An Excellent Conversation with Reds and Wallabies Hooker Matt Faessler

Back in February, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Matt Faessler for our very first Reds Rugby Rules chat! As a consistent force in the Reds’ "number 2" jersey for the past few years, Matt has also earned his place as one of the Wallabies' top hookers.

Down-to-earth and humble, Matt shared insights on how the Reds are shaping up this season, his personal rugby journey and much, much more.

I hope you enjoy reading our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it!

First of all, congrats on a great team first win of the season and a great individual run off the bench as well!

Sweet. Thanks Tom!

How do you feel like the Reds have grown as a team, especially during the team’s pre-season trip to the UK?

The UK trip was an awesome way for the team to connect off field as much as on field, you're away and you're living in each other's pockets for two and a half weeks a have a few team socials and stuff. It was a really good opportunity for a few of the guys who'd been around the club for a while to get to meet a few of the newer, younger guys. It was really good for that sort of connection side of it.

And then, in terms of how we've been through the pre-season, I think we've seen growth in a couple of key areas. I think our attacks changed a little bit… with few little tweaks on the shape and stuff that we've been running. Our set-piece, I think, has gone to another level, which is nice. Training is super competitive. We've got some really good depth in the top five, which is awesome. It makes training tough and prepares us well for games.

What were your personal highlights from the Reds UK trip?

I think probably visiting two cities I haven't been to before, I’d never been to Bristol or Belfast.

Probably the biggest highlight was visiting Belfast and doing some of the touristy stuff. We did a blackout tour with a few of the other players and went through the history around what occurred culturally from the 1950s to the current day is pretty crazy.  We learnt about the separation of the two communities that still exists. That kind of stuff is crazy and very interesting.

You were in the UK with the Wallabies, just a few months prior! How did that tour go for you personally?

Yeah, I loved it. It was my first spring tour. I'd been to a World Cup previously, but spring tours are quite a bit different in how they're structured and the teams that you play.

I loved it. It was also a bit of a shame that the tour got cut short for me. I thought I was fortunate enough to play the first two games and was in line to start the Scotland game. But then, a day and a half out, I ended up tearing my calf, which was a bit of a shame. Rugby’s a contact sport and that's the nature of it. It gave me the opportunity to come back a bit early, rehab for a bit and then have some time away with friends and family over Chrissy, which was awesome.

I've returned, the calf strength is back to normal and I feel great running around. In terms of the trip over there, it was unreal.

The Northern Hemisphere and their support for rugby is so fierce. Playing away at Twickenham and Principality [Stadium] were two bucket list games for me.

Who would you shout out as someone that’s been working hard behind the scenes, during the pre-season?

That's a tough question because there's a fair few. Two of the younger guys that I've been really impressed with is Dre, who is in line to make his debut this weekend! [Dre did go on to debut against the Western Force a few days later.]

Dre has been training really well and Joe Brial, for sure. I think he played really well off the bench last weekend and it's no coincidence that he had a really good pre-season and trained really well.

I love hearing about peoples rugby journeys. What inspired you to play the game? And how old were you at the time?

I've wanted to play rugby for as long as I can remember. My dad played club footy in the town that I grew up in since he was at uni. I was fortunate enough to play at the same club as him in juniors, I started playing under fives. On Mum's side of the family, all of her brothers were representative players. Her dad, my grandfather, played for the Wallabies as well. He played in the first Bledisloe that Australia ever won in the 1930s! I've had massive rugby stuff on both sides of my family. It was just a coincidence that I ended up really liking it as well.

Can you tell us about your rugby club, Brothers. How did you end up there and what do you love about it?

I had a close mate of mine, Harry Hoopert, who was a year older than me at school. He graduated and the club that he started playing at was Brothers. That, in conjunction with the fact that one of my representative coaches in school was the head coach at Brothers at the time.

Through that and the rep pathways, after chatting with him and talking with Hoops, I had a meeting, went to the 2016 Grand Final which was the year I graduated school. I was still in school at the time, went with my parents, watched the Grand Final, really liked the vibe of the place and have been there since.

In terms of what I like about it, it's a really awesome community club. It's really well connected, from juniors, lower grades, through to first grade… Everyone intermingles, goes to social events together. On a Saturday, every club member hangs around and watches each other's games and has a few beers afterwards, which is awesome.

The other thing is that I've been really fortunate to live really close to the Brothers, pretty much since I've been in Brisbane, so I go there all the time. Sometimes after the training finishes here on a Tuesday or Thursday, I'll swing by and see some of the boys and watch training for a little bit.

Who were some of your rugby heroes growing up?

Probably the two Aussie ones that jump out would probably be Chris Latham… An identifying feature about him I remember was he never used to have his socks up. His socks were always down at his ankles.

And then Rocky Elsom, the Wallabies captain, he played blindside. Those two players when I was really young. I just love watching international footy. They were probably my favourite Aussies.

In terms of other teams, I played hooker quite young as well and I reckon probably my two favourite players in that position would have been Bismarck du Plessis, who's a South African hooker. He won the 2007 World Cup. And Kevin Mealamu, who was the New Zealand hooker for 2011 and 2015.

What do you enjoy most about playing in the number 2, position as hooker?

So far, playing rugby has brought you all around the world. What have been some of your favourite places to travel?

That’s tough. I'd say... London… Edinburgh and France in general. I’ve been to France a couple of times with under-20s and the World Cup. But I just love the rustle and bustle of London. The public transport's awesome, there's a heap of stuff going on there, it’s a massive city.

And then Scotland for me was sick. The Royal Mile's awesome, it’s almost like stepping into a Harry Potter book, walking around there and seeing all the cobblestone and old buildings and stuff.

What are some of your goals for the future, both in rugby and outside of rugby?

Inside of rugby would just be to...keep getting better. Keep getting better individually and contributing positively to what we've got going here at the Reds. And then hopefully off the back of that get a bit more international exposure. And then...

And goals outside of rugby, not too sure. I don't really have any at the moment.

What’s your favourite post-game feed?

Pre-game, the night before, home-made vodka pasta, and a steak. And then post-game… probably Guzman. A Cali burrito from Guzman. It's not bad!

Thanks Matt for your time, I know the season is busy at the moment. I can’t wait to see the team run out against the Force this weekend! And see you in Christchurch for the Crusaders game!

Thanks, mate. Appreciate it! Definitely see you there, sounds good.

Riordan Returns! Catching up with Queensland's Sarah Riordan

During the Super W pre-season, I had the pleasure of catching up with an old friend, the amazing Sarah Riordan! After life took her to a few different parts of Australia, I’m stoked she has recently returned to Queensland and rejoined the squad! With several big pre-season wins under their belts, the Reds have been boosted by having Sarah back in the squad.

I hope you enjoy reading our conversation! (To catch up on an earlier interview I did with Sarah, click here.)

The Reds Super W season kicks off this week, away in Fiji, against the Drua! Their first HOME game will be next week:

*** Sunday 16th March vs Waratahs 2:05pm - at Ballymore Stadium ***

Hey, Sarah, great to catch up again. Thanks for taking time out.

That’s all right! Thanks for coming! Twice in one week!

What's it been like returning back to Ballymore this year?

It's been really good. It feels like home. It's where I started, as you mentioned, in 2018, which was the first year of Super W. It's very different now, since I left in 2022, a few years ago.

But It's good, really good to be back playing Queensland rugby. I've missed it and I'm excited for the season. I'm sure you are too!

That’s an understatement! Who would you shout out as someone that's been working hard behind the scenes during the pre-season?

Hmmm… I would probably say most of the girls have been putting their little one-percenters in behind the scene. The ones that are coming back from injury, so you've got Cheetah, this weekend coming back, you had Nat Wright return, Layne return, those girls have been working extra hard, I'd say, behind the scenes just to get on the field, which is really good to see. [“Cheetah” is Bree-Anna Cheetham, or Bree-Anna Browne. She's married now!)

A lot has changed since you were last playing here. What are the positive changes you have seen in Queensland rugby over the last few years?

As mentioned before, obviously the facilities here are very different. It's good to see that we have access to all of this as well with the boys. It just gives us a good platform to work with and to build our program.

The program has stepped up a lot as well. Having someone like Nico in place to control and oversee it, to have someone purely dedicated to that, makes a big difference. And the talent, I guess, they're a lot younger, a lot faster, which is good to see.

We've got a 17-year-old and some 18-year-olds in the team, which is really good to see.

You have had an awesome career so far, you have represented your country and even played in a World Cup. I'd love to hear what you'd say some of your career highlights have been so far. 

Probably what you just stated, playing for your country is always a big achievement. Playing in a World Cup and I got to vice-captain the Wallaroos when I was in the squad.

I think those few things are definitely a highlight. I guess going over to the other side, the dark side [rugby league], was a bit of a highlight as well, for me as an athlete.

I think coming back here to Queensland and playing with this one, Layne’s joined us…

[Layne Morgan joins in to say hi.]

Sarah: I was playing club with her in Newcastle and now we're playing Super Rugby together, which is cool to see.

Layne: That's scary, that was 10 years ago!

Sarah: I think I had just finished school and Layne was coming up through.

What would your advice be for young people wanting to play professionally?

Sarah: I would say, don't get caught up in the whole… Hype, yeah, the hype and the lights and the cameras and stuff like that. I think play until you enjoy it and I think once you find that passion and that happiness in playing, the rest will come.

Instead of chasing the jersey, just chase the passion and I'm sure the rest will come. That would be my advice. Don't get too caught up in it.

What's your favourite meal post-game?

To be honest, believe it or not, I don't eat much post-game. For some reason, I don't get very hungry.

But just something full. I don't really have a favourite meal because I don't eat. I'm more just fluids.

All the best for the pre-season game in Victoria this weekend. Can't wait to see you and all of the team run out at Ballymore very soon.

Thank you, and I can't wait to have you there and watch us run out! 

Catching up with Queensland's Jude Gibbs

Last week I got to catch up with one of the newest members of the Reds, Jude Gibbs! We chatted about all sorts of things, including his personal rugby journey and how the team going.

BY THE WAY…. the Reds are looking really good ahead of the pre-season tour of the UK. I’d rate the intensity at training over the last few weeks at about 10 out of 10!

And it seems Jude feels right at home amongst the Reds boys… I hope you enjoy reading our conversation, as much as I enjoyed having it!

The Reds are in their second week of training for the year. How do you feel the team is going during
preseason?

I think the team's going really well. We had a really good block before Christmas and then for this second week that we've just started, we've got all the Wallabies boys back, so we're back to full compliment. We're able to train 15 on 15. And so, yeah, we're really going strong, developing and looking good for the tour of the UK. Good question.

How are you going settling into Brisbane?

Yeah, I'm going really well. I'm enjoying life in Brisbane. I'm definitely making a lot of friends here. There’s a very welcoming group and fortunately, I've got a good network outside of rugby, with family and friends living up here who have been really hospitable to me and letting me stay there. So it's been an easy transition for me, which allows me to just focus on playing my rugby, which I'm really enjoying.

What do you love most about being based here at Ballymore?

What do I love most about being here at Ballymore? Well, I know it's just got a really rich history for the Reds and a few Australian games have been played here in the past, not to mention the club footy in Brisbane is at a really high level. I know they have their grand final here and it's had some massive moments. And we're very lucky to have the new facilities built, I think, just in the last 18 months. So it makes it really enjoyable to come here and be able to train as hard as we can with great facilities. And then, the staff with it.

I know you can play in quite a few positions. If you had to choose a favourite, what would it be?

My favourite position is definitely five-eighth. I played the majority of my rugby there, going through the grades and that's definitely where I prefer playing. But have spent time playing inside center and fullback, where the roles are somewhat similar. But yeah, I definitely prefer playing five-eighth and then closely watch all the professionals play and try to learn as much off of them as I can.

I love hearing about people's rugby journeys. What inspired you to start playing the game?

What inspired me... Well, I started playing rugby league when I was four, I think. My dad used to play rugby league for South in the 80s and he was a pretty decent player. He got, as he tells me a lot, the Dally M second rower of the year in 1980 and was the youngest captain for South which he also mentions a lot. So yeah, rugby’s sort of in the family bit. And so I got pushed into that and, yeah, I really loved it. So I've been playing rugby league and AFL and rugby union for the majority of my life. It's what I've wanted to do for my whole life, really.

I heard your dad was a great rugby league player. Can you tell me about your rugby club in Sydney, Norths?

Yeah, Norths. In Sydney, I played there in 2023 and 2024 it's honestly, it’s probably greatest decision of my rugby career, before getting this opportunity. Because, yeah, I was given a very good opportunity with a great coaching staff who had a really good game plan and the players in the team were at a really elite level. We were really fortunate to make two grand finals. So I definitely learned a lot playing in the Shute shield with that club, especially, like I said, from the coaching staff, who were quite young and how to game style that I hadn't been exposed to before, where it was a lot more running rugby, which definitely developed my game, for sure.

Can you tell us something about yourself that not many people know?

Hmmm, let me think. An obvious one is, it sounds like a bloody sob story, but it's not at all [laughs.] I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease when I was, I think, 12,  and so I've been… “battling” is definitely the wrong word to use… but “managing” that for the majority of my life now. And so, yeah, that's not necessarily a struggle, but it definitely makes the planning and preparation side of things for rugby a massive thing, because yeah, it can flare up from time to time and there's a fair bit of stress placed on your body in rugby, mentally and physically. So I make sure I can handle that, eat the right foods, make sure my body's in the best condition for myself to be able to perform at training, you know, day in and day out.

What's your favourite post-game feed?

It's always take-out - a bit of a meal you deserve... last year, I especially loved getting a chicken burger after a game... or I don't mind pasta of some sort. Last year where I lived, they had a nice takeaway shop around the corner. Those burgers were outstanding.

Thanks Jude for taking time to catch up!

Of course, it was great. Very good questions. Great interview!

Scrapping it up with the Junkyard Dog - A Conversation with Tim Ryan

Last week, I had the pleasure of catching up with Queensland's Tim Ryan, otherwise known as the "Junkyard Dog"! We had a great chat about a whole bunch of things, including how the team is travelling and a few of his hobbies outside of rugby.

Last year was a big year for Tim, which saw him awarded Queensland and Rugby AU's "Rookie of the Year"! (Click here to read about the hatrick he scored on his debut!) I did ask Tim about his experience last year, including what it was like being a part of the Wallabies Hub at Ballymore. Overall however, it was clear to me that the winger is focused on the upcoming Reds season. (Super Rugby kicks off Friday February 21st by the way!!!!)

I hope you enjoy reading my conversation with Tim, as much as I enjoyed having it!

Hey Tim, great to catch up. Thanks for making time to chat, during a busy training week!

Thank you! Thanks for having me.

What did you get up to over Christmas and New Years?

Yeah, Christmas was busy, as usual! Then just after Christmas, I went to Straddy, North Stradbrook Island, which was amazing! It was my first time there. And, yeah, we caught a few fish, I'm getting into my fishing. And then for New Year's, I was in Burleigh, down on the Gold Coast, with my family. (We always go down there.) So yeah, good little holiday, I enjoyed it!

Speaking of hobbies, Jock was saying to me on the way out that I should ask you about tennis.

[Laughs.] Yeah, me and Jock have a little bit of a tennis rivalry at the moment. We haven’t actually played yet! [Laughs again.] We’ve got a game brewing, so I’m trying to work on my tennis skills.

You’ve had 4 days back training at Ballymore, since the break. How are you travelling? And how do you feel the team is travelling?

I feel like we're traveling really well. I feel like everyone's attitude and intent in training has been amazing and the coaches are really pushing us through that. Obviously, we had a bit of a break over Christmas, so the boys have come back firing and keen for what’s to come.

Don’t worry, I’m fired up too! Last year was a great year for the team, and also, from your perspective. What’s your mindset heading into 2025?

Yeah, last year was a great first year for myself, and then for the team we obviously made that final against the Chiefs. So I think going into next year, we need to just improve on the base that we had last year. Obviously, with the new coaches coming in last year, we've got a full year under our belt now. And we've got a lot of new boys coming in, from the Rebels and other other areas and we're all just really confident as a group that we can put in a really good year together. But yeah, build from from last year and really give the give the comp a shock, hopefully.

I love that. By the way, congratulations on winning Rookie of the Year last year!

Thank you very much. Yeah, it was a bit of a surprise that I wasn't expecting. But yeah, they flew me down to Sydney with my girlfriend Jesse as well. It was a good trip. Thanks, Tommy!

What are the skills you learnt last year, that are position-specific?

Yeah, I worked with Brad [Davis], our defensive coach, a lot on really knocking down my positioning as a winger there. If you ask Brad, it's been a bit of a stepping stone, a work in progress kind of thing. But yeah, I'm going to continue working on that during preseason. And this fellow here, Here [points to Heremaia Murray, walking through the hallway], he's great. He’s got lot of experience and is helping me out. A lot of the boys are helping me out from that wingers perspective. But yeah, going to keep doing my passing and kicking and nailing down those little positions-specific skills. You need them.

What was your biggest challenge of 2024?

Um, I think just coming in really fresh, first year, first year in Super Rugby, I think it was just like the confidence thing coming in. I think that was probably my biggest challenge. Like going week to week and just trying to start fresh every week, that was probably my biggest challenge. So, yeah, putting the game face on every every weekend was a bit hard, but yeah, was good, good in the end.

You’ve signed on for another 2 years with the Reds. What do you love most about being based here at Ballymore?

I was born and raised in Brisbane, so I just love the group, love what we're about and how we're building. I’ve made so many good mates here, and then a really good connection with the coaches, obviously. So I’m very excited to see what we can build this year.

I love hearing about people’s rugby journey. How old were you when you started playing rugby? Also, what inspired you to play?

Yeah, I started playing rugby in grade five. So I grew up playing Rugby League, just club, since under sixes, but yeah, I went to St Pat's at Shorncliffe and they’re a big Rugby School. So from grade five, I started playing there and haven't turned back since, I just loved it there. And then, at the end of grade 12, had the opportunity to come or go into Brothers and then made it into the Reds Academy, here at Ballymore.

You were a part of the Wallabies hub a few months back, although you were in a group of players rehabbing at that time. How was that experience?

Yeah, I thought it was great inside. Yeah, it was pretty intense! Even standing back and watching there while I was in rehab, it was pretty cool to see. Joe is really switched on and he has a very clear plan for the boys and demonstrates that well. It was pretty cool, seeing all different faces, meeting all the new people from all the different clubs. You can take little things from everyone else's game that you haven't met before and then add it to your own game. So yeah, it was good. I enjoyed it.

What are your goals, both in rugby and perhaps personally?

Definitely this year it’s just hopefully locking down my starting spot from round one. That'd be my main goal. Obviously, there's a big challenge with all the new boys coming in, a whole lot of depth in our squad. But yeah, it's just going to push each position group a lot. So that'd be my main goal, locking down that starting spot and then obviously trying to hold form.

My current personal goal is beating Jock Campbell at tennis. That's my main goal right now! [Laughs.] Otherwise, I'm just cruising in life, really.

What’s your favourite post-game feed?

Definitely Maccas. [Laughs.] A chicken and cheese burger and then maybe some nuggets with sweet and sour sauce, put that in a meal with a bit of fries and a Sprite. 

What about you Tommy? What do you like - for a cheat meal?

For a cheat meal, definitely McDonald’s too. Nuggets or a cheeseburger meal, it could go either way. :-)

Thanks Tim for making time to chat! Always a pleasure.

Thanks so much for having me on Tommy. It's been great. I'll see you around at training soon.