A Conversation with Ryan "Socks Up" Smith

Last week, I had the privilege of catching up with Ryan Smith. A mainstay in Queenslands starting line-up over the last couple of years, Ryan performed well in 2023, even while battling a shoulder injury for a large part the season. When teams season ended, he underwent surgery and has been slowly getting back into action since then. We spoke about how he and the team are traveling, as well as what it was like witnessing Brothers Premier championship win from the sidelines.

Ryan is also known for heading up the Queensland Reds "Socks Up" podcast, something I've really enjoyed listening to this year! It's still available on all platforms for anyone interested in going back and listening to it.

It's clear that my interviewee is gifted in more areas than just rugby and I asked him if he's considered a career in media when he finishes up with rugby! He also gave a new "socks up" award to some of his team-mates.... Ryan is always good for a laugh, so I'm sure you'll love reading my interview with him!

Hey Ryan, thanks for taking the time to catch up!

No worries. It’s good to be here!

It’s good to see you back training with the Reds squad, after your surgery, running, passing, but avoiding heavy contact. How’s the shoulder feeling at the moment?

It feels really good. Yeah, just trying to avoid as much contact as I can, like you said. But it feels really good being back in the group. Rehab's pretty tough for sure, being apart from the main group I find is probably the hardest part, but it’s really good to be back and getting around the training. I’m doing most of the stuff, but I'm not quite back into the line-out lifting, all the mauling and all the big tackles yet. It’s great to be back with the boys though!

This Sunday and also next Saturday (November 4th) the Reds are playing the Saitami Panasonic Wild Knights - who are here on tour from Japan! How’s the team training going at the moment?

Yeah it’s been really good. We obviously had a really big change since our last game, we have a completely new head coach, a new forwards coach and a lot of new boys as well. Obviously a lot of the boys are still not back from the Wallabies trip with the World Cup, but the team looks really different and we’ve been building each week, this weeks been better yet again since the last couple. I thought today was pretty sharp and the next few games will be exciting!

Is your shoulder good enough for you to be water-boy this weekend?

(Laughs) Yeah I should be good enough to run a few bottles out. I think I’ve done enough to earn the jog and got enough in the lungs too, that’s probably going to be the tough part. I’m sure that Damien Marsh- the head of "high performance" - he’ll be cracking the whip on the water boys, making sure they get out there quick enough, but that’ll be a good fun job. And it’ll be cool to get a bit of of insight, behind the scenes into what the coaches are like on game day.

How has it been, training under Les Kiss?

Yeah mate, he’s been really good. He’s a bit of a Larakin, he loves to have a bit of a joke around with the boys. It’s been pretty different tactics to what we’ve had over the last couple of years. It’s been exciting, you can’t just fall back into the same routine that we’ve done previous years. It’s cool to push yourself and be challenged, and it’s a guy who’s looking for different things. He’s looking for a highly skilled pack, which I don’t know if we’ve quite been over the last few years. It’s been good to be forced into that and I’ve been really enjoying that challenge.

Congratulations to you and the Brothers squad for winning the final! You are on the road to recovery and obviously weren’t able to play the game against Wests, so how was it for you watching and supporting from the sideline? 

Yeah I was really excited. It was a big day, I’d got to most of the tail end games, so I knew the team was looking real good for that final.

It was cool. I was there in the hill when the team won in 2016 and I was playing in 2019 when we lost the grand final, so it was good to be back and fantastic to see all the boys hard work over the year, the last few years really, come to fruition. Plus, it was good to send the coach, Brendan Gabett out on a win and Carl Marshall as well.

What was your favourite moment from that game? 

Dom Fraser’s try under the sticks was pretty good, he gee’d the boys up... But overall, I think just hearing that final whistle, we couldn’t quite see from where we were on the hill if they’d gotten over in that maul, so it was pretty cool to look across and see the scoreboard  still in Brothers favour. And then the big run across the field, to jump into everyone… a great feeling!!!

Let’s talk about “Socks Up”! You hosted a great podcast for the Reds this year. I listened to every episode! How did you balance doing that, with your important role with the team?

Yeah. It was really fun actually. Thanks for listening! I'm glad we had a few listeners there. Hopefully we can take off and get ready for another year next year. It was a little tough to juggle, but I just did it early on the Wednesday - we usually get that day off, depending on when game day is. I would get in and do an early one with Pete and whoever I could organise to come along. Sometimes that was the challenging part, convincing one of the boys to come in early on their day off, into the Triple M studios there. 

But it was really fun, I really enjoyed it. We're hoping to get some new episodes going for next year and I know we've got a lot of new boys, it might be easier to convince the new boys to come in and get on the mic.

That answers my next question about next years podcast…my next question is have you considered a career in media, after you finish with rugby?

I’d have to definitely stick to radio, I don’t know if I have the head for the TV stuff, but I’d love to do media! I think I’d probably have to get to him and step up the vocabulary a little bit, but apart from that… I think it’d be a really fun job and really rewarding staying connected to the sporting community in a different way and being able to get access to players, similar to the stuff you get to do Tommy. 

What’s your mindset and personal game plan heading into the 2024 Super Rugby season?

I’m trying to build on the last couple of years. I was sort of disappointed in my last season, obviously I was battling that shoulder for a lot of it… I’m just excited to put my best foot forward in front of the new coaches and hopefully out my hand up for selection for the first couple of rounds and get into the swing of things. 

We’ve been building and we’ve made the finals the last couple of years, but we’re really keen to get deep into that finals series and try and go all the way. I think we’re definitely building with the squad and with the coaching staff we’ll definitely continue to do that this year.

Final question, seeing as though we have the socks up man himself here. Who do you think needs to pull there socks up this week? 

Oooh you put me on the spot. Everyone’s been pretty good to be fair. Everyone’s sort of walking around on egg-shells with the new coaching staff in, so I think everyone’s been pretty good.

Hmmm I’ll put it out to all the backs, I think they need to bring a bit more energy in the gym. Every time we walk in, I think the backs are just walking around pretty quietly, whereas the forwards are jumping around, bringing a bit of energy around there.

So maybe the backs can bring a bit more energy to the gym sessions and make it easier for the S & C’s [strength and conditioning coaches].

Thanks heaps Ryan for taking the time to catch up, all the best for your rehab this year. And all the best to the Reds for the exciting match-up this weekend!

Thanks mate. It’s been a pleasure, good to catch up again. And yeah, go the Reds and hopefully we’ll have a good 2024!

The Queensland Reds are lining up for a special game against the Saitama Panasonic Wild-Knights this Saturday. The team have travelled from Saitama, Japan to face-off at Ballymore Stadium!

Kick off is Saturday, November 4th, at 3:05pm. See you there!

From Super Rugby to CEO: An Interview with Saia Fainga'a and Albert Anae

Last week, I had the awesome privilege of catching up with an old friend, former Red and Wallaby, Saia Fainga’a. He and his twin brother Anthony are known for helping take the Reds from the bottom of the table (at the end of 2009) to Super Rugby champions in 2011!

Both of them went on to star in numerous games for the Wallabies. The last time I caught up with Saia properly was in June 2020 over Zoom, as part of my Reds Rugby Rules lockdown series.

In the warehouse with Albert and Saia.
(Thank you for the new shirt!)

Since retiring from professional rugby, Saia and Anthony have gone on to start a business called Moonyah WorkForce, a large labour hire company.

For our interview, Saia brought in one of the early pioneers of the company, Albert Anae! Also a member of the Reds 2011 squad, Albert has gone on to help establish the Moonyah as a leader in the field. With these old mates around each other, there were plenty of laughs and great stories told.

I know you’ll love reading my interview with Saia and Albert!

Thank you for catching up with me today! The last time we caught up officially was in June 2020.

(Saia:) From someone that’s been with us from 2009 till now, bloody hell... Who would ever think that a team that came last, that you were supporting, with your red jersey and your hat… you still came every week, you came to every charity day, every fan day…. For us it’s a big deal having you come here Tom.

How have you been over the last 3 years?

(Saia:) As you can tell, very well, and very busy. It’s been a long journey, it’s been mayhem, but it’s been good. Obviously we’re still alive - and it’s good to see you fighting fit!

I’d love to hear about the history of Moonyah Workforce. What led you to start the company?

(Saia:) So I will start, and then maybe because Albert’s been here longer than most people, I’ll pass it over to him… As you know, we grew up in tough times, we lived in a pub for a bit… we got scholarships to go to school, 5 boys in the house, beautiful mum… But we were so blessed that hard work was always a given. Our business means “safe house”, and if you look at the logo, it means, everyone has a right to sit at the table. It doesn’t matter if you sweep the floor, or you’re the CEO. It doesn’t discriminate, it doesn’t matter if you’re black, white, purple, Asian, Tongan, Polynesian… For us, we go to the narrative around: Rather than worrying about other peoples business, maybe we should worry about ourselves and what we’re doing to help other people.

Loved getting a tour of the Moonyah facilities.

Our business signifies, giving people a good opportunity around work, around traffic control, just to do something they’re not doing. Probably Albert can tell us about the journey to because he’s been a part of it…

(Albert:) My journey with Moonyah workforce started last year in June. They were at one of our indigenous games at Suncorp Stadium, and Saia saw this overweight kid on the bench with a broken tricep… Which is me… And he pretty much gave me my opportunity then and there and told me to come in on Monday.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it’s been beautiful seeing this company grow from a fleet of 2 to 3 youths to now a fleet of over 30 youths.  There was only a handful of people, now there’s a lot of people, both in the workforce and in the office.

It’s humbling to be a part of a growing business, but it’s been even more special doing it with these boys. They threw me under their wings coming through the system and my mindset is to repay them by doing the best that I can here.

(Saia:) One thing about our workforce is it’s like a rugby team. There‘s fat people, skinny people, tall people and in our business, we have accountants, payroll, we’ve got operations… we’ve got so many departments, and we treat it like a rugby team. And like a team, we have to have a good ethos, a good culture… and when people start bringing other people down, they have to exit. And it’s exactly like rugby, you have to keep winning and if you don’t win, you have to reflect on your losses.

What’s your favourite thing about running this company?

(Saia:) Absolutely nothing. It’s not a company. It’s a daycare centre. (Laughs).

And then, Mum looks after me, so I’m like a big daycare for her and Albert has to do daycare for the other 300 people that we have… (lots of laughs).

Grateful for the gifts from Moonyah Workforce!

No… I think the best thing about this business is that we do give real opportunities to people that are less fortunate than us. And we don’t give them hand-outs we give them hand-ups. One thing that I will say, from my experience, we went from the Reds, who were coming last, along with my twin brother, but I knew that we were there for the same common goal.

And there’s a business now, I think what makes me come to work each day; it’s because I see the single mum that hasn’t had a job in 2, or 8 to 10 years. I get to see people like Albert blossom in work that he probably hasn’t done before. And I look at myself and I see that I get to come into this beautiful office and see all these people work towards the same common goal. The reason why I love it, is because I get to talk s*** with Albert, I get to have fun the guys here, but also we’re all here to make a buck for everyone and if we get to help provide money for other families, then we’re doing the right thing. Maybe Alby has something on that?

(Albert:) Yeah, I’ll tap into that. There was a good story last year, I was looking after the labour sector… there was was a kid and I was getting real pissed off at him because he wasn’t rocking up at work and he wasn’t communicating through the correct channels and our clients were getting very frustrated. The lesson for me was that you don’t really know what’s going on until you reach out.

This kid had been kicked out of home and was living in his rundown car and his father had smashed his phone up, so there was no way of communication! I was wondering if he was telling the truth, but I thought “let’s see how we go.”

So then I placed him out on a job up at Ipswich for two months, he caught the train and rode his bike out there, I was that impressed by him that I drove out there, gave him lunch and later in the week, I went out there and gave him breakfast…

Saia with the Wallabies (circa 2014)

That’s an example of what this company is about. The second chances so to speak, the opportunity that others may not get a look in for. That’s what keeps me up every day, targeting those types of people and letting them flourish… They’ll make their own way. Yeah, that’s what this company means to me and others around here.

Are you playing any rugby at the moment?

(Saia:) So I’ve actually got a good story about this. So my mate over here, obviously Albert retired and well, I thought I retired… but we have a 10s tournament in 21 days… and last year we played in the same tournament and my mate over here was supposed to be our star recruit. He didn’t even make it past the first game! He caught the ball near the try-line, tore his hamstring and he didn’t even make it off the field… and I look at him and he’s got a bottle of Jim Bean in his hand. (laughs)

(Albert:) I’ll try and defend myself. It’s important to hydrate. (Lots of laughs)

(Saia:) I thought “at least wait until you get off the field”… (laughs)

I suppose for me, I couldn’t still keep playing [professionally]. I want to make sure this business is successful. Also, if I am going to go back and play, I sacrifice my family, I sacrifice so many things and… what’s the outcome? Do I lose everything? Being a rugby player - it doesn’t identify me. I had to get into the workforce anyway, so it’s either… last year… this year, on in ten years time… I still have to have a job after rugby.

The thing is, when you leave rugby, you loose your identity. For us, we had to do an apprenticeship when we’re 35, 36. For us, it’s hard to adapt. Because you don’t know what you don’t know.

I’m just blessed that we’ve worked hard, doing things outside of our business, because we had no choice. We needed to make extra money 

Do I want to go and play? Yes, 100%. But do I want it to hold me at ransom? Where I have to sleep at this certain type… eat these certain foods… I can never go out, I miss birthdays, I miss Christmas… you take all those sacrifices… you know, kids drop-offs…

Is it worth it? Absolutely not. Am I thankful that I can transition to where I was then to where I am now? 100%, I’m so proud. Do I seriously think of playing rugby again? No.

I’m happy to do the charity matches and the 4-man yacht games, but I’ll never go back into the A-game.

Albert, you’re playing in… 5th grade right?

(Albert:) Oh, I’ve chipped away at Golden Oldies last year for West Bulldogs…There’s four 20 minute halfs and there’s a guy called Santa, who’s 70-80 years old and he decides half you finish. So you might get to the third quarter and he might decide “yeah that’s it.”

The best thing about that is the warm-up is pretty much kick-off, so you pretty much get out of the car and have to run on the field. There’s a few rules, you you’re not allowed to touch anyone over 80 years old... anyone under 40 can only run 10 meters and you have to pass it… I think that suits me perfectly!

Also, like I said before, hydration’s very important. So, if someone gets hit, you know how medical staff come out… no not in Golden Oldies… your team-mates will come out with an esky full of beers. It literally takes 5-10 minutes for that team-mate to sit up and continue playing! That’s how good it is. (laughs)

What’s the number one piece of advice you would give to young players in regards to life after rugby?

I might go backwards to go forwards. There was a guy for the brumbies called Dave Palavi, he was a hooker like me, played for the Brumbies and he was like my idol. He broke his neck and lost everything, and my Mum and Dad said you can come and live with us. And I remember thinking, how does a guy like this lose everything and have nothing to fall back on.

Mum and dad always instilled in us to have things outside, like property, some sort of study or education, generating money. So my thing now, is that when kids get their contract, they need to to invest, network with each other, they need to diversify… rugby’s gonna stop.

You’re not gonna be… You MIGHT be a millionaire through rugby, but you’re not gonna retire when you finish. You’ve still got another 50 years. So you need to make sure that you have other things out

So my advice to other people, especially young kids, when you finish professional rugby, is keep working hard. Train like your number two, act like you’re number one.

No one gives a f*** when you finish. When you go into business, no one really cares, what you’ve done… they care about the fundamentals [what you can do in the business world.]

So I always say to people, treat people how you want to be treated, respect, be honest… and if you can play sport the way that I did, play hard, do things that no one else wants to do, then you’re gonna be successful in life.

(Albert:) I think you’re on the money there. The only thing I’d add is, give things a crack, do things you like to do. I thought I’d like to be a tradie during my four [Queensland] academy years, I worked with a friend of mine, whose dad was a builder… I hated that, only lasted a week. There’s lots of things I did. I worked at Hungry Jacks, did all these odd jobs, realised I wasn’t good at certain things, but as soon as you get out there and figure it out yourself, you’re not gonna know. I did Real Estate a few years ago and I love that. If the boys haven’t tapped me on the shoulder for this, I’ll probably still be doing Real Estate.

Saia touches down for one of the eight
tries he scored for the Reds.

I guess, especially during your days off, it’s tough, because your body is always broken, but try and push yourself to get around that corner because you might meet the most important person you’ll ever meet, or hear the most important information you’ll ever gather.

We have around two weeks until the Rugby World Cup kicks off! There have been a lot of changes happening through out Rugby Australia. What are your thoughts on the Wallabies and this years World Cup?

Two things on that. Eddie Jones… still scared of him. I don’t know if you remember when the Wallabies were always based out at Coffs Harbour… I remember being there, straight outta school, 17, Australia 19s, and Eddie Jones comes up to me and goes “better get that straight Saia”, just into me the whole time.

I think the boys are gonna be scared of him, and I also think that they’re gonna go well.

I also think of teams like Fiji, Tonga, the Polynesian teams… think of the Drua, they’ve got no infrastructure, they’re just from, literally from the villages. They don’t have hot-cold baths, the fancy gyms like we have here… they’re training on concrete. Imagine if you could resource them.

For me, the World Cup will be a good test for the Pacific Islanders.

I think the Wallabies have an easy pool… And Eddie Jones is a clown (laughs).

To be honest, he was very angry, but also fair. He just demanded excellence from everyone, because he worked so hard. That’s what I think.

What game are you looking forward to the most?

I just wanna see Fiji and Tonga kill it. I love seeing all the Polynesians go back to their respective home teams. Whatever game they play in, the Pacific Islands are no longer the “easy beats”.

I remember when I first came to the Reds, everyone was saying “the Reds are s***”, and people in 2009 would say “ why are you going to the Reds?”

I’d gone from the Brumbies where everyone would be wearing a Brumbies hat and walking around and being proud of it, and coming up here and everyone was wearing a Broncos hat.

Then in 2010 and 2011 when we started winning games and you know it, you were there... everyone was so proud to wear a Reds jersey, weren’t they?

And so I think with the World Cup, I think it’s good that the Wallabies are probably underestimated.

What young and upcoming players have caught your eye?

(Albert:) that’s a good question. Angus Bell, he’s established himself as a Wallaby, and I think he’s really come out of his shell and cemented that number one jersey. To be honest, I really only watch the front rowers, that’s where the action happens. 

All the props that are heading over to the World Cup.

Albert takes to the field with the mighty
Queensland Reds.

This is Reds Rugby Rules, so: besides winning the 2011 championship (what a great moment that was), what’s your favourite Reds memory that sticks out to you right now?

Obviously winning in 2011 was really good. But it was the journey to get there. We all bought into something that was impossible.

It wasn’t because we won the grand final, it was because that whole year, we worked so hard as a collective, we did it together. That was my biggest memory.

You can tell with the relationships afterwards, you know, we are not friends, we are brothers.  And walking around the field, for one or two hours after the game and saying hello to everyone and thanking our fans.

People were embarrassed to wear a red hat, or a red jersey. Then in  2010 to 2011, people were wearing them proudly. We changed that! I can say I was a part of it. Alby was a part of that. That was a proud moment in my career.

Thanks for taking the time to catch up, we’ve known each other a long time and it’s been great seeing what life is like for you after rugby.

Thank you! Thanks for reaching out as well. Thanks for being an honest supporter, and being here through thick and thin. I suppose for us as a business and as people, you can’t buy loyalty can you. You’ve been loyal since the start and you still kept turning up.

And now, I’m a has-been, washed-up player (lots of laughs) and you still turn up. For myself and I know Anthony would say this as well, we are so privileged to have people that have our back all the time, and still want to be a part of the Reds DNA. You’re like us. You’re resilient, people keep telling you you can’t do it, and you keep showing up.

Thank you for your time man, I really appreciate it.

Reds Rugby Rules: 2023 WORLD CUP (Special Edition)

It’s 2023 and I’m really excited that we’re gearing up for another Rugby World Cup!

I thought I’d continue the tradition and highlight all of the Reds players that have made it into this years squad. There are a number of incredible players from our Queensland side that have the privilege of wearing the green and gold jersey on the rugby's great stage, along with a few players in the “once a Red, always a Red” category!

I hope you enjoy reading this special edition of Reds Rugby Rules and that you join me in watching every game and supporting them every step of the way!

Tate McDermott

Tate is a player I’m very excited to see play in this years World Cup. I first interviewed him in 2018 and I could see his passion and love for the game AND his desire to wear the jersey that he has now made his own. In 2020, during my “lockdown” Zoom interview phase, he told me he hoped to play for the Wallabies and several months later, he made his debut! When Eddie Jones first took over as coach this year, Tate didn’t make it into squad. However, he made some sharp improvements in response and fought his way back into the team AND earned the vice-captaincy role.

Controversial opinion: Tate looks better without the mullet!

Jordan Petaia

Jordan shot to prominence in 2018 as the youngest Queensland Super Rugby player of all time (he was just over 18 years old). Since then, he has matured into a great player and will be a weapon for the Wallabies as he returns to his second World Cup!

Check out my 2018 and 2021 interviews with Jordan, to get to know him before the team kicks off! Look out for Jordan and Suli as they look to dominate in the air, looking for high balls.

Taniela Tupou

Affectionately known as the “Tongan Thor”, or “Nella” by his friends and teammates, one of the best props in the world has recovered from a serious achilles injury just in time. Fans are hoping he can find his best form in the World Cup - and I believe he can.

Check out my classic 2017 interview with him here.

Fraser McCreight

Fraser McCreight is a great number 7. He's had a stellar year so far, but I still think the best is yet to come for the young open side-flanker!

Check out my 2018 interview with Fraser here.

Suliasi Vunivalu

I had the pleasure of interviewing Suli at Wallabies camp last year, check out that conversation here.

A former NRL player, Suli has returned to the game he grew up playing in Fiji and many believe he hasn’t quite reached his peak yet. If he does during this World Cup, the results will be devastating.

Zane Nonggorr

I interviewed Zane back in 2021 during his first year at the Reds. Since then, in one sense, he’s been a “quiet achiever”, (he’s definitely not as loud as the other Queensland Number 3!). He has shot into the Wallabies squad this year and I can’t wait to see him do damage in the scrum and around the field in France!

Matt Faessler

I’ve yet to formally interview Matt during his time with the Reds, but I’ve enjoyed watching his rise and am stoked he’s been selected to travel to France!

Special Mentions

Once a Red - Always a Red

Samu Kerevi

One of Queenslands greatest, I, for one, am very happy the Giteau law has allowed him to play for the Wallabies. I believe he’s one of the best number 12s in the world and simply an awesome guy.

Check out my 2017 and 2019 interview with him!

James Slipper

James has maintained his spot in the Wallabies for a good 13 years which is a phenomenal achievement for any player, especially a forward. He was my first ever Reds Rugby Rules interview in 2017. (Check out my second interview here also.)

Izaia Perese

Blue? Like I said, once a Red, always a Red. Perese is very deserving of his spot in this years squad. Check out my 2018 interview with him here!

Carter Gordon

Even thought he currently plays for the Rebels, I am 100% a fan of this guy. I had the pleasure of interviewing him in 2020 while he was based at Ballymore. Queensland will claim Carter as our own any day :-).

LET’S GET BEHIND THIS TEAM.

The Wallabies have been labeled underdogs in this years competition. I think every Australian loves a good underdog story!  Let’s go boys.

Hanging Out with Harry Hoopert

Today, I was fortunate to catch up with Reds Prop Harry Hoopert during team training. Harry is recovering from a knee injury at the moment and as well as chatting about his rehab, I asked him about his time at Ballymore so far, his experience with “Australia A” last year and a few other things.

We had an awesome conversation. I hope you enjoy reading it!

What have you loved most about being here at Ballymore so far over the years?

Over the years… Probably my favourite thing is building the friendships with all my mates here. I think it’s my seventh year here. I came straight out of school, into the academy, won three back to back U-20s championships with the Queensland Reds, which was great, off the back of that I got my contract into a full-time programme. I think my second year, I got upgraded into the main squad and then signed a four-year deal. So I’m looking forward to hopefully resigning this year and building the future for the Queensland Reds.

I know that in many ways, rehab’s not fun… But what have you been learning in the midst of it?

I’d say the main learning point is overcoming the adversity of being injured. It’s a totally different mindset to being on the field. You’ve got to try and control your emotions and get through that hard point, when you’re in that dark space, when your injuries not going in the right direction. I’d say probably the last two months has been in that hard spot for me, when I’m trying to get onto the field for running and a couple of little set-backs just keep me back from running. So I’d say adversity, going from playing on the field getting into rehab has been a big step for me. I’ve learnt a lot over the last four months about myself and about how I can get better as a player as well.

What you have been up to during your down time?

On my off-time, I love my golf. I think I was playing off “seven” before I got injured, and the last two months, I’m down to “three” now. I love my golf.

Also, I’m trying to look for work after footy, so I’ve been trying to organise meetings with a few different companies and get some work experience, so I can figure out what I want to do after footy.

What did you enjoy most about being a part of the “Australia A” squad last year?

I learnt a lot of different things that I need to work on for my game - aspects from another coach, Jason Gilmore. He was here when I was in the Under-20s, with the academy, when we went back-to-back. So it was good to be with him again, he’s given me a lot of things to work on, such as the work-rate around the defence, getting back on the line, getting more technical with my tackling, that’s probably my biggest thing to work on I’d say. And obviously, playing with blokes that have different strengths to me, I got to learn off them and make myself better as a player.

It must have been good to have so many Reds boys in that squad.

Yes, definitely! We had 7 or 8 boys there from the Queensland Reds. I wouldn’t say we stuck together as a group, but we made ourselves pretty comfortable. We made a few different friendships, throughout the Aus-A. Me and Hamish have obviously been together since we were 10 or 12 years old, so it was good having him there as well.

Brothers is your rugby club here in Brisbane. Did you enjoy getting to put the club uniform on, before the Australia A call up?

Yes, definitely. Brothers was one of the first to reach out to me when I first left school, they billeted me out to a family and got me pretty stable in Brisbane, I’d obviously never lived here before. It’s always great going down to Brothers and playing with a few of the young fellas - they have an exciting game. I feel like it’s a bit more relaxing playing club footy, you can play your own game and have some fun. 

I was with you and the team for the pre-season Waratahs game in Dalby, back in 2020. How did you find heading back to your home town with your team mates, back then?

Yeah, that was a great experience. So we got our whole team out to our family home on the farm, we did a big cook-up, I think it was about 60 or 70 people all up. We put on a big spread, including briskets, steaks… we have a little tradition in our family, our backgrounds German and we make “wursts” [German sausages] every winter, so we brought that out and gave them a taste of our heritage.

It was really exciting for our town, we’ve never had that before. We had a good crowd there and I’m pretty sure we got the win too, which was great.

When do you think you’ll be suiting up again in my favourite colour?

Hopefully, I’ll be back next year. But this year for me, I’m just trying to get in the Brothers club finals, that’s my aim.

We’ll definitely be in the finals by the way.

I like to ask everyone this one - what’s your favourite post-game meal?

I probably shouldn’t be saying this, but I’d say the old Macca’s double Quarter-Pounder. (Laughs.) It’s pretty hard one to go by when you’re down at Suncorp, the Macca’s is just down the road.

I’m looking forward to seeing you play again as soon as possible! Thanks for the chat Harry. I’ll see you at Suncorp this Sunday arvo!

Yes, definitely! Thanks for the chat, really appreciate it. Good to be on the blog, can’t wait to read it!

The Reds kick off against the Fijian Drua at Suncorp Stadium, this Sunday at 3pm!