HENRY HADFIELD

Henry Hadfield.

Henry joined the Pirates from the north of England for the 2026 season. Having come through a school and club pathways as a young man, to playing plenty of Rugby League and Rugby Union across the UK leading to this  adventure abroad, the Aussie experience is pretty cool to hear first hand. 

It’s been a journey throughout his footy career, plenty of ups and downs, times of feeling lost and discouraged by sport and finding his love for the game and the people around it over again. 

Affirmation on what really makes him tick with the sporting community as well as his love of giving back on and off the field. 

This is an honest and raw account of a journey through sport, filled with lots of highs, some set backs, a scandal or two & a thick Pommy accent. 

Enjoy legends! 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

This episode has been brought to you from the DGMS studios, home of Don't Get Me Started, Lethal and Money Live, and SurfTown. Found at Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, and wherever you listen to your podcast.

SPEAKER_01 0:21

G'day and welcome to People of the Pirates with LA. This is a feature of some of the amazing individuals we have around the Noosa Pirates Rugby League Club. Enjoy their stories. The opinions voiced on this podcast are our own and not the official position of the club or the league. And there is a mild language warning. Enjoy, legends. Alright, legends. Welcome to episode nine. Now we've got Henry Hadfield on the mic, all the way from the motherland. Here's Big Henry. How you doing, mate? Good brother, how are you? Yeah, good, thank you.

SPEAKER_02 1:01

Always good on a Friday.

SPEAKER_01 1:03

How good, mate? First time podcast. Welcome on board, mate. Thank you very much. That's good. How are you enjoying the pirate so far?

SPEAKER_02 1:10

Loving it, mate. Sort of tried like get as involved as I can, really. So been doing a bit of gym with the 15s, helping Ant with the Academy, and then getting obviously stuck into my own footy as much as I can and getting to know the lads as as best as I can as well. That's good.

SPEAKER_01 1:26

Even marked a couple of fields one day, too.

SPEAKER_02 1:31

With some factor 50 on my head, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:34

Let's take it back to the start. So tell us the Henry Hadfield story, mate.

SPEAKER_02 1:38

I guess rugby-wise, it starts as early as I can remember, really, from throwing a ball around with my mum and sister waiting for the school bus. Played, I actually played rugby union all the way until I was playing for Lancashire, so that's county, which would be the equivalent to state here, but obviously a lot smaller. Playing a game for Lancashire under 18s against Yorkshire, which is it's maybe not so much now, but I think at the time County and representative rugby was a lot more prominent. So I was playing in that, and by chance, I don't know if you remember Alan Hunt. So he was head of academy at Salford, and then he was at the game and then asked me to go down to Salford training. So this was when I was still at Myersco College, so a rugby union college that were linked with Salesharks. Went down, got on really well with Alan, and then started to realise because people would sometimes say to me, I look like a league player playing union, even though I had never played league. So yeah, got into it there and then had the year at I think they go 19s, then into senior academy. Then I got released, I think, December 2015, and was a bit at that point, probably a bit lost. And I'm sure a lot of lads that are playing in this league will have had the same thing where you think I thought I was gonna play Super League, and that was my job. And that was that was it. I think going back, I think there's actually even an interview in my local paper where I made an England colleges side and they said, Oh, what are you gonna do if footy doesn't work out? I said something like there's no need for a plan B because it distracts from plan A. But we're pretty fucking far into plan B now. So but yeah, from there I got released, was a bit lost with it, and I think like a lot of 19-year-old lads would be as angry at everything and everyone. And I actually went in, just didn't know what I wanted to do, didn't know that I wanted to go to university, so I took a job, builder's yard, so just like loading up vans, driving forklifts, and it was a weird I think what did I have out? Maybe 18 months, and yeah, it was a bit of a transition going from being in and training with like gaz hock and rangy chasing people to then someone being like, Oi lad, put those fucking bags of cement in that van, and you're like, How is this happened? But yeah, so just gymming and stuff a lot, and I think probably my mum and stepdad were a bit concerned about the way I was going because not didn't get into any major issues, but definitely looking for trouble weekends and stuff, if you know what I mean, and probably starting to hang around with the wrong people, go down the wrong path, and then by chance, so my mum used to do the safeguarding for Cumbria County, and there was a case I think where the counties overlapped, Northumberland and Cumbria. So the guy who did her role but in Northumberland was at ours in like the home office discussing because I think it was quite a serious case, and then just by chance, he was like, Oh, you look like you play rugby, and I was like, I must have given off some flippant, like, yeah, I fucking used to, or something, yeah. But he said, I'm our coach, or he's pretty president of Tyndale, which is still rugby union, but semi-pro, so that would be level four. Went through there and then got around like a really good, like any footy club, really good group of blokes like on and off the pitch, and started to become back to bar who I was before, if you know what I mean, after that dip. But yeah, I played sort of cut back the rugby league, so played for three different union sides, all whilst working and stuff and sort of trying to progress my career off the pitch. And then by chance I got back into league by playing a sevens tournament, rugby sevens, got more with this lad, it was like a local-based team, and then he said, Oh, Workington Town need outside backs, you know, you should go through Anthony Murray's the coach, he's a really good bloke. And I was like, I don't know, I've just because I'd obviously just finished my union season because they run opposite back home. And sort of same thing, really. I kick myself now when I think these with hindsight looking at these initial thought processes, but I was like, Oh, I'm tired, I've just finished my own season. I was like, alright, fuck it, I'll see what comes of it. Went through, and then it was almost like a new lease of life, really. So always been around good blokes in rugby union, but rugby league, I think I can't really put my my finger on the difference, but it's just people are so much more engrossed in it, like the players and everything, and it was it was such a good. I think I played the last nine games of the season for Workington, and under Anthony Murray, he was a really good coach again, a good bloke on and off the pitch, and then I was like, yeah, I think I want to make this change permanent. So then from there, played a little bit of union, had a TTO surgery, which was very complicated in and off season because it uh I went back and then it failed, and that was uh that was actually why I was later coming here, but then went to Whitehaven. The reason I went there is Muzz, who was coaching at Workington, he'd gone Whitehaven. Um so I loved Workington as a club, didn't really know too much about Whitehaven, even though they're only six miles apart, but wanted to very much like play for the coach. So I went with Muzz, and then off the back of being at Whitehaven, I knew I wanted to do a season in Australia, and I think if you play like the in the top three tiers in England, league or union, there's always going to be Kiwis and Aussies in your team. I knew where Australia was on a map, but in terms of coming where to play, I didn't have a clue. So I got in touch with some of the lads who I knew who'd gone to Australia and then Aussie lads who were still over playing in in England, and I got put in touch with Luke Srama. So good old Shramer. Yeah, yeah, really good bloke. So he was I sort of really didn't I didn't know what I wanted. I didn't know whether I wanted to do full-time in the bush or have the thing of playing and working as I do back home in sort of like an area with more going on. So yeah, I got recommended to look at Sunshine Coast, and then I can't remember who I spoke to first, if it was you or Tommy or Gus, or if one of you guys spoke to Luke first.

SPEAKER_01 7:49

I think Sharmer might have reached out to me after he'd spoken to you. Yeah. Potentially, or I think so. I can't remember. We all spoke to you in pretty quick succession after that. We'll be came to get you to the club.

SPEAKER_02 8:01

So yeah, ended up ended up here, and then it was a bit of a delayed thing getting out of here. Sorry, out here, because I had a long notice period at work. So I think I only landed well you picked me up, didn't you, the Thursday before the trial game?

SPEAKER_01 8:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:17

And then straight into the season. So yeah, I was I was blowing a bit that first that first game against Kowana. I think I was just under 100 kilos and I'm back to 94 now. So I was I was struggling a bit to be honest, but we got through it, yeah, and then just taking it bit by bit now.

SPEAKER_01 8:33

So let's wind it back a little bit. So school was it boarding school or just uh prestigious rugby school?

SPEAKER_02 8:40

No, no, not at all. So I went to a private primary school, the same one my sister did, which we're really fortunate for, both for the education and the the sport, and then went to a state school, which I don't think it's a bad school now, but when we went, it was pretty bad, just in terms of like kids getting pregnant and like people getting caught fighting, yeah, smoking on site, drinking on site, and that sort of stuff, which was a bit of adjustment going there because I suppose that's probably another part where I sort of deviated from who I was. So trying to fit in with rough lads when you're not from a rough background took took a while, so I just became like them as young boys do. So, yeah, from there and then to college. So I went to Myosco College, which is they call it like an ace college back home, so it's just basically where you're a bit like obviously you've set up the thing with the dolphins, it's like an affiliation. So that was with Sail Sharks, and that's where I went, and then I was sort of realised that if I applied myself, I could get a lot from rugby because at that point I was then meeting people from like there were lads over there from Portugal and the States and Australia, and I was like, oh hang on, if whatever happens with rugby, there's a chance that it could take me all over the world, give me job opportunities and everything, which it it has. So that was really good. Or something I'd I'd like to go back to actually was obviously something we spoke about off air before was in so in 2019 when I was playing for Field, so they're based in Lytham St Anne's in the northwest. They also had an affiliation with Saleshark, so I won't name any names of who the coach was and stuff because they still work in rugby. But I was it was one one Wednesday night, so I'm at home. I still live with my parents. I can't think how old I was then, very early 20s. Being at the gym and stuff, driving trucks then, so like early starts, and then my stepdad came through and went, There's someone here to see you, and I was like, half nine on a Wednesday night, and we live out out in the sticks, which were like out in the bush for you guys. Yeah, and there's a guy there with a RFU lanyard on everything. He was like, Oh, my name's whatever he was, showed me his ideas, like, I'm here to test you. So I was like, Okay, I was like, I'm sure we only got tested after a game, but as well as that was I was playing level four, so in rugby union back home, levels one, two, and three get tested just year in, and that's either at training or at the game, and then rugby league, it's blood and year-in levels one, two, and three. So I was playing level four, so I thought it's a bit strange, but I don't know if you've ever been tested, but you have to declare all your medication and supplementation and everything, which I did, and then I was actually re-signing for the following year and went and saw my coach and he was like, Oh, how's it going? I was like, All right, I was like, I got tested last night at home. And he it took about a like a 20-minute conversation for me to convince him. I had to ring my mum up and say, Can you take the photos of the sheets I was left out of signing? And he was like, He was like, Well, what's going on? Because it costs, I can't think what it costs. This is in pounds as well. And back then, I think it was £4,000 to test someone, so that's like 8,000 bucks. So he was like, It just doesn't make sense. I don't know why it would have happened. Always played tested rugby from college and Salford, obviously, like so from being a pretty much a kid. So yeah, he didn't really believe it. So I need to make some phone calls, and that was it. And then we get six weeks down the line or whatever, and he went, Well, I haven't heard anything from them, and I still can't find out how it's happened, but it's obviously fine. So that was it, or I thought that was it, and then exact same situation again. So my parents come through and they're like, There's someone here again. And I was like, What the fuck is going on?

SPEAKER_01 12:28

Was it a piss test?

SPEAKER_02 12:29

Yeah, yeah. So, like full on, yeah, like I'm sure you've been tested, so like trousers down to the knees, shirt legs, and he's he's watching you like you're doing a little boy running into a little container on the room. I'm sure that's awkward enough in your footy changes, but imagine being in your mum and dad's kitchen, yeah, that's another level. So it happens, and then I rang my coach and was like, mate, what's going on? He was like, right, let me make some calls to some solicitors I know that work with situations like this. I was like, Oh fuck. He's on his way back from a team game with the Prem Club and he was like, I can't get an answer. And he said, The thing I'm worried about is given the circumstances that this has happened, I'm worried that if your parents say you're not there, they're gonna slam you and say that you answered the door and you refuse the test. And that sounds I was thinking, well, that sounds far-fetched, but then he was like, Yeah, but the whole situation sounds far-fetched. Like it just not adding up. So anyway, did the test again, and what they'd kindly done was when I declared all my supplements on the first one, because it was the end of the day and I was so hydrated. I don't know for people who don't know that much about drug screening and testing, is if you're just passing basically water, which I was because I was so hydrated, nothing really will come up.

SPEAKER_01 13:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:42

So instead of saying to me, whatever I was 21 or 22, or just so you know, uh, you've declared this supplement which contains it was hygienamine, which is a plant-based stimulant, which is prohibited in professional sports. You've put this down, but it's banned, but it hasn't come up. They just obviously tested me again, knowing that I'd fail it and didn't know that I was taking something banned. So fast forward, I obviously think I'm still fine. I won't do anything wrong. So fast forward eight weeks, I think it we're about to go into pre-season, like any club, no, loads of new lads at the club, and I get like a phone call off an unknown number, answered, and they went, Oh hi, it's so and so from the RFU, just let you know you get a letter tomorrow. You've been banned for two years for failed drugs tests. And I was like, very funny. Then I put like in the group, I think I was like, nice one, lads. Yeah, not that funny. And then he rang back again. I was I remember I was driving back from work, pulled over, and he was like, No, this is serious, you'll get a letter tomorrow. So I went back to all my parents, then we got this letter, and as you can imagine, just being like a normal 21-year-old lad, like I'm not a professional athlete. It was inspirational, you're gonna be able to get it. Oh, yeah, oh yeah. Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_01 14:52

It was just in your guts, yeah, just trying to get there.

SPEAKER_02 14:54

Yeah, a bit of a whirlwind, because then we went down the thing of appealing it, and again, it is funny how it works. So when you appeal it, which I did, you get a chance to you have to prove certain things, like there's like boxes you need to tick. Yeah, so that you had no intention to cheat. So the finding from the tribunal was that sourced your supplements from a safe supplier. So for me, I went to school with a lad actually played at Workington with him, my best mate from school. His dad owned a supplement company. Yeah, pretty sure. I mean, I'm not sure if they sponsored Kyle Armour, but some West Cumbrians that played in the Super League. So he would give me my supplements each month, your standard creatine, all that sort of stuff. So he that obviously fractured that relationship a bit because he felt awful because he felt like he had got me banned, and then obviously it's was it from like a pre-worky. Yeah, so I can I think it it was called Black Magic from something else, like pre-workouts got these like it's like Red Bull and Monster, the bright colours and all that sort of stuff. Did this tribunal, and I was like, Great, like I've done everything, tick tock, no intention to cheat, all of this. And then they went, Well, take was it a month or two months off it? Which was crazy because people at the in that year, because you can see all the records, were running from tests and only getting 12 months. Yeah, then the only reason you're running from a drugs test is because you're on drugs.

SPEAKER_01 16:18

Yeah, 100%.

SPEAKER_02 16:19

So yeah, it was pretty crazy, but then I wouldn't I don't know if I'm a massive believer in karma and stuff, but I had a I had a vascular bone graft on my wrist that I was booked in for anyway. So I missed the first four games of that season, then I had my off, and then it was COVID. Because a suspension like that runs date to date, not game to game. They were whoever obviously wanted me banned was thinking, right, we've nailed him, we've got him for two years. Out of a possible 50 games, I missed four because of COVID. It was yeah, it's an interesting one, but they slammed you on Twitter as well, didn't they? Yeah, so the RFU have no, yeah. So the RFU have I can't think what they had at the time, three million or six million followers, and all they did was they tagged me saying Henry Hadfield failed drugs tests two years, which is nice of them. The uh the Blackpool Gazette. I actually have a bit of a thing going with them because I've been deep diving into it. It's actually the way they it's years ago now, the way they publicised it was like I'd been taking drugs, and it actually breaches it's like defamation of character. So yeah, it was just it was strange. I think I didn't as much heat because of COVID, but it's like you I think like I was saying to you, these things happen and you did never wish it. Like at no point would I say, I hope I get banned for two years from like a sport I'm trying to excel in, and have like I I mean I grew up in a town of at the time, what would there have been in Penrith, maybe 25,000 people? In in that kind of community, it's amazing because it's so close-knit and strong, but also if something goes wrong, it's almost like being a celebrity because everyone fucking knows, and then everyone's spinning it their way, and like the the rip things people are asking me and rumors going round, as you can imagine, were we're pretty wild. In it being like a really testing and difficult time, is I found out definitely the best of myself, the relationships I built from it, started working on myself and trying to improve my relationships with my family because I had that time, and then just wanting to be successful. So I think in that time off, shortly after I purchased my first house, flipped that and renovated that, and then did another one shortly after, which I'd have never done if I'd never looked into that because I wouldn't have had the time if it hadn't ever happened. So it was actually a positive thing, and I think it's I still don't know how it happened, but it's it's kind of ironic that if you look at oh, I think if if someone wanted me to be suspended, what they're probably hoping for is drag my name through the mud, sort of really like put me down. The irony is they actually made my life so much better.

SPEAKER_01 18:58

And it's all perspective, isn't it? Yeah, like that resilience and put something really good into it. Yeah, credit to you, brother.

SPEAKER_02 19:06

I felt like I felt like it was in a Rocky film, you know. So you were because you can't do anything when you're banned from sport. If I went and helped coach the local under sevens cricket, they would say that was a breach because you're involved in sport. So you're like full on on your own. It's like you get treated the same as someone would if they were taking steroids and running the hundred meter in the Olympics. I think, like I said, I think can't remember what age it was, early 20s, 23, maybe 22. By the time it was like coming to an end. But yeah, like going to the gym and out doing my sprints with my hoodie up, really angry, like, oh, we'll fucking see. And then yeah, because you're on your own there. A bit like being injured. You are people are sort of supportive and sympathetic, but you are in it on your own, yeah, ultimately.

SPEAKER_01 19:50

As a young book, so you're coming through a bit of pathways, you get cut from the Southwood squad, you have a break, you find footy again and fall back in love with it.

SPEAKER_02 19:58

And then this funny thing happens. Yeah, it is, yeah, it's funny the way it works. But I I love it, and I know Ant talks a lot about like having humour through adversity, yeah. And that's something I love with that you don't maybe, I mean, you should I'm sure you do get it in other sports, but I haven't really been too involved with other sports. But the thing of people that I was close with outside of footy were sort of like obviously very sympathetic and like, oh, you'll be okay. And then I think I went to watch by chance my current team that I signed for were playing the team I used to play for, and then I was like dead nervous to be around the club and what were people saying and all the people, all the like spectators and stuff were really nice. They were and the club was spot on. All my clubs supported me because of the nature of it. I think if I had actually been doping, they'd have been like me, you're a big one.

SPEAKER_01 20:46

And I knew he was a person, too.

SPEAKER_02 20:48

Yeah, yeah. But because obviously the the nature of it, everyone was really supportive, but then the lads came out and they're like, Oh, here he is, the fucking drug cheat, and it's just it made it normal for me. Just a genius, yeah. So it was it's a great sport, isn't it? And I think that's something I've had whenever I've been injured or out of it. It's difficult because you're away from not by choice, and it's just it's addictive to being around good blokes, and that's from like people dropping the kids off, the kids themselves playing to like the lads you're playing with, and yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:17

I think tribalism, especially for men, is not spoken about enough because yeah, yeah, we've evolved as tribal beings, and then we're in this modern society where everyone's being pulled apart and separated, and yeah, you know, you talk to people through screens and stuff, but being around your mates, your brothers and sisters, and getting face to face and having some banter and stuff, it's so important.

SPEAKER_02 21:41

Yeah, 100%. Like I I genuinely couldn't agree more, and I think again, that's you've got the like you say, the tribalism, and within your team, when you're like trapping a team in their own 40, and there's that pack mentality, that's talking to something that's goes way back. But then the same thing with like you say with the wider community of when you're helping out the younger. Kids coming through, or you're speaking to the likes of yourselves, like Gus, Christo, knowing those the sort of older figures that you look up to as well. It's everything that you should have as like a man and a human being, I think. Something like that.

SPEAKER_01 22:16

And I don't know if you're getting into society these days without being as part of a sporting team or I don't know, you you get groups, I suppose you get mountain biking groups and oriented groups and all that sort of stuff. You probably do get a little bit there, but yeah, sport's so important.

SPEAKER_02 22:30

Yeah, I think so. And it I'd always encourage anyone to get involved in sport in on any level. So I'll in off-season I'll usually get involved in a bit of crossfit, and then I'm absolutely terrible at jujitsu, but I'll I'll go down and have a go. And it's that's the same thing. For me, like footy's the the big one, but even in those communities you find those those sort of uh positive aspects of it as well.

SPEAKER_01 22:52

Yeah, well trying everything. Yeah, the more sports you're exposed to and play, the rounder your experiences, and more life lessons you get instead. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:00

Yeah, without a doubt.

SPEAKER_01 23:01

On the rugby union side of things, have you played a bit of footy abroad with rugby union, or has it all been UK based?

SPEAKER_02 23:08

All UK based. I've just been fortunate in that I've been playing for teams who have competed, whether it's been on tours or festivals, overseas. And then, like I said, a lot of my relationships I've built with players from overseas have been when they've been playing in the UK. Yeah, this is my first time actually playing for another team abroad, and it's actually nice. So when I was playing Union for the last union team I played for in the UK, there's a lad he grew up in Sydney, Matt Monog, and then his parents uh they live in Twin Waters, so it's really nice. So we used to call him Kylie, obviously. Kylie Monogue. Yeah, it's it sounds strange calling him Matt. So he uh yeah, he he like I mean, he came with me to spend Christmas with my family and stuff, and then when I'd got here, once I settled and stuff, he was like, Oh, do you mind if I give obviously Sydney's quite a bit away? He's like, Do you mind if my dad gets your number? I was like, nah, sure. And then went round and like his dad was desperate to like show me the same sort of love and care that my family showed him. So it's awesome. It's nice when there's that wider community, and like it, like I say, it's a global thing.

SPEAKER_01 24:13

And you found the people around the game with rugby union or rugby league are pretty similar with looking after their own. I don't know, you get a bit of a white-collar, blue-collar thing with rugby.

SPEAKER_02 24:23

Yeah, in the UK, so perhaps not so much for me because the north of England is the community and stuff is very blue-collar. Yeah. Um, I'd actually liken it to Queensland quite a bit, and I haven't seen anything else in Oz yet, but I would say it's similar. When you get into the national leagues and championship, you do see that divide. Like if you go down and play the teams in Richmond, in London, and those wealthy areas. That is definitely very different to playing against Workington or White Avenue on the coast up in my Westcomrier. I but there's I mean, the community is good on both sides, and people look after you in both sides. The only thing I'd say with having seen both sort of growing up, seeing both sides of the fence, is I the reason I lean towards rugby league more in the community is I don't want to take away from the integrity of the union, but the league's just so raw and honest, and and same with the people involved in it. When I was a Whitehaven, it was in a bit of a rebuild, and most of the squad were young local lads, and genuinely, probably some of the toughest lads. I mean, I've been playing rugby since uh like at a decent level since I was 18, and some of the toughest lads I've ever played with lads with not much to them who are sort of 17, 18 to 21 from Whitehaven. Like I think again, it's something probably Ant knows as well. Is you can get someone who's big and athletic and covered in tattoos or whatever, and they're probably not the toughest. The toughest, probably the unspoken, quiet one, yeah. Do you know what I mean? Very plain looking.

SPEAKER_01 25:49

Looks like Tarzan, like Giant.

SPEAKER_02 25:51

That's it, and vice versa.

SPEAKER_01 25:53

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:53

I'd say I love watch playing actually, is on on our side is Joel Clark. Yeah, he's like that. Yeah, I think he's a lawyer clerk, isn't he? By trade, yeah, comes to work in his suit and stuff, and then he's a fucking angry guy. He's a very, very aggressive tackler and carrier. I love watching, obviously. He's on the other side, but yeah, I think it's one of those when I'm when I'm watching Joey about to hit someone, I'm not focused on the game, I'm like almost like a spectator. Should I be like, I know he's gonna hit him.

SPEAKER_01 26:21

Have you always played in the back fourth for rugby league? Predominantly on the wing for A-grade, play a little bit of centres as well.

SPEAKER_02 26:28

Yeah, so back in the centres this week, I think I I went out I played a little bit of centre with Ginormous outside maybe uh in the first game. Yeah, it was meant to be Ewless, so there's a bit of change in a well in personality and pace there. Yeah. With Ewless pulling up before the game started. Yeah, so that was I mean, I happy playing either in both codes, so both codes really centre wing or fullback, but in league always always centre or wing. I'm not opposed to playing anywhere else, but I think I think it probably suits me if you want Tommy does, if you want a yardage winger or centre, that's sort of where I come into my own, really.

SPEAKER_01 27:04

Yeah, mate, you're always always putting your hand up from a carry from the back.

SPEAKER_02 27:10

Yeah, that is probably my favourite time to get the ball, to be fair, because you sort of especially if it's the first one, because you're grafting for the rest of the lads, it's like rewarding them, especially in middles.

SPEAKER_01 27:19

100%. If you can get a good carry, get a quick play of the ball, it's such a win for the side. I've been wondering this all week. So the boys, you guys played near ball on Sunday, and you and that big pommy back rower from Nanball were at each other the whole time. Was it just into each other?

SPEAKER_02 27:36

I no, I I don't know him, so he we got chatting after the game because he actually played at Workington as well, but oh yeah, yeah, a few years before me. But I actually came a bit unstuck because I was I have to hold no refs are listening to this, but I'll try and trap if I if someone's sort of still got the hands on the ball or sometimes try and lock it up and obviously then look like you're trying to get up, try and get a penalty. But yeah, I came unstuck with that because there hasn't been that much wrestle over here. I've found, and then I went into that thinking, oh, it's not gonna be too much wrestle, and then I don't think I gave away any penalties, but the ref marched me back a few times because the boys were onto it and they knew what I was gonna do. But yeah, definitely getting getting stuck into him because I think when you're again something I've not experienced, but I started joking around saying to the lads before the game that I was like, I'm the fucking pummy in this list. Do you know what I mean? Like you proper wanna you wanna assert yourself and be dominant. But yeah, it was it was good fun. I'm definitely looking forward to the return fixture with that one. Left a bit of a sour taste, so yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_01 28:34

We'll get him next year. They played good footy, like it was physical footy, they just dragged us into their beat up.

SPEAKER_02 28:40

Yeah, I found that it was almost similar to uh Stanley and Beerware, obviously the the other defeats where you say we're playing really good footy, and then we get dragged into this sort of one-up, one out, predictable style. And it again with hindsight, you're thinking if our attributes are to move the ball and keep it fast, why are we doing the exact opposite? But obviously, it's a very emotional sport, isn't it? And sometimes it slips off script.

SPEAKER_01 29:04

Oh, and it's easy when you're in the trenches, it's easy to fall back into what you're used to, what you know, potential uh opportunity there for the side to look at. Yeah, yeah, I think so. We haven't got a whole lot of training this week, have we? Did you just run last night?

SPEAKER_02 29:17

We did, yeah. It was pretty sodden though out at Karoy, it was heavy underfoot, but managed to get a session in. That's something I found strange, is that it's it's not obviously it's a lot warmer, but I didn't realise how wet it was here.

SPEAKER_01 29:30

It's unusually wet to start. Yeah, look, it has been the last half a dozen years, really. So it's having starting to become a new normal. But yeah, the rain just sticks around longer and longer now.

SPEAKER_02 29:40

Yeah, and it makes it definitely definitely difficult to get quality reps in because it doesn't obviously back home it'll sort of get muddy, but so you can still get a decent session. But here the pitches just go to like a sponge, don't they? So you can't even really get a decent session in. So a bit frustrating, but I actually a bit like I touched on before personally. Um I know we've been going around the squad sort of speaking about when we're at our best and what we want to achieve. And again, I'd never wish it, but I think there's a good feeling in the camp this week. Obviously, we're playing top of the league, they're unbeaten. It's been wet weather, there's a few injuries and stuff. Obviously, the lads we don't have any other lads who are playing cup, and it's I think apart from Marcel. But I love that. Like, I'm I'm feeling a bit beat up and sore, but it makes me more excited in a way. Like if you're gonna play a cup final, you'd say, Oh, well I want it to be good weather, I want everyone to be fit, and all this. But then when you sort of backs up against the wall, I think it makes it more exciting going into a fixture like this.

SPEAKER_01 30:36

Pretty special running out of those sheds, getting a touch of the board, so on, having the crowd cheering you on. We're never never gonna lay down at home, so looking forward to you doing a job something.

SPEAKER_02 30:47

No, it's a special club, and it it's mint that everyone's there's that whole community side, like obviously we have the professionalism, now the gym's finished and everything, and the training, the quality is really good, but it still has it feels like a footy club, like it feels like a home as well.

SPEAKER_01 31:02

And you felt like that since you arrived, you felt welcomed and part of the club straight away.

SPEAKER_02 31:07

Yeah, without a doubt, it was I probably underestimated how difficult the transition was going to be in terms of having nothing but a bag. I remember I spoke to Ant and Scotty, one of the other team leaders that did the IDQ for us, because I almost found I found out how fragile the male ego can be. Because like I I was saying off air before we started, is I sort of pretty well set up at home and everything, and then to like not have a car and not have a career role and stuff was perhaps a little bit daunting to begin with, and it's difficult to get your foot in the door, and I have now, but with places as well when you're on a working holiday. So all the although the club was unreal and stuff outside of that, work-wise and everything, it was difficult to even get anyone to give you the time of day, really, until until I found the one I'm I'm at now. Obviously, Gus was helpful with giving me a job with Narella, but that's obviously involved only because of the footy club as well. I had that connection. I imagine for people coming over without that foot in the door through a club, could be a bigger challenge than people realise, I think, when they come over.

SPEAKER_01 32:15

It's a bit of a noosa thing, hey. February is generally the quietest time of year, probably the hardest to get someone a job. And you sort of you're rocked up just before we come in that period. Yeah, but you're all settled now.

SPEAKER_02 32:28

Yeah, 100%. I'm really fortunate as well. Obviously, I went into a house share, and John and Alex and Mason that I share with, like I was saying before we started, they've been as uh sort of vital to me as everyone involved with the footy club, taking me out places, showing me the places that they go in nooser and just integrating me like a family straight away, which I can't thank them enough for, really, because that that made a big difference at the start, especially when it was wet and I didn't have work. I was a bit aimless, really. And as I was saying, stuff I'd naively perhaps alluded to with coming over is like not even knowing where the shops are. I know you've got your phone and everything, you look up and having to use your maps to get to Aldi and then like not knowing which gym to go to and all this, and it it takes a while to map it all out in your head. And it was yeah, it was a bit frantic, and then obviously the jet lag as well.

SPEAKER_01 33:16

Mate, you were stoic when you arrived. How long had it been since you'd slept? You know, picked up been like a day and a half and you don't want to stick around and wait for training.

SPEAKER_02 33:26

I left for for the airport on a Tuesday morning, and then did I get here on it was a Thursday midday, wasn't it? Something like yeah, no, no sleep. So yeah, you kind of picked me up, and I remember thinking, I was like, I don't want to be rude, but I don't know what the fuck's going on. It's like I had a concussion trying to follow conversation, and yeah, you dropped me back out of sleep, went to training, and then same thing. Lads are like, oh hi, and introducing themselves and asking you loads of questions. It's like you're like punch drunk, yeah, just nothing. But that lasted for what do they say? Is it an hour for each time zone you pass through it takes to adjust?

SPEAKER_01 34:00

That's a good one. I haven't heard that one.

SPEAKER_02 34:01

Yeah, so I did I had that when I came. I spent a couple of weeks in Canada a few years ago, and that was about right. It was about five days, and it was the same hit. Took a good 12 days to feel normal, uh, which is again something I thought I'll be fine in a in a few days. And I was sleeping the right at the right times and everything, but just yeah, just not nothing was really making any sense. I was just I was worried everyone thought I had no chat to begin with. I was just nervous and shy, but I just didn't know what was going on.

SPEAKER_01 34:28

Oh mate, it takes some time to come out of it.

SPEAKER_02 34:29

You see a little bit with the new group, and yeah, I reckon most of the lads would say I still still have no chat as well.

SPEAKER_01 34:35

Yeah, who do you reckon's got the worst chat in the squad?

SPEAKER_02 34:38

Oh, you put me on it now. Probably Derek, to be fair. I love him, but he's very polite. Yeah, he's got it took me a while to place his accent because he's he's uh obviously grew up in Perth, but his family originally from Zimbabwe, aren't they?

SPEAKER_01 34:52

Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:52

So I was picking up a bit of a South African twang, but yeah, Derek. Top blog though.

SPEAKER_01 34:56

Top bloke need to pick up the chat. Yeah, who's got the best chat?

SPEAKER_02 35:00

I don't want to blow the thing is the lads with the best chat, you can't really say. I can't, I don't want to say because I don't want to blow smoke up the ass, you see. That's the thing. Here we're going with Rose. Pretty funny, to be fair. I hate I and I want him to know that I absolutely hate admitting to this, but Rose probably got the best chat for me, to be fair. He's very good at obviously when we had the like the Wally nominations, he's very good at fabricating a story and getting the heat off himself.

SPEAKER_01 35:24

Yeah, right. And he's one of the uh so for everyone that doesn't know the boys, a bunch of us are bald. Hey, I'm bald, and he's bald, Rose Bald. It's easy to get the lads mixed up on the footy field.

SPEAKER_02 35:35

Yeah, I think my family was saying, because there was a commentator for this for the last game on Bar TV. Yeah, I think I got called Brody and Massa more times than I did Hadfield, but it's alright. I feel like it's more of a compliment for those boys than it is.

SPEAKER_01 35:49

It is take it. And tell us about the Cthussi cut you got going at the moment.

SPEAKER_02 35:53

Oh yeah, I'm actually terrified to play against some Polynesian boys in case they take offence and fucking light me up. I think it was I was talking to my housemate. We all went out for some breakfast as a team, and then Mason came with me, and I had it. It was about three inches at the back when I was in the UK, but I went from like a sales role to a sales manager role, and I was um in an hour and I was like, I can't walk into an office for like a national company with this. I just can't. It looks hilvery as hell. So I took it off, and then we were just talking about that by chance, and I think it I think it's gonna be a bit of a game of chicken. So I'd left mine for seven days and just had it cut this afternoon. Uh so we'll see what state Brody and Rowan's is on on Saturday tomorrow.

SPEAKER_01 36:38

Cafusi cut is where you're bought everywhere except the back of your head.

SPEAKER_02 36:42

Yeah, it's not a strong look. Not not the best look for a pasty English one either, to be honest. But we'll see.

SPEAKER_01 36:50

Yeah, good.

SPEAKER_02 36:51

I think there's a there's a term that I wasn't it's more for if lads are like really thinning, but is it hat fishing? Yeah, so instead of catfishing. So I could I could I could do a bit of hat fishing, have a want to look like I've got an Aussie mullet and then Yeah. A backyard. Yeah, it'd be uh it'd be bogan, wouldn't it? That'd be the term for my haircut. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:13

I don't know, it's kind of trendy. Like it's it used to be bogan, now it's kind of trendy. Yeah, it's kind of weird. But I don't get it.

SPEAKER_02 37:23

Yeah, like clothes that don't fit properly instead. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:25

I feel like I'm a bit old for all that though. But you could become like a pro surfer or something.

SPEAKER_02 37:29

I don't think you haven't seen me surf. I definitely couldn't. How good. Like I was saying about my footy journey. I ended up that was my first league club I played for since Salford. Amazing club. Obviously, still in touch with all the boys, keep an eye on the results. But then went there off the back of Anthony Murray being there. That's who who got me over. I was fortunate in that probably like I was saying, a bit like Tommy. I think if coaches want wingers to just be there to finish tries, then I'm not really in the squad. But if they want if they want a yardage winger, then then I'm I'm in the squad and they they like me and seem to get the best out of me, which is what Muzz did, which is why I enjoy my time at Workington so much. But yeah, Workington and Whitehaven are obviously the main clubs in in that sort of northeast, sorry, northwest of England once you get past Lancashire.

SPEAKER_01 38:20

We've got a couple of pirates abroad over in the UK this year, but if any young lads are looking for a good club to go over to and play a bit of footy, you'd recommend Workington?

SPEAKER_02 38:29

Oh, Workington and Whitehaven both definitely. So they're only they are hostile rivals. If you it's so it's the Ike Southwaite Memorial, when those two play each other in preseason, I can't think how long the the fixture dates back for. I'm pretty sure it's one of the most historic rugby league fixtures. I could be talking out a turn there, but I'd have to fact check. But yeah, Workington or Whitehaven, especially if you're from this area, it's a similar sort of area, style of life, good people, both good clubs. Awesome. Coastal towns? Yeah. Coast is a bit different to here, it's not news of heads. Just yeah, just full disclaimer, eh? Loose the heads. But no, that would go for for anyone as as well. I keep reiterating to that to younger people I speak to and lads in the current squad. If anyone was over there currently or looking to go over there, obviously, let me know because England's a pretty small place in comparison. So I could definitely hook them up with with places to play and people to meet. That's awesome, man.

SPEAKER_01 39:21

Have you mapped out any travel plans or things you want to see?

SPEAKER_02 39:24

A few things like camping on Fraser Island, stuff like that. Yeah. But that's where just trying to ask the lads really what they think's best, plan little day trips in season, and then we'll see see where we're at out of season. It's quite cool actually. Her parents, they're gonna be here for in the Sunshine Coast for five days because they're coming to Australia for I think a month, maybe. And she has family, I can't remember the exact relation, but I met two of her family family members who live in Tasmania. I can't think when that would be now. A couple of years ago, and they gave me their address and everything, so we'll head down there at some point as well. Tati's beautiful, man. Yeah, there's so much to see. It's hard to gauge when you look at a map, and I did this when I was looking for clubs coming over, is I looked at a map and thought, oh, Brisbane's not that far from Sydney. Because if it was on a UK map, it would be a car ride. And then I'm like, holy fuck, it's so big, so much bigger.

SPEAKER_01 40:17

But you'll notice it if you go up north, like north Queensland, out west, anything like that, you'll really notice how sparse things are fucking so.

SPEAKER_02 40:27

I have even with I think some sites I've worked at uh when I was working for Gus were about three hours away. Yeah, so you're getting pretty rural then, and yeah, there's there's not a lot there. It feels like it I think it feels a bit like being in a western. There's like wooden cladding and everything's single story, and half expecting a horse and cart to go past in some of the towns.

SPEAKER_01 40:49

People out in the country are beautiful, beautiful people, tough footy players out there, too.

SPEAKER_02 40:53

Yeah, yeah, tough boys. But to be fair, that's like a I know it's not that that far out, but big uh big Sammy G from from Dolby, isn't he? Yeah, man. He's tough as old boots, that lad.

SPEAKER_01 41:04

He is, and he's a big unit. Yeah. I think we haven't seen the best of him yet. I'm looking forward to seeing how he goes throughout the season.

SPEAKER_02 41:11

Oh, definitely. He does this, he does this real nice thing where as we're sort of getting into each game, his hair starts coming out, it's a little bun. And he he chooses me to complain to about that.

SPEAKER_01 41:21

Fair enough.

SPEAKER_02 41:21

Which I know he's doing every time, but yeah, he persists with it.

SPEAKER_01 41:24

And for the listeners, so this is Sam Gillespie we're talking about, and he's got long locks, beautiful head of beautiful long locks, ties him up for games, gets a bit of a hair pull, gets him pulled out, and then complains to the lad with no hair about his hair being pulled and falling out, which is nice. Would you grow big long locks if you could grow hair still?

SPEAKER_02 41:43

If I could, speaking of like things like that, that actually probably is a regret is not having as much fun with my hair when I was a kid, definitely.

SPEAKER_01 41:51

I'd I reckon I'd had Fabio hair if I could missed it.

SPEAKER_02 41:54

I'd make the most of it too. Well, it was actually when I was at the barber getting this this uh I don't know even if you can call it a haircut put in. I was saying to her when I first started receding, I got a perm because obviously the curls you can bring it forward and hide it. But that's what killed it is it went from receding a bit to I'm talking like falling out in the shower, it just went, the perm killed it. Then it was shortly after that, it was right off. So perm like a little afro? Yeah, yeah, just on the top. Skin fading a perm. It looked great.

SPEAKER_01 42:22

Mate, we'll have to get that in the A-grade group. You'll have to drop that in there.

SPEAKER_02 42:24

Oh I'm under the cosh there at the minute. Anyway, I'm talking a bit of shit this week, so I maybe need to lay low for a week or two, let someone else make a fool of themselves.

SPEAKER_01 42:34

Well, any parting bits of wisdom for the listeners? Anything you wanted to speak about that we haven't covered off?

SPEAKER_02 42:41

I think we've we've covered everything pretty well. I guess my my parting bit would be as I've discussed with you when we've been doing bits down at the club, is hopefully younger people coming through the club listen to this, and I think there's loads of positive male and female role models around, which is great, and I'd like to think I'm I'm one of those. But it'd be good for them to uh sort of it re or it'd be nice if it resonated with them as well. That not all of us and most of us won't have had an easy story, and everyone will have faced adversity, tough times, whether that's professionally or personally. So if they do face tough times, reach out because there'll be plenty of people to support them, and also don't don't be afraid of it when it comes because if and when it does come, it usually leads to something better.

SPEAKER_01 43:27

Everyone has their story, isn't it, mate? Follow yeah, thank you for everything you're doing with the club and the work with the academy and all those extra bits and pieces you put your hand up for. So appreciate you. Love watching you play footy and um looking forward to watching you go around this weekend with the boys. Thanks, brother. Thank you very much, mate. Cheers, bud. There you have it. I hope you've enjoyed the episode. If you'd like to get involved with the body, we'd love to chat to you. Reach out to myself, and the things that you can do to really support us is give us a like, give us a follow, and a star rating. We're always on the hunt for episode sponsors. So if you've got a business and you're interested in helping out in that way, I'd love to chat to you, Cheese Legends.