Catching up with Carter Gordan

Super Rugby has kicked off for 2020! The Reds lost by only 3 points to the Brumbies last week, but gave us a solid sign of things to come this season. This Saturday, they play the Lions, in their home territory of Johannesburg, South Africa! I'll be tuning in for sure.

With much of the team away, I caught up with a few of the lads still training (some doing rehab) at Ballymore and had a good sit-down with Carter Gordan!

Carter spent 2019 as a part of the development Reds squad and after a strong showing playing for the West Bulldogs was was named in this years team! Full of potential on the field and a wonderful person off the field, Carter looks like he’ll be ready soon to live out his childhood dream and run out with the Maroon jersey!

Hey Carter, thanks for making time to catch up today!

That’s alright. Anytime!

How have you found training at Ballymore so far this year?

Trainings been interesting. A lot more knowledge stuff this year, around our game plan, around what we want to do. But it’s been really enjoyable and all the boys are making it easy. I’m loving it.

What do you love most about being a part of the Reds squad?

For me, this is only my second year with the Reds boys, I think, just being involved with everything. I’m still learning heaps from the players and the coaches, they've really helped me develop my game. So just learning and being more included.

You’re a Brissy boy now, but you’re originally from the Sunny Coast. How did you find moving from there to Brisbane?

Yeah. So I grew up on the Sunshine Coast, I moved to Brisbane to be in the boarding school at 14. It wasn’t too bad. I didn’t find it too complicated, I wasn’t really a homeboy anyway! I found it pretty easy to transition. I just stayed down here and moved into my own place when I finished school, so I’ve really enjoyed it.

Boarding school didn’t teach me to cook or anything, but it definitely made the change a lot easier.

When did you start playing rugby and what inspired you to play the game?

I was grade one when I started playing rugby, so 6 or 7 years old. My dad played rugby, so he was always pushing us. I loved rugby before I started playing. When I was in prep, it’s all we used to talk about and watch at home. I got into it at grade one when I was old enough to play and that stated me off.

I heard that Dan Carter was one of your heroes growing up. Who else did you look up to while you learning the game?

I always liked watching Dan Carter, especially the technical side of his game. He was one of my biggest heroes growing up. I liked watching the Australian guys too, like Berrick Barnes and those guys.

Recently I’ve enjoyed watching Johny Sexton and the way he plays. He’s probably my number one right now.

What’s your favourite thing to do outside of rugby?

I play a lot of golf. Golf is probably my favourite thing other than rugby to do. I feel like when I need to get away from rugby for a little bit, I can go away for a round and get the clubs out and not think too much about footy.

What are your personal goals at the moment?

For me, I’ve had a couple of niggly injuries in my knees, so at the moment I’m just trying to fix them and get to 100%. Probably my number #1 goal for this year and probably my #1 goal leading up, my whole life, is to play for the Queensland Reds. I’ve wanted to play for the Reds ever since I started rugby. So I’m just grateful to play here and keen to put on the maroon jersey!

That’s awesome. Thanks for the interview Carter. I’m cheering you and all of the Reds boys on this season! There are great things to come in 2020 I am sure!

Thanks Tommy! Great to see you! I look forward to seeing you more and hopefully doing some more interviews with you!

Sounds great!

A Conversation with Lukhan Salakaia-Loto

Just like that, the Reds 2020 season is ready for take-off! The Reds first trial match, against the Rebels, is up in Gladstone in 1 week!

And while we all get pumped for the new season, I thought it would be awesome to catch up with one of the Reds stand-out player, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto. My last interview with him for Reds Rugby Rules was back in 2017, during the Reds visit to Samoa! Since then, a lot has happened for Lukhan. He's played some amazing rugby, but for sure, the best is yet to come!

I hope you enjoy reading our conversation as much as I enjoyed talking to him!

Happy 2020! It’s been a while since we officially caught up for Reds Rugby Rules. It’s a new year and new decade! How are you feeling about it all?

Yeah, I’m feeling good! A new decade. Hopefully it’ll be a better 10 years than the previous ones… it’s good to get a fresh start. I’m looking forward to kicking things off things well with the Reds, but most of my focus is off-field. Just continuing to grow as a person, as a man, do things for my family. If I can get that stuff all right, for me, when I’m good off the field, it transfers on to the field.

Since our last interview, you’ve played a lot of rugby and you’ve played at the highest level, even in a World Cup! What was a highlight of your time in Japan last year?

Yeah. Last time we spoke like this, it was, if I recall correctly, a day before I got selected for the Wallabies squad. That was almost 3 years ago now! It’s a privilege to represent your country, especially for my family to see that, representing us and our last name. And like you said, it was an awesome experience in Japan, especially at a young age. I’m pretty lucky, because I’ve still got a long way to go in my career.

The highlight was probably being a part of the quarter-final. It was the biggest game I’ve been a part of so far. Just getting experience and growing as a player, surrounding myself with the best players in the world, from more than one country… Looking back now, I know what I need to do, in order to be considered, you know, pretty good in the world.

Can you highlight a Reds and a Wallabies game that have been particularly memorable from the last few years?

Hmmm. Yep, I’ve got a few. I think the year we had our first interview, about 3 months after that we played the All Blacks and we beat them up at Suncorp. That was my first time playing them and knocked them off in the third Bledisloe test. That was probably my most memorable game. Another one… actually that Samoa one was a big one, personally for me. I got to play in front of my family that I’d never seen before. So to go home and visit and play in front of them was awesome.

My first start for the Wallabies was a big one… that was 2018 against the Irish, down in Sydney. Probably one of the best games I’ve ever had.

There’s been a fair few memorable games! One more was playing Samoa, down in Sydney. Playing the country where my family is from, was a very big thing for me! I had 20 family members there with me (and that wasn’t even half my family). That was a very big thing for me.

It must be nice being back at Ballymore and settling into training back home in Brisbane?

Yeah it’s good. We spent a lot of time away in Japan which was good, but you know being away from family and your familiar surroundings can be a bit hard. So, it was good. Good to be back at Ballymore. Young squad, new faces. Coming back with a bit more experience, a bit more to share, bit more to offer around the place and also be back here and get good training under my belt and just continue to grow. So yeah, I love being at Ballymore, hence why I signed for three more years. I always love being back here.

What do you like and dislike the most about preseason training?

Yeah. I dislike the fitness. It’s always hard, I don’t think anyone likes it. (Laughs) What I like about it… the opportunity to get better. As players, we use pre-season to add to our arsenal, add a few more skills… and also just spending time with the boys, creating new friendships and building on older relationships.

It’s a fresh start, where we can dump what happened last year and focus on a new opportunity. We’re doing everything we can to do better and hopefully make everyone proud.

Lukhan with Reds team-mate James O'Connor

Before the Christmas break, you and James traveled up to Townsville for a “Reds to Regions” visit. What did you guys get up to and what was the highlight from the trip?

Yeah it was good. It was my first time up there, it’s a lot hotter up there. We spent some time with our billets, a few families and got an insight into what their life is like, day in, day out.

We just mingled with lots of kids. It was just a good experience overall! It was humbling. It’s a good initiative by the people who put it in place, hopefully it’s one of many more things to come.

These days, what you like to do with your free time, away from rugby?

These days, most of my free time is spent chilling with my siblings. I’ve got a few dogs at home, they use a fair bit of my free time too. Whenever I have the opportunity, I like to go down to the beach, I listen to a lot of music, play playstation, put the feet up, nothing too stressful. Overall, I love to spend time with the family, that’s the thing I love to do the most.

For our last interview, we were in your home country of Samoa. Have you been back to Samoa since then?

No, I haven’t been since. But I’m planning to go sooner, rather than later, with all my family. I enjoyed it, it was probably the most memorable highlights of my life, going back and seeing where my family stemmed from, going back a few generations. It was a humbling experience. It made me grateful for the job that I have and the life that I have. You see what your families done back then to support us now and put us in a better position, you know, to live a good life. Hopefully I can go back and give back to my family and go back with my nana.

Thanks heaps for your taking time to chat today Lukhan. It’s always a pleasure!

All good Tom! Thanks for having me. It’s always good to see you around here!

I’m cheering you on big time in 2020. Go Reds!!!

Thanks mate.

2019 and Beyond: A "Super" Conversation with Lori Cramer

2019 has been an awesome year for Lori Cramer. She helped lead the Queensland Womens XV team to the Super W grand final, then went on to represent Australia in all four Wallaroos fixtures. To top it off, she captained the team that won the Aon Sevens series (UQ).

The Queensland Reds are now hard at work doing pre-season training (both the mens and the womens teams). Right after her on-field training session at Ballymore, I caught with Lori to catch up on the year that’s been and ask about 2020!

This is my second interview with Lori, you can check out the first here. 

I hope you’re just as excited aabout Super W coming up as I am!

Hey Lori,

Thanks for taking time to catch up! How’d training go tonight? 

Training was pretty good tonight. The bigger squad just got cut, so we’re just getting down to the pointy end, so everyone’s obviously working hard and trying to get into the team. So yeah. Training was good, but people are still fighting for those last few positions.

What have you and the team been working on in particular?

Just the basics for now, because we’ve got a bit of a new group together. We’re just working on our shape, trying to get some structure. Nothing too specific, just general sort of stuff, skills, ball security, that sort of stuff.

It’s been a great year for you personally and also for women’s rugby in general. What’s been the main highlight of your playing career this year?

Probably my second [Wallaroos] test down in Sydney, when I had to take that first kick, the first penalty. I hadn’t scored any points yet, because I stuffed up all of my kicks in the game before. That was my one job... but the second game, I got the start, I had a bit of a pep-talk... so yeah probably making that first kick. I was so nervous, but I got it.

Where were you when you heard the news that you’d made the Wallaroos squad?

I’m pretty sure I was at home. At the time, my grandma was really sick in hospital, so I drove straight to the hospital and told her that I’d made the squad and that I was going to camp, so that was pretty cool.

What’s been the greatest thing about being a Wallaroo this year?

Probably having those moments when you see a lot of people wearing Wallaroos stuff, as opposed to like, the Wallabies, or just a random yellow shirt. So seeing a lot of young girls wearing our gear and you know, knowing your name, that was a bit of a highlight.

We may or may not be wearing kicking tees in this picture, and no it wasn't my idea

Congrats to you and the Uni squad on the Aon Sevens series win in September! How did you feel after the competition was over?

Thank you! How did I feel? I was pretty tired to be honest. (Laughs). Nah it was unreal. That was my first Sevens series in Australia. I’ve always been in Japan playing Sevens, so that fact that we won it was crazy, the fact that I was captain was crazy, it was all really cool. I loved it and I can’t wait to be a part of it next year as well.

You know, going from 15s to 7s is always a bit of a shock at the first training... your looking at the ruck and you’re counting players and you realise you have to run again... but yeah...it’s good fun.

I’m already pretty excited that Super W is coming up next year! What would your message to Queensland rugby supporters be, ahead of the 2020 season?

Hmmm... my message. Get around us at our games! I know it actually makes a huge difference having a bit of a crowd around us at our games. We’re building and there’s some special things happening here. So yeah my message would be get around rugby. As a rugby community, at a grassroots level and a state level and an international level, when we have games at Ballymore, or elsewhere, or at Suncorp, just get around to the games. Yeah!

Awesome. I can’t wait until kick off. Thanks again for taking time to catch up!

Any time Tom! Thank you!

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Everything’s All Good with Alana Elisaia

It’s been a big year for women’s rugby in Australia. Super W has taken off once again and the Wallaroo’s have had some awesome games, in Australia as well as New Zealand.

And in amongst it all, one of the rising stars in the sport is Alana Elisaia! After a stellar season with the Queensland Women’s XV (soon to be rebranded the Women’s Reds), she was selected and capped as a Wallaroo! The year has been almost non-stop for her, with the Aon Uni Sevens series and now the Australian Development Squad tour taking place in Fiji in just over a week. In the midst of it all, it seems like her dads advice that she shared in our last interview has been steering her well!

A big thanks to Alana for taking time to chat. Even after time spent on the world stage, she is still humble and as nice as ever to talk to. It looks like she has a great career ahead of her!

Hey Alana, great to catch up again. 2019 has been big for you! How would you sum up the year so far, in a few words?

Exciting and full on. Super W was really fun and then getting into the Wallaroos was pretty unexpected, but was really cool.

How are you feeling after the AON Sevens round in Canberra the other week?

Um… relieved that it’s over! (Laughs) no… Sevens is always hard. But I’m feeling good. Gutted that we didn’t take it out, but we played a really good tournament. So, content really.

On your Instagram page, you said that you are “proud, regardless.” Does that sum up how you feel about your teams Super W season earlier this year?

Yep. I think, regardless of our score in the grand final. We were such a tight knit team that we became a family. So we left everything out on the field and there was nothing else that we can do. And the score didn’t reflect on our team.

I was really proud of the whole team. I’m looking forward to next years Super W season already!

Me too actually! We just started pre-season. It’s cool to see there’s a lot of new faces.

Can you tell me more about what it was like playing with the Wallaroos this year?

Um... I didn’t find it as nerve racking as what I thought it would be. I thought it would be really overwhelming. But the group of girls that I went with were really supportive it and made it so much easier. Especially playing at Eden Park, I thought that would be scary. But it was exciting I guess.

During our last interview, you said your Dads advice to “relax and have fun” was really helpful. Did that advice still apply while playing for the Wallaroos?

Yep. I think I had to. Because if I got too worked up, I would have just crumbled. But I just took each stride at a time and had heaps of fun. Whatever time I had on the field, I just did what I could and enjoyed it. Because it doesn’t come very often.

What was your number 1 highlight from your experience playing with the Wallaroos this year?

Um.. Definitely getting to put on the green and gold jersey. And then getting to play was even more special I guess.

What will the next few months look like?

So we’ve started pre-season for Super W and we’ve got the Aussie development tour so I’m still training for that. That kind of overlapped with Aon and then Aon overlapped with Wallaroo’s and then Wallaroo’s overlapped with Super W… we’ll get a break during Christmas for like a week… so full on.

What would your message be to Queensland Rugby fans, ahead of next years Super W season?

I think it would be nice to have people get around the girls a lot more. We had a lot of support last year, but I think next year will be a big year considering we got rebranded as just “Reds”. So we’re one big family now. Hopefully we’ll get more people around us!

Thanks Alana for taking time out to chat!

That’s ok! Thank you for having me!

The Reds (and the Wallabies) Can't Go Wrong With Liam Wright

I had a great chat with Liam Wright this week!

After recovering from a minor foot injury, he is set to make his return to play in the NRC for Queensland Country this Saturday against Fiji! It’s do or die for both teams, so this game will be a cracker.

We caught up about his career so far, including playing with the Reds, Queensland Country and how good it felt to finally “earn” his first Wallabies cap against New Zealand this year. (Liam almost got an official cap in 2017, before he first signed with the Reds in 2018.)

I hope you enjoy reading our chat! (And don’t forget, Queensland Country’s game against the Fiji Drua will be streamed online at 1pm this Saturday! Don’t miss it!)

Congrats to your team for the win over the weekend! You didn’t play that game though. Were you ok, or were you just being rested?

Yeah. When I was in Wallabies camp, I snapped some ligaments in my left big toe. So I’ve just sort of been rehabbing that with the team here. At the time, we could push through it and just strap it up really heavily, but it’s been good to have a chance during the NRC to just fix it up and make sure it’s right and that there’s no long term issues. So I’ve been running water for them for the last few weeks and it’s been good. So it’s awesome to still be involved with the team, but I’m back now and ready to go.

How much are you looking forward to the game this weekend against Fiji?

I can’t wait! The Fiji trips always really good. It’s a lot of fun and just getting over to a different environment is good too. They just absolutely love their rugby. I was there last year, but I got injured, luckily I got to go as a coach consultant. We won there the year before, when I was playing. I’m looking forward to it. It should be a big one too, considering whoever wins makes the finals, whoever loses is out, so I’m really excited to go back.

It’s been a big year for you with the Reds. How do you feel looking back on the 2019 Super Rugby season?

I was really pleased with it. We didn’t get the wins we wanted, but we all felt as a team that we took a step forward and we were better in a lot of aspects then the year before. So we definitely want to convert that into wins this season - that’s going to be our main goal. Just simplifying our plan and making sure we execute better, especially in the high pressure moments which we probably didn’t this year. And personally, I was really happy just to get a lot of game time. I was lucky enough to start every game, so I just really enjoyed playing footy and adapting each week and getting used to what it’s like to be out there. So I had a ball this year. 

In 2017, you were almost a Wallaby before you were a Red. How did it feel finally earning your Wallabies cap in August this year?

Yeah it was crazy. I got picked straight out of NRC in 2017 to go on that Wallabies tour. I probably felt a bit out of my depth back then. It just felt a bit out of the blue and a bit almost like I hadn’t fully earned it. I felt like I skipped a few steps there. So it was awesome this year to really feel like I deserved to be a part of the camps. I was happy with the way I was going in training and Cheik rewarded me with two games this year. It was awesome. My family was able to come to both of them, so to play with them there was just great. I loved every minute of it.

What’s been a highlight of being a part of the Wallabies training camp this year?

Well, the highlight obviously has to be debuting. I remember when I found out, I didn’t have any warning before, it was so surreal. I sort of blacked out for a few moments, I remember all the boys getting around me… I probably wrote myself off that week. If I was going to play any game, I didn’t think it wasn’t going to be that week. It was the best thing ever. I wasn’t expecting it, even a little bit, so it was just awesome.

And just the training. That’s one thing I learned, it’s not that they get up and play hard each week, they train hard all the time as well to improve themselves. I think that’s the biggest take-away point. It’s not just about making through the week to get to the game, it’s about making those training sessions count, all those little extras you do to get better on the park. So that was really cool to learn off guys like Pocock and Hoops.

What age did you start playing rugby? And what drew you to the game?

I’ve played rugby since I was around five or six. Under sixes was I think my first year. I got into the game through my parents really. My family are from South Africa originally and as you know it’s just rugby mad over there. Dad played when he was younger, all mums brothers played, and they love watching it. Mum watches it more than most girls I know. They froth over it so it was always going to happen, me playing rugby. 

Do you mind if we look ahead to the Reds 2020 season. What would your message be for Reds fans listening now?

Well, the message last year was to believe and I think we definitely showed a lot of fight, a lot of spirit and that there’s good things to come. You can see from the off-field department they’ve been working hard to sign a lot of young talent, keeping them at Ballymore for the next few years, so we’ve really got something to build on. I just think we’re going to go a step ahead. We’ve got that work ethic instilled in us, I think we’ve shown that in a lot of games this year, we’re still there in the 80th minute, thanks to our strength and conditioning program. Again, in the pre-season it’s going to be really, really hard, but it keeps us around in those games and against those teams that are gonna make you work for it right to the end.

We want to become a bit smarter this year. We missed out on a few games by just a few crucial plays and key moments. So that’s probably going to be the difference this year, at least we like to think so. We think we'll have the same fight and the same enthusiasm every game but we’re gonna have the smarts about us and be able to close out those tight ones.

That’s awesome. I’m super excited about next years Reds season too. I’m also excited about the NRC games happening this weekend. All the best in Fiji on Saturday!

Thanks Tommy! Can’t wait. Go Country!

Bonus Reds Rugby Rules Section

I asked Liam to explain “pilfering”, to help rugby fans (like my mum) that enjoy watching the game, but don’t always understand the rules.

Can you explain “pilfering” in layman’s terms?

Yeah I’ll try! Pilfering - or “jackling” or stealing the ball, is essentially… when your defending, and when you go into a ruck and trying to take the ball from them, legally. There’s a fair few rules around it, like staying on your feet, not putting your hands on the ground, but essentially the gist of it is, you’re trying to get in, before their attacking guys can get in and come out with the ball - so that you regain possession for your team.

Queensland Country play Fiji on Saturday at 1pm

Brisbane City also have their final round game against the Melbourne Rising, RIGHT HERE at Easts Rugby Club at 3pm!

A Conversation with Sefa Naivalu

I enjoyed catching up with Sefa Naivalu earlier this week, just before his team training with Brisbane City. I hope you enjoy reading our interview as much as I enjoyed chatting!

Hi Sefa, thanks for making time this afternoon to catch up.

How are you enjoying this years NRC season?

Yeah really good. I enjoy every moment here with the Reds and Brisbane City. Just a good group, good bunch of blokes

Sometimes when I finish training, when I come home, I can’t wait to come back to training. Just the environment that I enjoy the most. I’ve enjoyed every moment with the Reds. 

What’s been a highlight of being based at Ballymore this year?

Like I said before, with a great group, you enjoy your footy. Also, being at Ballymore, with the history that the Reds have and representing Queensland as a State, it’s amazing to be part of it.

When you moved from Fiji to Australia in 2014, what was the biggest change you had to get used to?

For me it was adjusting to the lifestyle in Australia, especially the weather down in Melbourne. It’s quite cold and freezing. Yeah, just adjusting to the lifestyle.

What’s some advice you would give to young players who want to play rugby professionally, both boys and girls?

My advice would be, just working hard, taking opportunities that come your way and making sacrifices.

I’ve made sacrifices, I’ve worked hard to get here where I am today. I’m still doing the same, I’m still working hard and making sacrifices I can for my family.

You’ve had to bounce back from injuries a few times in your career. What’s something you learnt during your recovery process?

Yeah. When I got injured it was mostly negative things that would came up in my head. The most important thing that helped me bounce back is my motivation. My Mum told me “I know you will make it to your rugby career, but don’t forget your younger brother and sister”.

I broke my tibia in 2015 and I was out for nearly a year, 11 months. Not playing, just doing rehab and training. Just changing my mindset, being positive all the time, instead of putting negative thoughts in your head.

That’s great advice. Thanks Sefa for taking time to chat. All the best in Perth this weekend!

Thanks Tom! Always good to see you around.

This weekend, Brisbane City play the Force over in Perth, while Queensland Country are playing NSW Country at Bond on Sunday at 3pm!

Jock Campbell - One to Watch in City Versus Country Derby!

Big week for Reds fans following the NRC. It’s time for the annual Brisbane City versus Queensland Country game! They call it the “Andy Purcell” cup round and this year, they’ve chosen to host the game in Gladstone! Of course… the game will be broadcast on www.rugby.com.au. But before the game… make sure you read my interview with a true “Country” boy and Reds star, Jock Campbell! 

Hi Jock, so with the Country versus City grudge match this weekend… Has there been a little bit of banter between the two teams around Ballymore this week?

Jock is loving being based at Ballymore full-time.

Absolutely. Always is. [City head coach] Jimmy Mackay’s leading it, he loves a bit of banter. Also Fraser. No malice, but all laughter. It’s fun.

There’s a bit of a coaching divide, cos obviously Crapper and Jim are with City, Seiby, Toddy are Country. Actually not Toddy. He stays cool, but with the others, it’s fun.

2019 has been a big year for you. You’ve debuted for the Reds and even scored a couple of tries. What have some of the highlights been for 2019 so far?

Obviously debuting was pretty special, overseas in Pretoria. It was a pretty awesome atmosphere. But the whole year in general has been awesome. Just being here every day and being around the boys, it’s a really good group. I really enjoyed travelling and the away games, you get to play in South Africa, New Zealand… when you take a step back and think of that, it’s pretty cool.

Congrats to you and the UQ side on winning the Hospital Cup this year! That’s 4 out of 4 finals appearances and two championships. What do you love most about playing for UQ?

Yeah, I’ve played 5 or 6 years there. I’ve learnt a lot, but it’s just fun. I used to play footy at school for fun, I never expected anything like that. I know a lot of people there, it’s just comfortable playing around them…

2 out of 4 for the grand final, it’s awesome to be a part of such a great team. There are great coaching staff too. I owe a lot to the staff there, they’ve taught me a lot. And to beat the Brothers boys was sweet, I’ve always said I can’t go 1 from 4. So 2 from 4 was inevitable.

Can you tell us about your rugby journey and how you ended up playing for Queensland?

I grew up in a country town, Inverell. I played mostly Rugby League, a bit of Union.. but League is huge in Country New South Wales. Then I went to boarding school on the Gold Coast at TSS and they only play Rugby Union there, so I played that for five years. I just love footy and cricket, I just played lots of sport.

Then I moved to Brisbane for Uni, I lived at Kings, so I played for Uni cos it was around the corner. I played for them for 3 years, then made the NRC, played a couple of years of NRC and now I’m here. So it was a bit of a longer journey than most, but I wouldn’t change it. I really enjoyed my footy all the way through. So that’s sort of my journey.

What have you loved most about being based at Ballymore full-time and playing for the Reds?

Just playing full-time, it’s cool I guess. To say it’s your job just to come in and train, where as before you did uni and work… I’d say it’s just cool. To come to Ballymore, I haven’t experienced anywhere else, but yeah it’s awesome. The gym’s a bit old school (they’re gonna knock it down soon), but I really enjoy everything here.

[It was at this moment Jim Mackay walked across to say hi. So Jock invited him into the interview.]

[Jim:] I was just going to say… big game this week Tom, but he’s a real danger man for us. We’ve got to watch this bloke, big Jock. We have to try and wrap him up mate.

[Jock:] I told him you’ve been leading the banter, between the sides.

[Jim:] Oh really? No, I’ve been very quiet this week. (Laughs). I’ll let you go. See ya guys.

See you soon Jim, all the best this weekend.

[Jock:] Not really though Jim.

Ok, so back to you Jock… what’s your favourite position to play?

I prefer fullback, just because you get to do a bit more. You get to roam and it’s a bit more of a ball playing role. But in saying that, wing is fine, I love playing there too. Especially here under Jim and Brad’s attack, they really want us to be not just on the wing but roaming, so that makes it really fun and you don’t get stuck out there. You get the license to roam and be where you want to be and so it’s fun. So overall, fullback, because you get your hands on the ball a bit more. But either or.

I know your focused on the NRC right now, but are you excited about 2020 with the Reds?

Absolutely, I can’t wait. NRC is obviously good fun and a bit more relaxed, but we’re looking forward to getting out there and proving something as a team in 2020. I think last year, once again the team showed potential but now it’s about taking that next step and everyone’s keen to work hard and show it on the field. So hopefully we can capitalise on that. 

Thanks heaps for your time Jock!

No worries, pleasure. Good questions! Very friendly, no tough ones.

Bonus: "Rugby Rules" Question

You’ve been known to perform well at 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. If you were talking to a fan who’s still learning about the game.... what’s the difference between these positions?

So 10 is the organiser, the guy that orchestrates everything… him and 9 (half-back) touches the ball the most I’d say. Centers: There’s two types of centers I guess. There’s big ball-carrying centers like Samu, although I guess he’s more a hybrid now… he can ball-play too… but then you can get centers like James O’Connor, he’s more of a skilful guy. So there’s two types of centers, big ball runners, like Sonny Bill Williams and Samu, and your skilful players.

Fullback, is like your second play maker I guess, he can organise too, if you’ve got the big centers. These days, a lot changes, depending on the balance of the side. So you can switch out ball players into other positions and have big guys in other ones. But you sort of need 2 ball players, whether that’s at fullback, or in the centers.

So in the wing… quick, steppy, big, although I’m not very big… there’s a few big boys out there unfortunately for me… tackle them around the legs I guess.

Numbers and positions for the backs are:

9: Half-back

10: Fly-half (or first five-eighth)
11: Left Wing

12: Inside Center

13: Outside Center

14: Right Wing

15: Full-back

To rugby fans out there who would like to understand the game more: what's a rule you don't always understand? What's something you would like me to ask one of the Queensland Reds to explain?