A Conversation with Queensland's Josh Flook

Today, I had the opportunity to chat with Queensland Outside Center Josh Flook. At 22 years of age, Josh Flook has achieved a lot with the Reds in just a few years and was a key part of their Super Rugby AU championship win in 2021.

After battling his way back from a shoulder reconstruction at the end of last year, Josh no doubt has his best footy ahead of him. I hope you enjoy reading our chat!

Hey, Josh, thanks for taking time to chat with me this week.

Thanks Tommy. Thanks for having me!

After a massive season in 2023, what are some of your rugby goals for 2024? 

I think just to be consistent, play some consistent rugby, especially after having a solid year last year, that was pretty enjoyable. But there's a few new things around the grounds here in 2024. So I think just playing consistent footy and having fun.

You went through shoulder reconstruction towards the end of last year. How do you feel you developed personally during your rehab? And what did you learn during that time?

Yeah, I guess it taught me a bit about… um… that there's a life outside of footy as well. I was able to do a little bit more of my uni, which I wouldn't normally be able to do and it was good to able to spend some time with the family. It just gave me reassurance that, you know, you got to have that life balance between doing footy and everything else at the same time.

What what have been some of your favourite things about being a part of this Queensland Reds side? 

I think all of us being quite a young bunch when I first started, we've been able to really develop over the last five or so years. So it's been pretty cool to see, you know, 18 year olds, 19-20 year olds be able to debut and just how quickly they've been able to develop and play some really good quality footy at the highest standard.

What have been some of your career highlights so far in rugby? 

Uh, I think school wise, I was lucky enough to win a couple of premierships at Nudgee. Nudgee has been a very big part of my life, so far and it definitely shaped me into who I am today. And then, Reds wise, obviously the AU grand final win, that was pretty special, especially since I was still so young. So I'll never be able to forget that. 

That was pretty special for us in the stands too! Who in the team would you spotlight as someone that's been training well and playing hard? 

Hmmm, that's a good question. I think one of our captains, Liam Wright. He's had an unlucky run with injuries over the past couple of years, so it's good to see him being able to get some footy under his belt and I think he's playing really well. He'll put his hand up for some higher honours hopefully.

Agreed! I’ve enjoyed watching him play well this season. My next question is: What is your favourite post training meal? 

Oh… Not so much a meal, but I do like to go through a cheeky Macca's drive through and get a frozen Coke. Oh, especially after a hot day. So that's generally a go-to - a little $2 frozen Coke hits the spot nicely.

What's some good advice you've received either as a young player or as a professional footy player? 

Uh, I think that nerves aren't a bad thing. Being nervous just means that you want something badly. So to take them on board and not like, I guess, show that it's a weakness.

What are your thoughts on how we can beat the Highlanders this weekend?

I think we gotta focus on playing better and longer passages of play. You know, we've been able to show so far this year that we can pull it together for 15, 20 minutes. But against such quality teams, you have to do that for 80 minutes… 80 plus minutes. So I think that’ll be a big focus area for the boys this week.

Awesome. Can’t wait to be there in support! Thanks Josh for taking the time to chat today.

Thank you very much for having me!

A Conversation with the Sunshine Coast Crew: Harry McLaughlin-Phillips & Louis Werchon

This week, I had an awesome time watching the Reds train at Ballymore. As I've done many times before, I sat across from the posts during kicking practice. A few people were around to block the balls. One ended up hitting my armrest which added to the fun! A few people were worried about me, but I find being amongst the action exhilarating.

After training, I got to chat with 2 young, very talented Reds players. Louis Werchon and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips have been around the Reds for a relatively short time, but have made their mark at Ballymore already. Queenslands future looks bright with players like these around!

I’m really pleased you guys are both in Reds squad. Tell me about your experience at Ballymore so far?

[Harry:] Uh, yeah, I've loved it. Obviously, it's a new facility, so it's been pretty awesome to be able to be in there - and with the new coaching group as well. It's been pretty fresh and pretty exciting and everyone's really keen for the year. So it's been good!

[Louis:] Yeah. Just obviously coming in from last year being back in with the new facilities, I think everything's more well ran, we’ve got three fields operational. It's a lot easier and flows a bit better. 

I love hearing about peoples rugby journeys. How would you describe your journey to this point in time - starting with your first ever touch of a rugby ball?

 

[Harry:] Yeah, so when I started, I was living in country New South Wales in Gunnedah. I started playing when I was four and then my family moved up to the Sunshine Coast two years later and I played for the Caloundra lighthouses for five or six years. And then I went to Sunny Coast Grammar, I was there for a year, then moved to boarding school here in Brisbane at BBC [Brisbane Boys College] and I was there for the last five years of school. Since then, I moved out and play at Souths here in Brissy. And yeah... I just enjoyed the journey. I just love playing footy, yeah wherever I am I just enjoy it. 

[Louis:] I was at Sunny Coast Grammar, a grade above Harry actually, but he was only there for a year. I think he beat me in a touch tournament at school once.

[Harry:] I remember that!

[Louis:] But then, yeah, I did my prep to grade 12 and then I did my plumbing apprenticeship - I did a school based apprenticeship. So I was juggling footy and that after school as well. So then I was driving back and forth from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane. And then the last two years I've moved down to Brisbane and obviously joined the Reds. 

I was plumbing up on the Coast for my brother's company. Then I'd drive down at 2pm in the afternoon for training and then drive back to the coast after. 

I'm guessing Tate would have been an inspiration for you guys on the Sunshine Coast?!

[Louis:] Yeah, obviously being a halfback as well. Like, I was at school with Tatey… I think I was in grade, maybe 8 or 9 when he graduated. So yeah, I hate saying it, but yeah, I did look up to him at school. But yeah, he was always helped us out on Wednesday mornings. We had a session and he was always there. So he was a huge help for us in the Central Coast. 

[Harry:] He was an inspiration to me. But now I have to spend more time with him, he’s just a pest and he just annoys me all the time. So not any more [Laughs].

Did you always play in the same position growing up? 

[Harry:] I've pretty much always played 10. I played a little bit of 12 during school and then a little bit of fullback last year. But mainly ten.

[Louis:] Um, no I never played nine growing up, I was always a ten, outside centre or fullback. I think my final year of first XV, I played 12. But I always knew I was going to be end up in halfback. It's just on the Sunshine Coast, there's not much depth, so I was just always just filling in wherever. Yeah. And then for like all of rep footy I played halfback and but I only played nine in my last two years of schooling.

What do you love about playing halfback now?

[Louis:] I don't have to tackle as much.

[Harry:] [Laughs] You're soft.

You guys have both been a part of the Australian Under-20s squad. What was a highlight of that experience?

[Louis:] Um, one highlight for me was that my under 20s squad [2022] was on the Sunshine Coast, so that was cool. It was pretty lucky! So I was the only one really with a car, so I was just driving around with all the boys. But definitely, representing Australia for sure. It's always a highlight and yeah, it's awesome.

[Harry:] I think for me, um, we got to play over in South Africa, so that was pretty cool. Got to travel as a squad and play over there. And and to get a win against the Kiwis over there, it was pretty special. It's good to beat them.  

This ones for Louis… I heard you played AFL for two seasons. How old were you, and what were your big takeaways from that? 

Um, I was 14, so it was weird. So on the Sunshine Coast, I play for the Caloundra Panthers. If you're 14, you played in under 16s.It was a huge help for me with my kicking game. After my second season, I was going into first XV, so I kind of had to make the choice of rugby or AFL. And I chose rugby... because I started when I was four - playing rugby.

Later on, during Covid season, I went back to the Panthers and was there just as a fill-in, just for fun and they ended up just saying, do you want to finish the season? So I enjoy my AFL. My Dad's from South Australia, so I was brought up with it.

This one’s for Harry - what sport would you play if you had to play another one?

If I HAD to play another one... probably volleyball. I played a bit through school and I really enjoyed it.

What advice would you have for players, boys and girls who want to play professionally?

[Harry:] I think the biggest advice is that you've got to enjoy it. Like you've got to love it. If you don't actually love it and you don't enjoy turning up to train every day, to work on your craft, I think it's just not going to work. And for some people, that's just the case that they just don't love it. So I think you've got to find something that you love and then you've just got to go for it!

Favourite post-game meal?

[Louis:] I don't really have a specific one, I just have whatever's put in the change room. Whatever they give us. I don't mind, like a pizza or like something greasy. 

[Harry:] I don't mind a burger with chips… Like just a full, solid meal.

Thanks for taking time out to chat! Enjoy the bye weekend. I can’t wait until the next Reds game against Moana, the weekend after!

The Reds have a well deserved bye weekend coming up - and are set to play Moana Pacifica Friday April 12th at 5:05pm! The game is in New Zealand and I’ll be watching on Stan Sport!

A Conversation with Home-Coming Reds Star Lori Cramer

It’s been a while since I caught up with Lori, one of Queenslands brightest stars. Since our last chat, she’s literally been around the world and back. Fresh from a season at English club “Exeter”. (She’s also starred for the Wallaroos on the international stage a number of times, including the World Cup!)

Needless to say, it’s great having her back at Ballymore. Always up for a laugh, Lori and I had a great conversation, I hope you enjoy reading it! (Check out our previous interviews by clicking here and here.)

Lori was all smiles (and laughs) after training. She was joined by Jessi Luffman
and Susie Spann who are part of Kelvin Grove's Sports Excellence Program.

So awesome to see you tonight Lori. Last time we caught up at Ballymore was 2021.

You've switched sides since then, and even played for an England club called Exeter. How has your time away from Brisbane been?

Well, absolutely freezing. But apart from that, I've really enjoyed my time away. I've learned a lot more about set-piece. Because obviously, you know, northern hemisphere teams play a lot of… boring rugby. (Would you put it that way Tom?)

Yes, I guess I’d say that!

Well, there's a lot more detail in their game over there. The detail around set-piece is next level. I got asked the other day how rugby is in England… their women's team is selling out Twickenham Stadium. So it's a really exciting place to be for women's rugby at the moment. So I loved being a part of it. I learned a lot and I got to play with a lot of other international players. So, you know, I got some mates and I got accommodation all over the world, which is handy as well! You know, you’ve always got a place to stay when you play in a rugby team with someone. 

Exeter has an excellent reputation. What were some of your highlights from your time there?

Highlights. Um, well they got some really fun pubs over there. But um, getting to go to some Six Nations games, which was cool. And also, I guess I got to see some of my friends family homes. I got to go to Italy and I got to go to Ireland, I got to go to France and just see some friends and travel. Because, you know, Australia is so far away from Europe, so we don't really get over there much, but it takes like an hour to fly to a different country over there. And then it's like 20 bucks! Like, geez, you don't have to ask me twice. So yeah, it was really easy to get around and I loved it. I went to Greece for like 60 bucks. That was nuts! It's a good time over there. 

What an exciting time to return to Queensland. How were you finding everything, being back here, team, weather, etc? 

Well, last week we played Melbourne, in Geelong. (That's where Gracie is playing now.) It was horrendous, 35 degrees and humidity, times a thousand. I'm whingeing about the weather a lot, aren't I?!

But, I love being back, back living with my family. I haven't obviously lived here for a really long time. It's good to be able to go to school pick-ups and hang out with my nieces and yeah, I'm loving being home. So I don't know how long I'm going to stick around for in the long run, but I'm here for now and I'm loving it. The Broncos are doing good too. Did you watch the game last night Tom?

No. I do watch the odd league game, but I didn’t watch last nights one.

Who are some players to watch this year?

We've got Jess right here. She's a player to watch. Susie goes all right too... caught an absolute stellar high ball the other week. Um, I'm really excited to watch Shalom in our backline. You know, she's just a baby and she's an absolute weapon. She kind of gives me Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea vibes. She's an incredible ball carrier, she's got instincts beyond her years, and just before, I think you saw it… we were having a kick and she drops a drop goal from the sideline and I was like, nah, man, I retire. Honestly, the Rugby in Australia is in really good hands, with players like that just coming through.

Agreed. Ballymore has had a facelift since you were last here. How cool is it? 

Yes, it's very fancy here. You know what? You need a key card to get in everywhere. It's very fancy. It's like. It's like the headquarters, you're doing your zap in here, and you got a keycard here, it’s face identity everywhere. No, that's not true, there's no face identity. That would be cool if there was.

It was great be invited to a team dinner, (before jersey presentation
with family and friends.)

But we’ve got a sauna in there, ice baths… yeah, it's it's legit. So obviously this is the home of the Wallaroos as well. So yeah, the facilities here are world class and I'm really excited that we get to use it three times a week.

What will the team be focused on against Fiji this weekend? 

Well… on defence. We gave away a lot of penalties last week, so definitely we're trying to get that down. 

Um, because yeah giving giving Fiji, you know, a walk into our 22 isn't going to be too much fun. So definitely work on our discipline, our offsides and getting into their passing lanes and trying to shut down their offloads. Obviously, they're, they like to keep the ball alive and offload the ball. So I guess making sure that we wrap the ball up in tackles and staying high in their passing channels so that they can't keep popping off to each other. And I guess in attack, just carrying hard and earning the right to go wide, because it can get really it can get easy to go sideways early if the space is there. But they're really good at tracking and grifting in defence as well. So she'll be an interesting Sunday afternoon, you'll be here. I've been telling everyone it's Saturday all week. I had an interview with channel nine news and I told him it was Saturday. What a shocker! [Laughs.]

Oh, is there a Roar game here? Oh, there you go. Yeah, well, everyone will be rocking up to the Roar game in reds gear. [Laughs.] Whoopsie!

What's your message for rugby fans at the start of Super W 2024?

[Whispers from the audience.] What? Do you’s want a shout out? Ah, the Reds women have, the two most incredible water-girls, in the world. Jessi and Susie.

It was great to meet the talented (and hilarious) Charli,
USA's latest and greatest import to Queensland

Uh, the message for rugby fans… Women's rugby is on the up. It’s exciting. Um, and honestly, our competition is about to blow up, especially with the World Cup coming up next year. I think this year, everyone's going to be digging deep and fighting hard and especially, the Wallaroos did really well last year at WXV 1. So everyone's had a lot of experience since last Super W. And yeah, I think we've got a lot of more internationals playing in our game now, which again will add a different element. And we've had a lot more games under our belt since last year, so the quality is only going to get better and better.

Thanks Lori, for taking time out at the start of a busy season. All the best to the Reds this season, I'll be cheering you on!

Yep, of course. Thanks for coming and sitting in the rain! I always love coming and hanging out with you, Tom. We always love seeing you here at training and at the games.

Can Kiwis Become Queenslanders? Alex Hodgman Settles the Question.

I had an awesome time today, catching up with Alex Hodgman. Hailing from a land called New Zealand, he is one of the great new recruits that has joined the squad in 2024!

Alex played in both of the Reds pre-season game and is looking forward to his team kicking off at Suncorp Stadium against the Waratahs on Saturday 24th February!

I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed chatting with him!

Hey Alex! Thanks for taking the time to chat with me this week. Very excited to have you apart of the reds! What has encouraged the move to Australia? 

First of all, thanks for having me Tom, it’s awesome to be here chatting with you brother. For me the move was just a new opportunity. I also have family that live here, so for me it’s just… come to the Reds, try something new and be with my loved ones. 

What are some key differences in training, coming from New Zealand to Australia? 

The key difference is obviously the heat, it’s a major factor. It’s playing a main factor in pre season training, I couldn’t even think it was that hot. I was just sweating and there was one session that I lost 7kgs of fluid. For me it took a while to get use to, but once I did… nah I haven’t even got used to it (laughter). That’s probably the main one.

What have been some of your favourite things since being a part of the Queensland Reds this year? 

I think mainly for me it has been the boys, they’re so welcoming and really easy going. I thought it’d be a lot harder trying to fit in, but they’ve made it a real easy transition for me. To be honest, I’m actually really grateful that I’ve got such a cool group around me. I can just be myself. 

What have been some of your career highlights so far, in rugby?

That’s a tough one. For me it’s probably playing for the All Blacks, making my debut in Auckland at Eden Park, sold out in front of my family. That is one of the biggest highlights of my career. But also, I think another highlight would actually just be putting on that Reds jersey in our first pre-season against the Force. It felt like a new chapter in my life and it was cool because my family were out on that hill over there [points towards the XXXX hill at Ballymore Stadium] and the were rolling up and down the whole time I was playing. That was probably the next highlight of my rugby career

Post trial games, how do you feel heading into this Super Rugby season? 

I think I’ve prepped well, I’ve had a really good pre season here. I feel the more games you have under your belt, the better you feel leading into it. I’m feeling pretty confident, but obviously the Waratahs always step up, so I’ve just gotta enjoy the challenge and just enjoy the moment too. 

What was running through your mind during the scrum battle in the 2nd half of the ‘Tahs trial game?

(Laughs) Dude! I thought we actually had the upper hand! It was frustrating because I think it was the 3rd scrum where we pumped and I thought to myself ‘yeah surely we’ve got the penalty’, but when I came up the ref had his hand going the other way I was so [vocalises disappointment]. I actually love that stuff cause it’s like an opportunity to assert dominance on another pack and when you do it, you just feel like all of your training has come to this moment and now you gotta execute, that’s what I was feeling! 

Are you excited to be playing against your old team the Blues?

Yeah! I’ve been thinking about it for a whole year. As soon as I signed to the Reds I just couldn’t stop thinking about how I can’t wait for that game. It’s crazy man, I’ve actually watched so much footage of my old games with the Blues, and things that I did in the past and things that the team did. Obviously new coaches means different systems, but I just can’t wait to play my mates again. 

Who in the team would you spot light for training well and playing hard? 

Ooooooh. Besides myself… (laughter). I love the way Harry Wilson plays, he’s just a big human, a big ball carrier and he trains funny (more laughter), he’s pretty crack-up. I just love the way he ball carries. 

Thank you for taking the time to chat today. My last question is what is your go to post training meal?

I’m a real tuna and pasta guy. Tuna, penne pasta, sweet chilli, mayonnaise and cheese. !t’s not the healthiest, but it helps me stay sane!

I also want to say man, thanks for having me. I’ve really enjoyed this time. Can I ask you a question? How long have you been interviewing and doing your blog for? 

That’s a great question thank you, I’ve been doing my blog and interviews since 2017.

Man. That’s awesome man! I hope you keep doing it and keep progressing. Keep doing your thing Tom, that’s awesome.

 The Reds 2024 season officially kicks off at Suncorp Stadium against the Waratahs on Saturday 24th February!

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.