#56 | Mark Hughes

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What are the odds of that? Look, who's ringing me?

That's Joey Andrew Joey.

Have you seen Fabe brother recently?

I haven't seen him for a while.

It's sort of just skims across society.

It's a busy viewod for him through origin period.

Well apparently yeah.

In fact, it's so busy oftentimes he has to have two weeks off work after it and go to the Maldives to surf. I mean it's hard work. You know, people think playing is hard. I mean to commentate, that's where the action is.

Hugh'sy.

This is an incredibly busy couple of weeks for you. So what's a what's a week entail the week leading into the beneaf of brainking.

So yeah, lots of great support Mattie, first and foremost, the the NRL tidal wave of support which started about seven years ago for Beanie for brain cancer around really lifted us to a new level. It was just amazing. So yeah, just just I go to schools, I go to workplaces. You know, there's a lot of schools doing beanies, which is great.

I do.

Yeah, looks good, looks good.

You should you should you have a sort of bringing out a match, use salundation, do rag Maybe.

It almost looks like one right now. You might want to retry that calm, maybe spin it around a little bit as well. There we go there.

I did think of the balaclava range.

Really good coming up on the NBA news.

Lots of brand awareness, oh yeah, lots of great things getting done and the NRL. Yeah, just it's just amazing. So you know, gett into appearances, get into games on the round, the networks all get behind us. It's crazy but good. Crazy.

How many people you employed? Now?

We have four part time staff, which I'm very proud of. I'm a full volunteer. I tell people flexible hours, but the hourly rate needs a review.

Yeah, gotcha, now what you're talking about?

Yeah, yeah, So I'm very proud to be a volunteer and we're run by the big heart of volunteers. They pack beanies, they go to go to shops and sell our stuff. There's so many volunteers that make this go around and I think people like that and they get that that the money is going to the right places. There's no brand ambassador and all these different tags. There's this four amazing staff at Hamilton that you get it all done.

It's incredible. Like the last ten years, you guys have sold over a million beanies, tens of millions of dollars. And the big thing is in rugby league to everyone gets around it. Like you know, I've twenties reserve grade, you know, all sorts of grades, and every grade during that week always chuck sabeni on, no matter what team they are. It's a really proud round for rugby league.

I think it's become a great tradition that I think everyone in rugby league agrees on. It doesn't happen too often. Yeah, it doesn't matter there's always blues Queensland, there's always these rivalries and that. But I feel like everyone is in the grands that brain cancer needs a bit of a help. And I think it's been a great tradition and there's probably kids now that would never remember nothing else but Beanie around and I think it's just part of the

I stopped to I actually forgot to declare something is that people? Jack Johns is he's away from behind the edit tweet and cutting up. He today's gone from producer to star at the show. Younger bloke Cooper Hughsey is in Darwin Cooper exactly Cooper and he.

Actually make he is filthy.

He keeps, he keeps calling Jack and I are going, Oh listen, make the conversation with Hughesy just short. I just talk on like the beney for brain cancer. Don't talk about his career, wait till I am back.

He died.

Let's dive real deep.

Yeah, he's got a massive poe Like you know, you're a favorite. You're one of the favorite guests as well. One of the blokes have known us since we're kids.

So well, funny, Jack, I was thinking this morning that we won the Grand Final in ninety seven, and I felt like it was a week later. We had Jack's wet the baby's head, that's right. Yeah, so we all gather at the.

Wash tub, was it?

I can't.

I think I feel like a few a few blurry times. But we all assembled, big celebration. I remember I had to work the next day. I went massive night and I was working at tube Makers. The boys all hit me away and tucked me into a little room and I had had a sleep, So I celebrated. I celebrated. Yeah, we celebrated you pretty hard, mate.

Thanks mate, I really appreciate it. Surely wasn't the like

Background ten days earlier? Jack?

And you know, for people who listened to that when what you just say said there is highly unusual these days, well it just doesn't happen. You play a Grand Final and then a few days later you've got to go back to work in tube makers and let people know tube makers was like it was a stool industry.

Yeah, sure, it was Maddie and Darren Albott was the same. He was an apprentice electrician and I was a fitter and turner. So we would work and then as I started gettingto first grade, we had to your clock in as you go in. Then we'll clocking out and going and do kicking and catching practice and coming back on and off. And I did a bit of shift work, so I would do night shift, then i'd go straight to the gym, then I'd go back to Curry and sleep.

Incredible.

It was good because it was giving me that mental toughness and you know, to really appreciate. People used to say you're always smiling, You're always happy, because I was. I was living a dream and it was a lot. The dream was a long way away for a fair time for me, but then it changed really quickly. But I was getting ready for work life, which was a fitter machinist, an average one at that, but that's what I was doing.

Now.

What was the reaction when you and Albi, Darren Albert who was the hero and that scholled that final try what was the reaction when you boys walk back into the next shift after winning the Grand Final?

Look, it was it was you know, this is a tradesman. Just blokes, blue collar blokes. They just they loved it. You know, we had hundreds of blogs and they were, you know, just having fun with them and talking about it and they all wanted to know about it. And I still run into these blokes now and they all say, we work with you at Chievemaker's House, Albi and all that, And it was really great times to be right in

Yeah, we'll check Denny, my late brother in law. Yeah, he he worked with you at Tube Maka's the ooce

Time.

Saw hughs again today because he made he was a minimalist, Yeah he was. Danny was the sort of guy I loved him because he's I've never met a person who was so comfortable in silence and he just can't come in.

He just walked in and said, may.

Want to be or anything, Danny Now, I'm sweet And as much as big a conversation I had was like been working with Usley lately. Oh you Dan as he young, bloody, good bloke us conversation.

Just a context to Danny looked exactly like Red Dagan to a point where I think it was it might have been Danny's fiftieth or sixtieth and Dad rocked up dressed as Red d Reagan as his brother. He was a good man, Danny, He was a.

Good I was thinking, Maddie. We did the in Search of the Holy Grail, a short a short video, remember that that was.

That was for the Newcastle Short Film Festival and they asked us to do and that's where Red Drag.

Oh wow.

So Crowey was the narrator and he assembled groom. Joey was Bruno Snideley. It was a card shark. He was sinister. He had this big mustache, a real sinister character. Then there was reg I throw back to the eighties and there was me and Matt Gidley were two sailors on Shorty. Yeah. We're all searching for Holy Greiley, which was which was the off this cup We had that hidden away and we were going through Newcastle searching for this piece.

Of We had to put all our own soundtrack on, so we had Stevie wonder.

It was so good. But Maddie walks into the pub and I think this is where Regeme started, and he just come up with this great dialogue. I'll have some crisps TB and some rollies. Please don't.

Get a at a two years old, a packet of smokes and a packet of crisps.

Was born. And then we're filming all this stuff. It was so fun, but I think that just showed that, Yeah, they're great fun we used to have.

When did you hide it?

Where did you just hide the cup?

The Obeliska is the highest point in Newcastle. We just planned it was going to be planted up there and we just filmed as we went up there someone so someone.

Could have went past and holy fuck, yeah screen, I hope someone's guarding it at least Husy.

Okay, just I want to ask you this question Feusy and the diagnosis originally, and I can imagine you've said this million times, but people will listen, be listening to this story for the very first time. So Mate, your flying life scale fantastic. The news must have hit you like a ton of bricks. What were the first signs?

Yeah, I was thirty six, Maddie flying high, feeling fit. Been out of footy for five or six years, but life was going great. Had three children under ten, beautiful wife. Yeah, everything was great. Then I just had headaches for a day and it put me in bed, which was unusual. And then I woke up the next morning headaches again.

When a person gets a diagnosis, oftentimes the doctor will present the scenarios and just go right out at best and worst. What was the At worst.

We had a go We had to say that you get your affairs in order, you need to sort that out. There's just no guarantees here with what you've got. It was really it was pretty tough and not the stuffing out of us and Kiraly. So we went and saw the experts, some other people in Sydney who were top of their field, and they gave us a bit of hope with a few readings out of my tumor that they said, hey, there's some really good hope with this. We're finding this, this percentage of this or you know,

Oftentimes, people, I think, at the most difficult moments or you know, I heard people say when they're putting a life threatening situation like you were, they have moments of just perfect clarity, you know, and how they look back at their lives and whatnot. What would there any moments like that for you.

You do a lot of thinking and whether it's forward thinking or look thinking back, so you do reflect a lot. And I had a lot of time to reflect. You know, you can't drive your car for eight months, you're not leaving the harm too often, so you're doing a lot of reflecting and thinking. And it was Yeah, I was certainly grateful for the life I'd had, but I just love life so much. I just wanted to keep going

And sorry, Jack and Jack just dropped his notes. They feel free to pick him up.

Brother, I've got to memorize man. Okay, actually I got I do actually have something for his usual because you know something similar like I've had a few beers with your son, Zack, your oldest. He's a good fella and you know, obviously that night had to take care of

Yeah, he was only young, but he was having a little bit of childhood epilepsy at the time and that was bringing that on a lot. Yeah, so there's a lot more of that going on. Bring the ambulance a few times, just everything was happening at once, and I think it was the stress and the strain of what it was going on would have caused a lot of that. So but then the kids are a bit younger, and then I quickly the positivity and the way I sort of conducted myself help help helps everyone around you. And

Before we move on to some of the good times and stuff that you never done through the charity lot, the tricks.

Status quo.

You've gone for skins today, a house things.

Yeah, got a great scan. I'm so grateful. I have one every about four months and go down the specialists and you get that done. So yeah, it's always a relief. And I'm like, I'm ten years down the track. I'm so blessed and lucky. There's so many that don't get the opportunities that I get. So I'm feeling fit, I'm feeling energized. I'm here for a reason to really keep kicking on and helping make a difference and give hope to people with brain cancer. And with the NRL community

Can I ask you you to like you've done so well, like ten years on, it's pretty incredible. Do you have any tips of people out there that might be going through it that you know changes to your lifestyle, minimalistic sort of things that always help you in the day to day.

I think simply I like to say, just make today count, you know, don't worry about down the track. Can't change yesterday, So just just try and do your best today, to make the best day you can today. Then wake up and do it again. But if you're continually dwelling on the future or worrying about what's happened, it's going to weigh where you're down. So I think that's just a nice simple.

That's interesting what you say there too, Like do you think that if you know it can be positive, it can impact you a lot more negatively if you have those negative, negative thoughts, whereas you've had a very positive outlook. Do you think that positive outlooks actually had a physical impact on you.

Oh, for sure, you know. I've looked up on it, and we become our thoughts. So if you're always negative and down, you're going to have to come across that person. So I feel like you need to control your thoughts a bit and really try and focus on being grateful, happy, positive and makes a difference.

Well too hugely.

Through the Foundation, you've had plenty of good times, one of which is every single year you've done that the trecks. Yes to the players, what are you doing this year?

Yeah, we're going to go across to Kakoda. We're going to walk across and back. So it's going to be huge, Mattie. So it's about two hundred k's. But the thing about co Coda it's either up or down. It's even muddy, it's even hod or really cold, really high. So yeah, it's going to be a great challenge. So that's our big one. You know, Chief and Billy Peedam came up with the idea of challenging ourselves whilst raising money and.

It's been those two blocks.

Yeah, that's so typical. I mean a lot of the traits that our teammates had on the field they've just brought across to the Foundation, you know, like and it's just been it's like you do great things in rugby league.

I twenty seventeen, was that? What mean twenty and I might.

Try go there? We are. We had beaver Menzies we did too. We had the beaver We had chief we Hads like Russell Richardson and the Ghidli Boys, Bedsillie Boy.

And what a way to bond. There was so many people that I've never met before. But by the time you're leaving Catman do everyone like you know, they're all our best mates.

Yeah, you know, a policeman train account and all these people come together as one in a team. And we had a like doing Everest, Maddie. It's it's just like on the world stage, isn't it. It's just it's challenging, it's hard, but it's fun and we we had the best time.

Oh, it's fantastic. A couple of boys were lucky, like Crowey. Let people know Crowey is the sort of guy and you know, people react different to altitude and they told us, just be very mindful of the person that you're knocking around with in the tea rooms, like you're in pairs. Just keep an eye on him, make sure they're not sleeping too long. And started noticing Crowe. He was like

Yeah, he collapsed on the bench in them wearing a tea room full of people across the world. We're starting to get a bit nervous. A couple of people vomiting. And then this German backpacker was a bit snaky that Crowley's taking up so much room on the seat and had a bit of a shot and then he didn't know what he was getting yourself influenced. Then Billy pede and pipe and like you know, there there was no war on the mountain.

A lot of the snow, you know.

And that's Billy is that he's just the best teammates. That's this Billy of all the trips.

So you've done Kilimanjoo.

Yeah, that's a hi alogude one. Trent Robo on that one joined us. Yep, we've done base Camp twice. Now, I've been to Borneo, We've been to where else. We did Vietnam last year. Oh, on a bike ride that was just brilliant. We went in these villages winding a way through and they're saying they hadn't even seen never seen white man in the flesh. Really, but they're so happy,

Yeah, it's so right. Yeah, you learn so much on these trips, those crazy locations that can actually ask you which is the worst airport, because I know has got a really bad rap as one.

Of the world's worst airports.

Well I think it is.

Well, Well I tea to one. I reckon use it when you land in to do the trick.

The first place, Lukla. Look their airport.

Look, it is terrifying. Really describe it to me. It's you've got to you got this. It's cut into the top of a mountain and the runway is just so short, so when you land, you've got to be careful. They got the jam the brakes on straight away or you just ram into the back wall that close. And when you take off, when you take off, this is terrifying.

Wow.

Yeah, the towns fac they for entertainment. They sit and watch it.

And watch.

Every day.

That's incredible.

We have some hearing moments too, because remember we couldn't.

Fly couldn't fly out.

There was lots of you do, lots of waging around for hours the right conditions what about?

And I was told told this.

It was fully try used to be on the project.

His name has Casey. At the moment he's to do all these sort of special challenges and whatnot. Terrific bloke, an American guy. And he told me, he said, when you go and do it, he said, I'll give you tip. He said, when you land first in Catman, do before you do the track, he said, cat Man do, You'll be going around going, oh mate, God, this is hectic.

It's real third world city, he said.

But when you go and do the track and come back to Catman do, he said, Catman do, will feel like Monika.

True? Yeah, do you remember? Chief?

So we come back, You're you're eating basically bowls of rice all the time at the tea houses, of course, So we're fanging when we get back, and Chief's just starving. We get we all go to this place to have beers and eat. Chief has forty eight chicken wings. No way, he kept ordering them. He kept going, Chimpy, You've got to get I've got to get some more.

Just go for a big I'm surprised.

I'm surprised they even have meat up there, because they're like they you guys were eating a lot more sort of like vegetables and things that don't up on the trek, things that you don't have to cook as heavily, like chicken and whatnot. But yeah, did you lose much weight up there?

Too much?

Really?

Yeah? You're eating lots of rice and yeah, whenever.

They take you.

Now, boys, really important thing is you don't drink on the mountain.

Sure we'd find a cuple of beers. Oh wow, that's so good.

Cu see how the old boys going.

Our boys going great, mate, We're proud of the old boys. We've got to We've got a good group. You know.

Do you still train in the morning you blow.

Yeah, bits of training and get together.

Who's the gang?

Kurt's the Kurt Gidley is a good ring leader of that and Bedsy Chief Billy when he can make it. We just whoever we can get there, Crowy, Jared d just good blokes, get together, train coffee, good way to started.

You blokes are that tight even when we're playing us up at New some More thing as you'd see that

Like if we go there early and train at the Center of Excellence, and tell you, man, if we had that gear, I'd be still playing. But it's hard to believe we talk about our facilities.

I was I was saying to the boys the other day we trained in a public gym. So Jack, if you're in the midst of training, you'd have to wait. There could be like two middle aged women and you're going to sit and wait until they get their reps done.

You just you're in.

There the mercy and sometimes you be packed with the public and you.

Just well, one thing about rugby league plays through. They're not very patient either. I can't imagine that.

It's funny you say that, Jack. I think every single every single club, every single team, believe they're tight. But I think sometimes in each club's history there is a side that is really tight, and I reckon that some of those ninety seven into two thousand and one teams.

Yeah, I know, success brings you together as well, and we had a great team which helped. And I mean ninety five of these boys did it awesome. Ninety six it was a bit of a rough year, yeah, but then from ice I FL from ninety five to probably two the club could genuinely have won a camp if we had the right injury and if we had a bit of luck, we could have nearly won. You know, we're

P mad Dog would have been young then too.

So then there's another tier of guys that were all sorts of eighteen nineteen twenty. That was sort of Olen Craigie was there, but kids, Betsy, Adam McDougall. Yeah, just on Darren Albert. So there. You know, it was just a really good blend of of and plenty of They say pick on character, Well, there was plenty of character in out to it.

It was put on a Peter sharp you know. Sharpie's been a lifelong coach. He's Newcastle at Paramatta of course did the Northern Eagles and Manly didn't have a lot of success there, but he's just most clubs sharp he goes to and he sits behind the scenes, they always have success. He's just a he's just a fantastic bloke

Yeah it was, Yeah, it was. Yeah, it was a dream for me, like from being from Curry.

And then you tell us, tell us the story of how you got the aggression.

Well, firstly, I was Curry, Curry boy. I knew Maddie and Jail. We were you know, cesn we went at

Oh yeah, wow, yeah.

Yeah, I got exposed to legend.

The mcgrady's are crazy. I've played with that many mcgrady's too in my time footy and all sorts of grades and huge.

I'd forgotten you played with Panda, Yeah that is that was no weekish and I'd watch him at training and he was just going half pace and now and again he turn it on and I'm just going, wow, this is this is awesome. Big Dave Smith was there. He was another Knights fella. And so the ninety six Peter Brady and Shane Lee, a couple of Curry legends, coached the twenty ones. They said, come and have a trial. So I've got a trial and made the team for ninety six. First time I made the Knights. Had a

And we talk about Ivan and Nathan of course anonymous. Now, how cool I under pressure. That's a perfect example, Jake. It's absolutely it's ankle deep mud, just pissed down for days.

And we're leading them.

We're leading them ten to four, and it's literally about thirty seconds ago. Andrew Walker the numbers out of one

Wow, I've actually seen that. Yeah, I mean how much long? How much further after was it that you started living with bedsy.

That was about yes after, Yeah, yes, I was just finding my feet in ninety seven, getting opportunities at these blags. I think I was. I was roomies with Maddie early days, away games, so that was always good. I remember that. I was thinking about that the other day too, and I was thinking, I think one time Maddie might remember this. But I gone to sleep early, and I popped up and I've gone, you've got a problem? Have you got a problem? But he looks at me and goes sit.

Dad, because all the boys when we used to room together, they always used to go because I had all these I used to take all my boots away, so I'd have about eight pairs of boods just lined up in the morning and then go. I'd go to the ground, do an inspection and know which I'd have.

Had all these beds. I haven't done lots stink sting rays.

But it's unbelievable.

Excuse you to think about the start of the year. You're there, you're eating your wristoles and you're going in a second, know where's my trial? And then Grand four?

Yeah, yeah, just amazing the break the break through.

We spoke about it before we come on here, and I brought up the time we played the Southeast Coinsland Crushes two thirds of the way through the year, and I brought it up because it was a funny moment in the fact that we played a game, and as was the time back in the mid nineties, you just go on a bender after rumed Brisbane. Anyway, the coach, Malcolm Realley, who was a real discipline arean like just legend but highly disciplined. He goes, right, we're going to

Fuck you, fuck you.

But that game husy like I remember you putting your body on the line. Tell us about the yeah moment.

Yeah, well, it was just I'm just trying to feel like I'm trying to get the confidence out of these guys because they probably didn't really name me, and I didn't look probably the most likely type, so they Yeah. I just remember they were on the sideline. They've kicked this ball across field, and I've come from the wing and I've charged across and I've dived in front of the I've caught it and then someone's belted me and I've flinged around the post. It was a really good take.

That run through ninety seven, half Jack not long. I reckon about four weeks out from semifinals and winning a Grand Final is all about timing as well as anything else is. We just just caught fire and we kept playing manly right at the back end of the year. Every song we played, and we just kept getting close and closer and closer to the morning. You wake up in the Grand Final and you just go you know you're going to win.

A strong air of confidence. And I look back now and go, hang on, you were twenty How could you feel that confident? But you just get caught up in the in that team environment, and I felt this inner belief there was there, led from chief as captain to everyone.

Well, I've got a few a few things from your old teammates have said. And then one of the things was the Telegraph the morning of the Grand Final, when you're reading the paper and they had something about they had Chief Joey and you, and they had player bios.

I tell this story a bit, but I'll tell it again. Yeah, so could you, babe. Plaza was where we stayed. So we wake up the morning of the game and I'm feeling great men, walk to the elevator, danced my way into the breakfast room. This is my day. So I walk in and there's a six or eight blokes around the table and they're looking at me laughing. So I sort of wander over and they hand over the newspaper, the Daily Telegraph what it was, and it was a

Oh my god.

Yeah, so yeah, not the best start to me day. Or we show them Jack, so I tell people they stung like a brown snack. So yeah, just a bit

Public gym. There's other people on the machines.

Yeah, and I was playing center, like I hadn't played any a center at one game at center as a kid, I reckon, you know, I just got put into there. So just finding a way.

What's your memory, hughsy Of, I said the last moment, but remember halftime one of the like, so it's really tight. It's eight six and almost the last play before halftime, they.

Do a full fulfilled shift.

Cliffy Lines drifts across and one of our players just lays on the inside inside ballshit and Nevin and we're going. They scored Rod on half time, remember going, we all walk in fourteen six.

Down and Joey loses it.

Memory he's going fucking hell for the fucking hell and everyone's going mate settled there.

It was yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, we like it wasn't the most like there was holes in our defense at times, and saying it wasn't the most perfect game in footage. That was a brilliant like it was a brilliant theater the game.

What do you remember you took the ball on the charge, you threw it to Alby. What what's your memory of that final play?

Yeah?

So yeah, so Joey got charged.

You'd hit the upright yep, moments before. So that was that was a close one. And then did Joey go again?

Joey went again and got charged down.

I think, yeah, I went to myself and then I just got the ball and running and then I just as I'm going, I throw a pretty ordinary past to Darren Albert. He gets tackled, yeah, five meters in and then yeah, so then from there I run. I raced to the short side. Joey gets into dummy half. Maddie wants the ball. Mark, Ye, I tipped Joey off, but that it's on down the short side. He has a bit of a glance. Maddie's screaming at him. This way

I might have been your chances of immortality.

I had spud coming across Yep.

We wouldn't get that. India too strong for Marc Hu's grandstand.

Albie didn't pay for a beer for two years in your car, so I did the Beau. I would have saved don in fifty grand back then.

Well he will trice over the week before too. That's on the everyone's I still I remember seeing it for the first time and I never seen because he's gone. Who was the winger again?

That's his who was quick?

So well, he was moving fast when now becomes into into camera, Oh my.

God, Jack, I've never seen and throw Marling throw Slater. Everyone, I've never seen someone so football fast as Albie in the fact that like our Strength Strength Coast coach Bruce.

Gallah, who's story in himself.

But he's just say mate, if I coached him since from when he as a kid, he'd want a gold medal in the two hundred meters. Really, yep, that's how quick. But think about it was stopping and starting stepping. He didn't brush a meter.

Really yeah, all these fast guys I watched now, I still compare him to Albi for some reason, a bit biased, but.

I just felt like that was so fast, oh that one, and thinking about it was he was a completely different winger to the ones you see now a lot of times in the fact that he had no work rate, Like just before the semi finals there was a blow up in a team meeting because Albie had had the Fords blown up. I suppose Rightfley, so he had one run for two meters.

But when you needed something big, that's what he come up with.

If he was a workhoorse, he doesn't pick up maxifats, we don't win that competition.

Magic.

I just want to say, while we're talking about the different characters, and we're skipping around a little a little bit here, but I mean Adam McDougall, the success that he has made in business, how much has he given you think to your found.

Out he'd be over five hundred thousand. Yeahs is just

He would.

He was unstoppable when he was when he was like that, So we're so blessed to have him in our side. But then in later life, you know, he was doing all this stuff and going what's he doing? What is it?

Because he could throw up polkies and he's saying he's doing this supple but everyone's going yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Well.

Well how old would he have been around the ninety seven Grand Final?

Early twenty or Toland? Yeah, he's only he was twenty one? Was young?

Was there a crew of years because there was an older crew and then sort of like a middle middle sort of crew. Was there a crew of young like the lot of yours that were real young that was sort of was real surreal for like he's all stuck together.

Absolutely, it was yeah, we were on this Yeah, we were on this wave. Yeah. But yeah, so back to just yeah, very giving, amazing person him and Belinda. What they've done with the man. I don't think there's a rugby League player that's had that type of success made.

He'll give them the fact they've sold He's maintained a lot

He could. I think he probably end up as rugbul League's first bionaire.

As far as players, they just couldn't be any happier for him and a great person a Hughesy.

You've got to tell people the celebrations was something in themselves. But fear play to you, your stamina and chiefs guts. YouTube blokes were the last ones standing.

When we were the last light standing. But as their story goes on, one of the nights might have been Thursday night. We ended up at the Empire Hotel. It was a lovely little twenty four hour unfortunately not with us anymore.

Yeah, yeah, plenty of blood, plenty of phlegm.

Yeah, Chief Chief's feet was swelling and he had a bit of gout, I think, and I mean g He did inspire me on the field, but to kick on with no shoes and feet like that, that's leadership.

That was huge.

Yeah big yeah, big balloons.

And new blokes are in the pub, So tell us about the Empire yeah.

So we get in there. It's a twenty four hour there's karaoke on. Chief gets on a stool right in front of the men's toilet and gets on there and has a bit of a bit of a doze off. And I noticed that and then sort of people can't get it through that through where he was, so I felt I had to do something. So I went up and I whacked him over my arm and I got him up, and the people ask me what did it look like? And I say, fink winfeld cup, I've got the cheap And as I get him up, everyone has

So what do you think you're weighing?

There?

Usually oh seventy eight that around Jack, But oh yeah, but yeah, that's just fun memories and we have fun with that. But for me, like the leader Chief is and still is to me today, like I just stay lucky.

Yeah, talk another characters, Jack, little things had happened to remember your twenty first? Twenty first but shortly after?

Would this be my one of my godfather's because you couldn't decide.

So this is December after Grand Final, So this is December, December fifteenth. All raids lead to Western Town Hall, yep, which is just next to Curry Curry, where I'm putting on a twenty first. Reality is the team. So I'm all excited yet nervous. So this is everything's coming. So then the boys turn up. Oh this is the first one with my present, my gift.

Oh, here we go.

What's this? So there's this newspaper wrapped around this tall thing, it's about this high, and Maddie and Butts and Crowy or I think it was, they hadn't present you my presence. So I start unwrapping it and there's this big skinny giraffe. The boy said that reminded me of so that was my president. The giraffe didn't last too much longer, didn't.

It was Crowy doing the twirl over his head. I think it fractured his neck.

But so Adammir, of course you're one of them, one of your god fathers and what had happened our skills coach slash he.

Had hid me and Roles Steve Dunstan the Swede. I remember.

Swede used to always like he was almost like the cheerleader involved with the good skills stuff, right.

But he's always morale to the point.

But he used to take upon himself sometimes to like sledge the opposition. So we're playing North Sydney one day and Greg Florimer is there, who's legend flow and he's he's he's about to walk down in the sheds and he just goes and Sweed goes a flow. He goes mate the loser's sheds when you get to the bottom on the right. But you're you're more than aware of that, you've played here for twenty years, right, and he's and he was known sweet as he used to carry the

On the on the boombox, your fuck with mate strength conditioners and more so the speed coaches there, there's some different breeds out there.

Well, Adam Mua signed to go to North Sydney, right, So Swede had had he on to one of our back rowers and said to one of our back rowers on the quiet, just trying to boost him up.

Wasn't so much about Adam Muhr.

About Hurts he Adam Mill's nickname. It was more about building the a guy up. And he said to him, mate, Hurts, He's gone, that's all right, forget about that. You just train hard, you'll be You'll be twice. You could be twice the player he is, So word you back to Hertzy that he said that. So we're at the Boosey's twenty first and Swed gets up on stage and starts performing songs with this guitar that was like a family

There were wood chips. We got back to the town hall.

We used him in the garden.

Oh my god, oh cry fast for a little bit for hughes. See my god, my other godfather, Stephen Crowe actually asked me. When I asked him, I said, oh, we've got Hughgy and I got to jump in for Coop. He actually asked me to ask you about two thousand and one, your Origin debut. He mentioned that at the time it was sort of Betsy was the one that people were going, it's very likely that Betsy will be in the squad, and he said, you couldn't have been

Yeah, yeah, we had a great partnership Betsy and I. And in two thousand and one, Betsy was very big tip to be the hooker. So we played Saturday night against the Dragons. Joey went off, he got injured. We won the games, a really good game. But Joey said to me after game, mate on you're a big chance here. But it's like Joey, you know boy that cried wolf types And yeah, I mean, okay, well, yeah that'd be good. But I didn't think too much of it. So then

Because that was that's a like I never knew that. I actually thought bed you played before, but you played fullback that series as well.

Yeah, that was our one, and then Beds he didn't

Seen his the debut when he got the kickoff. That's one of the great origin moment, some iconic.

Yeah, accuse me to check. Just two thousand and one, the night second premiership. How did it feel going from being a young bloke who was just like, I can't believe I'm here to suddenly bring someone who's on the cusp of a senior player.

Different.

It was a different feel because I felt it was three or four years of hard work and training and you certainly felt I definitely felt more a part of the team. So it's still as much enjoyment and you know, it was still an amazing thing to be a part of, but it was slightly different to the one being the young kid just on the edge of it. But yeah, it was just a brilliant, yeah, brilliant thing to be a part of. You know, the first ever Night Grand Final.

You had a player like in Joey who suddenly emerged as the best player in the world by away, and yeah, like Paramatta had broken all the attacking records that year. They were red hot favorites. There's a famous story about the Grand Final breakfast with you. Blokes were joking having a good time because it is a luxury being an underdog, and they were really tense, but particularly you said, you basically start clowned around and were asking questions like you're part of the press of Joey.

Yeah, yeah, there's been since to us said over that. But we had these big game players in like BK and Joey had done it all before, so they were our leaders, and we rubbed off on us and we were having fun. And at the breakfast, we were we were felling good. We were just enjoying the week. So the media scrumbs there and they've got the players up the front, and I think it was Haig's beds, Haig's

Can I ask what was Haggs like as a coach? I haven't heard too much about him as a coach.

Yes, it was interesting. We had Mal who was inspiring and a real leader. Then we had Warren Ryan came in for a couple of years, more of the educator, real footy brain. And then I felt Michael had a bit of both where he's probably really nice sort of guy, knew his footy, just a real nice bit different. So yeah, that were the three coaches for me. Yes, they all had their strengths. They all did really well. Warren was particularly a very educational sort of coach.

And that was important and that era for the nights we had a lot of success because purely by accident, each coach was different, Like each coach who superseded the last was what the team needed at the time. So he go back to David Waite. David Waite Wade, he was a great educator, but we needed someone to teach us how to give mental toughness and be men. Malcolm really come in. So Malcolm, then it was time to be topped up with.

Alcohol.

Now with education in comes Warren and then all of a sudden, we need the intensity to drop a little bit, you know, getting too much. And suddenly Hayes comes in as a really affable sort of man management sort of guy.

So I'll say, with Maddie and Joey, like the education that they were given out the team, you know what I mean, they ran a lot of stuff. So that was a real awesome learning curve for all us outside backs and that we were playing outside these guys and it made a real difference.

But you're talking about a lot of leaders in the side. One of the untold stories about it. Jack was mileig for a lot most of the preseason. We were doing a lot of coaching ourselves. On two occasions during the lead up to the competition started, Malcolm had to return to England. His mum was very very and then I think he's no more. Dad passed away, so he went over a fair stint. We basically coast ourselves because Sharpie,

Such a luxury.

You see it a lot now, just because you know, because the game is so quick, you know, and everyone a weird time in rugby league where a lot of the older playmakers are about to move on or have moved on. You can see where a lot of those clubs get their edges, like when Reno went up to Brisbane. You know how much he educated the rest of the team. What an impact having you know, experienced playmakers. Hasn't the rest of the squads like how much it can help?

Watching to highlight the other day and it's against paramatter. In ninety seven, Maddy and the left edges are doing all these flicking and then we play the ball. Then the half back, the dumm hour passes it to you. You do a twenty or thirty meter left to right to Joey. Then Joey does a thirty meter left to right to me and I hit a hole and untouched and scored and I thought, so the defense we were over there, and then two quick passes and we're over

Two thousand and one, when you win the Grand Final, how different was it because ninety seven we come back and it's it's you know, something like eight o'clock at night and the whole city is still away, and that you get back about one or two in the morning. Yeah,

Well, not really, because we went to the stadium and the stadium there must have been ten thousand there, five to ten thousand, So we did a lap around the ground and we're getting these massive rules. But it was definitely a lot later. I do like the day game format for that, but yeah, it was different because it was a bit later. But I think Mad Mad Monday

Tripping Ken he can he kick Chase completely naked? That I met Kenny at the Old Boy's Book.

Kenny was like, it shows you, like how inclusive is not the right word, you know. It's like just well, like we a lot of scaley wags and everything, but there was a real decency about the players. Like to let people know Kenny. Kenny was a guy who grew up with a lot of learning difficulties and suddenly he was looking for something in his life and he couldn't

And Kenny trying to catch him. Sometimes he would and the crowd had just be going nuts.

To catch him. And yeah, Kenny and grew his own cult following. He think I'd see him signing the odd jersey and he'd do everything like I mean, I'm in the big power aide buckets. Yeah, yeah, I remember him pouring the water and then putting the powder in and couldn't find the stir.

The first time I heard about Kenny was John Thomas Tomo, So Tom, I would have been there when when you were there. He's still there now, Tom, he still works.

Do you do anything with the club?

Yeah, game days, Maddie, I m C the corporate area, which I enjoy just get in and have a chat and set the scene and meet some great sponsors and people say. I enjoy that side of things. Obviously very close to Bedsie, so I keep in contact of everything that's going on there. So yeah, I'm.

Still part of it to all the games.

Every home game. Enjoy that, watch that, watch the other ones.

Who are the features? Because we've got the Old Boys Box? Who are the regulars? And the Old Boys Box?

Who are the regulars?

Do they do shift? Now?

We try and shift it around and try and share it around and we get them there and so now the Old Boys is it's it's it's a good strong group. And I see that other clubs are doing a good job with it now as well. I think it's important to keep these X players together and give them some purpose and it's great.

Yeah, I need to ask you. I've been I've been teetering on it. The house you and Bensie lived lived in, can you tell me about the bar.

The bar.

So yeah, So Bensy was living on his own and I said, let's just move in together. So one rainy Tuesday afternoon we decided to move in. So we got all the game. We're moving him across and we had this cupboard that we couldn't get through the door, had this like couldn't work out how to get it through, and we were stuff. We just give up. We ran Krowey, who was working at the club at the time as an admin. Crow can you come? And we're just over

So very good.

We used to call it whispers. I had a pool table, had a jacuzzie. It was like a little clubhouse Inweather. The boys all close.

They said to me, excuse you said, mate, come over all have a couple of beers and jump in the chacuzzi. I turn up. I had one or two beers, but I tear what the chacuzi like a laxa.

I wasn't going to well.

Joe text me his reckons they used to they called you guys, called yourselves Bedsi, you and him the three Musketeers. And he asked me to ask Yujo about the Darwin trip you did. Was there a trip to Darwin?

Yeah, we went to Darwin a few times, spreading the rugby league gospel. So Joey, myself and Betsy and yeah, I just had great time, just hot weather, having fun. Betsy met Chris's. I've heard that in the nightclub. But we had great time doing that. But we we beds and I would drive Joey to train and a fair buddy his lordship couldn't drive.

Yeah, make him live and then he's the sort of bloke, Joey that you'll be driving a training You've you've you've driven that road a million times, but he's still sitting in the team.

Which way to go? Go left to you left? Yeah, mate, telling the story right?

Excuse the trial game And that went down to Notoriety where he went and played a trial game and Joey said to Beds, don't worry, you don't have to play.

I was, I was. I wasn't there for that one.

And of course talking about benders.

Your wedding, who could forget about that?

So the boys the night before, the boys got a bit excited. My wedding party was my brother mate Maka and Bedsie and Joey and yeah, we were having fun. And I went to bed and the boys just stayed in the house and drank a bit longer than probably most groomed. It has a fun day. It's became a bit of a legendary.

Shoes you read me and goes mate, you've got a suit. I haven't, but I can get one, He goes mate. Because these two blokes, he goes, I don't know if they're going to be able to.

Make it and make the anticipation because we knew Joey could sort of hold himself together. But mate Bensy completely loses his ship and everyone's waiting at the church and everyone knows it's gone around anyway. The car turns up and going, oh, here we go, poor old Beds mate. He dragged to the altar, Paul.

Normally it should be the bride. Everyone's looking at putting this. Yeah,

And it was just because it's a very unique thing in Newcastle, like people don't people at other clubs don't realize it untill they actually come to Newcastle. A lot of chat with Tyson Gamble about this when he first come to the club. But everyone lives within even if you're a little while away, it's within fifteen minutes of training generally, so everyone lives so close together you always around each other. You don't see that as much as

Yeah, very unique. And I you know, I think if you go to another club you experience other you realize how good that environment was and is. And that was a yeah, it was a great time.

Jab Now the stories that were thrown him before we bid our dear friend for.

Will actually a little quiz prepared for you, just three questions. And I didn't want to. I was going to do a game where rattle off your list of teammates. But you're too good a bloke. I know you don't want to put.

On that game was coming.

Yeah, No I'm not.

I was picturing I won't to do a better teammate Maddie or Joie or is that the game?

I know how much I know how much you love your team. I'm not going to do that to you. But I got only I only finished on the second question. This is for a funny reason. Actually, Game two in Sydney, the Blues return Serve twenty six eighteen, You guys won from a seventy thousand You're playing fullback who was the debutante that game for New South Wales. For New South Wales. Yeah, so your your forward power in the forwards. Yes, it was Ogre. Now to fact check this, I actually text

He's all time Ogre, He's all time.

From memory with had a massive night. We're having a massive night and the paper was in the pub and it was a big article on Ogre. Bean off the drink.

Those ones we always goes off the drink hue. Where can people get the beanies?

Yeah? So best place is lows right across Australia selected I g a selected woolworst or online or most of all, come to the games over across the bean around and grab your beanies. Get on the Marquis Foundation website. We'd love your support.

That's at Mark Yu's foundation, dot com, dodau.

And the business the gym. If people are heading up to Newcastle, yeap.

So I've got air locker guitar if you want to come in and do an air locker session.

Yeah, we've done a few. It's a it's great training, really good training, especially if you're going to go on something like a trek as well.

Cooper came in the other weekend.

I heard. I heard it.

He wasn't as good as the older bloke. I heard he disgraced himself.

Yeah, I think you got a bit sick.

Isn't funny? It run in there going? Oh I made here we go.

We've got an X bloke recently retired in our role player and he's the one vomiting.

Here's the vomiting and the other thing I'm doing, Maddie. I'm doing corporate speaking and stuff for corporate so people out there want to hear my story. I'd love to do that. It's something that I am passionate about.

I've heard so heard you give a couple of those talks. It's fantastic.

Yeah, unreal, all right, thank you very much, Usy.

This has been a pleasure. Here's mate, Thank you Jack, Maddie.

Here's he always great to say.

Thanks for everything, Mate, I really appreciate it. On your comrade, thank you.

Thanks com