Lets Trot Show - EP32 Lets Trot with Thomas Burgess

Intro true or false you're the better twin and player out of yourself in George how's the vibe what's the vibe like at at South at the moment yeah it's you know we've been positive obviously it's not gone to plan this year well your former coach Michael McGuire is obviously the head coach for New South wals you think he'll be the right man for the job it's hard to say because obviously he's he's used to coaching through the whole season and you get the preseason and that but forgive me but the Super League aren't really progressing no and there there's a lot of things a lot of factors I've really been pushing and been a number one advocate for Sam to kind of really come back to S I feel like he'll be the number one coach going forward whether it's at s or another club I'm sure they have plenty of clubs uh looking for his signature okay if you were born four years ago how old are you hey everyone welcome back to another episode on let's try episode 32 with a very big and important friend of mine Thomas Burgess how a thanks for having me M what happened to your face oh you know you won't know about this but in the middle of the ground you actually get your head into tackles and sometimes your skin comes off but I'm I'm just going to have a quick guess you didn't come off second best did you uh yeah I come off second best you did you did what happened n to be honest I don't know I think you just but in training as well comes off in training so it happens in the game all week comes off in training there was someone you had a head clash with in oh was a 90 what happened with n in 2021 a training you took his ankle out or something what something always now he's always complaining about something so but it was always you you were the kamakazi you just used to wipe everyone no I was George I think they got you get me confused with George George wasn't there I came any any bad things that happen it was George any good things it was me all right I believe it and obviously you're repping the RPA sweater there yes mate's your for the players for the players love it love it uh I suppose my role at the moment is um I'm on the player Advisory board but uh I've always been a delegate for for players at sou so getting the messages across to the players so I've always been passionate about that ever since I came from England because I think for me I realize how important it is be coming from England like we have no support about to say nothing like like and the game does struggle over there so when I came over here and I saw all these like avenues for support and what know if the players want to do it that be really good and I thought I want to get involved with that so that's one thing I think when I go back to England I'll try and help well when we first started was [ __ ] non-existent really yeah but also it's non-existent if the players just can't be asked with it yeah so I think it does take a bit of effort and a bit of time and people sometimes you have to don't go meetings that you really can't be asked doing or so but like the effort is paid off I think you know the last CBA was the best and it's always going to keep going getting better but but that's not always a Cas like in England it's probably gone downhill since I've come here I want to speak about England like the comparisons with the super league and NRL I feel like forgive me but the Super League aren't really progressing no and there there a lot of things a lot of factors obviously the massively competing with all the you know the Premier League people obviously sponsors of them and all these big businesses they all not they all want to sponsor the premier Premier League not even cricket and Rugby Union and you know these other sports are all getting trumped by Rugby League at the moment whether it's uh you know we're just not getting The Branding right over there or you know I think it it's just the competition but um yeah I think they're on the right track now uh IMG have come in and they're they're really taking a hold of it and it's the first time this year they've actually got all all the games on TV all televised yeah cuz until last year there was only there was still games that weren't even you know televised main broadcast um Sky new Sky Sports is that right uh it's Sky Sports yeah and they've got um like an sort of streaming service now okay um Sky League or whatever it's called I think fair enough League plus but then uh BBC have got more games as well this year so it's good first time the BBC have shown Super League games speaking of the Super League heading over the next year for 3 Tom joining Sam in the UK years hfield actually a place close to your heart grew up not too not too far yeah it's uh obviously it was a big call for me to go back over there after being here for so long obviously you know I got myself a young family now and another one on the way so don't do things by halves but um but yeah like it was always I always had it in the back of my mind that I'd like to go back and you know not finish off over there but go back and play over there at some point in my career and um obviously um Sam is back there now he's coaching over there and uh that was obviously one thing that I would have looked at but then obviously yeah there was a few options that's good and um and then hfield came in like hard for me and I know the coach pretty well Ian Watson I worked with him in the Lions squad one year and I really got on with him well and he was a big factor of coming back and then obviously being a getting a chance to go back to my hometown like pretty cool I'm I'm going to be taking my family back to where it all began for me literally living 5Ks around the corner from where I went to school so it'd be pretty cool experience for me and that's that was a big draw card for sure fair enough you said you had a few options uh options in terms of NR clubs or options over in the Super League or was there even an option to you know play under your brother Sam uh well yeah I I I looked around uh you know this the NRL a little bit um but then but then the probably the more likely option was to go to England and Super League uh I knew the co at the Catans so that was an option there I was chatting to Catans and Warrington um but yeah like at the end of the day hoodies field came in um hard and yeah Samy he he sort of advised me he said look as your brother I would advise you to take the the club there he had to take his head coach and cap off and put his brother cap on and yeah you know he's good like that you know he doesn't take it uh personally and for me it was the best option three years uh I get to go there and not rush anything like settle in with my family and then um you know the timing is good to come back to Australia as well in three years time well obviously doing pretty well with Warrington uh first or second on the lad at the moment I believe yeah he's doing well he's obviously first year in and he's obviously made a made the challenge Cup Final to massive achievement to get to Wembley uh in his first year and you know he's uh he's already porched one of hoodish Field's players so he's uh he's good he's good M has it surprised you though has it surprised you that he'd be this successful this early in his coaching career oh for me no it's not cuz I knew the coach he was um obviously playing with him can bring yeah he was sort of coaching you know in his playing days as well he was that sort of player he was he was always coaching other players uh in his team and helping them be better uh getting the best out of them so they are great you know attributes as a coach yeah and then obviously when he was assistant and you know he went off and coau Sara Valley and axman in the you know country Bush footy and he ended up getting them to a grand final from nothing so I know that he's a great leader of men and he he knows how to get the best out of people and uh people want to they you know half the battle I think in rugby league is as a coach you want your players to play for you yeah and that's honestly like if you can do that you're going to be on onto a winner so and you know it speaks for himself he respects him well he's he's always led by action right so whenever he speaks his weights carry a lot of weight so and you can see that it's been a pretty good transition for him no so I'm really I'm really proud of him you know obviously as a brother and as a you know ex teammate ex so sort of coached by him as well so I I knew he'd do well I definitely knew he'd do well and obviously he's overachieved his first year he's got got to a challenge Cup Final and he's you know he's I think he's joint top in the league so he's um he's going well and yeah just have to beat him next year when hfield player 100% he can't get that can't keep that over here uh do you could you see him coming back to the NRL eventually in coaching oh yeah for sure I mean that's um you know he's that's probably his end goal he's he's not he's not like stupid though he knows he's got to go over there and learn his craft and obviously the pressure is not as big over there I think on the coaches like you can probably make a few mistakes M and do try trial a few things that you probably wouldn't be able to do over here and you know get away with it and um I think he's he's done it really well it's a really good plan for him to go over there and you know get that going and then when he comes back you I'm sure he'll be having clubs going for him whether it's at sou or another club I'm sure he'll have plenty of clubs looking for his signature I'm sure there things you want to keep close to your church which is fair enough and I've really been pushing and been a number one advocate for Sam to kind of really come back this house I feel like he'll be the number one coach going forward in the Wayne coming back to Souths future obviously they've signed Wayne for another three years and uh what do you think do you think that's the right decision do do you like seeing Wayne back at the club yeah you know Wayne Wayne made a real statement I think um coming back he he had par coming hard for him yeah I saw and uh you know it shows his care for the club shows what he wants it shows that he he really does deeply care for the club and the players and the staff and everyone involved sou so I can definitely you know say that Wayne's coming back for the right reasons and he he wants to help the club and you know I think he's the man for the job he uh he'll he'll be able to bring some stability back to the club and just get everyone you know like you said earlier playing for the for the coach everyone who who's played under Wayne respects him and they all wanted to play for him when they played underneath him so yeah I was going to say like everyone wants to know and hear from a player that's actually played under Wayne and I was fortunate enough to obviously play that one year where we made that grand final but you were there for quite a number of years coached under him for a certain number of years what's he like what's what makes him so great and separates him from the rest oh well have touched it already but it's just the care Factor like he cares so much about his players on a deeper level you know you don't just want you to be good players he wants you to be good men as well and he's always interested in what you're doing outside of football he's he's always try to get you to build yourself uh you know build something up like outside of football and making sure you've you you know you yourself up in life too and and that just I think says a lot about him like he it's not just about um the football he's he's just you know everything so I think once you get that you get that connection with you know your coach you want like like I said you want to play for him you want to do that extra on the field when it gets tough you know you want to play and you want to make him proud and um I think end of the day too way way just is just a man's man like he yeah he he tells you how it is he don't beat around the bush if you you know if you're doing something wrong he'll he'll tell you st straight between the years this is what I needed from you and uh you know he do miss his words which I like you know he sometimes rip into you and you know people can take it the wrong way but I always loved it he always used to just rip into me and say oh Tom just I'm wearing the job for thinking that you don't think mate and he just tell me like just keep it simple and I I sort of loved it because he just sort of he he knows his players and he just he tells them how it is and like he does this rating thing like he rates everyone after a game out of 10 and straight you know like ruthlessly he'll just say m you didn't played half a game today so you don't get a rating that sort of thing and I don't think you get defensive from his you know um assessment of you I feel he's got this this way this Aura like when he does tell you something if he does shove a rocket up here it's not personal just he's trying to he's trying to get a reaction out of here I think I think for me the best thing he ever said to me is like you'd rather be shot in the the fa like the front rather than the back stabbed in the in the front than the back I agree and he he says we're all men we can take it once we know love it so that's why he used to always name his team at the start of the week I loved that and like obviously things can change injuries and whatever but he he always used to be really up front and that that's was one thing they loved when he came into the England side was you know he come in and his team selections were unheard of like it was more more like a comedy sketch but he uh he used to just name his team in the week and say look this is where you stand you're all great players and you're own right and you're all you know you won't be here if you're not but this is the team this week so you can all just get your prep right yeah and uh players respect that you know they know like obviously there's disappointment you probably face disappointment as well but like you can you can deal with it once you know and that's what is best at well as a player like you're respect his honesty straight off the bat and knowing that you're playing or you're not playing early in the week it gives you the chance to either prep for the game but also gives you the chance if you're not playing to really make a statement and train as hard as you can to make the team the following week so I love that I love that about him he's he's black and white you know he's again yeah love that analogy that he that he he gave and um it'll be interesting to see another three years at sou no he's he's definitely uh he's definitely going to help the team help the club and that's the thing he doesn't just he doesn't just take on the team the playing group he takes on the whole you know culture of the club from the staff and everything and um you know I think he'll yeah he'll do wonders for the club and you know like obviously uh he left and left the pathway there for and it's not worked out and he's obviously he's coming back so just um I'm excited to see uh I messaged him the other day I said unfortunately my back flip Clause is uh is done now I can't about I'm not not as good as a back flippers other people so don't other people yeah the cool enough period is gone we're not naming names yeah we're not naming names I actually find funny about Wayne um he's never had a drop of alcohol in his whole life never had a drop of coffee his whole life I I find that he's just highly disciplined and well that's probably his secret as well is it like they say I think it's just been announced like number one cause of cancer is alcohol now wow so the f out but um so like that's probably why he's still kicking and going well I was going to say was Katan dragons sorry going off Option to go play in France topic a bit but Katan dragons um was that never an option going to try out in the south of France yeah that's what I said so the coach Steve mamara yeah I had him at braford mention Bulls so yeah now it was definitely an option I was in talks with them my manager was in talks with the owners at catalans and I was you know I was chatted to Steve at length about coming down and living in the south France and uh the thing for me is I I've I've been to south of France a lot weed to go there six weeks every summer with my family cuz my mom's a French teacher oh wow and my dad played uh in France as well so he could speak a bit French so we we always used to go camping in France for like six weeks the whole summer cuz my mom was a teacher um so like I know I know what it's all about so it wasn't like a novelty for me to go there but also I wanted to go to a club that I thought you know could get so way and catalans was one of those clubs that have been up there and they've got a really good uh setup there now and Steve Mack you know he was my coach at England as well and and Bradford so I I wanted to go somewhere that I knew someone I knew what they were about and Steve Mack was definitely fit the bill there and obviously went out to tell him I'd signed on his field it was a tough conversation but he understood uh my reasons as well I'm pretty sure you are aware of the shage that the French government has in place so if uh no one knows about it you pretty much get 75% of your previous wage on the doll and I know a few players like James Maloney Dean F guys that have finished up playing the Super League they get play from the shage for a couple years I think and then at the same time they're playing like B League French French rugby league and they're getting another what th000 EUR a game training twice it's a top R shage you tried getting me with the shage at the end said oh what about the shage I'm sure it's a draw card yeah it's definitely like for a few boys coming over here but um for me it wasn't cuz like when I finished my career I'll be coming back to Australia you know my base is in the shy now mate so I got know I've got to think about my daughters and family and that sort of thing so yeah for me when when I'm finished with uh Huddersfield three years I'll be retiring that's for sure I'll be 35 and uh I'll be coming back to Australia sounds good man thanks for the heads up uh obviously fresh off the B me a job ready mate oh yeah 100% we'll have that chair um there always for you 100% well you're fresh off the buy Can Souths turn things around this season? coming off a great win against param um how's the vibe what's the vibe like at at South at the moment yeah it's you know we've been positive obviously it's not going to plan this year and it's been you know has been a struggle but I thought um I think Benny's sort of handled it well as as interim coach he sort of just simpled it like simplified it down and you know kept it positive at TR training um and that's what you got to do like when you're not getting the wins you just got to come into training without uh like Doom and Gloom you just got to get on the field train hard and obviously uh you know we've been doing that and you won't know obviously at training we just all get on with our jobs and do the work and it's I thought I feel like we've we have been progressing even though the the results haven't been coming our way the little efforts in the games like the little statistics that we look at have' been getting better so we knew that the a win was coming yeah and you got to stay positive like I've been through a lot of uh you know years where had good wins and then two years at South we didn't make the playoffs so I know how hard it can be when you're not winning and um for me I've just tried keeping that energy positive and around the place like obviously it's my last year yeah last dance the boys keep laughing keep saying last that you you've claimed the Last Dance Yourself you've been really pushing that but I keep pushing it and the boys the boys come on make it a special year for me to's last day uh so we get a few laughs and you got to laugh you got to keep laughing or else he struggles struggle streak mate and um you know like you said we we got the win on the weekend and it was a big big week for the club indigenous round very you know got a lot of proud indigenous players in our club and I I love it that round for sou I've always enjoyed playing yeah with that Jersey and uh you know representing those boys and you know it was uh definitely good week to get the win and you know who knows mate we got the buy this week that's a guaranteed two points there's plenty of time plenty of time plenty to be honest I think this is this year it's probably the most wide openen yeah League it's ever been like anyone can sort of beat anyone on the day look at canola's up at the top of the T table but then pen come beat them on the weekend so by a lot so I think it's it's definitely open 100% it is you know we weren't far off against Prem the other week and you know then they ended going away with it in in the second half but that's the thing like if we just keep racking a couple wins together a couple points get up there it's you know we're not far off the eight so there's no point look at the lad now and I think there's if there's one motivating factor is to prove everyone wrong everyone's already ritten off souths that's there's no secret that's no secret right you still got troops coming back you got Junior coming back you got stretch coming back you know j's got a couple of games under his belt with his match Fitness man it's up to you guys like that's the thing like I think we just got to yeah obviously it's not gone to plan this year but just got to STI together together it's a cliche but it's the truth um you big on your shoe game I don't think you're big on your shoes but SEGMENT: ShoeGrab Gifting I used to I you know I'm a big Kanye fan might not be the most the best thing to say right now but I used I used to wear his Yeezys all the time so that was my only big I do remember this thing I wear Yeezys used to used you're always used to coming the [ __ ] with them I just thought they were really comfy yeah they are they are so that was probably the only thing I've spent money on in terms of trainers fair enough but um I don't mind the these on new Balan now yeah not bad you have any kns I don't have many night I've got some air force ones that I bought in America they they were good so what have you got for me mate you if you want to pick up that bag and dive into our uh proud sponsors uh shoe grab have gifted you another you can move out of the way yes you can just bring it back when you're ready and dive into that that's a bit bougie is it it is it is it's very don't the B see what we got inside here I reuse that b here you go open her up and I took a pun I didn't think you had a pair of uh of these I don't have a pair of these're pretty big what size what they are 30 I'm a 13 how does that make sense I'm barely hitting six foot I'm just glad they're not black and white why is that there a bit of a bad juju about the black and white Pandas but I won go into detail on oh I find it hilarious about that story talk about it but yeah they they'll actually go with my outfit yeah today love it love it they go well with the cream 4B pants yeah oh they full B hey what's going on with 4B oh yeah it's uh sorry one sec let me put this back yes yes thanks mate appreciate shoe grab the best been to see the boys out there s been out a couple times thank you Jay shoe grab yes Lads um talk about 4B oh yeah 4B mate it's it's a tough one it's it's uh like with with clothing it's always a you know a never ending conveyor belt of or seasons and that sort of thing and I think we just obviously we're we're pretty sort of basic our our clothes it's more of a basic range at the moment so we've had to put it on hold for a little bit we've we've uh paused the website for now couple people asking what's going on so yeah we pause the website Sam is obviously obviously you are all in different stages of your lives yeah and that's the thing like we said up when we were all sort of had some time on our hands and now Luke and George are working full-time for a company Sam's obviously got his hands full as a head coach and I'm still playing you yeah so I think yeah it was the best decision at the moment we're looking for like maybe potential uh investors to come on board like cap capital venture capitalist whatever vure Capital VCS yeah PC so yeah maybe it's there the Brand's there you know we've got some good good clothing I thought we we put some good work into it so who knows could be somewh down the track I'm still waiting for my gift package but yeah we won't get into that man we've got some Stu if you want for to me FR to me I thought we'd sent you some n no no no never got that lucky but I actually took your jumper once I think it was hanging in the in your locker I just swiped wasn't expecting I should I should have known it was going to be triple XL but it's all right um I wanted Tom starting his career in the UK to go touch on your early days in your footy career uh you mentioned you played for the Bradford Bulls early on in the piece and I'm actually quite surprised where they're at at the moment um they were such a proud strong club and not being able to play in the Super League is balls us to shout oh uh yeah the Bradford balls honestly growing up in the early 2000s they were a Powerhouse yeah um yeah something Sam played for him correct yeah yeah so Sam was there he he um obviously he had the pick of the league I'm when he was a Youngster he was like one of the best players coming through so and he he chose blls because of you know the stature that they had and he I think his first year they made the prelim and you know coming off the back of a grand final winning 05 so and then it that was sort of like the start of the demise a little bit you know like we I played in 11 and 12 for for Bradford and yeah it was just a tough time financially the club was struggling a lot of clubs struggle over there financially and they had to let a lot of good players go I think but if you look at our our Squad back then we actually had some really great players who've G on and been you know had great careers we had Elliot whad John bitman L Luke Gail was there the English halfback playing for us uh you know we had some really great players and they all had to leave the club like my my last year because I I wanted to finish out my contract to Bradford unlike my other brothers I like to see out contracts but uh but uh yeah so like I think uh they couldn't offer it they couldn't even offer me a contract when I was leaving so like when I was uh into at the end of 2012 they said look Tom you know we really unfortunately we can't offer you the money you're on now which was I think 50,000 back then a year so that's when I looked at Wigan Wigan Sean way was at Wigan and he was interested and they got on the phone and I like wayy obviously since then I've worked with him for England and they offered me three-year deal at Wigan and I got on the phone to obviously sa and Georgie was big he wanted me to come out here mainly because he wanted his twin back and he wanted me to drive him around everywhere cuz he didn't have his license always wondered that with like twins like is there some connection that like what's the connection between George and the rest of your brothers like oh yeah it's definitely you've got that deeper connection with your twin just cuz you've experienced life with them basically your whole life life has being together School playing footy everything you know so like you you definitely have that deeper connection with your twin for sure like Sam and Luke obviously they grew up closer and they've got probably a deeper connection as well but we're all really really close as brothers but yeah definitely your twin brother identical twin brother is uh it's something you can't really describe it's like you they talk about mind reading but you can actually sort of know what they're thinking because that's amazing because you've exper you think the same because you've experienced life the same that's crazy man so was there your driving force to come to souths in 2013 or I think it was you Luke and S um I was the last one so and my mom was like no pressure Tom but if you if you sign I'm coming as well uh because I'm I'm a bit over the C here in England yeah so I I said look they only had a one year offer for me and uh and I said right I I'm take a PT with sa and it was like minimum wage I think and uh I think matches but yeah one year one year deal ended up being 12 so pretty crazy how things work out and um you know I'm I'm big believer and everything happens for a reason likewise you know um yeah always remember the phone call with George he was just like just come Tommy like you can don't have to pay rent you live with me or whatever and he was even like saying that sort of thing just to get me out of here so wow it always uh yeah it always works out and I think if you have the right mindset that it just things will come your way well it worked out in the best possible way Souths winning the Premiership cuz the following year you won the premiership that's it what Memories you have of that year like did you always go in believing you had the every team believes they they have a genuine chance in taking out the Premiership and dream about it but what was the driving factor for you guys to actually win that year well the thing is I came in 13 and we had we had a gun side like we probably had a better side in 13 if we look back and we we were winning the comp 13 I think it was down to the last game to get the minor Premier against the roosters and I played in that game and we lost and we didn't get the minor Premier but we we thought you know we'd be fine won the first round of the playoffs got the week off and then we obviously got beat by Manley and there went on to um get beat by rousers but I think if if you just look at the team we had it was ridiculous like the team so there was a lot of confidence there but I think we just needed to all just believe and uh yeah like Sam was a big part of that he obviously instilled that and then when we when I broke into the team he was always into me like Tommy this you know so he was a big Mentor for me and George and and Luke as well even luk Luke was the older brother and he used to come in and just we we we just had that Brotherhood I think that was the biggest thing we brought to the club was that tightness that we had as brothers we sort of it sort of rubs off on the rest of the team I agree yeah and I think that was a big part of uh probably you know the the last piece of the I wasn't saying we it was all on us definitely not we had guns like Greg englas John suton Adam Reynolds even the young guys coming through Dyan Walker all you know even the the older heads of lot of toiri people forget you know he played in that Grand Final too and he he was great for the team as well so he just all came together Luke Ki broke through at the same time as me like I his number was 1095 I'm 1096 so like we came through at the same time and I remember playing for the bays and uh looking around and we like if you look back at our Bears team back in 13 we we were in the prelim we should have won really but we just I think they we all off it cuz the boys were on the Mad Monday that's always the boys were all shouting on the hill at like out cuz they lost to Manley and on Friday night and then that we didn't play Sunday till like cut and I was playing it was just a yeah and just like it didn't work out so well your former coach Michael Maguire is obviously the head coach for New South Wales you think he'll be the right man for the job yeah I think MCH uh he's Tom shares his thoughts on the NSW Blues team selection a great coach he's definitely he brings that intensity that you need I think at origin you know and it's hard to say because obviously he's he's used to coaching through the whole season and you get the preseason and that but three games uh of origin I'm I'm really excited to see how how how the blues go like I think his team selection's been pretty ballsy he's he's gone for it and he's not gone with the status quo of they'll pick this player and because they've been there before I think so he's made some big calls and you know I think that needed to happen like I think everyone's got their opinions and agendas I put something out the other on my insta just was just annoying me because listen man the team's been picked everyone that has been picked in that team deserves to be in that side there's no there's no there's no doubt in my mind if I was gonna off of my opinion in terms of playing positions I probably would have put upy um starting and I put ree Robson on the bench um I just think up needs to be there because he's got you played with up he's got a very calming influence he's very he's got great deception out of dmy half he's creative um and I thought that would have gone a long way get us the win but he's stuck with Reese I can understand the reason behind that and um yeah I just the questions I have I wanted to ask about match because I know he's a very hard-nosed coach and you've been under a few training camps and you know pre-seasons under him what was the trainer like back in those days um I think M was good like he never asked you to do anything that he you know he wouldn't want to do himself okay he loved to train hard too and um you know like there's a Time definitely a place for it you know you need that hard nose training and and there's but then there's a time to for Recovery as well of course it's just getting that balance right but you know for me as a young block coming in I loved it you know I love just ripping in and try to beat everyone at training and that sort of competition that he drove at training was a big part of you know why we were successful for those couple of years and what was the wrestling sessions like back in those days I I've heard some stories it was they were long you know they were long and hot and in preseason in the middle of summer remember we used to get in these gyms like the Jiu-Jitsu gyms like the matter gyms and just get the jerseys on and there was no no water no drinks for allow the whole time so you're sweating for like an hour and a half two hours and you're just gagging for a water a drop of water you're drinking the sweat coming off your you finish your session and you got like a Power Aid a protein and a water waiting for you and you just like SC all three of them and you nearly sick afterwards but like stuff like that it's just like probably Sport Science wouldn't agree with it but it's more of a mental thing as well building that mental resilience and at the end of the day you know we we play such a tough game mentality is massive like if you don't got the right mentality if you're not strong between the ear you're going to crumble and uh he was really good at that well you just said it because majority of the players that play in the NL I should say at least 90 80 90% are fit strong yeah but the mental side of the game that's you know that's their that no one getting that balance right obviously you want to um instill that mentality and he I thought you know obviously loved his Army Camps and that sort of thing and they're really hard when you're doing them and tough but I actually see the value in them now I won't say that too loudly though if hfield don't do them in hfield it's too cold over there but um but yeah like definitely you build that some you know that you've done together that mentality camaraderie as well so like he was really good at that and uh I think just today's game I just see so many injuries now and uh you just really have to get that balance right with the training the amount the loads that the players are doing uh on the the field now I think a lot more the speeds are hitting so they just yeah I think this it's a tough job as as performance guys of getting that right because uh you know very very close to the edge if you you go a little bit too more you're going to get injured going ask you about that the speed of the game but before that speaking of army CES I love hearing the Army C story Funny army camp stories and I'm sure you've got some pearlers that you can share anything that comes to mind oh well the one that sticks in my mind is obviously my first one so at sou 30 2013 we just got absolutely fed out holsworthy by the the two Commando boys so it was the Commando boys running it and um yeah I always just remember the gun gun range scene so they got us in this massive gun range and they playing this song um I'll never forget it danger Z yeah I went to the they just it must be like a mental like torture thing so they put it on repeat and we were in this gun range and said right no one's allow to speak uh there's a big mound of white and brown rice and you got to sort sort out the brown rice and the white rice into separate piles and it was lost a bit of a mind [ __ ] if I'm allowed to say that yeah you can and um yeah so basically but then every now and then the Commando guys would come in grab someone pull them out and like flog them for like 45 minutes in this called like the lanes and then you'd all be like thinking W where are they going and come back like like you know couldn't even walk they'd come back and you'd be like oh [ __ ] what's happened here I'm next and then they'd be like you and they pick you and you'd all be like you're just messing with your head you know and that that sticks in my mind but yeah the danger zone song I I could never listen to that again [ __ ] sometimes I'll play it in the gym and like AJ and S they the last two that I left from that camp they'll just like look like well isn't that crazy just you and AJ left from that Premiership Winning Side left that's crazy right yeah yeah it's uh obviously uh I mean it's such a tough game now a it to be able to stay you got a good job in the game for so long I've I've been you know lucky with injuries and that sort of thing and you know it's it's terrible when you see players get injured and those really like season ending injuries and I've like touch wood I've been I've been uh I've been pretty lucky uh and that's a big part of you know how I've been able to stay on the field and obviously I only play half a game so it's pretty easy well that's what I was going to talk to you about um that was my my next question so you've spoken about the speed of the game there's not many front rollers your size left in the game du off the back of the speed The Rock um so how have you been able to kind of adapt to the game currently yeah I mean it's it's forever changing like you said and um when they brought the six again ruing that was hard um and that took some adjusting cuz you know jez it' get quick through the middle there when the six again gets called and it's like you know you do nearly 18 tackles in a row sometimes I reckon because of that rule that and the um the seven tackle set those two are the main factors of why there's so many injuries going on in the game at the moment and speaking from someone from the RPA is that something you guys are looking at they're always try to work with the game you know we our are always big on the partnership you know we want to be partners in the game not not like they tell us what to do sort of so yeah we're always working on that as a partnership but yeah I think obviously they they're looking at the game and what they want as a as a product and uh obviously people like to see a fast-paced game and they want to see big plotters plotting around all the time but obviously we want to see the big hits as well so there's a balance and uh I think you know the fans love to see the big big players still out there and that's part of the game and it you want to you meet your players you oh you know he's massive and that sort of thing so I think we we still need to you know we're not AFL we're not you know we need to keep those uh big big sort of players in the game I think and um yeah they need to keep looking at it because or else we'll all just be running around like has the injuries ever being brought up in discussion like the toll at the moment because it's obviously it's pretty noticeable yeah I mean lot of soft tissue injuries there's there's definitely would be disc there's always discussions about injuries but um you know obviously players as players you sort of you're not in those discussions it's more of a coaches and performance staff discussion but yeah it's I've never seen anything like it to be honest so it is something I think the the game as a whole have to look at and and look at ways that they can sort of either you know extend the bench that that sort of thing I think there's there's talks of that like having six maybe six players on the bench and like you can only use four but like if you know what I mean yeah yeah so the I think the 18th man can definitely be activated um if necessary I think could have more play like bit like Union you know you have more players on the bench like is you got more cover Union soccer cuz you seeing people getting knocked out now is and you can't go back on it's like halfback gets knocked out you should have a spare one on the bench I agree and then you know I agree so I think that's the where the game might be going but who knows we just got to um end of the day yeah hopefully we can work in partnership with the RPA and find a good solution but you know just I think we we're in a good spot at the moment with the game but I think they just got to be Dealing with the exit of his brother Sam mindful of like injuries and that sort of thing you um end the last year you put in a pretty tough predicament and position obviously same as your brother and assistant coach kind of exited the club um how did you kind of separate your emotion and just keep it purely business because obviously you would have been put in a tough position yeah I think uh at the end of the day we're in a bit business you know and we're all professionals obviously on a personal note I missed him uh around the place dayto day being my brother and that sort of thing natural man yeah but I think uh you know I was I thought you know at the end of the day I just had to stay positive and and keep my professionalism with the club obviously uh I I love the club I want to do what's best for the club and you know end of the day they made that decision and and that that call was made and you know to be fair to some he he's gone on and been done great things and I think like I said earlier everything happens for a reason and he was going overseas and I think he's you know good on him and he's done great over there and um but for me I was just happy to to keep doing my job for sa and keep uh fulfilling my you know duties yeah there's no doubt I would have been tough on you 100% And I think well for me looking outside in the driving force for you knowing that it was your last year at souths that probably kind of you wanted to make the most of it like you've been at the club for what you said 12 years now you know first NL Club to give you the opportunity to come over here so I think there's a very deep love that you have for the club is that is that fair to say yeah yeah well South have been you know they've been unreal for our family like we've all come out here and they've sort of give give us a lot and you know we've obviously give ourselves to the club as well but um you know you're always you always want to show your respect to the club that give you that opportunity and and um you know obviously Russ was a big part of that and we love Russell and uh all that so yeah I mean I would have loved to have stayed at sa forever and just kept playing till my legs falling off but I'm realistic U I knew that it was coming to an end and you know to be able to say I'm I think I'm second most C now for sa as a you know English L coming over I would have never have guessed that and now I'm I'm really happy of what what's what's happened at sou and really proud of my time here and not like sad that it's over now I'm just happy that it happened and there always going to come to an end obviously yeah and that's it you know to play 12 years at a great club like sa and have some great success and you know play with some unreal players throughout my career I'm really um over the moon and I'm I'm just um really excited to finish off my career in a good in a good way at sou and whether you know that's not just results that's you know feeling of you players that you play with being a good teammate that sort of thing and um yeah and then going on to my next chapter is is really exciting too what do you want to be remembered for um I suppose uh yeah we speak about Legacy a fair bit my brother's like my dad's Legacy and that sort of thing and always like to be remembered as someone that you know was or approachable like really easy to talk to happy you know go lucky and he could have a laugh when he needed to and uh also train and be serious when he needed to do and get the job done as well on the field love that you spoken about your dad um if you're comfortable sharing I know you you lost him at a Dealing with the loss of his father pretty young age to M andd um tell me what that must have been like for you for a young lad coming up in what is the what is the disease yeah so M on your own disease obviously it was fairly unknown back then when my dad got it no one really knew what it was we I definitely didn't know what it was at you know 13 14 year old and um like it's just sort of uh obviously it attacks your neurons like your mot urine is what sends a message from your brain to your muscles so you basically attacks those things so you your fingers and thumbs and Toes go first that sort of thing but like it affects everyone differently and obviously it affects my it affected my dad's speech as well which was hard and uh he obviously lost his speech so as as a you know a young lad it was really hard but my dad I think he was really good at making light of it as well he was always um try to make jokes about you know this that and like he couldn't eat his all food or whatever and he'd like spit it out and just have a joke about it and that sort of thing and that that's what I remember and that's um obviously one thing that I try and take on in my life as well like if you he used to say if you're not laughing you'll cry so he's he was big on that and um yeah I've always his his legacy lives strong through all the brothers and um you know we we've always ever since obviously that tragedy's happened we've we've always been close and always got each other's backs yeah because there was um K Webb just recently passed from M andd as well I think as well Rob borrow as well he's suffering from it as well yeah Rob B is doing great work in England for the you know the awareness obviously um Neil Dan here too over here in Australia he set up um you know charity called fight m and d yeah and they they've raised so much money over the last this year it's it's going to be the 10th uh big freeze that they're doing yep so that's a massive the amount of money they've raised over here is unreal and the AFL Community have really got behind them but it's really sad like it's just like obviously three people set it up that charity and Neil's the only one left now CU they all had M andd MH so um yeah it's just it's it's a really tough one because M&D is it can it kills you so quickly you know like that's that's why it's so hard to research because people who have it aren't Liv enough is it a form of brain cancer or no are they two separate no it's separate obviously uh it's it's the motor neurons in the brain that which are struggling and they're they're dying so it's it's part of it's a brain disease which is similar obviously but um yeah um see it's Sim with the beanies and everything yeah want to know brain cancer so obviously got the beus for brain cancer and then we got the beus for fight m and d but it's a really good initiative and I think the NRL Community is getting really like like they have done with the AFL getting behind Neil Daner and fight M andd the NRL Community now we're getting behind Mar Hughes and yeah and the beus for brain cancer and Mark Hughes foundation and and we're good friends with the Hughes family and uh the voice has been great to us ever since you know we not before I even moved here I knew huy so um yeah I've always been a big advocate for them too speaking on maruse Foundation round 15 um is beanie for brain cancer round so if you are at the games uh make sure you buy a beanie support this great foundation and um everyone that has been affected and let's keep raising awareness and uh trying to eradicate brain cancer so everyone get behind it and really support this amazing initiative yes for sure um our next block is a bit of fun SEGMENT: “What’s in the Sauce?” yes what's in the sauce what's in the sauce what's in the sauce you like that like a little spin don't tell me I've got to try some hot sauce no no actually that's a actually good idea I might actually put that in there um so let's warm you up straight off the bat all right how old are you uh 32 now have to think about that okay if you were born four years ago how old are you four oh he's off to a good start um y me thinking there I I thought I had you cuz well it took him some time to answer his age you're a twin next question you're a twin yeah I can only imagine what you could get away with as a twin off the top of your head give me your best story with your twin brother George yeah well there a there's a great story one year cuz in in my high school we had nine sets of twins in my in in our year so they made a point of separating all the twins for some reason I don't know but so I wasn't in any of George's class classes at school yeah which was weird I was like in his P class and that was it so uh one one day April Fool's Day 1 of April we thought it would be funny to swap classes for the whole day and being twins obviously thinking alike we both thought it would be funny to see how many detentions we could get in our brother's names so I was just like doing the wrong thing all day like pretending to be naughty and that sort of thing just to get detentions I love and I think I got like three detentions racked up for George and he got the same and end of the day we came clean and said oh we was just being joking with you but they didn't find it funny of course not they got Mom and Dad in and my mom and dad were laughing but U yeah that was pretty funny I've got uh two best mes they're twins as well and one of them's got a jet ski license the other doesn't and uh whatever the one the twin that doesn't have a license Goes On The Water whatever he gets checked just uses his brother's uh details it always gets away with it it's [ __ ] unbelievable yeah I've never done anything like that of course of course not we're all good here uh speaking of twins as well the dragons they've got Max the Fang Twins and the couchman Twins playing in the same game two sets of twins [ __ ] bizarre anyway had to put that out there well that's the thing with with twins and brothers I feel like people always like how do these brothers all make it like it's so hard for someone to make but it just proves that the mindset if you have that same mindset as you like you were obviously as your twin or your brother you're going to get there and and like it's that that sort of reinforcement I think I spoke about it recently like Sam was such uh obsessed with football and rugby from a young age I think it just sort of rubbed off on the rest of us and I I sometimes think if if Sam wasn't him or if we didn't have Sam as a brother would we have made it because you know that that Obsession rubbed off on us and and uh obviously not to the ex you know that he is but we still made it he's the second oldest too so do you it rubbed off on Luke as well or was Luke as well very invested in rugby league well 100% it rubbed off on Luke but Luke had to go the hard way and he he was like working and didn't get straight into first team he was doing an apprenticeship with my dad okay and then he realized oh Sam's made it Sam's in first team at 17 I can do it as well so that's what and he ended up making his debut after Sam oh okay for leads it's interesting twins um it's interesting with the dragons there's something in Brewing the water there you got the Morris twins Fango twins now the couchman twins so what you Georgie was at the dragons when uh the Fango Twins were there and he said they were funny they just like they like jointed at the hip those two they don't leave each other side that's interesting I love that so you've uh you've been at South for over a decade now uh what differences are there when you first started to now in your opinion um you know what this is controversial but I feel like there was the singles club was bigger you know like I just hear me out on this okay okay so like I don't know if it's we an older team but when I first came to sa I feel like everyone was at least half the team was single and now like there's only I think there might be one person in our whole team that's single wow there's a big difference so yeah that's the difference maybe it's just like everyone's just having kids earlier now can imagine the stories that you got in the stuff you guys were getting up to when uh maybe it's just all the controversy around the game everyone's just like I can't be bothered with this any you know what [ __ ] it's the safe option get a bird in it's the safer option these days but that's one thing I was thinking the other day I was like ah there's no single boys anymore there's no like funny stories anymore saying that it's the same thing at pen so when I first started in pen same like oh I had missed at the time and then we broke up and uh that period like a lot of the boys like like a lot of single guys and then uh towards the back end everyone's got a misses now like yeah the iPhone M the invention of the iPhone that's what got George for beauty yeah got a few of you a beauty I was going to say um speaking of um relationships in that I don't know if you've watched Ashley Madison on Netflix Ashley Madison you know what Ashley Madison is is that the hair thing oh no that's actually man that's actuallyy man what's actuallyy mad is so let you got to watch it it's on Netflix everyone listening so Ashley Madison was a site this is early 2000s that was made to purely go on register get a membership and have an affair really crazy so they good thing I didn't know about it then yeah so yeah you have to sign up uh obviously giving your details and whatnot and uh you get a profile and um everyone that's on the site is married right but obviously the partner doesn't know that you signed up to it's all in discretion it's all discre you know I'm going and how they spun it was the the bo the guys had to pay a membership and you had to pay uh per text per message on the site all right so it's pretty much one night stands with married couples pure discretion you you're just getting it's just sex purely sex right and the girls were just going on for free crazy anyway it all unfolded make sure you watch it I don't want to spill the beans and ruin it for you but uh it all it's yeah it's three episodes it all blew up but now they're still in operation so just don't [ __ ] sign up [ __ ] be loyal you [ __ ] I might watch that with Misses I watched you with my mes was a bit [ __ ] weird but anyway uh true or false you're the better twin and player out of yourself in George false why we're both both say I've played longer very diplomatic I've played longer so I'm my sustained I've sustained it longer but on his day George was probably more more damaging than me to be honest okay like if you look at his form when he first came into this the game like he used to just run over people and power like he was probably like an inch shorter than me George and he's and he's just bit more nuggety yeah yeah yeah and and I I just never saw him fail a rep in the weights gym I never I never saw him fail on on the bench squat like he was more powerful than me for sure I think maybe his levers were like a little bit shorter and he I remember at school we uh after school used to go to the gym like 14 15 and I didn't I just didn't want to do it I was like I'm not doing that yet and he just loved it so I think he bit more an you know like the bump I've got a good memory of George you first come to the club um I was in my last year 20s I think and uh I went to the gym to do some extras and um I was in the F you know Redford you got the fysio room you can see to the gym and I see George in their shirt off Sweating Bullets just glistening off his body it's a bit bit bit s but anyway he was pumping um uh Cur and presses with 30 kilos and I was like doing it with ease I was like what the [ __ ] anyway was thing like he yeah on his like he he was hard to stop and then you know even now like he's just look at the size of him now he he could still play he could still run over anyone in the league but he just uh probably only last a couple minutes fair enough lucky last your riddles I know you like them okay you're in a room with three monkeys okay one has a stick one has a banana and one has nothing who is the smartest in the room one has a stick one has a banana and one monkey has nothing who's the smartest me good job good job I thought I to get you you're very deceiving you know you know like people like take the piss out of you Damian wanted me to ask you why do they call you full stop cuz when I feel like something needs to be said I'll say it and a lot of the time it's after everyone's been saying so that it's like a full stop on top of what everyone else has been saying Cody Walker came up with that one but honestly if it needs to be said I'll say it I don't care so I love it I love it I love it I love it I used to remember the video sessions I've learned I've learned throughout my life mate you just can't care what people think about you sp on can't please everyone exactly exactly knowledge there I learned that lateer in my career unfortunately but I did learn it yeah um now uh we had uh Gus Angus cden uh last week on the show MYSTERY QUESTION from Angus Crichton yeah and you played a couple Seasons with him and uh he wrote you a question really did he know he was giving it to me I don't think he did I can't remember that be interesting if he did yeah I know so I suppose you can't say who it's for cuz you don't know exactly it ruins the you didn't know I was going to be a good block and come on did you yeah no I didn't actually I had my doubts no no doubt can open it yes you go go for it oh see what gust is a bit out there so this could be [Laughter] anything oh that's pretty PG actually okay what is your funniest story from an away trip boys trip Angus Kon funniest story from an away trip this is going to have to be filtered obviously no I'm just there's just so many is there like funniest story oh mate this this is that it's happened this year but like I don't know if we can say it just yet come on come on it was in America this year when we went to Vegas oh uh but yeah it was just it was just hilarious you can't share can we speak in code or yeah go speak code well I won say who who was there yeah don't say don't say who but like uh we we went and stayed in San Diego for a couple like for 10 days yeah so we had a camp there m and you know if you know your geography if it's close to the Mexican border oh but um we we're very close to the Mexican border and we thought you know we've got a couple days off here uh let's take this off the Box you know let's go to Tiana go over the border and um I actually rented a Tesla I had a Tesla Model X over there so I I had this guy and we got one of the boys that met this Uber driver okay and he was up for driving the Tesla across the border for us so we we drove the the Tesla across the border we've been we've been having a few beers or whatever I went to Tiana and honestly it was the best night ever like we nothing happened like it was just a really good night um and we were just like couldn't believe we were in Tiana Mexico you know I love my tequila too and it was the best night and then um we got back from there and we realized how actually dangerous itties there [ __ ] [ __ ] one of the drug capitals of the world but we didn't know that we were just we want to go to Mexico and that and then and then yeah they were like oh good thing the mafia w't there or the cartel wasn't there cuz they come through and just like take over sometimes oh my God but like that was a pretty cool story I'm glad I'm like I'm glad I ticked it off the list yeah but um I just don't know if I'm allowed to speak about that just yeah well youve spoken about it and it's staying so um so yeah Tiana if anyone's not been there it's a great night okay don't worry about the cartel [ __ ] hell it's a bit of a touchy subject going to Mexico obviously what's happened there Lely but we won't go that that's that's the thing that's the other crazy thing like these boys you know Unfortunately they were not not far from where we were that's and that's the other thing we were like [ __ ] you know like could have been us but like we we we were pretty smart you know and we had someone there with us who was a local and Mexicans aren't are usually your size so you would have definitely they were very accommodating they you know they were good bit a negative preconceived notion I think from a lot of people yeah we no it's not no dramas you know and that's a good it should be a good advertisement for the NRL and NR players we can go to uh Tiana for an night and not any not have any dramas exactly right should trust us and that's why we're going to Vegas for the next few years let's do around in Tijana that could be anything uh now mate I'm really excited to get you on the pen and um write a question for our next guest oh yeah I know you're going to ask me who it is but I don't know yet so I'm if I did my handwriting is better than angus's just quietly really I don't mind angus's writing I'm going to show my hand writing my [ __ ] rting is terrible didn't really apply my academics in school as much as I should have which is one of my regrets that's why I'm sometimes [ __ ] illiterate done done sign it up did you sign it signed it no how good that was pretty good e did you get for everything you wanted to you want to put the microphone close to your mouth we're not back on yet are we we're we're we're back on yeah we are actually back on back we actually back oh yeah lick it you got to lick it hello lick the microphone no no you got to you got to you got to lick the no you don't it's just a sticky one I've got I can't get you I can't get you I just Li it anywhere yeah beautiful thank you ah um excuse me is there any more water oh there we go I was going to say is there any more water yeah and I put my hand on water thanks mate I'll use this nice cup though yeah it is it's very aesthetic isn't it yeah okay what's uh before we wrap up do makeup on this yeah well man I got this skin What’s next for Tom? routine done uh it's like um a laser and it's meant to fix your aging or some [ __ ] aren't you I'm a VIN no I'm a VIN I wouldn't say I'm vain I like to look good it's not being that's not being V at all I'd say I everyone I've ever played with probably the most F give me an example just like rig you taking [ __ ] off and like in tanning up that sort of thing and then laser like under here and yeah that's that's hair on your body but that's not being vain that's just me being if you if you went Bal You' definitely be got a turkey wouldn't you speaking of getting Bal you do not put your head down because you're very close but that's the thing mate I'm I'm happy I'll let it go when it when it goes I'll go Matt Lodge comeback of the century like I seen him actually in Brisbane I thought might have to get his number and see where he went get some recommendations but I'm actually not going to be far from Turkey I so what's that 5 hours from England yeah not far anything all right so before we wrap up anything uh uh interesting coming up for you anything interesting well I've got got a B Du in August well got a pack my whole house up into boxes do you know who what you're having boy no we don't we going to keep surprise did you find out I found it for all three did you all three yeah you just can't wait can you no patience h no it's not that um as you know uh I love preparing for anything so prep um early prep correct so um he was always in the gym first early prepping weren't you he all laughed at me he all laughed um yeah so we we found out with our first but then didn't find out with the second LED and we thought it was better fair enough so we you know two girls so another one on the way my for sight's telling me it's going to be another girl I'm sorry to say no sorry that's not apology I uh I'm happy with whatever you know I would love another girl love another boy I love a boy win-win for me exactly right exactly right well brother I appreciate you coming on the show it's always good to seeing you and always having a good yarn and uh good luck this weekend thanks mate go cheers you know good removalist let me now I won't be helping you