wanted to sign me, but end up staying the following year to finish my contract off just out of respect for the storm. And that's how it all pretty much started.
Brother.
Like the money money was good, don't get me wrong, but yeah, family was was the main indicator, and that was always a message.
You know what, you'd always loved sitting when you come back from off season. You'd always love seeing all your best mates and your cousins in Redfern as well, like.
I was even on Sydney games and that, like we would always play earlier in the week, and I'd always stay in Sydney to spend time with family.
That so.
Put it in a Wally one nine and ten titles s didnety. He's one of the most.
He I think twelve titles, fifteen, fifteen divisions or something.
It's incredible, one of our greatest fighters, Wally, And I remember Fletch was talking to your pop Wally one day and Fletched years ago and asked him, who's the toughest guy you ever fought? And he actually said Ray Price.
Mad Ray Price, Rave Price.
But we had.
You will you be Ray Price is because we had a camp up in Learning Third and Ray Price lives up that way. I think he's got the mentor or something. But yeah, he was like looking at me like I'm like I'm known in my whole life and he wanted to say something to me. I feel like he wanted to say that Rah, I no, you apart would like we we had a blue back in the day.
So they had a street like a fight.
So what happened? So Wally told Fletch and other people are verified at the time. So they're having Prices having a beer after work at a pub on Golden Street.
And I'll think of it in a second.
Anyway, they havn't anyway for whatever reason Pricey because Price is pretty pretty dude. Even while he get into an argument and then Price he says to all, you want to go outside. Apparently they went outside and Wally just kept dropping Pricey and Prices just kept getting up. They said that. Even the police turned up and just went just we're not going to get involved with this. We're actually we're going to stay out and rate Price. Honestly, when you talk about legends of the game, like he's
one of the toughest players to ever played. Like when Paramount Paramo had never won a camp until Price he arrived. Then they win with him their full competitions. After he retire eighty six, they don't play finals again for another decade. Yeah, And like even when you had Stirlow and Kenny and all some of those great players still there, but Pricey, the Holy Left was Yeah, so that's great that you run India.
Yeah.
I feel like it's because I went up to him, say hey, Brahm Joyson, as I know who you are, and it's like he wanted to tell me something. That's the vibe I was getting anyways, But it's crazy like he's got the mental but he knows who are Remember, Yeah, like you remember that.
Go through about Pricey about ten years ago. Well, two things that I think is that a lot of a lot of the older players, like I feel from because a lot of them, particularly goes like Price, you don't just don't get quite the respect they deserve. For whatever reason, some people become immortals and other people, to a certainly
Snicket get forgotten. But I remember when that movie The Final Winter and in the Newcastle screaming Price he was next to me and at the end of the final Window they showed just a lot of old players that pay tribute to them, and Price he come up and
¶ Ray Price
remember looking next to me, and he was crying because for him it's like like you know, it's the respect he deserved and he was just blown away by it. Anyway, a few years after that, Josh he got diagnosed with bell cancer, I said, oh wow, okay, so I ring price and I said pricey. Yeah, yeah, it's Maddie. Oh Maddie, here you're going. I listened, mate, I'm really sorry to hear about the bow cancer made here you're going, Maddie. I honestly, this is the challenge I've been waiting for
since I retired. He goes, Mate, I'm going to boot this anyway. I said, oh, so what's going on? He said, I mate, I've just left there. I did kumo and I just did him a chemotherapy. Now one of the people finished, they've got to go home and lay down. He drains you. I can hear bang bang bang bang. So where you at? He goes, I made I'm back on the building site. Like, mate, he he's a dog of war.
That's that old school like, that's got.
That or about him. But when you see him like yeah, telling.
¶ Sparing Coop
Just an old like, yeah, he's got that dog. Because you're not a bad fighter. You've seen you on the jeans.
The jeans.
I don't know if you remember we sparred one time in rehab.
Rehab that would have been an easy victory.
Tie one hand behind your back and letting people know this is rehab in like when we've when we've heard ourselves, not rehab that like people go to. But we were in the yeah, we it was Geelong Camp twenty eighteen. We were both hurt for one day and we had to go and we did a sparring session for like to get our fitness in there. And I remember I was up against you one day and you hammered me like it was only body shots but fire out and I can't fight, like I don't know.
If that.
Really? I mean often mistaken you for Muhammad Ali.
I'm more of a verbal abuse man, that's my favorite. I'll hide behind the people who can fight, and I'll just like.
An elephant sting like a moth.
Bruh, whose side are you on from?
He is with the strength? Yeah?
Sure, letting What was that conversation like talking when you told belly Ache and the boys, like when you were going to signed to hold to.
Be honestly, I didn't tell them the fucking ship myself.
Oh really I didn't.
Bells are like I told bells are, but I didn't tell the boys. Yeah, like I fucking ship I was back then, I hated what's the word, like I hated confrontation. Confront I hate confrontation. I just didn't have the heart right.
To tell them.
Yeah right, And looking back now, bro, I wish I wish I had the.
Heart to tell him.
They would have understood that then.
Yeah, I know, just back then I was I just didn't have it in me to say it. Yeah, And that's just the type of person I am. Yep, but yeah now looking back at it, but I wish I did. Yeah, I'm emotional person. By when I'm sad, I'm sad, I'll start boring.
Why is that born?
I'm happy on Yeah, yeah, you right the way? Yeah, but yeah, yeah.
When you left a massive I remember because I was trying to work out whether you said it in front
of us or not in the plain group. But he left a massive hole in the group, Like not just what you did on the field, but like the off the field and o that you used to bring in the gym, Like you were always on the ox in the gym, and you never had a down date like he just never was, never was off foxy, Like he'd always get everyone high and leading into a training session, which is so important for a group when you're playing
twenty six games a year. And you, yeah, come off the back of a bad loss or something like, when you have characters in your team that just lift the.
Up or keep even short term. I remember in one Origin series, So left Fox out of game one and I remember talking to Guy at the time. I was critical because there's some things that are that are more important, well as important as what you do on the field's what you do off the field. And that's the reason why I think Ja tre Voyage should be picked this series, because it's what he brings, that energy and emotion. The same with you. I spoke to one of the players
after Get Bat game one. I said, what was it like? He said, yeah, it was good. I said that was the camp and he said, yeah, it just sort of likes something. And I said, let me guess the Fox Jake, and he went, that's exactly what we liked. Yeah, yeah, it must be.
You were What about when you come back to Sydney like being you went down to Melbourne as somebody who
¶ New Systems
was looking for an opportunity, looking for a chance. Now you leave Melbourne as like one of the biggest stars in the NRL, played State of Origin, play for your country. Was that hard like leaving Yeah? Or not leaving, but like the distractions of Sydney.
No, not at all, really, ah, not at all, not at all. But I was.
I also locked into what I was doing at the Bulldogs. There's some things I wish i'd done better within my leadership and all that kind of stuff. Back then I was, I was still pretty young, But I just wish I did a few things better as as a leader of the club. I know, I know they were at a rough spot back then, but yeah, like I said, I just wish I'd done a few things a bit better. I had all right year the first year personally, but
as a as a playing group. My my influence on the group obviously I didn't.
Yeah, like I said, just wish I'd done a few things.
Well, you're not your own there, Josh. That's life, mate. We all go through life.
I'll do back to so.
Many different things and said, you know, I could have handled that better. I should have done that better. That's life, mate. How did you How did you find like that? Craig Bellamy and camera Surralda because Surrealdo is a tremendous fella as well.
Now here's the similarities there. It's just I feel like the the system of how they both want to plays like completely different Melbourne. I've got their system and Bulldo's got the them. It's completely opposite to what I was
¶ Bulldogs Success
used to when I was down in Melbourne. So I pretty much had to start from scratch.
And it's that tough, like trying to buy into a completely different system, especially you've come from one that you know works.
Yeah.
Yeah, I feel like it was so hard because I was so I'm not talking himself up, but I mastered what I did down in Melbourne, and I feel like that was that was the best thing for me and what I could have done for the group. You know, it doesn't make sense, but it was like, I'll do whatever whatever's best for the team, and I didn't want to sound like a window or a hate or whatever you want to call it. So I just did what was best for the group. And I was learning a
new system. But yeah, I pretty much had to start to start from scratch.
And yeah, what was what was the cell of the Bulldogs because like you're you're the marquee man for that sort like they needed a big fish to land so then they could attract other players, and you were that like you were that guy, what was the why did you pick the Bulldogs?
I wanted to go to a struggle that was a struggle. I wanted to go to a club that was struggling. I wanted to be that guy to turn it around, and that was my whole mindset. Like I could have easily went to a good team, but I wanted to bring bring players, bring coaching staff to the club and better. And what got me over line even more was the fans, Like there's sleeping giants or whatever you want to call it as well, Yeah, mate, huge, like they're a huge club,
and I wanted to turn that around. But I feel like it was for me. I was still young and I was all I all I was doing is just enjoying my foot, Like I didn't take professional side serious enough. And I wish I'd understood that a bit more because I just relied on my ability.
But I wish I knew what it takes to actually be a professional.
Yeah. I think you've been tough on yourself there, because the toughest thing when you go to a club that has been struggling for a long time, that are almost a rock bottom, the hardest thing is getting the bolder moving. Yeah, and you you're part of that, mate, you know, and watching watching some of the games you have, the combination that you've formed on that left side and what you
brought to the team. I thought you give a lot, mate, I thought you give a lot, Josh, And I think you know the success of having here is fair bit belongs to you, mate, appreciate that.
Yeah, we look at particularly that left edge like Burton, kick out Bronze and Cherry that you played a lot of footy with when you're at the Dogs, A lot of the same shapes that they are executed now, you know, and kick go out the back. They were the shapes that you know, you justin Munster and Kenny Bromwich had nailed for two or three years.
You know.
That was Kenny's pet play to then find you for a lot of tries. So I imagine that the impact and like how you got, how you would have helped those boys know their roles in those shape would have been a lot, you know.
I yeah, I did my very best to help out as much as I could in terms of like the attacking that.
But yeah, just like.
I just feel like.
I just feel like to be too.
I just feel like I didn't get the best out of my footy there. Yeah, okay, Like respectfully, I just didn't play to my streams. So I just felt like I couldn't. I couldn't what's the word like, play at my strengths in the team too, you.
Know, Yeah, I played to you optimum. Yeah, but Josh, you know the other thing about it is is it Melbourne? Yeah, you're you're there and and like you said, you've come into a side with some of the greatest players of all. Yeah, you've been taking to the dogs right with this young team are who have been really struggling, who are really down in conference. Your role was completely different, wasn't it. You know?
I mean that's what I mean.
Like I wish I knew what a professional was. Like I, like I said, I just rely on my ability. I'll be right, Like I'm sore, but I don't need to do my recovery or I don't need to do actually video like all that kind of stuff. I just always rely on my ability. But all that stuff now I do.
Yep.
That's probably it's probably because of Zero and Kicks and Burdo,
¶ Critta's Arrival
because they become from a very successful club.
It's sort of open.
Miyes that I needed to do that stuff to influence the players, especially when Critic come and just went to another level. A big shout out to Critic. He taught not only myself but a lot of the boys the new system because a lot of us didn't believe in it because we've I'm telling them right now, like the way we train, we work so hard to get.
It right, but sometimes we just could not get it right.
But then when Crita was there, like he just showed us that it does fucking work, you know what I mean, Like I was one of them, that was one of them followers, like our tea is right now, Like I didn't believe in it because we put so much hard work into it into it. But then once Critic come.
He just just showed us, like I just got to get the reps. You got to get the reps because.
It is a hard system and it's a very good, successful system. But yeah, like I said, well.
Tough for camera Seraldo to Foxy. He looked back in that first season and go, oh man, you know, because it's so hard for him to go from a system that's been so successful, but a system where all these blokes have played together since they've been in juniors at Penrith. Suddenly take it to new group of players who have been struggling, who are lowing conference and really he've all just come together for the first time.
You know.
That's you know that that that that is completely different. But you know, I was sitting Jack and I were watching last night, just watching a bit of stuff and Crewta came on and I said to Jack, I've been thinking, who does he remind me of? Right, And he's a different body shape and everything, but he's twenty four years of age, his size, his presence and his leadership the
Blake I compare him to his melmourninger. Yeah, going to say Greglish no, no, no, but just what he brings to the team as far as his leadership and just the way the other players look at him, you know, and the ability to change something down the game. And a lot of similarities with Mal because Camp the Canberra side mate. When up until when Mal went there they were really struggling underachieving club. They bought Mail and Mail changed everything.
Not just similar to.
What's credit to Sarah too, like he we did like the first year we didn't have a good year and we could have Like there was a period there where we weren't going to make the like it was just locked in, you know, and we could have easily just like fuck around the train and all that kind of stuff, but Sarah was like, nah, we're sticking to what we're doing.
Because he had that belief and that was probably the best thing about Sarah, Like he believed in what he brought to the club and definitely like, look at the results now what the boys are doing, Like to see where all the work we put in back then, like they're getting.
The results now. Yeah.
Yeah, Like it's I'm so happy for the boys, Like because fuck there was tears. Yeah there was blood, sweat and tea. I'm telling you those tears, but because we worked hard on telling me it's like that.
It's like the Penrith team, right, yeah, like they were they had two years of like that sort of back end of two thousand and eighteen twenty nineteen. They had a rough year in twenty twenty twenty, I think when they made the Grand Final. They had a really rough start to the year and then sort of come good towards the back and making the Grand Final. But you see the rewards of like all that hard work for
¶ State of Origin
three or four years and then they just come through all at the right time and they all start peeking and buying into the system. Was the one for in a run?
Yeah, it's well, it's crazy crazy with Origin.
Like I wanted to ask you out because you played a lot of State of Origin and I know how much it means to you. Was it tough, like when you go to the dogs and then like the team's not playing as good as it need to be, which impacts your form? Was that tough losing the jersey?
Then?
Oh fucking shadowy? Yeah? Like did we win the series year before? I'm pretty sure we did.
Yeah, twenty twenty one.
Yeah, I think it's come from Yeah, I think because I remember there was one series twenty twenty one or twenty twenty two where they left you and Jake out of the first game. But I think he's one of the next two. I'm trying to remember.
No, No, I did not.
I didn't get left out of any game.
Yeah, right, yeah, any game.
Yeah, I think it was true. It might have been trill, Yeah, it.
Might have been. Might have been, but that's it's.
Oh no, because the year before was when Queenland beat us when they had all that, you know, the worst, the worst ever side, that young ass side. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm pretty sure just one one twenty twenty one.
I think that was that might have been.
Was that your last series last year?
Yeah?
Yeah right?
But was it hard when you go to the dogs and then you feel like you lose that jersey?
Well I didn't score a try till round seven or something, yep, so that was probably played a big.
Factor in it.
But yeah, fun, I was fucking shadowed by like fucking love putting that blues jersey on and that hate between Queensland and that's real R and I want to be a part of that.
But yeah, that year, like it was just yeah, it.
Was disappointing because we did we did win the year before as well, and obviously showing a bit of you know, faith and loyalty would have been nice. It is what it is, bro, you know, it's I was supporting the team no matter what, like.
Because you played in some fucking cracking serial. I remember twenty eighteen when you first got picked. That was ge I's last series and you played at the MCG I think game one and remember when he pumped Tommy Turbo Turbo Turbot was on the wing. He started killing it and he took a run and g I flew out of the line nearly killed him. That's right, he's still reaping the rewards of the injuries now, Turbo and you end up winning that series. But it was also Billy
Slater's last one as well. That was when I think he came in Game three with him and Ponga Ponger come.
Off the benches.
That must be like when you win a series like that, it must be so good, the feeling.
The best feeling, like one that won the premiership the year before. Then my name was getting tossed.
Around to play this as well. I was like, FU wouldn't read about it, but I was.
I was just happy with that brother. My name was getting tossed around to play yeah, straight out. And then when Freddy rang me, I was blown away, are going to You're gonna play?
Yeah?
Like my mum always talk about origin and all that kind of stuff, and she used to tell me all the memories and that that because she she went to a game and obviously she's in new Support and I think it was in Queensland because she lived in rock Camp.
It might have been in Brisbane, Brisbane or something.
So yeah, she always used to sit in the middle of the Queenslanders. Then she'll be the only Blue support and they all used to like Sprayer and that.
Yeah, that's the Queensland.
Why my dad's from my dad's side of finish from Cans from Queensland, Ya Yarraba from Yarba.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm a Queensland in a way. Yeah, in regards to my dad'side of the family. So my dad, I've got a massive family on my dad's side, and so
¶ Yarrabah
I always want to I want to put that Blues always want to be queens because give it.
To my family, you know what I mean, return return to Kansas the maroauding Hero.
Because they give it to me, like if they if they would beat us in a game and that they would give it to me.
So yeah, the Araba is beautiful.
So the thing Jarabah. I played there one day. I remember that we going in. I said to you, I was like, I'm playing Yarbra this week. You said, bro' from there. At fifteen minutes outside of camp. You to drive there and there's a there's a post out the front there and I said, it's illegue go to have alcohol in there in the community.
It's one of the one of only two missions still classified as a mission in Australia.
Ye, and you go past this sign and it's just got all these beers that like obviously the boys are walking back in there and they go no more alcohol past this point. So they finished their beers and they leave them there at the at the post. But I remember I went in. You get over the hill and you're driving the bus down like this, down these like swervy sort of lanes and it's.
Right on the water.
It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in my life. And as soon as we're off the bus. I was playing for the Falcons against I played in Yaraba against the Northern Pride, who was a feeder for the Cowboys and all the because a lot of the community then you like played for the Storm and they must have seen that, like we were mates
on Instagram or whatever. The amount of kids come up to me like before the game and I'm trying to practice kicking you know Josh had Yeah, yeah, I know, Josh, he's my cousin. There would have been and half of them would have been telling.
Nine going back there like to see you know, like you know with a lot of all the young kids looking at a hero worship it is.
That's something I'm very passionate about, like giving back to the mob. But the worst thing about going up there is you can't please everyone. They always always when you come see me, and I don't know where you leave you go to come see me, you know what I mean. But in terms of going up there, like I love going to see family, going fish and going hunting all that kind of stuff and giving back to the kids like at Yarrable, Like it's so it's a completely different
world when you walk out there. But it's everyone's running around barefoot and there's wild horses, wild dogs running around. They just live off the lambrun and it's just such a special place, like you'd be blown.
Away if it is actually like we should go there. It's actually crazy, Like it's so beautiful.
They do some some wonderful things within the community, like with the kids and that, Like I know South went up there. I'm pretty sure they took the Club of All Stars boys up there to to the Wiggles went there as well. But they yeah, they do some wonderful, wonderful things with the kids there, which is good.
So go to a footy clinic.
Made some freaking footy players out there. When you talk about quick.
Really up there, quick mate, I tear Josh like it's like I feel the Indigenous boys. I played with Olan Craigie. Where's always from It's from Tinger. You've got Preston, Nathan Blacklock, Bevan French.
It's killing of the super leg Bevan.
¶ Australian Camp
When we saw him in Vegas, he just carved him. He's one player I hated playing against. He's just so nippy.
Bro, Like you just baby, there they over there, you know what I mean, He's carving up.
What about playing for Australia, Josh, particularly going over playing for Australia in England. Enjoy that.
That's something I will always want to be a part of.
Bro, Like, yeah, you're always his stories about Australian camps all that kind of stuff, and it's that's what they fucking say. Like it's to a t like all the good times, all the fun times, and b it's putting that jersey on and playing with the best players in the world. That's something I always want to do and hopefully I can do again. Yeah, that's definitely one of my goals this year, get back in the representative spotlight. But yeah, now and the coaching staff and obviously the
senior players that always get picked. Like how fun they make it? Yeah, like yeah, we yeah, we play football. But when it's time to train, we train hard. When it's time they have fun. We have fun, like and that's.
What I love about me.
Yeah.
We're over there for seven eight weeks and we'll probably trained maybe once or twice a week, and then the rest of the days will be like like spend the time together, haven't it be great? Like boys would go to train and pretty much hungover, but would killed. Luck would carve up the session because that's what he said, Like if like he's gonna have do whatever, do whatever you want, but as long as you training good, and that's what we've done.
Well, malt that off Bob Fortum when Males and Captain and all those Kangaroo tours. Bob Thulton is the coach, that's the camp. His thing was, boys, we're going to train really hard in the mornings and then after lunch maybe we might go to we'll go to pub somewhere, have a beer and have a good time if it was the best time in your life, and consequently you play great football. A tear Foxy. You've got to make the end of this year, man will drive, You'll get
behind you, got it. I mean the three Test Ashes series Wembley, then Liverpool and New Everton Stadium and then heading the league. Wembley will just be I'll see, you know, something really special the Australian I'm sorry. When they play Test matches and Challenge Cup finals at Wembley, the whole English crowd, the Rugby Lue crowd. There's a tradition they sing this famous old song called Abide with Me, and it is It's unbelievable. It's just it's it's such an experience.
I sait to the boys. Man, I'm going to fly over there and just really see the Wembley game. In that second game in Liverpool, desperate. It will just be
¶ Connect to Culture
something I don't remember.
You tell them us well your other kids and other kids. Yeah, another Rep Jersey, I want to talk to you about Indigenous All Stars.
Yes, have you.
Because did you play this year because you were suspended? Right, Sorry to bring that up.
Tackle, I've gotta watch it.
They crush the tackles they're cracking down on. Not the Wingers made tackles. But did you go into like the boys always used to say, especially when Nico and stuff went in there, that like you just drive so much of the culture stuff and you love getting around all the boys in there, and they all the boys say they come out feeling so connected to their culture.
Yeah the best. That's what. Like.
From the first time I was involved in the camp, it was sort of like there wasn't much cultural stuff. But like once we start having fun and started doing like dances all that kind of stuff, you can see like I started bringing like love to the culture. Like there was there was there was a lot of us that was strongly connected, but there were some of us
that weren't. But yeah, like once me, Troll Cody, all these guys that come that played for the first time, we just made camps so fun, Like we do all these dances like at nighttime, late at night and all that kind of stuff, and it sort.
Of just a sort of just brought these cultural leaders.
Into the camp to teach everyone and make make things meaningful. So like when you're when you do a dance, people know what you're doing like you actually know what you're doing, like what you're representing and sort of like myself, Cody and Patrol, we sort of drove that and sort of changed it the dynamic of.
What actual All Stars is about.
Yeah, and we're we're super proud of that. Like to see where it was then and to see where is it now, Like boys fill their cup up after that camp and are so strongly connected because they learn, like it's only we're only together for a week, but they're so strongly connected within that week and how much they get out of that camp, and that's what we want.
Yeah, Josh, do you think A question is do you do you think Rugby lurg in general? Do you think we respect the indigenous culture enough?
I feel like the don't get wrong, we can do so much more things. But I feel like the NRL do a wonderful job in terms of acknowledging us. You know, we have own Indigenous around, We get community involved, get young kids involved.
That's what it's all about.
We're and obviously have the All Stars game sorry too, So I feel like, yes we do, but we just want to keep driving it every day within our game because we do feel the love from the ural and we do appreciate the people that get behind our culture because everyone knows our history and if you don't learn it, so.
We are a beautiful culture. No cult, no, no, there's no.
There's many, there's good and there's bad, and culture in every culture. So if you learn, if you learn about our culture, you'll see the beautiful.
And I think, you know, like I'm not saying it's perfect. One of the things I'm really proud of is that certainly, and I'm guessing every I'm guessing it's every club. But people don't really understand this how important sport is, meaning those you know, bridges and helping cultural awareness. And given the fact that when you're playing a rugby league side, like in the sides of it, like those fos race, no one gets fuck or give a fuck about how many tries to score and how many tackles you make.
That's it is. It is.
It's equality.
Yeah, it's I was just about to say something, but it's I feel like, I feel like the NERR does such a good job in terms of like community and we need to keep driving it because you want to see the next Gregist, you want to see the next do you want to see the next Latrob.
Mitchell, Cody Walker.
And you know you want to put those that support out there to average communities because we don't have much.
Yeah, straight up, we don't have much. Especially in the country.
Kids don't want to move away from from from their hometowns because they want to be around other Indigenous people. That's it's just the reality.
Of it, you know so well.
And there's I don't want to shine too much of a light on this, but there there's a player that I played with up at the Queensland Cup. He never made NRL, but he would have been one of the most talented players I've ever played within my life, like a free and he was. He's about twenty eight, twenty.
Nine, And I was like, what's going on?
Has any NRAL clubs ever flowed around? U said no, No, I don't know how it didn't happen. How he didn't He might have been a bit small for NRL scouts, eyes or whatever, but he was. He was a free. He would have been the freakyst player I've ever played against. He's said that he's passed away now. But like the amount of talent, the amount of talent that doesn't get noticed in some indigenous communities for whatever whatever reason, whether you know, they just don't they're not playing for like
they don't come to the right pathway or whatever. But like there's so many talented kids out there who were probably better than some of the players in the RL.
You know, Old Craigie got discovered. There was a guy driving on a road passed a football field in Tinger. He was an athlete's coach and looked to the left and went on all these kids playing and saw Owen and went.
What the fuck.
Pulled up, went onto the field to Owen and said, mate, you let me train you. I'll win your Olympic gold medal. So not long after that, Owen went to the school boy Olympics, won the gold middle one hundred meders. But then when he came back sort of chose the path again to rugby league. But I remember when I had to.
I had to pick him up from the Newcastle Airport and take him in with his with his dad and Nathan Blacklock was there as well, and we took him to the trial games and the Knights went, don't let Craigie, We're not going to try him because there's other scouts here that we don't want people. So anyway, Nathan Blacklock went out and played school four tries in the first half and noone's watching his great mate and just went, mate, I want to play the second half. So I threw
him on. He's called six tries six tries and they just dragged him straight off, took him down to the
¶ Koori Knockout
shards with his dad and signed the contract.
I always love watching I always watching out of the Creer knockout because all the boys get like you see the biggest yourself, Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker, and you going sometimes you go, how did the NFL clubs even like let the boys play like it's actually crazy and rip in. Oh mate, it's a it's an aggressive comp isn't it.
It's it's it's passion, bro. Like it's it's bragging rights like yeah first and other communities and like it's bragging rights, bar. But what you can do for like if you host or you win it, what you can do for your
community and the kids. It's it's not about the money, but it is is in a way because how much money you make you give back to the kids and the community, because like so much of money is involved because all the sponsorships, keeping parking, all the sponsorship stuff, all the canteen stuff, like it all goes back into the community.
But yes, just brag and rights and.
How much how much beef actually is there between like who would be? Is there a community that you're like that you don't like, that you don't like, but like you have a history of rival.
I think it goes with anything like the most successful teams. Yeah, well that's Maddie Rose, Georgie Rose and your front Rose and all that kind of stuff. Yeah, we've had a lot of beef on the field. Stays on the field.
N A B.
Newcastle all blacks that you know, the Briggs boys them.
Yeah, what's Nicols?
He's he's not Newcastle, He's he's Griffith's Griffith his grandfather.
He found out his grandfathers from Griffith. Yeah. Yeah, it's pretty crazy man.
When you do your research and you sort of know that your Aboriginal and you do your research, you're blown away.
Like your history mate, what Gordy told me once he played for LAPA, Yes, he just got bash it like this. Then r Rob Blake, who thinks he's a tough guy. We're going to go after him.
I was going over for a try one time. This is when I played for where I'm from Red from All Blacks versus the NAB Newcastle All Blacks. Yep, I was going over for a try and I was literally over, like I beat about five defenders stuff. But yeah, I was literally diving over and one of the Briggs boys come over and just knock me out. There's a clip on YouTube and I'm just like, I've just dropped like that, I've got no I didn't know where the hell I was.
I went off, started grabbing my thoughts, myself back together again, sorry, and come back on the field and I was scoring two tries and we wont to grad finals.
Man, is there a lot of that? Like like going after the nro Ol boys, because remember there was a clip. I remember there was a clip on getting around social media when they went after Latrelle and Latrell was just like standing there and they kept Jersey grabbing him and trying to punch him, and then trel was like yeah sweet sweet didn't react and then like the next play killed like picked him up and just was.
¶ Post-Footy
Is there a he for that? Like the boys go after the Yeah, like.
The when when we play games, like the players try to go after us.
But what we love is.
Always trying to give back to community because these these communities don't see much of us footy players. And that's what that's what we love about the Knockout, Like we go and show love. I know we can't move around the whole knockout because everyone's adotos and all that kind of stuff, but that's what we love and always getting couraged to do is to try to get involved with the within the knockout. But if you're not playing, try
to coach or something and around us. And that's that's what we myself Cody, And and did you ever coach post footy?
I'd love to coach really yeah, Like I don't know, like.
I am at parent now understand how roles he wants to coach and how he wants us to play it.
Just really.
Understand it, and I know what to say and I know what to to do, and so like it's sort of given me a drive to want to coach.
After footage, You've been coached by some good blokes. That's the thing you've gone from Belly, Yeah, Cameron, surrender to Risey. You've had mal as far as man management everything concern mate, you've had a yeah, that's your football education second and none. Yeah, I feel like especially at Para, like knowing how Risey
wants to wants to play. I even like when I'm cause I drive from Kelly or to Bilmore every day just like I just like I did not really say that in the media because I never used to be good at it. I never used to know how to Oh, boys, what are your thoughts on this? So like I reckon, we can just do better here or does that make sense? Like I never used to be like that. I'll be like, oh, yeah, I reckon, Like.
You know, it's a study all the time. But now it's like I'm really clear in what I'm saying, just because over time and the players and the coaches I've had.
Feel comfortable and you've also you know, you're probably like you probably feel comforting yourself where you've earned the right to speak up, you know when those young ages where you feel like I'm going to get shame because boys might think what is.
He talking about? Yeah?
But the boys, I feel like the paraboys they've got a growth mindset so that the they want to learn as the way that roles he wants to play. And there's no really like arrogant. There's no Arrogan follows in our team. They're just always willing to learn. They can see the bigger picture, which I love. Like when you have that one toxic guy or a couple of toxic guys, that's it's like it's nothing I've ever seen.
It bleeds through the side down. It's just so bad.
Do you want to rattle off a couple of names? Will beep it out, of course, Foxy, thanks are coming over, mate. We've taken too much of your time, but mate, good to see you again. Mate, and you just remember so I'll just show you this so this phone, it's two ways. You feel free to ring any.
Time because I just know I need to.
I need to. I need to.
It's right, mate, that's all right, just just letting you know that. Like you know, I've still got the same number.
And I met to catch up with his last time, but my old man was driving around everywhere.
He said, I couldn't take me.
A license back.
Now, a Foxy, I first appreciate coming over, but make congratulations on your career. It's been unbelievable and good luck the rest of you. But it's not just mate, it's not just what you do on the fields, what you do off the field. And you know, for for young guys, it's such a great personality made fans love you and make good on you, well make you. You should be proud of yourself, and your family too may be proud of you.
Fox makes a lot