Welcome to our special podcast series, Tour Tales! We take you behind the scenes of rugby league’s greatest ever teams and share what happens on tour. This week Jimmy is joined by Peter Sterling & Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach to chat about to Kangaroos’ 1986 tour of England & France!
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0:00 Old School Tours
3:25 Duty Boys On Tour
6:20 Nicknames
8:22 Pressure To Win Every Game
12:29 Lewis & Sterling Combination
16:31 Mal Meninga Benched
22:17 Little Men v Big Men Wrestle
26:45 Garry Jack
31:08 Nightclubs & Casinos
36:31 Wayne Pearce Non-Selection
43:50 What Made Touring So Special?
48:03 Sterlo’s Old Trafford Mishap
52:00 The English Crowds
57:40 Softening Up Period
1:05:12 Royce Simmons Stories
1:08:35 Winning 3-0
1:19:00 Blocker’s Injury
1:25:10 Playing France
1:31:30 Post Tour Trip To Singapore
1:39:05 Favourite Tour Teammate
Hello and welcome everybody to another edition of what happens on tour today I am joined by two members of the 1986 kangaroos touring team to Great Britain and France Steven blocker roach James good to be here excited to talk everything that happened on T I can’t tell
You and you as well Peter stering welome this light’s not great for you you look paler than I than even last time I saw you well you know we are trying to focus on the tour but I just have come back off holiday as well so this is me looking Ted actually St
So 50 plus James or oh there there’s no other there’s no other so yeah so so blocky you’re saying that there’s a lot you can’t tell us about the tour three we three months touring of bliss of bliss of bliss you were basically on your holidays weren’t you I was well I
Got injured during the tour so but I stayed on a lot of people uh went home they a social director become a social director it’s good great mate great memories um the the bles who were playing today I feel a little bit sorry for him because of the kangaroo
Tours we uh we’d go away as you mentioned for three months but we’d play we’d play Wigan and St Helens and Warrington and all those sort of clubs and it was it was unbelievable I had my my great mate Les Hobs gave me this like fish sort of coat nice warm coat anyway
Uh when I was uh when I wasn’t playing I used to hire it out for 40 quid and there was a line up there was a line up there to wear that coat get back then like I think you know to win a grand playing a grand final win a
Grand final AB absolutely the ultimate but so to a kangaroo too I I really feel for the players today that they don’t get to experience that three months away playing against English Club s sites know to play for your country still to me is the the greatest honor you can
Have but it’s a Next Level to go on a tour a kangaroo tour uh away with what 27 other great BLS playing once a week getting to experience a whole new um you know environment um north of England fantastic love their rugby league up there and I agree with blocker
Like it was just I was fortunate to go on Two And they were just the best time of my life yeah I guess for you you know the modern day fan the the younger fan of our sport they probably don’t realize just that this was the Pinnacle origin
Seems to have have overtaken the the international game and there’s reasons behind that but but back in 1986 there was no better honor than putting on that green that that green blazer with the kangaroo badge and the and the green tie right and especially what had come before you know you have a
Look at the touring sides leading up to 86 you know going back like I’m sure blocker was the same you know getting up in the morning to watch the the games um on television and the test matches but to me I I love the the club games you
Know almost as much to go to places you know up in CA like White Haven and and Barrow and um just the scenery around the place and the history up there and you know we’re at odds stadium in Bradford there you couldn’t see the game
Cuz the M come in you know all these different experiences you know got a good one about that too James we uh we used to have um Judy boys and the Judy boys are too diry boys had to give the boys whatever they wanted you know if
They wanted a coffee i’ have to go makeas St we were on tour hang there two of the play two players was me and Greg darling right so odd Stadium we’re talking about you couldn’t see in front of you m it was it was amazing day anyway we had to bring the
Towels and the razors and the soap and the shampoo and all that sort of stuff so we get there and they played in the mud I didn’t play that day I don’t think you played that day anyway we played they played in the mud all that sort of
Stuff and um I said to Greg where’s the where’s the Tails I didn’t bring them where’s the razor one job one job we had to run the bars and all that for them and you know likeo they’ve got those old school I remember I can remember playing that no
Razors no soap no shampoo no what the ones The Backs outside backs that wore the After Shave and all that sort of crap so we went to I’ll never forget it we went to after the game we used to go back and we went to the nightclub called
Cloud N I don’t know if you ever remember it anyway the other part of the touring team said you two have got to stay on the bus you’re not allowed to come into the nightclub if you come in we’re going to bash you for for yeah for
Forgetting all the stuff so him and I we have sat in the back of the bus on our own weren’t allowed to have a beer or anything that’s a true story and you just stayed on there there 28 of them got a bashes going to do they surely they
Wouldn’t have I think they would have met others met there’s more than Cloud n in Bradford go to another p i the Dy like it sounds funny really important part of it you know because you get 28 BL going your way and eventually um you you sort of have a a
Group of that who will be in the test side and and and players who won’t type thing so nobody could ever be treated any differently and that was the important thing and that’s what certainly under Frank Stant and and then under Donny ferer um you know they were very very strong
On making sure that there was great camaraderie in the team and and that you weren’t sort of split you know new South Wes Queensland along those lines or or any lines whatsoever so that was part if you weren’t playing you had a turn as being a duty boy and as blocker says it
Was everything you know electrical tape for the players to make sure you cleaned the shed after the game and all those kind of things you know and it just kept a real togetherness that was so important because you don’t have success unless everybody is is is happy and
Content even if they’re not playing in the biggest games of the tour you know they still had to feel a real part of it and everybody did apart from blocker except for me Greg darling I mean but they should have done it a little bit better fancy putting two
Front rows together remember stuff well honestly they really shouldn’t complain give me a half or some just just on Greg darling again you know the familiarity within the group is so important type thing and and i’ I’d know most of the guys had a really good affiliation with
The the balain boys and that didn’t know a few of the queenslanders as well and nicknames are something that again you know it’s familiar so you you get to learn those type things you they had the obvious ones Terry lamb was bar and Greg Alexander was Brandy um the one that I
Really enjoyed Les Les kiss was a Winger Queensland Winger played at North Sydney and he used to have he used to Blink a lot like two or three times more than I don’t know if it was because it was a nervous tickle of him but his nickname was lighthouse which tickled my
Fancy the thing that didn’t tickle was I didn’t know Greg darling front rower from coin so I had a chat with Wally and Juno who Jan miles and Wally Lewis who I you know knew pretty well from playing rep footy but and touring with him and I
Said what about this Greg darling and they said oh mate the most amiable bloke you Gentle like you have ever met you even for a front ril type thing and he said look he doesn’t want to be called Greg he he prefers something more personal so you can either call him dish
Head or fuzzy bear and me being gullible and my first conversation with might started with he fuzzy B he bit me on the on the forehead I you can still see the indentation now mate it it oh yeah it was you just took debate hook line and
Sinker and sat on the bus for the next week didn’t say boo boo he bit me on the forehead and left teeth marks that you could see for that next week bet you didn’t do that again learned very very quickly not the most amable black i’ met thanks Dro yeah
Cheers boys cheers for steering me that into into that um I guess before we get into the 86 um uh torren team did you feel a a sense of pressure based off what had been achieved in 1982 with the invincibles like St you were a part of
That team only five survivors I guess if that’s the the correct term but you know you’ve gone you you following in the footsteps of of something that I don’t believe has ever been done before there was definite pressure there yeah and and it wasn’t something that was spoken
About it was just that um I guess whenever there was any press about this 86 side the 82 team got mentioned um and trying to emulate what what they had done um you know we didn’t quite know what was in store for us and we’ll get
Into it but the 86 opposition was better than the 82 opposition some of the players that will speak about on the English side um you know I think the first game on T in ‘ 86 we played wig Wigan it was only about eight or 10 points difference you know and that was
A sort of a sign that remember Pete they tried to get us we arrived on a Thursday we played Wigan at Wigan on the Saturday I’ll never ever forget the crowd like this was a CL people it was mate it was we couldn’t believe it and you know that
Obviously Wigan at that time were the best team in the in the English league and we played them two days after we got the plan we we LED pretty well uh up to about 60 minutes is that right Pete I remember and um you know I think fatigue
Might have set in a little bit but um we ended up beating him but the crowds the crowds at the at the club games were were the same sort of as a test because as you know the grounds over there they’re right on you so M it was it was
Unbelievable and every game was the same everywhere we went um the the crowds were there and I think I guess the pressure actually grew a little bit as the the more games you won the more it a real thing that maybe this can be achieved type thing so there was
Pressure at the beginning and it probably got more and more again we get through to it but the third test they they came at us hard in that second half and it was in Balance you know and so in the back of your mind you’re thinking you can’t blow this now
Type thing so yeah I think it wasn’t a millstone around our neck but it was certainly yeah there was pressure there from day one I thought Pete you talking about great players they were all great players on that tour but you know you’re talking about the pressure of the third
Test Wally Lewis he just went remember remember he scored the the match winning TR he just went well I’m going to do it that that was the type of player that we we had in that side the uh the backline the backline Sterling Lewis Jean miles right Brett Kenny um Shir Michael
Okona Gary Jack mate I can remember this is honest mate I can remember standing on the halfway line watching how good these bles are M they were mate every single one of them had this unbelievable skill to do something with the ball and mate we mate we we play in the front row
We hardly to do anything really no truly they were that good they were that good we played against Le one day and uh Kelvin Scar’s Uncle he’s about 42 I forget what his first name was anyway we beat him I remember Pete uh we beat him
At at their home ground at leads 48 nil and he come out in the paper the next day and said they’re not that good mil you know what I mean so I I remember all those sort of things but I m the the thing that I could remember
The most was how skillful these BLS were uh second test second test against England in that series um I think Australia LED 26 nil at halftime or something J miles had set up two and scored one do you remember that Pete and the crowd I there was 52,000 people
There were all singing if you want your money back clap your hands the whole crowd and Jun miles that day was Unstoppable M it was M because he he was M he’d be 6’3 6’4 something like that but he had this unbelievable skill of being able to offload over the top like
A basketball player and might he was him and brick Kenny together that were that were unbelievable just don’t Lewis Wally obviously had uh he didn’t have the tour in ‘ 82 that I think everybody expected including himself I think he had a point to prove in ‘ 86 he was the skipper well
He was a knar like he wasn’t but that was you know we didn’t know of the the undiagnosed medical problem that he had at the time and it we didn’t understand that he was kind of on edge and and that just because of that you know and um
That kind of came out in his personality but you saw the greatness of his leadership in 886 W and and when something needed to be done he was invariably as he’ done you know at origin level you know every time he went put on a Maro Jersey he it was his show
You know he just found something didn’t he he was one of those guys who could just I don’t know just unbelievable presence yeah and um and that that that really came to the four I’m playing inside him I had the easiest job in the world blocker he he doesn’t give enough
Credit to the forwards like the one thing about playing over in England there was a true softening up period like the English players that we played against they they may not have been um over 80 minutes as as skillful as what they were coming up against but the one
Thing that we never doubted was their toughness like they were they were hard men and I’ve always Associated apart from yourself James um as English forward as being you know these hard hard men you know I see the more feminine side of you coming gooda but you know like 48 n against
Leads I still know that for an hour or two after the game on you’re under you’re in ice packs because physically they were hard and the the forwards there was at the first 20 minutes didn’t play much part I stayed out of the way because that was you know blocker and
The five Ru too you know doesn’t give himself enough credit because that’s it was it was OD in those first 20 minutes and that allowed the backline then to come in to their own my job like I’ve got those places mentioned outside me my job was to count
Numbers and to make sure they got it when they want it yeah it wasn’t what am I GNA if I’ve got Lewis miles Kenny on the outside of me you get it to them when they wanted it you ball Po and that’s right you know
And and so again my my role as as the number seven as the link between the two was to wait until this softening period is taken care of and then when when there’s a bit more space and a bit more freedom then give it to the guys who are
Going to take advantage James can I just mention and put back me up here I’m I’m 100% sure like Donnie ferer was a catch right he had played for Australia himself in the early wonderful player to his credit I can still remember him saying look I I’ll just make sure you
Bles are happy off the field and all that sort of stuff he said when you got Sterling and Lewis running the show no I’m this has been serious Pete that’s what he said he said man you got these guys run the show I’ll just make sure
That bles are happy off the field and we we train hard we prepare properly but when it comes down to reading numbers on the game and what you know how we’re going to play and all that those guys run the show but but you know ego gets
In the way of a lot of people you know what I mean but it didn’t with Donnie he just said mate these guys they’ll run they’ll run the whole party and they did Donnie was sort of seen as more mellow than Frank Stanton had been before years previous dong gave
Us a lot of freedom both on and off the field but there was a hard Edge to as well you know if the group needed to be pulled into line no dramas with that and if he wasn’t happy with you know some of the stuff that was going on on the padic
It’d pull that in line as well so he had a great he had a real balance um because a feel for people Pete didn’t he and and he he understood the game and he had 28 great players there and as Steven points out you know he just gave us a simple game plan
And and basically allowed you know sort of every body just to do what they did best well it it’s almost look looking at the team on paper or the squad on paper and and seeing some of the selections especially for the first test it’s an embarrassment of
Riches you’ve got m meninga a future Immortal at the age of 26 sitting on the bench for the first two tests gets a start in the back row for the third test I think that says it all really about the quality of player that you the Australian 86 team had at
Your disposal H well I think it just goes down to personal preference really you know when they picking the side I was Donnie was he the only selector on that tour I think I don’t even know if we had selectors I’m not sure yeah I’m
Not I’m not 100% sure but they went well and I I suppose those guys those guys in the centers which was M’s position probably played better than him in the earlier games I don’t I’m I can’t remember whether they did or they didn’t but there would be a reason why um they
They picked those two guys yeah I’m just kind of think of putting that into modern day context with you know the 24-hour news cycle you know whether something’s happening in England Las Vegas France Australia it’s going to be headlines and it’s going to get to the group and back
And there’s going to be people asking plenty of questions lots of comments everyone’s going to have an opinion on it what was it like back then be and and I’m assuming Mal well because I’ve seen the games that he played in 82 and he was on absolute fire on that kangaroos
Tour back in 1982 four years later he finds himself on on The Interchange bench was it was it an issue was it B all not an issue at all no and and everybody you know Mel took it in good grace and you know put his head down and
Trained harder and say as you say got to start out of position in in the third test I think you know the relationship with the the media probably a little bit different back then as well in fact a lot of the media guys they didn’t travel with the touring party but they were
Sort of always not too far away and staying in you know if we were staying going away staying somewhere they were not too far away from that as well and so there was a real kind of trust relationship there um and I suppose the tyrania distance over there you know new
Cycle very different we’re not seeing any of that you wouldn’t hear much over there from here so it it yeah there might have made some headlines around it but I don’t think it would have there’d be much more conversation and opinion about it now than there was back then
And eventually results speak for themselves so um yeah both Don ferer and Frank Stanton I think would would feel though they were well Justified with some of the selection Bombshells that they both came up with yeah I I guess you know you look at the the modern day
Selections and it it’s scrutinized to to the nth degree and that I believe does have an effect on performance you know when you’re constantly being asked questions about who’s in the team whether you’re not you should be in the team or somebody else it does affect performance but it it doesn’t appear
That that was an issue and you I’m trying I’m trying to think of an example of of of a modern day player if they were to be not selected or on the bench well take James Tesco for instance for you know New South Wales if he got left
Out of the site wow and there was so much talk about that through this year or this last season sorry that um that he may miss out you know that was that was constant like it wasn’t just an opinion it it it sort of just snowboard
And and also with respect to James Tesco he’s coming towards the back end of his career this is Mal maningo at 26 in his absolute prime which which just shows you how good the other bikes were yeah like Mel was a great player and in in those days too James only only two
Reserves so Mel maninger was one and Terry lamb who actually played in every game yeah every all Club games what unbelievable was their method to Terry Lamb’s Madness like is there is there something more behind that like you know putting your hand up to play every game
What it tends to suggest is you don’t enjoy the training aspect no no no no oh no he was or was it or was it potentially cash payments for you appearance fees we didn’t get much mate I tell you he was the perfect interchange player cuz he could play so many
Positions um he and I think the closer we got to the end of the tour maybe in the back of Don’s mind thought nice little bit of History here if he’s you know does get to play in all of these games and it never caused any concern
Again within the group as to you know why some players didn’t play as much as they would have liked it was just he was he was a wonderful tourist he was good fun he was great to be around and you could put him on in any position in any
Circumstance and he he do the job for you he was actually telling me um a lot of the time you and him would run to the training ground as oppos to catching the team bus no that was Dez that was dizzy no that was me too
But I there was a reason behind he tells me as well M the dragon ARA right you had to be on the bus at 9:00 to go to training Sterling was on the bus at 1 minute to 9 every day well I was good efficient didn’t like to waste time and
Yeah no it was uh I I was in The Sweet Spot James like it was a very different 286 than’ 82 was for me because in ‘ 82 I went away literally happy to play on the wing I’ve said it before on the wing at Blackpool on a Wednesday night just to
Be part of it that was the role have that green and gold right just just to be on this tour you know um it was it turned out better in ‘ 82 but in ‘ 86 I was a Vice Captain so I I felt like a a real responsibility absolutely just
Won a fourth Premiership TI come off an undefeated origin series I’d played at whole uh for a year and a or season and a half leading into 86 I knew the north of England I loved the north of England I knew leads so well I knew my way
Around my girlfriend at the time was a a Le lass who was over there if I needed a break I’d go and visit her and a family type it was just it was perfect for me so I couldn’t have been in a in a better position you forgot to mention the
Casino at right we’ll get to that well I was going to say were you seen as a bit of a a tour guide because you had spent so much time over not really no no it was I I knew my way around but so I did
Quite a few of the other other guys as well no we um great spot W it Pete there was there was one day that I remember standing out which wasn’t planned whatsoever we basically Don said we we’re going to have a day out and we’re
Going to have a social day out so he got the bus and basically just said to the bus driver just take us out to the country so we we just went on a on a drive yeah just you know beautiful country was green and even though it was
Cold like and we just found a pub just out in the kind of the middle of nowh In The Sticks just just Village somewhere type thing and we all pile off and we go there and we you know we we had a drink um and we just we mixed with the locals
We got involved in some games with them type thing you know like people end up getting beers poured down blindfold on they shouldn’t have fallen for stuff like that and at the end of it and we we had a drink someone came up with a an idea
That the Giants should take on little men versus big men yeah the midgets in the bush take on in outside in a wrestle wrestle right yeah so like ideas no no it seemed like a good idea at the time until looked at the the Giants and there
Was Steven R there was Paul serin there was n CLE there was Greg daring there was I’ve looked next to me I’ve got Cherry lamb and that so we kind of looked for you know quick strikes get in and get out cuz if they got
You it it’s all over type thing but we just had this huge wrestle in this Forest where they jumping into the trees the little men ambushing we were like ninjas it sounds like there’s plenty of organization g into this like it’s not just like do you have a rest right we’re
Going to be in the forest and split these teams up no no evolved that we just wanted to bash each other and and physically get into it and and um and I got to say the the little men some of them weren’t that little um it was just in comparison yeah you know
Brett Kenny Michael Aon they weren’t little BLS um but you didn’t want to get into a bear hug with roach s and and did you bring any of the locals in with you as well I’m glad you asked that Pete just touched on a game we used to play
So we’d play with the locals with a spoon and we blindfold one of our players and one of the Englishmen in the pub right and what you had to do was put a big spoon in your mouth and hit each other on the top of the head like that
Hands and knees but we’d take the blindfold off our blow we cave their heads in with a you oh it’s not funny but it was fun they they leave concussed honestly as if you fall for that well well they did they they did they’ seen it was in the wilderness James but you
Know you talk about how different the game is now we’re talking about the reserves and all that our major sponsors on the tour were Winfield and Forex so when I when I when I left wenong my a great coach of mine named Ray King said to me well son good
Luck uh good luck up there said the two things that ruin football players he went this and this and they were our major sponsors yeah so we had fridge fulls of Forex and cartons of Cs and what what whatever you wanted and that that was a
Real Boon for Gary Jack Gary oreg and Gary Jack probably longest always with player of the tour and as I say us parameter bles we had a pretty good relationship with with the the belman BLS I like like them but Gary Jack and I guess to this day I love him like he’s
Great company great great player takes the migy out of himself but he carries the reputation of being the hardest man with a dollar that you’ve ever met like I don’t know like there used to be a story that because he had lived at woen gong at the time that when they’d
Finished training at Loval he’d hang around because his mate would come on the TOs back down to Woolen gong and so that would when he drive down he’d wait for his mate to be 40 cents he’ give him a couple of bananas off from training what a two occasions when Jimmy comes to
Mind we’re lying in his room watching a a video oh that were good night you know we’ get we go and get a video we’ first part of the tour You’ go and you’d get a video recorder and you’d put it in one of the rooms and that was the cinem room
The C all right and everyone’s door you bring that with yeah everyone’s door is always open remember so so in in the hotel open door policy and one room would have like an old school VCR exactly you know so so we’re in there and we’re in Jimmy’s Gary Jack’s
Room line back and at one stage he gets up and goes to the Brasco and we look down and he’s left his wallet exposed so there would have been 12 of us in there so we grabbed the wallet and he had 100 quit in there and we took the 100 and we
Put it back but we showed the hundred to everybody saying this is Gary’s money put in there he comes back in we watch the end of the movie and at the end of the movie he goes grabs his wallet he opens up there’s nothing in there and
Blows up like you wouldn’t believe about the 300 quid that he had that’s that’s disappear we we left him on tender hooks for a while but that was yeah there there was one it went to three at the end of games every um every now and then it was somebody’s
Responsibility to shout when you got back after a game you had to shout the bar and so you know most of us would do the right thing and did go to the top shelf and get the good stuff out when Gary Jack shout came around he’d been squiring squirreling
Away in his room so so his sh he just bought the product down didn’t cost him a cent didn’t throw the cans at him hot that was him so we had this reputation he built on that during this tour but great company and a great player who I
Think was as good as anybody I played all five tests was good as anybody on that tour and what he produced on the padic just tight as cramp when it comes to just very yeah a little bit little bit like Ray Price when they talk about
Ray Price um Ray is the same first when I went to par first thing I did I learned to stand behind Ray Price cuz she missed out on nothing cuz if anything free you get it and they and they say that when you go and it’s true
That when you go to a barbecue at Ray Price’s place you had a great time because you got everything you wanted because you had to take your own meat you had to take your own I think Jimmy was along those lines oh that’s brilliant so in terms of
Getting together have a movie night I I believe it was a cash allowance as well that you that you were given on tour it’s a little bit different now it’s wasn’t much mate what you was it enough wasn’t what what are we talking your weekly allowance I would have no idea think was
It a couple hundred pound I think almost back at that time representing football it almost cost you money to play not not that you even cared about like played origin I if you got if you lost I they you got yeah what about if you what
About no you didn’t not my first origin series I got 1,500 bucks and, 1500 bucks worth of stitches in here you know what I mean but but the big thing was and you said you had to pay remember if you made you the boo like 30 million people would
Want a ticket right and you get all your family yeah it end up costing you to pay for people to come and watch your play so you you’ve got your movie night happening what what else would you allow to do to to kill a time we uh we bought
Each of us bought we broke up into little groups and we bought a car but an old shitty bomb right so we had go to the auctions and just yeah we had this we had this oh you go you actually go to the auction to and we 40 quid we we we
Had this green lime green sa turbo we called it we made a horrible mistake one day there was uh there was Wally jino royy Simmons I was going to say his nickname then and myself we had this green turbo but anyway we say we went to a nightclub
At night or whatever we we made a horrible mistake one day of parking it out the front and all the boys you couldn’t miss this green lime thing the Green Hornet yeah the anyway all the boys saw the car there we come back out and the roof was caved into the steering
Wheel we couldn’t get in we had to get a paddle Boer inste worth 40 it was now worth 20 just scra the thing but just the boys had seen it and just went oh there it is and and and that in ‘ 82 that had happened as well where everyone
Bought it um and I don’t know if we learned our lesson because in ‘ 82 towards the end of the tour I don’t know if you you but somebody somebody drove it home from the nightclub and because you’re about to leave ended up in the canal canals right behind the
Dragon ar oh just put the hand bre off and just and they just push pushed it in but unfortunately when it hit the water it the electrics sort of sparked and came to life and there were a couple on a bridge who were looking at over the
Canal and they saw the car go in and then saw the lights and rang the police cuz are they thinking someone’s in someone’s gone in yeah so the police have come and fortunately there was a bit of a current in in the canal and the car had drifted away course if it had
Been found like the fines would have been enormous for for doing that on the flight home on quantis as we’re leaving the UK we’re looking out over the Pacific just to see if we can see the roof you know type thing and but the same thing happened because you need to
Have we had a bit of time off like you asked about the social life and that you You’ play once a week basically whether you’re playing on the weekends or or middleweek so have a social two three nights go out and enjoy and then getting
Closer to the game you got fed inome and you know you’re sort of you basically beh yourself you got ready for it but you know social like there were nightclubs that we’d go to that you know after a short period of time cost us nothing to get in because we’re regulars
And we got looked after type thing and um so the the the social side of it like the was great the social side was just as good but again you just had to keep a lid on it to make sure that it didn’t affect it but there were there were
Clubs there that we became very well known at and especially when you we your kangaroo oh yes well you give away a little bit of stuff early because that got you you know that ah train shorts or whatever it may be the DOR yeah exactly you get a no
No point in we what was that bar we used to go to around the corner P I forget what the name was it had a big dupe box in it and everyone we used to we get in there singing songs every night and just
Having a good time you know is it so you based in leads yeah the whole the whole time that’s good that you you you got that base and not moving from you can actually establish a a bit of a network you know where you’re going kind of and
We’re on the sixth floor of the dragonara hotel um and as loer said you didn’t worry about locking doors because she found out early lock the door get get kicked in a hole in it and so I think management were much happier for us just to have that open open door policy um
And it was above a casino which which was a two-edge sword um very dangerous for Peter well I I know like I I became very good M with Roy Simmons we we both lik a bit of a punt and I don’t know how many times you’d come home at 2 3: a.m.
Got the Munch you like you’re hungry you haven’t eaten and that and how many times I’d go in and get two rounds of toasted ham sandwiches and they cost me 300 quck you know like towards the end of the tour I actually had to buy a game a Crown and
Anchor game I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of but it’s a gambling game where you get these dice they’ve got a they’ve got it the the hearts club’s diamonds Spades and a crown and an anchor on it and you get this mat and you can bet on
What the what’s going to come up when you roll the two dice okay I was starting to run out of money and the boys were looking for something a little bit you know of Interest maybe on a bus trip or whatever so the Crown and Anchor
Would come out that kind of funded me through France ah yeah that was did you have a bit of an inside Edge or the ins had a load of you know it bends over no no load of dice it’s just you play long enough they going to lose
Yeah fair enough um I I know we’ve been going into things that happened on the tour but I want to take you back to the very beginning blocker because um again a very a very different time um there was a noticeable Omission from the squad um in Wayne Pi
Not being selected uh very controversial you as a as a teammate uh what what are what are your memories from that time with Junior and a great mate too and and our captain and he was great mates with Pete too they they together they R
Together in the first tour um mate if I picked any side ever that I’ve ever played with Wayne Pierce be in the team I tell you he was a great competitor uh I remember he’ had a new a new problem he had a new reconstruction was coming
Back from it and um he had to do a fitness test at um at Red Fern noal and we were all you know thinking I might white P fittest B in the game he’ll maybe he’ll pass this in flying colors and Away you’ll go you know uh and
Apparently I I I don’t really know the full stories or the ins and out of it only what he was what he told me was he stumbled in one of the potholes at at Redford now it’ be easy to do that at Redfern because there was plenty of pot
Ises and um they pulled him out of the tour because he actually had stumbled in the run or the fitness test and you know basically basically that was a story and um M you talk to him still today James I’m sure I’m sure you might have talked
To him a bit about it and made he’s still filthy but M great competitor um unfortunately and M it had still hurt him the way he is as a person it had still hurt him today knowing that he didn’t go on that tour after how good he
Was in 82 like he was he was a superstar in 82 in England and a wonderful tourist like he wasn’t a drinker but he was always a life of the party as block I I ruined with him um in ‘ 82 and you become pretty close you know in that
Envirment you cut up he skipping right yeah yeah well that had to go um and and I think both he and it was some contr obviously Eric growth pretty sure Eric passed a fitness test as as well but then but then basically failed it because there was fluid on his knee Eric
Play Eric for the whole time I played with him always his knee was swollen yeah but it never impeded like the D Dynamic way that he played the game um it’s just you had to understand his medical history and but when they saw fluid on the knee they thought well he
Can’t do it and I you know it’s Junior was great he was great tourist so was so was Eric you know different in their way um Junior was probably more outgoing um Eric more laidback you know but just good company lot being around it didn’t
He I was I’m still a bit filthy with Eric because I i’ tour with him on a few different occasions and on a few account I’d thrown in to buy a guitar because one of the other outlets you want on a tour is you know someone to be able to
Sit back and play the guitar I saw him twice I I didn’t hear him strum a note on either of those tours he’s got two brand new guitar like he owes me a performance basically but they they both missed out but the the flip side of that
Was that it opened up an opportunity for two other guys I think Greg Alexander was one of those you know young BL coming in and um you know freakish Talent um so yeah gutted for the the two guys that missed out but you know the two guys that got the opportunity
Grabbed it with both hands I remember I remember Pete that the uh the day and the night before we went on tour we went in the camper down Travel Lodge do you remember this went into Camp down travel lods a whole touring party to stay there and then we went out to the
Airport that’s your first that was our first point of we virtually lived there through origins and test matches and that didn’t we but it was a it was a place where we all met and Eric was Eric was actually there that night we went out we went out for dinner and went out
Eric was there and then the next day when we were driving out to the airport to go on the tour where’s Eric not there yeah yeah no it was it was pretty it was pretty as I say I think at some stage both of them passed
A fitness test but after that for some reason they were medically ruled out I didn’t go the tour started actually you went and played a test match in papini in guini yeah I did we half of us went to New Guinea and half of us went to somewhere else to play no
No I played because because I’d I’d been on a couple of Tours before to different places in years all that anyway so we played on the it was like a road in New Guinea so we playing this game uh in New Guinea I don’t I don’t get tackled mate
I’m just passing before the line because I knew anyway on the plane over the ground on the plane over you know when you get those big grazers on your side of your legs and I could see cuz we had to wear our suits and that on the plane
To go over I could see BLS picking their their suit pants off their off the scabs on their legs and all that thanks for sharing that well but hey I look silly mate I didn’t get tackled in the whole thing I didn’t have anything I didn’t even have a graze you
Know well I don’t think I don’t think the other half was we played I think we might have just met up with you in Singapore or somewhere something we yeah we played so M talk about extremes from New Guinea to oh wow yeah the reason I I
Bring up the Wayne Pierce Omission or non selection and the same with Eric grow and the fact that speaking to Junior he’s still burning it still Burns him now and I think that for me that that’s I want to paint the picture to the to the story to to the listeners
Just how much this meant because I think if today a player missed a kangaroos tour they’d get over it pretty quickly and unfortunately you know I remember I remember a kangaroos team I think it was 2014 and and a lot of players just decided to have because it was after the World Cup
And it was sort of like you know an Australian sort of I think it was I’m pretty sure it was 14 in the four nations tournament here quite a few players decided to that that they weren’t going to participate and I Jes we would have done anything good on that
Tour mate anything I I think that’s that’s the picture I’m trying to paint that this was it was the absolute ultimate like this is a I I I’ll do anything I I I’m I just want to go away for three months I know the prestige I know the feeling I know the
Memories I know how much I’m going to treasure this moment I reckon the reason that Wayne Pierce is is so gutted is not the fact only that he didn’t get to represent his country more but he knew what he was missing out on he knew everything that went around it like just
What just how special what the next three months here like honestly the the three months it was just from from the beginning to the end yeah just the time of your life yeah it’s fantastic it’s hard to put into words Fant it’s you just had to be a
Part of it and if you knew what you were missing out on that yeah so he knew he he knew what he was missing and that’s why it still Burns him to this day yeah I I guess I I don’t know if we will ever get back to having the
Kangaroos on on such a pedestal with the the way origin is and and and the amount of you know the play welfare and number of games and whatnot but I think do I reckon if they played over in England they would if they went and played Wigan
And and Warrington and all that again on a tour I reckon I reckon people had come out of the woodwork over there they would love it I don’t know and this is no disrespect to anyone or any anything else I think you have to go to England
And play against all those English teams I don’t think it’ll work the other way no yeah no that that to me it sets it apart but it work it work over there just going to those places and play you know you may not know that much about
The English game but we all know about St Helens and Wigan and Bradford like all of those teams up there and in huttersfield where the game you know basically came we we went back to this is other another tour that we went on anyway we we went and played St Helen’s and the
And the bus used to pull up at the dressing room and we jump off and go we played St Helens one day and Mal meninga had played a season at St Helens and made their team of the century played one season we were getting off the bus I
Reckon no word of a lie re there was 5,000 people around the bus all singing there’s only one malinga as he got off the bus it was I’ve never that wouldn’t happen here we’re a bit more conservative or whatever but over there m it was just like and and you know even
You know even even a BL like Bob Linda who was a great great player I think he won the player of the tour in 86 the lock forward uh he he played at uh he played at cerit and M you should have seen the people surrounding that bloke
When you know BLS who had played from this Australian side in the English game it was it was unbelievable that was the strange thing though during that tour when we played um against the club we actually played against a lot of a lot of Aussie Str
Like was over there CHR Anderson uh we played a game Andrew house and Mark mcore Le was s appear John dor was was over there at the time soav was that a bit was that a bit strange it was yeah a little bit strange but yeah it was good
Fun but it was um yeah so the the influence you know and players I think um you know realized just what an opportunity and experience it was to to go over there and the English I’ve been asked a lot about 82 and 86 who was better and all that kind of I can’t
Answer that you know what I do know is 6 I think the the F the it was better opposition yeah and I and I spoke about that the pressure to yeah to carry that um because the English had some wonderful young players like Joe Liden
Was a was a a great talent Gary Scofield was coming through Andy Goodway Kevin Kevin Ward was in the front row he came across and along with they were the best players in the 87 Grand Final krooks he was was a great player cooksie was yeah guys like Andy
Platt um ell Hanley Ellery Hanley you played with him I play Super how good was oh he was a superstar Pete i’ never seen a BL he could run across the field as quick yeah as going forward he was he was unbelievable but he was a mate he
Was a superstar wasn’t he yeah even when he came with us in in when we uh made the Grand Final 88 we don’t make the Grand Final of filler hle is not playing with us no M he was that good he mate he he just over here and went on a roll and
Just he just we play he got he got injured at some stage sure but he was in the test side derck Fox Andy Gregory Gary scord high quality opposition against they were quality players you know that maybe they weren’t at their their best in you know they
Went on to have great careers built on what they did then you know because so though were some of them were young players you know sha Edwards might have played in that series as well type thing so when you look at those names like there’s quality yeah there yeah hey I
Just want to take you back to a point blocker because I spoke with Aaron Woods and Wade Graham about the 2017 World Cup that was was actually based here in Australia but in order to kick off their Camp they went to Fiji um and they brought all the families with
Them um what was you spoke a little bit about that first night you meet at the the hotel yeah yeah how’s the the the introduction the the first night of camp Oh the first night of Camp unbelievable but you talk about families and that
Like we we when we went the wives or the girlfriends or whatever weren’t allowed in the in the hotel if they come over to visit or whatever you had to leave the hotel they the corner yeah they stay yeah they weren’t allowed in the hotel
So yeah but the first not oh mate you know you dream all your life about making a kangaroo toour and I P said it before you know you wake up with your old man and that was the thing you know watching Australia play in England so
You always dreamed about it and then all of a sudden it’s there and you’re there the night before before you’re going to fly off to England man it was unbelievable you flew I thought you got the boat over there was not that long ago it’s not that long ago you know what
I really enjoy got s the boat we played it a couple of different venues too over there in fact the first test was at Old Trafford Old Trafford that’s you know I love my English soccer as you know James so to play at Old Trafford then we
Played Ellen Ellen road which are you know a couple of soccer grounds to start off but to go to Old Trafford which everybody in the world if if you’re a soccer fan it’s the theater of dreams you know so to go there as a rugby Loop play do and I think you will
Find that the ball boy for that test match was Ryan gigs really you he was a mad rugby league follow the winess area and I’m sure that you find I’ve got the program and I think Ryan Gibbs Gibbs Ryan Giggs is the ball boy um and I won’t bore you but it’s
Memorable for myself as well because when I got to to the ground and I’m we’re getting changed to play this test match I look down at my boots and they’re laced differently and that’s not right like I they’re not one’s my boot and one’s not you know I don’t know
What’s happened here but I I can’t play in in these cuz they’re not they’re not right what was one your training Boot and one no one was a boot that I it was they they were laced differently and one was a different size so I’m looking and
I’m I’m about to play a test match from my country so they took me hang on hang on you would you not be responsible for bringing your own boots to the game you got you pulled them out the bag no no I’ve got them out of my bag and they they’re they’re
Different so bloody brick Kenny Stay With Me the only option I’ve got now is to get another pair of boots and so they take me into the bootroom at Old Trafford where the Manchester United boots are and you’ve never seen any like and I reckon each of the
Players had a set a pair of boots for every day of the week and a couple in reserve like you’ve never SE and Melda Marcos wouldn’t wouldn’t have left like she would have just it you’ve never seen l so I’m going along trying on a pair of
Boots and the ones that fit me like a glove with Brian robson’s great great Manchester United player so I fig well this is my Al so I go out and I’m about to run out onto Old Trafford to play a rugby league test match wearing the boots of Brian Robson until Michael o’
Conor on the other side he’s got his boots out and they look different because they Lac differently I’ve got one of his he’s got one of mine which we’ve mixed up the last game that we played type thing but I was that close to run out oford I’m kind of kicking
Myself that we actually found them cuz that would have been been a pretty cool story been would have been nice hey um just on that on that face test I I’ve read reports about the atmosphere um 50,000 people at the theater of dreams you all barracking for the Brits um
You’d played over in England before at wemy with whole FC but I guess half the crowd they would have been on your side what was it what was it like for you to go go into that cauldron atmosphere with 50,000 or 49,9 Land of Hope and glory and all that
Sort of stuff that that’s that’s the thing that gave us the biggest Buzz not only crowd but we made o I know I shouldn’t say it but I used still love the English national a pumped me up you know what I mean same as the Ki one
You know what I mean d that’s not a bad that one you know but um you know mate just just hearing them sing and carrying on and M especially if the English scored a try or something like that you could it was deafening couldn’t hear yourself think there was never any
Animosity no in the atmosphere I think you always felt respect you know from end of the tour you know they were openly appreciative of of that style of play type thing and that you know but but certainly you know you you knew that that they were cheering for a English
Victory and doing so in the their own style you know the singing that that fantastic but I never felt anything but joy playing like you don’t get to play in that environment too often you it’s rare occasions and it is so different to the crowds over here like it really is
Like the the noise the atmosphere the chant it’s all part of the theater of you know what European British sport well you know better than anybody but we certainly you know that’s that’s that’s one of the great memories that year or something was that your first time
Blocker be being over there playing a playing a test mat yeah first time over here what are you feeling when you when you walk out into Old Trafford and I know what it’s like when that noise just hits you we just can’t believe it you
Like going on my mind was was you know sitting up with the old man watching this and going mate this is this is it this is what it’s about you know standing there and playing the national anthems both teams and all that sort of stuff walking out they used to do the
Walk remember we walk out with teams was that was that a new experience for you walking together yeah we never yeah we never did that uh here we you know when we were young kids they used to line up the teams and shake hands before the
Game and all that sort of stuff but never never actually walk out with the team was but deing like that but we we were pretty lucky that we’d played Origins which not as not as noisy or as loud but a similar sort of feel so yeah
Okay you know to have that experience of origin up in Queensland I reckon it sort of got you well me anyway I don’t that’s be for Pete but for me anyway got you a little bit you know knowing you know what you’re coming up against you I
Think apart from the crowd too the the big games played in England is it kind of a pump and a ceremony about them you know which it’s again a wonderful thing you know like I know I was for to play Wembley and you know there were royalty there and and as you
You walked out with your tracksuit on and um Steven said I saw BL singing abide with me with tears in their eyes you know like the emotion making that yeah it’s true yeah I’m say it’s good on my give me goosebumps thinking about that it’s we don’t get the opportunity to be exposed
And in front of that too often that’s did you find original a little bit like that up there yeah but different different atmosphere as I say but it got you a little bit bit more animosity which is great because origin the fabric of origin is us against them and whilst obviously test
Matches are the same as I say I never felt anything but respect from English crowds whenever I played in front of them it’s funny how like you can you can talk a about these memories and you’ve got this this snapshot or this slight video camera footage from your own eyes but
It’s how how it made you feel feel it’s all about how it made you feel like you talking about Wembley talking about Old Trafford I can remember going out there and remember how it made me feel yeah yeah 100% it’s hard to describe that too isn’t it it’s hard because you don’t
Want to sound like you know Melancholy or whatever but you know it’s a m it’s a great feeling unbelievable and just a sense of pro like I don’t know PE probably the same but just without Australian jumper on and looking at it and just go mate this is it I’ll do
Anything anything to win did were you going up a level blocker because you were coming up against Great Britain did 100% 100% you played against the kiwis before you coming up against Great Britain in their own backyard you felt like you were always be the old enemy James no no
Disrespect to the kwis mate we had some great Wars against them but the Pinnacle for me was playing against the Englishmen or the poms as we called them playing the poms mate that’s what we we grew up watching going oh you know I want to be there one day let’s see if we
Can get there you know yeah well well Stella you spoke about that that softening up period um I’ve read some reports on the game and seen some some of the highlights some of the things they won’t show is you know it was a different era um in terms of some of the
The niggling tactics what was it like for you in the middle their blocker when perhaps that you know Australia had pretty much sealed victory was was there a bit of Biff happening and I guess an extra little bit of complexity is you’ve got a French referee um which Julian r i
I don’t know if it’s if that’s them you know trying to do it’s it’s basically it’s trying to do the right thing right we we can’t have a an English referee we can’t have an Aussie referee so we’ll go with the Frenchman but but see in those
Days you talk about soften up period that’s exactly what it was but it was expected it wasn’t um how would I explain it it wasn’t it wasn’t something that you didn’t get yourself ready for because you knew it was coming anyway yeah do you understand what I mean so
That’s the greatest euphemism I’ve ever heard you referring to it as niggling tactics it was brutal and it was violent yeah and again I don’t want to keep going back to 82 but there is a COR ation between them in 82 go and have a
Look at this bit of footage in 82 in the Test match against England at we’re in Hull boo Frey Park there’s a try setup Craig young CRA puts in Wayne Pier away to score under the post and the English fullback George fa yeah that’s right hits Craig young as he passes the ball
With the greatest stiff arm tackle you will ever par to the ground I remember it cartoons when and Craig Young Who was a block of granite crumbled just just one today he would get three years you’d be on the Sid it was intentional it was not no
Disguise and to Craig Albert’s credit he got got up went back great player Craig no AC try was SC that was but you know James you know you know yourself like that you know Pete Pete was talking about counting numbers a little they can sort of sit back and sort of in our
Position you can’t sit back there’s no there’s no I I’ll just see I’ll just tip me toe in the water here and see it it’s it’s not in the fabric of what we do would you agree with that absolutely you got to go all
In yeah you know what I mean so it it you know different different mindset different way to organize different you know different mentality the big thing again we’ spoken about many times two two reserves no interchange once you are off you are off so you’re knocking 80
Minutes out because You’ got meninga on the bench and Terry yeah but even even back in those days the embarrassment of getting injured and coming off it was a it was a badge of honor like if you got a cut on the head or and they wrap your
Head up and all that that was a that was like no that’s good yeah you know what I mean I’m not I’m not leaving I I need to literally be compound fracture well you couldn’t let the team down because you didn’t have yeah it was like yeah you didn’t have
You know eight reserves to come on you play 20 minutes and a away you go you know was there a particular player from the english team that dished out the fair fair share of niggling tactics as or it was just a l Crooks I got I got great admiration
For L man I love Kevin Ward Kevin Ward without any disrespect to any other front row I ever played against I I think he’s the best one that I played against um for all around U toughness skill um like he M he was a real good player but I played against a million
Really good players but you know like he he was that and and loue Crooks was the same too so they had this um they had this mix of generally you’re good at one or two things aren’t you well Lee cooks and and Ward had this
Mix of being able to be um ability with a ball but also if you want to get in the gutter with them they get in the gutter with you if you understand what I mean so generally bles have got like yeah don’t have that full Gambit of what
You know of what you need and M they were mate they were they were good players and they give it to you too you know makes this BL special because he was very much like an English style Ford because he was a great ball player that
Was in fear Pete pass before the line want to get it but but you know you’re talking about like the violence and all that sort of stuff and I said and it’s expected you you know you’re standing attack and you offload the ball you you know you’re going to get it it’s coming
Like there’s no um brace you brace it’s there’s no oh I’ve got the got rid of the ball that’s unreal now I can just sit up and watch the BL go down the RO but mate honestly just straight away you you’d get hit or whatever you know so
But it was it was expected yeah and you give a bit back as well I assum well that was the r they were the rules yes retali first but they were the rules mate but that’s But Me growing up you know I used to watch I us to
Watch Craig young and Dallas Donley and made all that you know John O’Neil and I thought that’s how you play I didn’t think oh um you know you’re not allowed to do it watching them guys and going oh all right okay I’ll get it it was just
The norm that was the norm it wasn’t yeah wasn’t the way you’re supposed to play it was just how you play I don’t know well play with price Ray Price cuming through me at liart one day they’re still trying to fill in the hole
It be that hard man I’m telling you m he was good at it was he little hit Thro he was he was the best at it wow so you go on and win the first test um and you’ve got two weeks uh before you take on Great Britain again um
What’s the the celebrations like obviously you’ve got it’s not just a twoe holiday but you’ve got some games to play in between there as well but what’s the the the immediate aftermath back to leads well we celebrate after every game U maybe more so after test matches because they carried more more
Weight um but again um the freedom that was given to players was was well received um I didn’t go but there was a European trip that I know Chris Mortimer Brian nebling dny might like half a dozen eight of them went away and again the beauty of that is you know Europe is
Is an hour away type thing so um again I think I probably went and spent some time with my girl uh and her family um so there was Freedom there but the celebrations we celebrated after every win um and and that was but we also we also had like yourself and and
Wally you know that that virtually run the show with no disrespect anyone else but you know if if we needed if we needed to be told to pull our heads in if we would to bit over the top or whatever which might have happened a couple of times but but you know they
They’d uh they were leaders they were leaders of men so they would say you know maybe year P you in or you know whatever who are the ones getting in trouble Pete n there’s no one ever who did you have to no pull the ring back it’s no I wouldn’t I wouldn’t pick
Anybody everybody had their moment like it was just we have you know it’s it’s just a matter of not there’s a line and no and line was it was a fair way down you know um but I you know I think everybody realized you but sometimes
Just had to but that would be another thing of letting your teammates down too Pete you know what I mean would and and it was just a matter it wasn’t necessarily it just can’t let’s go t to go home yeah and that then if if everyone was gone then well Roy Simmons
Is a great character as Pete said he’s a great mate of our he is the greatest tourist ever I’ve been in nightclubs with him on tours and the bouncers come over and say mate get down off the table otherwise we’ll kick you out and he’d give that much lip like give that much
Lip anyway they’d start to come back over after half a dozen times he’d grab his own shirt in his pants and throw himself down the stairs throw himself out he threw himself out he did this guy kill him walked into the club you could always tell where Roy Roy can’t de
Royce is from Cara um he he doesn’t Dan but I was coached by him and him he’d be on the dance floor and you could only you could work out where he was that was his dance SM and the policeman the police the security guy honestly came across and
Said this BL we you got said no look he’s fine fine eventually they came and grabed him himself you know when you get into a situation like that with security you’re thinking well you know we don’t want this to go the wrong way we don’t you know because because if he’s
You know he gets stuck in it’s going to be an all he looked at the light he said not a problem grab and himself out of the greatest thing I’ve ever seen hey James hey James you talk about you talk about tough BLS and leaders mate he’d jump into the Palms
Wouldn’t he mate royy I’m telling you he would have broken a few NOS in his time playing against well he’d established his toughness in the origin series yeah leading up to that and that’s where he probably got his J CU he had Ben nipping at his what what a hooky was able to
Keep him at B Roy was a real English type player I think you know like Miller nothing’s coming through here like skillful out of with his work out of dummy half but not a lot of flare about him but he just nothing got past him and his service was good with with packing
Scrums James this is true he’d put his head right next to mine and go if they had the loose head or whatever he’d go mate let him get it let him take it true story and just just mad I remember you remember you remember mentioning that about the origin I
Remember one day you got you remember this game he got me of the match up in Co yeah he was falling over stumbling I know this is a bad thing but he was falling over stumbling and we were at the scrum gun mate hurry up what are you
Doing get your like couldn’t find his feet he falling didn’t know what the score was yeah but tough tough man but he jump he’d actually jump in the BLS and STI arm him and that you know but he loved it he loved it different time um you’ve got your two weeks some
BLS have gone away preparation for the second test um at Ellen Road what are what’s the the thoughts going into that you got a chance to to seal the series Victory obviously you’ve got plenty of games to come but you got an opportunity to to come and and win the ashes yeah I
Look I don’t think we put any extra pressure on our was just preparing for a test match which you leave nothing to chance I don’t think Don made any changes he didn’t to the um to the test side so there was a nice continuity there we were confident after what we’ve
Done at in Manchester did did a lot of you because there were a number of games between that test match did a lot of you play those midweek games no every now and then like there was there was a it was a self described group of kangaroos
And emies but the the guys who weren’t who didn’t weren’t involved in the test would call thems the yeah it was just there was nothing there was no yeah line drawn between them um but as I say everybody pretty much was playing once a week and uh so
The the preparation for the test was was no different to to any other that I can Rec I don’t think he was any any talk about but just looking looking at the fixtures that you play you play on October 25th you play Great Britain Old Trafford um 29th of October you play
Halifax the 2nd of November you play St hens the fourth of November you play oldum and then on November the 8th you play Great Britain again so there’s three games to be played like would the emus have played not all of them all of them because there’s what there’s a game
On the second and then a game on the fourth yeah no that there’d be there’d be a few BLS 28 ter L’s playing all of them as well by the way yeah I remember I remember Crusher clear a lot Crusher didn’t like training but what a great
Ball Runner he was and we we played against Halifax one day and um they said we knew to I believe to play in the wing crush a could run the ball unbelievable so he said he hated train he said I’ll play on the wing so we played on the
Wing against Halifax scored three tries remember this PL with buck teeth and shoulder pads and Hal time comes off crushes run over him run through him and the blood come up to him and tapped him on the shoulder the BL he was running against a little Winger for Halifax and
Said do you not possess a a [ __ ] side step you can beep that out can you said to him as he was walking off you know getting run over run over Kenny played in the wing so Greg Alexander played in that was the famous um back flip
Remember he was the first play to do the forward braw and then the back flip oh really and played in his tracksuit pants you remember that no he didn’t he did in France yeah freezen it cold you are joking he did didn’t he take these take these like pants it work scored a
Couple no I’m not I’m not having that yeah he played in his tracky bottoms yeah for Australia and did a back flip and a front flip and whatever else and everybody else probably looked on in Envy thinking he was smarter than that it was likely to do a Ford
Rooll again like just just to to our listeners it’s so hard to comprehend that within that two weeks a test match I think maybe one run out but having three games three games in between but this you got 28 players and You’ got so and you could play in multiple positions
Too but again you’ve got 28 players on tour 13 out 13 is 26 there two reserves on it like there’s not much room for error there’s not much room for injury like a front row there now getting into the maths that um I basic everybody was playing one on average a game a
Week on average we again we be we become we get accustomed to to situations and now the modern day player is accustomed to you know a five day 10 run being almost well compulsory well the 5-day turn around in the modern day era is it is seen as a huge disadvantage Ag and
You know the rlpa and the NRL work to minimize the amount of 5day turnarounds because it’s seen as such a disadvantage and player welfare and all that but now now the modern day player has become familiar with that it’s almost as if you go oh if you wanted a three-day turn
Around even coming off the bench for the how am I going to do that but was it just so familiar and just the standard the dumb thing for you that you didn’t even think about it just I remember playing in Australia I think played played a test match during the week and
Played from a club the you know no remember playing origin yeah absolutely I remember playing Origins and playing in in Queensland and then playing in the mko cup or whatever penasonic cup the next day the next night and you thought you you thought if your mats backed up
And all that you thought you were weak if you didn’t back up the next day if you had a choice you played yeah yeah there’s no doubt about that if anytime you you know you’d ra and you know training was a bit different too training going into a game you weren’t
Training as hard as what the other BLS were who had that game off you know they were getting flogged somewhere and so there was an upside to it yeah I I I agree I’d rather play the train train absolutely with you and on those kind of
Things you want you just want to play you want to play as as much as you can and and I’m sure that the coaching staff they it wouldn’t have been easy to make sure that they were giving everybody you know as much footy as as they could um
Within the way that they wanted to approach games and who W when they wanted to use them Ju Just quickly if you know say for instance I’m going through those games you play um you played Great Britain uh on I’m assuming this Saturday but then there’s another
Another game in Halifax St H old them would would the whole Squad go to those games it would be we’re all in there’s no I I played two days ago I’m just going to made 40 quid the games I was playing in h at me jacket big Woolen jacket beautiful so
You’d play yeah but M there was a lineup to take yeah if I was playing I wouldn’t have the jacket but i’ no everybody that and everybody everyone wanted to go yeah yeah absolutely oh you feel bad if you missed yeah you had to go of the
Game yeah I I I I I think I like that I assume that’s what you would say yeah that you would all go to the game and the other thing too James in the dressing room like we didn’t have a lot of strappers and all that it wasn’t the
Staff that you got now yeah well you’d have the coach and the doctor and that’ be it like the BLS should get around helping each other you know taping each other up or their ankles or their what whatever wouldn’t they and I’m that if you weren’t playing and you went to
Midweek games that you went kid it up K it up in suit yeah if unless you’re a Dy boy yeah you’d be in in your kid in your Su gr old track suit there but every time you went out into to the public like that it was tie yeah suit you you
You dressed apart yeah you you’re dressed like you’re representing your country yeah yeah I think that’s important that I think that um I think even now with Club games I think it’s important that teams turn up looking professional and dressed in club gear I I think it’s I think it makes you feel
Really good going to a game knowing that you’re representing that and that you you look the way that you should look to represent something so dear to your heart yeah especially with you know that that green Blazer yeah like I don’t think players should turn up at games in
Tracksuits and like that I think it’s important that as I say you’re representing something much much bigger and and that it almost speaks to the soul doesn’t it yeah like it’s special it’s a special special time is it remember we had the Acra hats and
All that sort of stuff too so like wear their acuas and yeah something special and that’s why it turned up today in yeah yeah turn it on and turn it off right um you win the second test ashes sewn up um any extra parties or or or or a big a
Sense of achievement like or is it just well we just going to keep doing what we’ve been doing we enjoyed it and knowing that you’d won the ashes you you’d achieved that but now the new goal is let’s go through let’s go through not was that the immediate talk straight
Away Stiller for you as one of the leaders amongst the group or no it was too it was too enjoy yeah it was toy just and again the enjoyment adab Bo and hyfax and alen was was wonderful like we just it’s another step um we celebrated well like
But there weren’t degrees necessarily of Celebration it was just it every night was a big the same it was as big as it’s you want it to me like some were more celebrator than others the way that you know I wasn’t a big drinker but I you know I Ed
And and had a had a great time but yeah maybe after test matches probably a little bit um the high was was there that feeling after you’ve won the second of like yeah to win this we’ve done it here like to win the ashes but I think I think more like Steve was
Saying I think it was more looking forward at what’s to come that you know then the that’s when the big celebration will be when we get to the end of it all when we’ve won all three test matches and we get through undefeated in the back of our minds that’s that’s the job
That’s when it’s all that’s the job all all done yeah good little elbow knock I should have played a Pete with filthy on me mate I dislocated me elbow against St Ellens I just thought you’d put it back in and finish the game it they couldn’t put it back in that was
The bad thing about it it was um was wasn’t wasn’t real good but it was me a fault I was trying to snot one of the pals blindsided or whatever and he ducked his head and I got caught and dislocated me elbow but anyway they were the rules
But he no clear broke his arm and he he that was later in he ended up leaving but Steven who H himself earlier in the tour it was never there was never any question that that he wasn’t going to be there until the final day well uh
You know what like now nowadays like the medical stuff the club the the they’ be in a flap like are we going to get surgery over there are we going to get him back like it would just be we’re going to look after this was there any
Ever any talk with with your Club back home about dis it was a scratch it was it was a scratch it was nothing you know we had the money P movie you know it was nothing come back your chicken but but you missed a fair few
Few games I missed the third test it’s funny how a story about that James I was talking to you a little bit earlier we played the third test and Australia won with Wally Lewis scoring that great try anyway the sound system after the game had come on the man of the match is
Number eight Steve roach I said but how good am my G I didn’t even play H Paul D took over my place he was good did you get the man of the match check as well cuz I believe you got no I think I think I let Paul collect it he was the
Man of the match remember he remember he played well didn’t he P he did he did he come in and played well you know but yeah so so then I hung around I actually when we went to France I actually played again oh you did you did make it back I
Did make it back yeah I had to play I had to play one game otherwise I said why didn’t you send him home yes um so what did what did you do then filling your time could you could you train or you just in and in and
Around the the just become a nuisance James just become there wasn’t change at all was business as usual P yeah in the sling or no I never had a sling I just just cracked on just WRA her up yeah WRA her up and away you go
So you you go on and you secure the the ashes um at Wigan um you’ve you’ve clean sweeped you’ve not lost in England uh but the tour isn’t over um hang on third tough game yeah like we saw we saw what England were capable of it I
Was nervous we we had a pretty good first half they bought some subtle Chang BL called Harry pin back roll yeah lock for really skillful player made a bit bit of a difference Joe early in the second half they came like Joe Leyden scored this great try outpaced Gary Jack to score scoffield
Got across and that they had the momentum yeah and it was and again I go back to the influence of Wally Lewis he’s the one who got us in a huddle laid down the law as to what we needed to do and and you know get this
Ordered and and and physically like he he in part of the knowledge and the the the motivation and then physically went about doing it type thing but they England for the really the first time in that series I was worried that it says a lot that you you put so much effort in
And you didn’t just crumble and fold um because it would be the easy decision to do like if the the if if the English are coming if the English are coming back and you’ve already secured the series obviously it meant so much to you to to fight
Back James I only played 18 tests in my career um played 227 first grade games no get to I played 13 Origins you don’t you got to make take you know like you don’t get and you don’t know if there’s a next one coming at all and for
Me there weren’t too many after that as well like no you mean like they they’re too hard to come by to you know not you don’t walk off it you can’t have anything left so even though they had the momentum like that was never you know it was just well you know
How do we stop this and how do we go about it and W he led the way but he had a good Cavalry behind him yeah but it was a good test like it was a and um I don’t again I don’t think the score line at the end sort of
Indicated just how tight things got I think it got it might have got back to 12 all early in the second half or something we got a penalty Got Away by two and found it hard to get away any more than that and it was um then Moy scored that
Like 10 BLS try to tackling one of those dummies unbelievable yeah it’s a good way to finish it was a really good good hard way to finish a test series you know to have to have that challenge put in front of you and to be able to to
Overcome it and and um you know we’ve been over there a few months by then and so you you maybe some thoughts at home and that as well but we also knew that we had the French league coming out and that so maybe not as fresh as you are
When you first arrive and then I was singing a Singapore we stayed in Singapore on the way home remember that beat I didn’t no I didn’t go I stayed in England went to Singapore on the way home well I was going to say before we get to Singapore like the tour’s not
Over after you wrap up all loved France like three three weeks seven games in France is it h is it a bit more holiday mode like the I know you said about Greg Alex Ander wearing his track e to play but it it is a generally
Warmer it was it was a lot more holiday mate yeah it was freezing everybody relaxed no M no it wasn’t we had some warm days still on wind still on wind but it was a very more relaxed five yeah yeah it was much more holiday mode and
Um you know the opposition was minimal type thing you know there were some good players there but no there was never any doubt that we we were never going to lose the game there although if you go back through history and you have a look there are some some great Australian
Sides that did go to France think boting 78 in France I think so and on the back on the back of a sort of a 212 penalty count I think so that was that was a concern that was a challenge that you weren’t going to get penalized out of
Out of the game home field advantage finest yes um but I’m a bit of a Frank ofile I I like all things French and I had a great time there just relaxed just few venos did you did you did you bring the the be the beers and the cigarettes
With you to France or were they were on for the whole tour and you’d not run out by then no no they’d send more over pallets of it we were good advertisement I’d like to think yes so in France um 86 any language barriers how are the how are the Aussie
Boys getting around great I knew jambon which was a ham sandwich yeah that’s all I knew jambon got true a few of them Australian I can’t speak French I’m Australian my name’s Peter boom while you go was the was there little phrase books being passed around or we didn’t
Give a breat no you just beer just hanging around with our mates it was good that’s P you know as people saying it was just just all great BLS getting on a having a fun time it was It was kind of the after a after the Eng part
Of the the tour it was it was the let down the relax the let down let’s you know we’ll win these don’t be too undisciplined because the only problem is the referee’s whistle you know these these guys are going to do their best but they can’t beat us so we can’t we
Don’t want to blow anything now don’t don’t do anything silly because we don’t want bad press we don’t want what we’ve achieved on the tour to be brought down by yeah or overshadowed by exactly by you know any things that you know when might go silly but no it was it was a
Nice relaxing time did you encounter any uh unfair refereeing oh yeah if you look at the penalty counts we wouldn’t have won one it wouldn’t have gone close but when we had the ball you you can’t get penalized when you got the ball so we just tried to have that as much as
Possible and score when we when we did and I don’t know if Julian was refereeing them but we’ established a nice rapport with zilan rasers I think by that stage tell you what we did do one of the one of the great we went we played I think in in carcasson and
ACDC were playing in carcasson and we went out to the concert and they leared that we were um in Brian Johnson was a lead singer by that stage obviously with Bon having passed and they gave us a shout out type thing and then they gave us an
Invitation to travel back to the hotel in in in their tour bus so I got Brian Johnson’s pork pie cap which got got it home somewhere I think and I’m thinking sex drugs and rock and roll I’m thinking this could be the wildest night of my
Life I’m about to go on the tour bus with with Angus and and it was the most sedate trip ever really anger sat down eating um baked beans and toast wanted to know what was happening back in bwood in Sydney maybe after they’ve played like they just want
To relax in that as well I’m thinking that this is we’re going to be hanging off chandeliers and you know like it’s it’s going to be nudity there’s going to be whatever you know no but still a great night just to be in their company yeah but it was oh that’s disappointing
Still was different whole on there was it your whole the whole squad on there or just a select few well not a s I’m not sure everybody went out there not everyone went no I think there might have been 10 or 10 or 12 type thing in
That but um I went to the SE pistols no but a a good time had in front then unbelievable yeah no some of the guys I think struggle I think some of the guys by then all right yeah yeah so that is so again we talk about how great this
Tour is but it is a a long time to be away I’m right in thinking that maling had a a baby while he was over there as well yeah yeah and I I remember um the celebration um in his I walked in and he was rooming with Brett Kenny and they’d
Got into a wrestle in celebratory mode and Mal meninga was throwing Brett Kenny around you KN when that squash ball hits the the walls he was throwing bricken around and they were laughing their heads off what a way to welcome your child into the world your teammate
Against the wall J he used to smash the Blakes in the little men versus big men did he but that would have been you know that would have been difficult for him to be away and and so you know we made sure that we had a good celebration with
Him like such a know tough to be away for one of the birth of your children you and and that part of the French part of the French tour goes slow cuz everyone’s you know everyone’s got M we get home you know get home yeah the end
Is it was good but I’m saying you know it sort of dragged on a little bit see I was different because I I didn’t go with the rest of the team home yeah I went back to England and spent some some long I got some Grace from my club param who
Were very very good they realized I’d played a lot of football um from 82 through obviously he’ gone to hfc and and and the seasons they weren’t played at the same time then so it was playing footy for years straight type thing so they allowed me some Grace and basically said come back
When you’re mentally and physically right to go so I actually headed back to two years later he turned it back Stadium but I did get the photos of of the get together in Singapore I’ve got it at home where it was kind of like a um you know Christmas time where you get
The Santa the you have to buy for oh yeah like secret s SEC s that’s what it’s called and and and you could see it was great like looking at the photo everybody’s got their present for minut but it was things that had to do with
The tour that other people would look at and not associate type thing as when I look at the photo even though I wasn’t there I knew why he got that and why he got that and it was it’s a great it’s a great photo just lying around 20 odd
Blakes there in disarray with these like goofy eyes coming out for for whatever you teeth it’s good yeah so blocker you you sneak in a game in France I did yeah did you feel compelled to do that or it was just or you were actually back well I
Say I’m going to be right I’ll be right I I’ll play I’ll play again it’s was only a club game or whatever but just snuck one in there just snuck one in otherwise they would have sent me home I’ll play I’ll play I’ll be right in a
Couple weeks so blocker talk to us about that despite being away for so long together how many days do you stop over in in Singapore only only a couple of days were there I remember um they had what what are those things called not tukk with the bike with a Blake on the
Front of it that is it TK me and big Siro drinking long necks has a monster this play ped you know just just you know just letting loose and having a good time mate having a laugh with all your mates was was the last it was the last time we were you
Know going to be all together it was fantastic just a just I think it was a like a day a night and then we went that next afternoon so that was fantastic how is it when you when you all come together on the kangaroos reunion uh you you
Become that’s the thing about kangar TS is that you with people that you play against and you know of but you you become you you understand them intimately more by just you know there’s some and and looking 28 players on the thing um you spend more time with some
Than others gangs but there was NE I never went away on either to with someone at the end of it I thought I don’t like him yeah like it’s just but but some you gravitate towards more type thing and for myself again in 82 there was a big representation of parameter
Players you know there you apart from Breton myself there’s Ray Price Eric gross Steve ell John muggleton even though we won the comp in 86 only Bretton myself from param made made the tour site from the Premiership went inside well yeah cuz Queensland had come into
The a lot the origin had started and Queensland had a I don’t think 10 players from yeah 10 players from Queensland in yeah so there were more players that I hadn’t but I love I you just EX for Greg pretty pretty simple people aren’t we really like I don’t think we’re difficult to
Get along with we all have a common interest and a common love yeah um in our game I find that if you’re a mug you get weeded out fairly quickly and and you don’t get picked in representative sides because that becomes known type thing in that so I loved every Blake
That I went away with I spent more time with some than others some Blakes I what who I did go away with thinking I wonder what they’ll be like Champions you know and and a real CR section of people you know like the laconic Roy Simmons n c
Who’ve never left the bush yeah they might have lived in the city areas but they’ve never left the bush to you know the The Other Extreme of outgoing guys who um just mad cap as well great sense of humors but with a common love of of
What we were doing and and I think a love of each other you know eventually considering everything that you managed to achieve what where does this rate uh it’s alongside anything along yeah again get asked that a fair bit first time you put on your Australian Jersey um first Premiership with param
Playing at Wembley but kangaroo 2 was again I I I’ll finish by the way I started I feel sorry that today’s players don’t get to experience what we did because I can’t we haven’t even scratched the surfice or gone close in trying to explain how good this is and
What it’s all about we’ve told stories and we’ve waxed lyrical but we we’ve we’ve scratched the surface in what it means to us what what about you bcka where’s it rating oh number one from I never got the win of comp we played in two grand finals and
Lost both but the the kangaroo you know as I mentioned you know when you know when you’re a kid that’s all you want to do get that Australian jumper and do a tour of England mate for me for me number one and as Pete said like as far
As mates go like it’s you know it’s like you like you saw him yesterday you know I haven’t seen Pete for a few years but you know it was like we saw each other yesterday you know so you build that that Bond you know what you’ve gone through together for those three months
And you know it’s just it’s a bond that you you know as he said you can’t explain it yeah it’s there you know what I mean I think it’s it’s unfortunate like I and I really do appreciate you um sharing your memories but I think
It one of my takeaways from this is just how unfortunate is at the modern day player doesn’t get to experience this like well let’s get it happening it it it sounds magical I’m not sure I I agree with you I I think it’s done I don’t
With the way that the game evolved and I just don’t see how it can ever come back no and they play in the same time of year now don’t they lot of difference yeah I I think little did we know that in ‘ 86 that there’d only be two more of
These type of Tours to come I thought that they’d be around forever yeah like it would be a main stay of our sport but yeah it sport changes and who knows and obviously the players these days James you know they they look at you know they’ve got you know test matches and
Australian jerseys and that to earn and and they feel about that the same way we feel about it also it’s just different the way that it’s it’s put together now as Steve says the seasons are a different type thing it’s just it’s in its place now and it’s and it’s looked
Back on the way that it should be looked back on but there’s you know there’s a lot of motivation for the guys these days as to what’s available for them when it comes to representing at that level I think as well like you know finances play a part in and play a part
In motivation but like speaking to you guys you you doing this for free you’re doing this it was just that it was just that feeling that that piece of material you can’t buy that you can’t and you know I wouldn’t have cared how much it
Would have cost me I’d have paid to go on it yeah it’s pretty magical allow them to for me to go how much they want yeah um just finally to to to wrap this up I I’d just like you both um to give us your your favorite teammate um that
Can be somebody that performed on the field off the field a combination of both pres company accepted yeah just just one just one well but you know if you want to dive into a blocker I’ll I’ll let you do that I’m I’m not about putting yeah I’ll I’ll do
Just one but the relationship that I uh that I got with Roy Simmons over the years just um just a m just a great blow on and off the field magnificent competitor probably didn’t have the uh the ability of of a Benny allias I would say and he
Probably wouldn’t mind me saying that but just as a wholehearted bloke on and off the field you know i’ I’d I’d probably say I’d probably say royy would be the black guy that I enjoyed the most I hope he never gets to hear this yeah it’ll be too big because I
He’s my choice oh really I I think in that I think I spent more time with him than anybody else and that’s probably a sign of of you know the relationship how much you’re enjoying it yeah and I just and today you know I I love catching out I’m
Worried because every time I see him the eyes the slits they’re like Venetian blinds they just keep getting let down type thing eventually you won’t be able to see anything but and and I think we established a really nice relationship during the origin period in those three
Games um yeah and to carry that into the and Pete the other thing about him too the other thing about him too he was exactly the same with pu and I as he was with everyone do you understand I don’t know just I do know exactly what he’s
Saying gravitation towards him you know I don’t know I don’t know it’s just the way he was just just a fun bloke just great to be around you know when it came to the um the Giants versus the luchian yeah he wasn’t much help there but his
Mobility you know he just he got crushed I tried to help him out well you know what hearing you talk about that I guess what what is very special about this is there was no camera phones but if there’s a moment I would like to see him
On camera phone it’s or video footage of it would be the the Land of the Giants Taking on the the small guys outside some Country Pub in in the north of England I think that would be Sensational viewing you’d be viral on all social media Chanel connection about
We reenact it uh we go over to England or France and go to the forest if we can get a sponsor to fund that I reckon I Reon there’s a show in that movie there’s a movie in it there’s a show in it I can come and be a referee or
Something I don’t know I just want to be a part of that but jent wholeheartedly here I’ve just I I can’t like this privileged position that I’m in to sit here I know our viewers and our listeners would would love hearing this these stories but for me to
Be here in between you guys talking about this 86 kangaroos I’m an Englishman uh but I love our sport of rugby league and to hear you two talk about this has been amazing for me it really really has and I’m speaking from the heart here and I think conversations like that like this
That we’ve had um need to be had more often the fact that it’s recorded um it just helps that Legacy live on because you know for our listeners as well they they’re hearing it but I’m looking in your eyes Stell I’m looking in your eyes blocker and I can see just
Just what this what this this meant to you and and the memories and the feelings that it invokes it’s incredibly special for me to sit here with you two and and talk about it so I I can’t thank you both enough I I think it still Burns
As brightly for us 40 years down the track as it ever has so thank you is that 40 don’t take me shoes you can only get well you keep counting blocker we’ll wrap this wrap this up again thank you so much
29 Comments
Could of watched this for days with the stories and love for the game, great episode.
A harder, tougher, and dare i say one of the dirtiest props ever to play the game, and listening to him here he seems one of the nicest blokes ever! Blocker roach. Great to hear these stories.
I’ve missed Sterlo and for what he has done on and off the field he’s an immortal for mine.
Sterlo one of the greats but I can't handle listening to bocker, what a grub
Thank you so much for this episode James. I absolutely love Sterlo and getting to hear him tell those stories was awesome.
Jimmy, you definitely delivered on what you said about this one: cracking episode!
Many of the interviews have been quite interesting, but, out of all of the Bye Round shows so far, this one was the most fun by a mile.
What great guys.
Another great one. I was a touch too young for the 82 tour but was so excited for the 86 one. Can remember constantly flicking through my Open Rugby to read about the players I hadn't heard of. I was fortunate enough to get Sterlo's autograph at the Saints game (along with Craig Johnston who'd come along to watch him and the Kangaroos). Some great memories shared and I distinctly remember that Third Test because I was stood behind the sticks at Central Park when The King went in for the game sealing try, with a great piece of rugby. I shouted "You bald twat" as he went over and when the other Kangaroos came around to hug him he gave the crowd the V as his arm went around for the hug. What a guy.
Jammer that was the best ever podcast!!!and I’m 36 year old !
Jesus Christ, looks like an episode of Jurassic park with these two dinosaurs on here
Great great episode from the Bye Round. It should never be forgotten how great these two players were. Time may have torn them from the field, but shows like this continue to keep the memory flame burning. Mr Graham, I know, you too must feel the pang of no longer playing a sport you were so dominant in, but your contribution to this new forum of content (and those of your partners and staff) should not go over looked. It is important to never forget the stories of those who came before. All the best.
40 quid jacket hire 😂
Great episode as always. Sterlo should be an Immortal.
Take a bow Jimmy, these poddys are getting better and better, you have come along way.
Asking open questions, letting the guests talk and giving them a platform to open up. You are interjecting at the right time and not too much or too little.
Hats off to ya mate , really polished product with two of the greatest blokes and rugby league players.
Keep kicking goals mate, this is bloody as good as it gets.
Great pod cast really enjoyed the stories.The 1954 tour after a 6week sail the GB tourist played 32 games ,22in Aus 10 in NZ.
Sterloooooo !!
Great episode with two great players,would love to see GB v Aus ashes test series again,remember as a kid going to see the Aussies play Oldham they gave em a good game.
If I had to choose between Brett Kenny or Mal Meninga, I'd Pick Kenny too, everyday of the week.
Absolute travesty that Kenny and Sterlo aren't Immortals yet.
Loved it when the Aussies used to tour the UK .
Sterling was an incredible half.criminal he isn't an Immortal.
Jammer I could watch these all day marra.
Cracking episode.
The family had one of those chats “what would you do if we won £150m on the Lottery?”
Wife: I’d buy an island
Son: I’d set up a gaming company
Me: I’d fund a proper GB tour to Australia.
Great to hear Sterlo and Blocker reference the origins of RL and how it came about with The George in Huddersfield etc. Is this well known in Australia? Do people know the struggle we have to keep it relevant in the UK? We need these tours again but I accept there’s progress.
both Stelo and Blocker are giving a glimpse of why we should put respect back to test footy. Keep up the good work Jammer, hopefully you could bring in Trent Robinson to talk more about Franch rugby league.
Love Sterlos passion / appreciation for the North of England. Same as his solo podcast with you Jammer and also one he did with JBB and Alex on the old Rugby AM here in England. Sydney born to a Scouse mother & Geordie father, lived in UK for 17 years, Liverpool for the last 4 + years. Love the place. Look forward to the podcasts every week. This was a cracker 👌🏼👌🏼
Great idea to bring these two legends in. Could listen to them all day.
Would love to see you get Fatty, Sterlo and Blocker on. Now there's entertainment
Peter Sterling should be the next NRL Immortal… his contribution to the game cannot be underestimated… ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Always great to see a rare Sterlo these days
I just seen Sterlos name so I have to watch it. He is sorely missed on the footy panel I really miss his breakdowns
was it the 86 tour where siro nearly got his head ripped off by that grub mcdermott ?
Certainly miss Sterlo’s class of commentary on Channel 9