The Corey Norman the NRL headlines don’t talk about | Ebbs & Flows

228 NRL games. One State of Origin game and a serious amount of talent: Corey Norman has done more on the field – and attracted more attention off the field- than most players can imagine.

Ice goes 1v1 with his best friend, Corey Norman. Nothing is off-limits.

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hey guys welcome back to es and flows where we talk about the highs and lows on and off the field my guest today struggling for guest this week the feeling no what’s up baby thank you what an intro [Music] man nor never really talked about his football career and he just wants to I want to interview him and ask him a few different questions so thought we bring it in house so uh best mate business partner Cory what’s up baby there you going yeah um so obviously we’ll just dive straight back into it we’re talking about war was like growing up in benley what was it like growing up in yeah look it it’s um I grew up in Housing Commission um in eagleby um it was a bit of a rough place but um in saying that my mom always you know did a good job of you know not letting me be a little Street kid type thing you know I was out there a little bit but not too much but yeah it was um it was a difficult place to grow up but I had good family as well as around me as well so yeah it made a lot easier what kind of Mischief did you us to get up to as a kid I got stories for days man we used to um on the golf course there used to be like um like this bush and the green was up top and um they would have to park their carts down like down a little bit further I probably shouldn’t be saying this but yeah they used to jump out and have to walk up and we’ sit in the bush and then we’d go like run in and take their phones and that like just little stuff like that proper just Mischief like that um yeah just just stuff like that bro um like little naughty stuff yeah not always but like just yeah that’s what we do yeah um so obviously your mom’s played a big part in your life and I’ve got to know her very strong woman yeah what’s what’s she mean to you yeah obviously everything obviously you know she’s a she’s a single parent to start off with so she’s done um you know a terrific job there um but yeah she means everything like every other like Mom would to her son um she’s done a lot for me obviously I remember like when she used to work at Servo she used to have to do like early mornings she used to take me to work and i’ be in the back of the the back of the servo there and and stuff like that so oh you you wouldn’t been allowed there too no no no so we’d have this like little little TV set up a little TV for me in the back room and stuff like that but yeah to see her go through what she’s been through you know to raise me is is good and like you said she’s very a strong woman independent woman um doesn’t really asks for help too much which is not good but you know puts her under a lot of stress but no yeah she’s yeah I love her um I remember you telling me a story when I first hang out with someone was talking [ __ ] about you at the pub and she flogged them yeah no no it was it was at the skate park I um I think I dropped in um in front of someone and I was only young and um he hit me and I was like oh sorry sorry cuz I’m not much of a fighter um and anyway he um pushed me and my mom was in the car and come running around the come running around the fence and grabbed him and started hitting him um so yeah so obviously I’m her world and and um yeah she’s um she was a bit wild back in her day but um yeah she’s a lovely woman she’s a good woman yeah I remember she always goes um her you got to watch out for her left talk it’s it dangerous dangerous one but yeah um obviously known as a football player how’d you get playing um to be honest um I’ve got an older cousin um obviously he’s a 5 years older than me DJ um just playing in going over the you know your cousin’s house or whatnot playing when you’re younger in the backyard and and he signed up he was playing he said oh you should come down and play so I signed up at uh the under Sixers at beanley lions and um yeah loved it from there from day do just like yeah loved it um I was a little bit bigger than a lot of the kids so um they tried to put me up another year but my wouldn’t my mom wouldn’t let me so she was um I’m a little baby so yeah she wouldn’t let me so I was always a little bit bigger to maybe under 13s maybe then everyone started catching up but yeah from day dot I loved it and um it came pretty yeah naturally yeah it was good um you sort of recently sort of found out about like your heritage and you growing up without a dad and you said your mom done a great job of doing both jobs uh what was it like growing up without a dad um you couldn’t wouldn’t know any different would you yeah it’s kind of yeah I wouldn’t know any different obviously um you know you get friends and they’ve got dads and that growing up and all that but for me mom did a really good job and um I had a lot of my uncles that were around the same type of around the area so I always kind of had a male figure that was in my life but not a dad if that makes sense so my uncles did a good job um but yeah it was it’s all I’ve known it’s weird like as you get older you think about it a little bit more um I had an opportunity mom was like I can you know reach out and um if you want to meet him you can but I just thought well it is what it is um it doesn’t bother me now like you know what I mean so it is what it is I never felt like I had to meet him or wanted to so yeah it was just has it changed now has you got a little bit older um yeah you get a bit more curious about it you know what I mean like it would be weird but I don’t know if it happened it happened but if yeah if it didn’t it wouldn’t bother me to be fair so yeah it is a bit weird yeah I feel like I’d go the other way where like I’d be like oh I didn’t have in my life so I’d be like [ __ ] that [ __ ] yeah You’ always sort of been like pretty cruisy with a lot of things yeah so yeah like I just think anger is not going to change it you know being angry at him blah blah blah so um yeah if it happened it would be weird if it I’d love just to see what he’s like you know what I mean like I just love to see what he’s like what yeah what he’s about um but yeah so to see if the apple don’t fall far that would be the biggest one so um yeah um so how did you sort of progress through football or was just like was your like childhood revolved around it were you making rep teams all the way up to keeper Park were you signed at a young Agee like when you reflect back on your childhood and football like what stories can you tell us um yeah look I was just always at being the lines until I was 14 but just coming through um you could kind of tell I was good like good at it you know what I mean it came easy um you know from under 12s on I was making the rep sides um it did help that I was a little bit bigger than all the other boys you know that Manch child yeah yeah um but yeah I was making all the all the um all the rep sides and that but like I don’t know a big one for me is like cuz I don’t have a dad it’s like it was always like when I went to like rep things or what and seen like players with their Dads I was like always wanted to make it without you know like a father like influence you know you hear a lot of fathers have influence in that lower grades like who gets in the team or his son’s probably not the best player but he makes a side type thing so for me it was always that little chip on the shoulder that like oh I don’t have a dad so I’m going to be good yeah so you feel like you had to it’s almost like you know in boxing when they say you know the judges make all the decisions you have to like actually win you just wanted to prove you actually good enough I think that was I think that was a big part and like even like even like I can’t really be told what to do is kind of like I didn’t have that Father Figure so I’m like I’ll figure it out by myself like oh I’ve got this far so like I don’t really need your advice like looking back now I’m like my footy career and like yeah I’d take a lot of things on board but it it would always be like oh I’ve got here so on my own so like I’ll just do it on my own like you know hear a lot of uh especially halves go to you know experience halves or halves out of the game and just get advice and that I never really did that or I never reached out to someone that be like oh could you Mentor me or stuff like that I’m not saying a lot of halves do that but looking back now I probably should have but I’ve always just had that little bit of I’ve got this far on my own so I’ll be me vers the world sort of vibe yeah nothing that hectic but I just it’s always been a little bit like yeah I’ve got this far Mo so I’ll be sweet type thing so that’s kind of cool yeah and it all stem back from the not having an old boy and especially seeing it when I was younger you know kids rock up with their dad the Dad gives them a pepep talk blah blah blah yeah and I’ve got my mom talking to me he’s probably never played Sports in her life yeah do this do that like yeah Mom R thanks love you type thing but um that’s where I think it it stems back from yeah just back in those younger days cuz like I reflect when you talk about your childhood I reflect back on my childhood my dad was my coach and like me and qu we had him all the time like he was hard on us and um me and quate always talk about him like that’s the reason why we’ve done okay in life and had that sort of discipline you’ve made it the other way yeah well yeah to be fair like like you said that discipline thing are probably a big um a big thing that I kind of didn’t have grown up as well my mom she going to let me do what I want in within reason and I think if I had like a a dad there kind of pull you in line discipline you as as they do you know what I mean it could have been a little bit different especially my character growing up yeah you know what I mean you know what I mean so yeah and like I think about it like when we got a bit older and we’re going out and stuff and kind of once the autopilot goes on like I’d always go n you just go let’s keep going yeah exactly right in back of my mind subconsciously I think [ __ ] if I go home I’m probably going to get a yeah so and my mom my mom used to she never used to oh she used to get up me she never used to flog me like used to throw everything else but but me but so like you said you would have got you would have got hidings you know what I mean from the old man but yeah so uh when did you sign your first contract um I think it was when I was 16 it would have been at the Bronx for the um they had a senior Academy type thing so do you get any money for that um no we got um joggers knock cuz that was Knik that was knock so we got the Knik joggers um boots maybe I got a little bit I can’t remember a couple of thousand maybe but um yeah that would have been my first one at the Broncos yeah who was your who was coming through at that time and who was coaching you was it was that Paul Green when yeah he did Paul greeny did the um Junior our senior Academy um but I had Geral Josh Hoffman Billy um who else Dane gag guy D Copley all that all that type group we’re in that sen senior Academy when we’re coming through yeah so was there plan always to go to Kebra or did you get picked up from Kebra or like how does that work yeah no so again my cousin that introduced me to rugby league basically he had friends that went down to Kebra Park and it was a footy school and he said to my mom put Cory in um cuz I was going to ww High my local school so it’s nothing doing there so I was there in year eight um I was in there year eight [ __ ] yeah running a mark so um and then my cousin’s like yeah get him down to the footy school it’s like subjects football blah blah blah so I went down there but apparently they sent me a scholarship in year eight but I never got it yeah so it was weird didn’t check the mail must have throw it away don’t want a baby moving away but yeah apparently I got one in year eight but never got it um and and yeah so then I went down there and they’re like oh we you know we offered and I was like I’d never got it so yeah anyway you get a scholarship or you end up having no I just went there oh okay um cuz I was all it was either there or Brisbane grammar the Union School um they were pretty Keen as well so I ended up because rugby league was everything so ended up going to uh KRA Park and um yeah was there till year 12 how was that best the best you guys love it I re out of all the schools that struggle to let the high school go keep at the top trust me the oh we had so much fun there and like if you’re in the footy program and you’re just say when you’re older and you’re in the a0s or if you’re in the 15s 16s you’re in the top side like you know what I mean you’re it you know what I mean so like those American movies when the football teams yeah like literally like I would have English and then I’d just be down at the thing shooting Hoops with um the teacher and stuff like you know what I mean and and if we’re all just sitting around um just talking and then a teacher would come past and she’d be like oh you meant to be like no Miss we got a spare like a spare is like a free class this is in like year 10 I think you had one of them I mean okay like we’ve all got our footy shorts on and our polo that was our our um our kit for school y um so yeah it was just good like that we had probably way too much Freedom at that young age and yeah it was just fun man it was good when you have your first bear what age oh I was young bro I was young I was young uh I would have been like yeah I was young uh like 10 maybe oh [ __ ] 10 double digits just that’s crazy but it wasn’t like I was sitting there drinking one thing like you know what I mean like I was like I was more sneaking and drinking a bit but like I in like constantly probably like 12 13 I grew up in a small town too like I started Dr and I was like 14 15 and like to me that felt Young when I look back now that’s young but F 12’s crazy yeah that’s um that’s when the slippery slope happened that’s when your mudslide happened but yeah um yeah it was it was pretty young uh so you obviously rolled in through like like you said you made all the rep teams Bronx strong development system coming through Good Guys what was that period from like Indra to Rive to 20s to first grade yeah it was good is this exciting like back then you’re not I wasn’t you’re not thinking about all that oh you know am I going to make it or it’s just fun with like with I’m with mates now for the rest of my life that went to that school like we’re still really tight you’re just playing footy with your with your mates um but it was it was an exciting time then too cuz you’re just having fun as well footy footy you’re having fun you’re young um but yeah the Rival live was when I look back it was prettyy tough actually we had a pretty good crop coming through you know PBC had some really good players like Ranken Ryan James all them Tope boys that came through there but um that was cool and then cuz at Kebra the thing was kind of to repeat um so go there again when you’re 18 and do school again and that would get you ready for 20s blah blah blah so that was type of the that that’s what a lot of boys did they would go there um yeah it’s a little running joke Kenny Edwards was like 25 I’m still in your 12 i w give it to him about that um no that was the thing kind of repeat and then set yourself up and then you’d be ready to go take on 20 so um when I left school I was obviously with the Broncos um and I was thinking about repeating whatnot and um yeah I kind of said no I’ll just go play 20s um and yeah cuz Broncos were growing up where our families like that that’s what we loved as well Broncos so it was just like now I’ll go um play 20s so did you go like high school 20s and then trade into first grade or was that the no I played 20s and then got the preseason that following that year and then played round one played round one was like 20’s like obviously made Junior Kangaroos and going up some pretty good like New Zealand sides yeah that was good um again I feel like that 08 09 um 20’s comp even maybe 010 was really strong still um so 20s was um 20s was it that was the best you get the full like you’re rocking that first grade like you know you’re getting all the polos and stuff like that you get a TV game everyone’s getting their haircuts just thinking you’re a first grader already but that was really fun um we had a good team as well we um we went all the way to the prelim and got knocked out by Melbourne which they went on and um won that won that year so yeah it was good it was fun yeah I remember Bronx knocked us out the year before Oh yeah I remember yeah that was that was a good game man but that was heartbreaking man yeah like you said like when you’re playing around all your mates and everyone’s got the same Ambitions to play you don’t really have that feeling again do you no not really no you go into first grade these guys are 32 EXA you’re rolling in at 18 yeah and you’ve got you you’re playing with like big dogs like so you’re not thinking that but like you said you play with your friends and everyone wants to be at the same like the next level and a lot of people go different ways after 20 so yeah um how do you deal with the obviously all to about your debut I was crazy like I don’t know who you were and watch your debut and you kind of just blew up on the scene kind of just rolling into the Broncos big name Club Sun cob Stadium round one that fullback yeah it was good man cuz even like um the preseason when I went in obviously I wasn’t expecting it like just went in there enjoying my time that was a star started team like honestly my Idols were in there you know what I mean a lot of players in there that I looked up to for ages um so I was in there just enjoying being being in there as an 18yar old you know what I mean 19y old so it was good um preseason I was training really well um I remember what’s that game where um offside touch offside touch and you’ve got to follow the same person you can’t link off first one got put with Darren loia put me with the fitted put me with the goat oh so I’m just like running around but that like again that was that was cool um um but yeah got p with him but I was laugh and what you what you learn from luy look I was saying this the other day just probably the how precise he was with everything like I probably didn’t take that on board but when I think back now just how precise he was like even like almost coming in at the same time every day for training you know what I mean like the way he prepped himself for training the way he moved on the training field like when when you’re young you’re like oh this is cool but not until you get a little bit older do you appreciate the way he trained like he played man like and like if people weren’t doing the right thing he would let them know and obviously it’s him so they would be on so um yeah just the way he moved you always look back and go [ __ ] he was good man he was the man just everything was crisp like nothing was done half ass nothing like it was just when I think back I go that’s why those type of plays are where they are you know what I mean so um even like if we would have to do Malcolm’s or something he didn’t have to he would still be in there doing it type stuff like yeah it’s crazy I remember you telling me a story that on days off like um he said grab we young boys and TI for a run yeah so um that was cool as well again so involved with the younger boys um so we’d run on our days off we’d just go run to a cafe talk with him just talk about whatever bit of Life we’ll probably about yeah 1920 then it was that group that was was coming through was he trying to live through you guys maybe I don’t want I don’t want to say anything for Loy but maybe um but yeah just have a Yar and just you know typ of just kind of tell us what it’s like to to get to be a regular first grader blah blah blah all that type stuff and again like like I’ve said you it’s good in the moment but you don’t really take it on board to get a little bit off well that’s me anyway but yeah it was just unreal thinking that he did that with us and so you just knock up a couple days in in the off days there yeah EAS probably probably two and a bit there two and a bit back it was nothing crazy it was nothing hard it was just yeah just him doing him taking us about was he like super technical when he was breaking down football players cuz I I’ll give you an example like when I come and and Stacy was a halfback and like you know I’m a bit of a nerd like I would like to learn I like to ask questions little probably the opposite opposite to you like I wanted to take on everything and I used ask him questions and he goes I just like just do whatever like oh [ __ ] I’m not you yeah yeah that yeah I think with locky too um he’d give you a little bit but he’d never come in and tell you what to do and to be fair I was always too ask like too scared to ask him but that it’s not that I didn’t want to I just was like a bit always nervous around him um but yeah he would more give you a few pointers here and there but he’d never come in go do this do that like he was never on top of you type thing so which I feel like is probably a good way to do it yeah cuz I feel like if you get guys older guys telling you what to do all the time you kind of get off those dudes when you’re a bit younger well you go to locky and then you’ve got Justin H Hodes which which makes you nervous in another way because if you don’t get it right doesn’t matter if it’s your first day as an 18yar old you know he he’ll tell you to go you know get effed and get off the field if you’re not going to perform at this level we just beat it then or if you’re not up to this level beat it which is a good in a way but I think that type of that type of way doesn’t work these days you know yeah I remember we were playing offside touch again and he threw gags a ball and it hit him in the back of hit him in the back of the head he goes g you know you can get off type thing yeah and that was just normal if you if you did a kick to him a little kick across field and it wasn’t basically in his chest a you’re [ __ ] get him off his rubbish type thing but again that builds a bit of character back then that’s what it was you had to earn a lot of respect before you got to mingle with them guys as as well so yeah I feel like um like like a lot of the Bronx boys were coming over to uh Warriors at the time like we had beran obviously Den was there um Joel Moon yeah uh but like tat was there as well but I feel like they used to always talk about Bron and how ruthless it was and it was until like Shawn bin got to the club he would say [ __ ] that was so wild and just sit there and like crack up like we wen’t used to it yeah yeah yeah Broncos even in the the locker room chats roofless um I think back then too the it was um everyone loved a beer too but you had to back it up it was like if you drink and we train and you train [ __ ] or whatever you went out like see bud you get weeded out real quick or if you didn’t drink it was like can we trust this guy that’s it Jakey to something to want I repeat it but [ __ ] it made me laugh along those lines yeah can we trust this guy if he doesn’t dram was like that type Vibe but um no it was really good days what was lay of the land like when you’re a rookie coming in as like you go get the conbs oh yeah we I remember having to go when we would um finish gyming that if there was no milk for the milkshakes and the smoothies and stuff on your bike see you like on your bike get on your bike do that you know if they told you to do something you would do it if you’re at a bar get a drink you do it like you know what I mean it was like that it’s good air like it’s teaches it 100% you just you can’t Walt in and just think you got it you know what I mean but again like I’ve said them days have changed and it is what it is my first team drink with first grad was first out of high school too and they’re like you’re sober driving yeah sweet yeah like you don’t leave them until we leave I’m just sober in this nightclub just want to get on the B of the boys I just got hit with the sober driver yeah so yeah it’s good good times I had a roommate called Ben too yeah obviously like he’s um he he was a of his time the way he sort of moved through his career and didn’t I wouldn’t like at the time when he was kiwi but playing for Queensland and moving to rugby and chasing deals was he what was he like to live of because I find him super interesting even when he talks now when he talks about interchange rules and I think he’s got a unique perspective on life I think he’s interesting yeah he is good and he’s he’s very he’s very witty um no he was really good kind of taught me cuz first time I moved out he was my first roommate so I’ve moved out n up to Brisbane with him um Conor just taught me cuz obviously mom would do everything for me at home just it’d always be like you know if your space is clean you know you feel better like if your life’s in order you know all that type of stuff you know um he he taught me and and a lot of other things um always you got always say to you got me good man the women man gift of the gab on the yeah can talk he’s really good but yeah Benny’s very intelligent um very calculated too like you know just doesn’t do stuff to do it you know what I mean so um yeah I still keep in contact with Benny he’s a good lad so um I remember you telling me a lesson about when you ran out of money for petrol and he just yeah he yeah cuz um I was trying to buy a greyhound with I was trying to buy a grham with the boys and I ran out of money and like I hit him up he was like not like walked the train and like like if I give you money you’re just going to keep doing it type thing so yeah that was a back in the day when I was trying to buy hound and retire at 21 but that that like stuff like that he was very like he like he was good at like life stuff like that so um yeah it’s a good little lesson wake up early and take off to training yeah take off to training like we didn’t live too far from training but it was like enough yeah it was enough like literally but yeah it was good that was well uh what about on thefield obviously you guys were star started had a lot of Talent come through um what was those first 3 4 years of your you be there a bit longer would you yeah well four years 5 years yeah it was good um uh I played a few games my first I think I played like 11 maybe 11 games um just I don’t know like back then like I’m not saying like I did it purposely but if you didn’t turn up for a game you just look around and go okay we’re all right you know what I mean like so That Type of Way um probably you you know you could probably slack off a bit with the star started team but it was fun it was enjoyable there was a lot of learning there um and I was like you said I was there for four years but then when I left to go down to parah um I think I did a little bit of growing up football-wise obviously um wasn’t in a star started team down there and kind of switched over so so yeah how did that come about like the sort of coming down to parata like did you have different offers at the time were you going to let go from the Bronx what was happening no the Bronx um well 2012 I played the full season there at 5’8 and then they got they got priny in yep 2013 priny was there um he signed for two years I think it was I got pushed back to fullback that year and again being young you think you just oh I played there last year it’s my spot type thing and um he was there I got pushed back and I was like I don’t want to play fullback again like thinking I’ve got a choice like I’ve done something you know when you’re young it’s just I think back now I’m just like what were you thinking yeah um and then we finished that year off um I don’t think it was a good year and and I thought priny was going to be there again and and um Parry came to me Ricky Stewart was there at the time and um he said you’re my 58 like you’re it you’re my 58 so that’s what that’s what I want to hear um and kind of um yeah sorry yeah I went there and I kind of agreed to it um and then obviously it came out and then I think 2013 I finished my um finished my year back at um win them full time so I was coming in and then um I was going to the Norman be on Sundays we’d play on Sunday and then comeing to train on Monday and hold the pads smelling of Grog and hook goes n enough’s enough man I think I think feel the old the boys said something too M um which I understand fair enough and like literally I was out there holding pads so it’s like you’re moving on like what are you what are you actually doing in here like type thing so finished my um year off at winam and and went down to parah yeah um so obviously like a lot of your football come really great at parameter what was that like and obviously you said Ricky sh signed you but was he there the first year and then ba was straight on no I didn’t know Harry halt so um you worried about your position or anything or uh no um Brad Arthur came in I didn’t know anything kind of about Brad Arthur I kind of just knew he came from Melbourne yeah he kind of come from nowhere right um and but again he um he kind of rang me and said like Oh I’m a new coach but kind of thing like um you’ll be the 5’8 type thing so cuz he was the he was the Melbourne’s under 20s coach when we used to play so obviously watch me play we played against him so he goes oh I know what you’re about blah blah blah and kind of said you know number six is your jerse obvious going to have to work for it there’s a few other players there it was me Luke Kelly and Chrissy sand and all that there so obviously it’s not given it to but you know what I mean um it’s yours if you you work for it type thing um but yeah got down there Ricky left um and got Brad What’s um obviously Brad’s been around for a while now and people speak very highly of him what was he how important was he to you yeah he was good um football wise he was really good he was straight up with me it always challenged me type thing which was good um he I think he kind of took on the whole Father Figure role with me too like he he’d always look out for me and not only speak to me about football but just stuff off the field and all that type stuff so I think he took on that role and me and Brad had a really good relationship so um yeah he’d always look after me too so and and some yeah so um you know even was a good time there um we had like the like culture shock obviously coming from bisban Big Club you know what’s going on you’ve grown up in Queens getting plugged in in West and Sydney and the parata fan base what was that like yeah um it was crazy man cuz like you said Bronx we had all the facilities what compared to what I went to down in param we had a hot cold SAA and I remember one of my first days we went got down to Richie Beno and Brad puts a projector on and we’re watching video on the back of a toilet at a junior Club club and I’m sitting there thinking what have I done I’ve gone from faace to I don’t even know what go what’s do um anyway and then like we rolled out and he’d bring out the balloon um the pump up thing for ice bars you know the pool oh just gone bro but but it ended up working out well um yeah we had we had a good team oh we didn’t have we had a pretty good team um but yeah we had we had plenty of fun there uh the H plane what was it like playing a him obviously in the in the peak of his Powers Yeah it was good um it was again one of those players you just sit back and watch what he does on the field um anyone that’s you know played with hany or being around hany rats um rats but when he switches on he knows you know what I mean like he’s on so um you could tell when he was on and when he wasn’t um but yeah it was good um and it was disgusting how good he was exactly like he wouldn’t even do wait or anything and still be strong powerful he’d be in there just going like this with a band um but yeah he was Unreal to um yeah get play alongside him even Christy sandal man on his day one of the best halfbacks in the game back then you know what I mean I’m very talented and me and him had a good relationship we we had a laugh we had plenty of laughs together but um yeah it was good the best thing about par when we were there we played a lot of footy we probably didn’t have the squad like the better team but we played a lot of 40 like remember Brad saying just attack like even if we’re in our 20 and and then um work for us for a bit so yeah yeah cuz I look I remember used to play you guys in that time and like a lot of your shape was coming off like very far percentages like seven threes and it was like far lay line down here and it was heaps of stuff movie that’s kind of how they play now isn’t it you guys are a little bit ahead of your time there yeah I don’t know we just had plenty of footy in us you know we just wanted to play footy and we got given the green light um you know some days it would pull off and some days it wouldn’t you know what I mean but the best thing about Brad just still encourage it so um it was good times and yeah What The Pick of your powers obviously um like a lot of things were going right on the field a lot of things were going wrong off the field what was that year like cuz that’s when I just met you you sort of going through it or you were going through it I was kind of around was it was it weird being able like you could just go out and party and for two days and rock up and kill it you know what I mean but that’s that’s the thing I always think back now is like no matter how crazy my life was off the field as soon as I got to Footy or on the training pack I wouldn’t think about anything else but football like I was just it must have been I was just so zoned in at that time or something you know when the boys have been breakout years it just I just like yeah how no no matter how crazy it was off the field or whatever was happening in my life soon as I started playing football like it was everything was sweet type thing um look back now was pretty crazy and it probably wasn’t the best thing um you know you get to a certain point of your career it’s like all right like do I keep bobbling on like this or do I knuckle down and go the other way so I’ll probably just kept bobbling on just doing what I’m doing again thinking I’m going a lot better than what I really was um yeah you do like even like I’ve never never played in the form that you were in during that time but even when you do start to play inl you have this kind of mentality or ego around you that like you almost feel Invincible especially when things are going well and like you were like how many points were you off wining tell the year I got like um I got suspended for eight games I had to pick up eight points or something like that you know what I mean yeah I know like I think back now like that kind of like that kind of hurts um especially with that that Dino how innocent it was and back then I didn’t know the type of people like that that were there yeah they were footy fans they were just asking football blah blah blah you know what I mean um so it was crazy to for all that to unravel pretty quickly and like you’re saying um the footy I was playing like that was not only for me but for the club and to back that up we lost our points sitting like six or fth flying you know what I mean and I remember just going to train it was a circus man circus like every day we there and then it just seemed like it was all me and I’m like boys like I’m so s so sorry and then the salary cap stuff came and then it’s just like it was a bit of a slap in the face especially to Brad the coaching staff the club where you know 14 15 we missed out on the eight by two points then we started building that 16 and then all that happened like the club would been gone poor previously and then 16 we start finding our feet we won the nines comp at the start of the year yeah um and you know it was good you know when parah has success in the in NRL you know everything’s you know kind of gone good they all that type of Club out there so it was a bit of a slap in the face for all them and and all that type of stuff and to be fair I didn’t think it was going to be that serious because I did look at myself as a top player like that as in like oh I’m that good that it’s going to be that effective or that much media type stuff see I think that’s where I’ve got myself in a bit of trouble with before as I didn’t realize the magnitude that I’ve that people know who I am I just see myself as a yeah you see as a knockabout knockout Boke that loves playing footy love being in the locker room talking [ __ ] with the boys type stuff I think that’s where um I got myself in a bit of trouble where I did have a bit of bit of weight behind me type stuff yeah and I remember your going through all that and just like I was just sit there like stressing out day and you just be like just chill out I’m like [ __ ] how you not stressed yeah uh the one I remember that when it all broke and the camera the they were knocking on my front door um I think it broke on Saturday and we were playing Melbourne Monday night um so I didn’t leave the house and we had nothing you know what that house was like we had nothing in that house um and they were just sitting out front of out front of the door and I was sitting there by myself and I got one of the boys to run in and grabb me a feed but that was probably the only time where I was like okay this is this is serious and this is real and this is a pretty big thing so that was where the kind of gut-wrenching feeling came from oh okay yeah that type stuff and then again played Melbourne on Monday and that’s where I felt clear you know what I mean so yeah it was it was weird yeah um so obviously you guys rolled into that next year and You’ been for a bit of drama guys start to play pretty well again fuzzing that come over yeah gez I would have loved to um played with fzy a bit longer he really opened it up for me um he was really good just you know what he Square to the line you know you run a bit of shape and you Walt out the back and you there’s a gap there you just it makes your job a lot easier as a 5’8 um it wasn’t meant to be and then he had his dramas and it just seemed like dramas everywhere at param all all the time um but in saying that that Year Mitch Mitchy came over um we ended up being in the top four 2017 yeah I thought you was going to go the way oh man we Jes Christ yeah um and that was a really good vibe type thing and obviously we got there we bowed out um which was disappointing we almost had Melbourne on the ropes at that first game so which is disappointing and yeah we bowed out and then yeah that following year wasn’t wasn’t too good we came last at 2018 oh did you come last yeah it was it was Weir we had that success in 17 and we kind of went back um training and our whole training kind of changed we train we did you did a lot of filming with us that year we do a lot longer longer distance like we just like felt like we Runners um before that we’d always be 13 on 13 bit of Fitness 133 on 13 just so playing footy under fatigue it’s like a game but um I’m not saying that was the the issue but um yeah it wasn’t a good year for us it’s not funny but I just think about it like um I know that time when they had a big camp and had a big you about that yeah well so we had like an army camp um but it was I felt like it was more of a you sober up Cory Camp um they were hard but yeah there was a it was a few things there that and again probably came from the best like it wanted everyone wanted to try help me type thing and when you’re in there again like I’ve said I said nah like you’re picking on me no I didn’t I didn’t go that way um but I could see what was happening and again it’s for they were trying to do it for the best interest of me like I said you can either look at have a hard look at yourself and go one way or you just think everything’s all right and you go the other way so we had that camp it was a bit it was a bit weird but um guys was like six in a row away when you sobered up yeah maybe the sober thing didn’t work yeah all right I was talking to Michael Hagen at um Neo’s wedding and um because he knew I love Joey so he put remember that photo I had back in the day and I was sitting next to Joey and I was like Fring because I was the first some met him and stuff like that and Michael Hagen was in our table and he said something to me that day and he’s like if Joey was like a stady 180 he wouldn’t have been Joey yeah like I think about that you but the hard part is when everyone started that’s that probably point of NRL where everything started to get like a little bit more serious yeah of course yeah it shifted and again like if you got your main player who loves going out in the Pierce what about what do you think of the kids coming through you know what I mean they look at that well that’s what we topic that’s what we came through with but it’s different times and it’s changing and and I get what I get what they were trying to do and and for myself looking back it should have been a bit of a wake up call especially after a couple of good years before I could have been all right let’s knuckle down and let’s see where it go goes um but yeah obviously that didn’t happen and and I don’t know just it is what it is I know you had a couple offers that year where you could have skedaddled and power were going down you were still playing all right and had and get an office from a few different clubs and I remember you telling me like I can’t leave the boys yeah do you look back on now and think [ __ ] I could have gone to roosters or could have yeah could have would have yeah you look back now but um at that time you know especially Brad and that showed a lot of faith um in me um Brad was your guy yeah yeah 100% 100% And like I said we had a good crew there we had a really good crew there um yeah like I said it would have could have but it is what it is so yeah how’d you end up with the dragons yeah well obviously we had that um horrid year in 18 and it was me and Mitchy weren’t working on the field type thing um off the field sweet it is what it is both ball players want want the ball want the ball did you feel like um like even though fzy was there on the ball you’d still like when we’re playing you can still see organizing you’re the guy running the team um and then he sort of comes in like trying to take over the team was that sort of the vibe no it wasn’t it was just m like Mitch want like a player wanting the ball a half back of you know the ball in his hand and it kind of it got to a point where it started taking sides people creeping over sides type thing which is never good which is never good um me thinking back then probably should have just said Mitchie you run it and let me just get back to running and enjoying enjoying football you know what I mean and looking back now it should have been me putting my hand up and go I’ll go that Mitchy cuz he he he played really well 17 in well he killed it as well in 1 he played really well so me looking back um yeah could have just said Fu I’ve got a great halfback here you do your thing let me get out the back let me run now let me like get back to running instead of being traffic control at the back organizing plays missing opportunities again ego man it will get you ego man it’ll get you but um but yeah looking back yeah that should have happened but it didn’t um Gareth widup was so Dragon Gareth widup I think s decided to go to England the following year in 2019 I think it was so um I remember having that meeting in in the office office yeah Mary and that came down and had a chat with them and and they soed the dream I was sitting in that meeting I was going the boys are looking all right here the for pack for pack and that and then that year they they killed it that year as well so um that 2018 year they played really well as a team um so yeah excuse me um and and then so I was right I’ll go there yeah um and got down there and then a few issues off the field with players that they had bigname players came about and it’s it’s always hard with the how big it was was obviously Dellin um you know got a few injuries like that that first year so it didn’t start off well but yeah I got down there and I was down there did you like it down there uh it was different I just feel like you’re never yourself down there yeah I and again I think probably the football I wasn’t playing as good enough football either to be fair um which doesn’t help either go down there and you know you’re assigning um you’re not playing the best football you’re not kind of enjoying the way they play football um doesn’t help but again that’s on me and there no excuses but yeah like you said I never really got to kick on down there which I was hoping for so so yeah yeah what was the big differences in like playing style down there cuz you’ve gone from like Broncos all your big forwards [ __ ] lucky kicks 4020 everyone kick up there play some 40 later to ba like we can do whatever we want then going back to that sort of style pretty structured here to go to here to go to there you know block block block block um again like I said there was a a big thing hanging over off the field I’m not saying that’s an excuse but it does as players you don’t say it does but it does affect you you know what I mean um and then like I said a few few injuries as well but yeah it was the more set up to play play play play type thing but yeah again I look at it again and just be like oh that’s that’s it I remember the year I left um Dozer killed it go where was that last year he could have kept me a job delm did he he almost get delm that year 22 can’t remember oh yeah like Beauty could have kept me in a job days but you right yeah wonder what wonder what it is down there I just don’t feel like they can it doesn’t help that you got half Woolen gong half konala you don’t like the merger sort of or people living where living like again like if you do a team thing people like nah that means I’ve got to drive you know an hour up to canalo or you know all those little things yeah um but yeah yeah um when did you know your sort of time was up with NRL like me mentally mentally um I knew obviously at the dragons it just even like in my 200th game we played the rabbits and like they had an injury out on my edge and a fall was out there yeah and like I was just going through like I just wasn’t giving me the ball like I know I can do something or like just didn’t want the ball on my hand in the main bit like i’ I’d be rats about it like I’d still want it I was still competitive thereabouts but I knew mentally when I clocked off like I was gone was that the moment was it uh it was up there it was up there just because again like I’ve always I wanted the ball I was always playing both sides blah blah blah and I just knew mentally like just like no I don’t have that extra little bit to some days I would some days I wouldn’t and again that’s another point where I’d be like yeah no you’re mentally not here so um so yeah so what’s the sort of the past couple years been like obviously went over to France played a bit over there got the Broncos back in I was watching you play the last couple games of the year and you look like your old you just having fun yeah the old freelancer rugby league player the half seon King yeah I love half seon I just been floating around playing half Seasons no freelancer but um no it was good again I went over there more for the experience um obviously in Europe you get to travel do all that I’ve never done Europe before so it was more of a life experience thing it wasn’t more so much football um like you said I’ve already kind of clocked off football-wise but I still enjoyed it still liked it for what it was and just having a bit of fun with the boys so yeah it was more of a life decision to go over there and experience um life over there so it was good was it like in Broncos back into Super League yeah it was cool it was cool um me and Dean have a laugh about it a little bit but um it was good especially cuz I kind of knew I wasn’t going to stay Super League um is a bit too serious from where I’m at in my life in footy you know I’d rather play a bit of bit of local footy and knock out and have a laugh so um yeah it was good it it was fun uh we didn’t get off to the best start but ended up coming over the top of them it was good and it was you know what it was against too too and when we didn’t stay up in Super League I I tried to stay at too um to get on the shage and just play a bit cuz being in South France was good and um they like n no no we don’t want yall you stay down there then and then so then when we played them in the champ and they I knew they wanted to go back up League real bad so to beat him was um it was perfect um PR you come back in like uh I’ve r that sort of transition out of football and like hasn’t been perfect but I feel like you’ve just like enjoyed it like I look at a lot of people in their struggle you know what I mean you just kind of cruised in yeah and I’m not saying it’s been easy at all it is you you do get your days you just go man should have took it a bit you know I should be still playing league and and cuz just cuz it’s easy it’s an easy thing to do it’s what you’ve known yeah yeah it’s convenient like and you would know um for me rugby league was it it came like I did it easy me trying to learn is so hard so I’ve never tried anything outside of rugby league studying um you know I kind of didn’t do that one or two years of going out and being a Trader before I made first grade so yeah was literally me trying to learn something new is is very hard so um it’s difficult but it’s you know I’m obviously grateful we’ve got this company for me to help me transition in after after footy which makes it a lot easier I can’t com you know can’t complain um here work with one of your best mates doing something that I thoroughly enjoy with clothes and stuff and learning that type of stuff so it’s not like I’m working for Tom Dick and Harry down the road and don’t know anyone in them I feel like you could just roll in but and still enjoy it though like I would but again in in that’s what you don’t want to be doing for the rest of your life and you know I realize now when the pay packet drops and you’re in the real world it’s totally different so um like I said I’m very lucky that I’ve got this here for me to transition anyway and help me get into the real world um but like you said I’ve it’s kind of weird I say this but I’ve always kind of been content to play football and then just go back and just work yeah which is which has probably helped me in the long run but it’s probably not the right mindset to be in um because yeah like I’ve always been happy just oh yeah I’ll finish up and I’ll just go work hopefully I’ve got a house and you know I have a partner and have a kid and that type living like that that lifestyle so but once you get out it’s it’s not that easy and obviously when you realize money doesn’t come like that easy your your brain flicks like over and and you want to do better so um I’m excited for this next little bit um to see how it Go and um see what’s in store uh your partner Nicole yeah if I if we’re sitting here having this conversation 10 years ago obviously like you done well with girls and you like girls and girls like you back in the day never really had a girlfriend growing up what’s it been like the transition of being C Norms to being a like really good boyfriend uh yeah yeah it’s different I know the boys are lining up to give me [ __ ] whenever they can so I’ve got to cop that I’ve did my fair share I’ve did my fair share of stirring the pot and giving [ __ ] to boys so it’s only natural um but it’s been good um you know um it’s it’s it’s a quiet life it’s very different um do you like The Quiet life yeah it’s good I know my the thing for me is I never had a girlfriend for a very long time I’ve partied enjoyed life I’ve done all the exciting things as you do when you’re coming through it’s not like I’ve never been locked in a relationship or anything like that so now I’m in one I don’t get fale of you know what what are the boys doing going out you know what I mean I’ve had it like you had it so I’m pretty lucky that I’ve got everything out my system and don’t get me wrong I still love to have a beer with the boys or whatnot but if you go out or someone’s out clubbing or I come do this I’m like oh yeah seen I I’ll wake up fresh tomorrow yeah that’s the you know what I mean so so yeah it’s it’s it’s been good it’s again it’s I’ve had my fun football-wise and that’s been my life now I’m here got my partner so it’s more about um right what am I going to do for my future family and and how am I going to set that up type stuff so um so you talk about family when you we talked about you not having a dad growing up is that like your biggest motivation to be the person that you wish you had yeah I I’ve always said that I wanted kids young but obviously like I probably didn’t I probably wasn’t in the mind mind frame to do that um you know I wanted fun over stability blah blah blah but now I’ve settled down um you know looking forward to you know having a child and like you said didn’t have a dad so for me to be the best dad that I can for my kid will be yeah be good sick yeah 100% they give me Goosebump they gave me goosebumps like um so yeah like yeah obviously you just want to give them everything that you missed out on so hopefully hopefully it works out and it’ll be good when um arises um so in around now I think it’s in one of the coolest places it’s ever been I think the game products awesome I think players are cool like how do you view the game now that you’ve left it and look back on it like in terms of like playing style in terms of the way the boys can be themselves and express themselves like like to be fair we’ve been a part of that yeah it’s it’s um like you said it’s really good to see the boys Express themselves um as players and you know get a few more characters in the game and whatnot but the the biggest thing for me is just the way they think they it’s the way they’re moving at the minute is in like okay business it’s just not about rugby league anymore it’s like business personal branding that type stuff um it’s really cool and and how professional live turned that’s a big one for me that’s the big one um and I I guess when the game keeps growing the money keeps going in you’re going to have to you’re going to that’s the only way it’s going to go but I think for the game that’s the best for you know these younger boys being so professional moving different I think it’s um it’s really good for NRL and obviously you can see in the product all them younger boys that are on stage now the football’s hectic you know take for example the Bronx and uh Melbourne game you know what I mean it was crazy so plenty of talent out there and they’ve all got their head switched on which seems to be a good thing as well so um it’s it’s it’s good and and it’s as a fan sitting back and and loving the game it’s it’s it’s good so when I think about you like coming into grade at 9 and then 18 when like people trying to get you off the piss that’s like a 9 10 year period of transition and now we’re into that next little phase now so we’re 20 24 25 we like you’re at the PE your poers 15 16 like it’s when we were getting on the P every weekend those boys aren’t doing that sh no no way um even getting down the dragons and that low Max was there and he was only still 18 when I first got down there and then we’d play and then the next day putting in the group chat that he’s having ice bars I’m like what’s doing surely go have a beer you know that’s just the two different type of ways and like it’s like oh what you know what I mean like it’s just two it’s the two thing but again I think it’s better it’s better for the game it’s going to be better for the players in the long run and I think that’s been overlooked a lot is that transition phase from the old school type players and what they had to go through and how I’m not saying everyone was depressed but they didn’t set themselves up after football I think now the way these younger guys are moving that rate won’t be as high where we have to check check on the you know players that retire as much which we will but I’m saying you know like that older generation coming through when they finish a lot of them would have struggled because they don’t have the opportunities of social media um personal branding blah blah blah and kind of just get left by the way Wayside can go the other way though so like say reys Walsh next contract he’s on $2 million a year like that that injection of money has never really been seen before J could go the other way where they’re like oh [ __ ] I’m set now because those guys like a gun 58 back in the day might get 250 300 bro they’re on big money yeah and that’s not enough money to set yourself up yeah um are you saying like cuz they’re on big money though their football won’t be as good or you mean after are you saying so after so like you you got a chunk of change when you were playing you weren’t really thinking about obviously we had this role um but you Wen really thinking about anything else we were talking about playing managers before and you said cuz you’re on so much money you wouldn’t even give a [ __ ] you just sign sh sign yeah so now players going to get paid twice three times as much as what you were on yeah J can that Carefree attitude happens or are they so professional in business oh yeah I think they’re so I think they’re so professional in business I think you’ll see a lot of people getting right little like right team around them as it won’t it won’t probably won’t be a manager it might be a lawyer blah blah blah you know what I mean they’ll have their little team there that’s going to be with them throughout their career obviously sort out MoneyWise or whatever but as you said The more bigger money they’re on I think it’ll just get more professional and professional and everyone will just move start moving different yeah I like that so yeah um who you liking in the league at the moment obviously been watching a bit of football who’s some guys you got your eye on that you like that are going well I was saying um I don’t I don’t know his name but it’s just I watch I’ve watched a few rabbits games he comes off the bench for the rabbito he’s got like a mullet I don’t know his name but he’s good not Tellis what’s his what’s it I’m not too sure what his name is um but again I watch the Tigers and parag game the two young young superstars that was really cool to watch um and again like when you’re in football you don’t really care about that much but as you get you get out you enjoy that little you know hype around the younger stars and stuff like that so that was cool um I like Ezra man at the minute he’s I like him that him and reesei that little combo um but yeah all right yeah um oh sorry one last chrisan obviously got to play origin as well forgot about that oh yeah yeah the one hit wonder Vana the oneit Wonder I actually got to thank KP for that I think he got injured yeah um but yeah it was cool bro it was a very cool experience obviously I wish I you know could have played you know a few more games than one but the lead up with it even just being in the camp before I got to play in that last game they were over in Perth just being in that environment with the caliber of players there even like the Queensland staff you got all the Legends you know what I mean like it’s crazy you’re listening out yeah Boys around crazy man so it was good experience for me it was Unreal but it was more of a that was more for my family and kind of it was a good reward for them everything they’ve done for me especially my mom you know close family that have helped me you know when I was younger get to football so and we’re all mad Queensland supporters like we’re all so it was it was a more of a proud moment for me to give back to them type thing but it was cool obviously didn’t get the win um but it was it was an unreal atmosphere I just I I literally remember just running out and looking that’s and then kind of don’t really remember any of the game except for the tackle I missed on Fergie Sorry God come on man um but yeah so it was a cool experience man and and U like I said it would have been better to play a lot more but it is what it is you said I’ve got to thank you for playing the for the kiwis yeah you got to thank me because like you said talking about Heritage I got offer it a few times to play but I have nothing to do with that side um I’m probably I’ve got the most Aussie little twang of little Bogan like I just I felt uncomfortable going in there and I and for me it would be I’m playing for the money not the culture and me going to KRA Park there’s a lot of mares and Islanders and I know how big that part is of the culture that culture and like for me it would have been literally I’m I I couldn’t give a beep about the Huck it doesn’t mean anything to me so me to go in there fake it collect my money I was like nah didn’t just didn’t sit right one of the lanki iers getting about it God who am I scaring anyway but it would have been a Jason ning yeah I I would have been worse than him to be fair but yeah that that that was a big reason for me maybe if I do dove into my culture a bit and learned a bit before but that was never my interest to do that um but yeah so yeah thanks bro 40K in the bank yeah you’re welcome you’re welcome all right no thanks for jumping on apprciate thank you [Music] oh