When David Liddiard got a phone call from Jack Gibson one evening telling him to come to Cumberland Oval to train with the back-to-back Grand finals winners, Parramatta Eels, he told him to “Nick off”, as he couldn’t possibly believe the master coach could possibly be offering him a place in the squad of one of the greatest footy teams of all time.
Fast forward one year, and David Liddiard was crowned the 1983 Dally M Rookie of the year and topped it off by winning the Grand Final with the Eels, their third in a row, and into rugby league folklore forever.
David went on to play for Oldham and the Penrith Panthers before going back to the Parramatta Eels for an injury ravaged two years, before linking up with Hull FC and then Manly Sea Eagles before another horrific ankle injury called time on his incredible career whilst playing for Hull KR.
#nrl #nrlpodcast #rugbyleague #parramattaeels #manlyseaeagles #penrithpanthers #oldham #hullfc #hullkr #grandfinal #nswrl #winfieldcup
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Hey 40 fans welcome to the point of difference rugby league podcast I’m your host Dave and today I have an amazing guest on the show we’re going back in the day with the 1983 Deli M rookie and Grand Final winner for the Paramount eels it’s the one and only David lyad
How you going mate good day really good bud really good really happy to be asked to be on your podcast mate it’s a you’re a legend and it’s a bit of an it’s a real honor so thanks for having me appreciate it oh mate the honor is all
Mine honestly I’m it’s a privilege to speak to all you old guys who’ve been there done it and you’re in an amazing generation of footy players you know I just love speaking to you guys hearing the cool stories and I’m very glad to see you you’re back on your feet after
You had a bit of a health skare last year so uh well it was actually on Christmas Eve here at at my apartment um in Palm Beach and uh yeah I wake up and I usually do a 12K walk with a BL that you guys might remember darl Williams and um
Uh he wasn’t up for it so I did it on my own and I got back and I wasn’t feeling too well and um my wife cook me some breakfast it was on Christmas Eve and I said that I was having indigestion so I walked around to the pharmacy and got
Some my lant chugged a half a bottle of that down and a couple of hours later I’m still sitting there not winging but um not looking too crash heot and my wife went come on I’m going to take you to the hospital I said I’m not going the hospital of
Indigestion she said get in the car so she bossed me to get in the car and I drove she drove me to the hospital they took me straight in and put me on an ECG and I was having a massive heart attack and um they put me in an ambulance
Sirens blaring with a doctor in the back and um to John Flynn Private Hospital I’ve been up there on a number of other occasions for different surgeries but so um they were waiting for me I had three blocked arteries one was 100% blocked and the other two were 80% block so I
Was very lucky luckily I I listened to my wife mate and um got in the car yeah very scary time well oh well I’m I’m very glad to see you still in one piece you know far had chat this morning with a BL guy played with at the ears Peter
Win you might remember him and um yeah Wally Pete had a had two stance in he had a heart attack 12 months ago and then um I just been made an ambassador with the eels and I was at the Bulldogs game with Steve Eller and Steve edge and
A guy called Terry lamb who played you’d remember him from the Bulldogs and um pretty handy plans yeah he was he was a gun and um we’re on stage being interviewed and Pete was supposed to come and bring his couple of mates with him and his son and um I walked out to
Start watch the game and these boys went oh LDS have you heard what’s happened to Pete and I went no he said um he had a massive heart attack last night another one I went he serious so yeah he had um he had another massive heart attack I
Spoke to him today actually and he’s out of hospital and recovering well so um I’ve been we’ve been very fortunate that the blacks I played with back in the 80s with the eels and stuff we haven’t lost anyone yet so um yeah me me and him pretty close to yeah pretty
Close to it so it’s pretty pretty scary like we you know I’m he’s a few years older than me he’s 66 I’m 63 so you know you get to this point and you start to you know start to hear about losing you know people around you and um but um
We’re still lucky that we’re above ground and still still going okay yeah it’s probably a good time to ask you one of the fan questions I had for you which was how important is it for you guys um as a team to you know keep getting together and um you know staying that
Connectivity with each other how important is that look I speak to I speak to most of the boys we’ve got we’ve opened up a a WhatsApp um it’s Neil’s WhatsApp with all the guys that I I played with in the 80s like you know Kenny and Ella and growth and all that
You know that I spoke to pricey pricey had a golf day him and his wife got maloma and he had a golf day last week and sterlo and fatty vorton came darl Williams played in his with his group um had a lot of um other players turn up
And Ray had and his wife had both melanoma cancer they stage four but they beat it so he’s now decided to raise money and he has a golf day every year and uh so was great but um you know to Ray rang me this morning just to check
On me to see how I was how how I’m doing and um yeah you they’re just amazing guys I speak to Brett Kenny St of Guru rang me yesterday Eric grth sorry rang me yesterday and um very fortunate that they just been I’ve known these B for 40 years now
And um we’re just like like best mates it’s crazy hey that’s as long as I’ve been alive that’s so cool honestly I’m the big 40 this year congratulations thanks man so what have you been up to post footy like what have you been doing with yourself um look when I started playing
Footy um I was 19 um I played for the eels I had a couple of Seasons with the Panthers I went to Manley for three years and then I played in England for four years for oldum hfc and Hull KR um at the end of my career I I’m
Aboriginal and um I started doing a lot of work in communities just as a footy player you know going out and doing presentations and doing you know that sort of stuff which was pretty cool so I started an abigal not for-profit called NASCAR the national abinal sporting
Chance Academy that’s been gone for 25 years and um having the name in footy sort of opened the door to um a guy called The Honorable John Brown who was under Bob Haw who we sadly lost a couple of years ago now um he helped me put
Together a board of patrons where which he was John hardigan is the CEO of news limited he’s retired now John Simon from Aussie hom loans Bill Moss had mcari Bank um Richard Lon is the chairman of invest Tech bank I had some very Heavy Hitters around me that helped me or and
Len Le is a big construction company over here or they’re they’re all you know not all over the world but they’re their massive company and they’ve been my partners for 25 years and um I’ve been very very blessed to sort of be adopted the guy who got me on board with
Stuart Horry he’s passed away now but um you know they’ve been my partner for 25 years helping me support Community tomorrow I’m flying out to a community called Mori yeah West New South Wales and I’m spending a few days out there with Community talking about what’s going on
With their youth and how we can how I can work I’ve got an employment company as well which is helps young ariginal kids get into jobs so for 40 years I’ve sort of been given back trying to make a difference and having Haven played footy I’m still lucky that some people
Remember me I got I get surprised because I’ve lost all my hair I had you know I’d love to have sent you a bit I’ll send it to you but you might you can look at it personally if you want to put it on your podcast you can but
Absolutely I went I went into sp’s book and um part way through the book I like there’s a video of me winning the delam Rookie of the Year in 1983 and um oh wow thick thick black hair and I’d never seen it I’d obviously got the award from
Ray Warren and another BL from the NRL or the ARL whatever it was back then back in ‘ 83 and um yeah it showed me um buron um gry Med and John Rebo and the wing and scoring a try and all these different moves and then um talks about
Um you know what I what I’ve done in my career and it’s a it’s pretty cool I’ve never I watched it I was on the show obviously and then I’d never seen it because the week later I’d played manly in the 83 Grand Final we won that Grand
Final and that was a massive time for me obviously and absolutely winning a few Awards but um yeah I’ll send it to you you can have a look and see what you think but um yeah I’m really proud of starting NASCAR and you know I get to
Travel around to a lot of the communities around Australia and um I’m sort of on a plane every week more or less now and uh yeah yeah I really I really love it but I am getting old and should be trying to slow down a little
Bit but um it is what it is you got to make the most of every day you know that’s sort of my theory in life because you just never know when it’s your last you know but that’s to ro you know so you’re actually recognized for all your
Work you’ve done uh with the gold Herald award in 2010 Aboriginal health and education something like that been lucky I’ve won an o been or awarded an O am that was pretty cool so that’s an order of Australia um it’s pretty pretty decent um award very very prestigious
And um and uh here the gold Harold was um again I sat I sat on I’m an ambassador for ndis had been for 10 years so um young people with disabilities um the last couple of years I go around and not just open houses for kids with dis abilities but support them
And try and help them you know in in careers or in life basically so I’m really passionate about that I sat on the board of are you okay Australia in Australia here we’ve got the highest suicide rates in the world with our mob you know and um I don’t want to be
Number one at our people taking their lives so I’ve been involved with are you okay and um I’ve been an ambassador for them for a long time I was on the board for four years I sat on seven different boards boards and um it just got it just
Seemed I was in board meetings and every week and it got to the point where I just was burning me out so I had to sort of slow down and just and take a step back and um so I’m still I still like to be an ambassador and do you know like I
Said to you earlier I’ve just been made an ambassador for eels and I really love that job because I still get to catch up with the boys and go and watch a bit of footy which is good so yeah so I’m I’m pretty pretty um wrapped in that in that
That gig for sure so yeah I I won’t step down from that until they kick me off so good plan good plan I like it so uh let’s row on the tape a bit let’s go all the way back to the beginning where did you grow up and what was life like for
You as a young David lyat oh I grew up in out out in Western Sydney um the main place is called penth but I grew up in a little suburb called warington County and um um um I’ve lost my dad only two years ago now he was 87 um mom’s 82 she’s
Original my dad was English Irish so I’ve got a bit of English Irish in me and um I got another I got two brothers and a sister Glenn the youngest is um he played footy as well for the ears and the Panthers and um he’s the he’s the
Original liaison guy for the Panthers so he looks after all their indigenous programs and um does a great job he’d be worthwhile having a chat to Dave at some point he’s a he’s a pretty interesting character my brother and uh he’s not shy and uh he’s a very good
Artist he does a lot of Aboriginal artwor and um he does a lot of Ceremonies out in community he gets to go out of a fair bit himself so yes so I grew up in a small town I my father used to train um rugby league players my dad
Was into Fitness in a big way and um so I used to go out and around and try and do what these BLS were doing in my backyard and um I started getting into um Fitness magazines and muscle magazines and you know I was obsessed with Arnold Schwarzenegger and all that
Sort of stuff you know so yeah so that’s that’s what sort of got me on the on the journey right so what’s what club did you support of being around footy all the time as a young fellow well I tried I tried with the Panthers for a long
Time when I was younger I’d go up there and have a trial I’d score you know few tries I’d win the 10K fun run it wasn’t fun but that’s what they called it and um nothing fun about a TK flat out oh exactly so but I was I was into I was
Into my Fitness in a big way when I was younger and um obviously because my father and uh I was just loved it and um I thought because I grew up in the penth area I should be a P Panther and um I didn’t every time you in those days
You’d go out and train and play and then you go into the dressing room and then your name would be on the board if you were graded but my name was never there so I just go back to I played for colet and Colts which is my junior team and I
Basically um I got a phone call one day from Jack Gibson and Dennis Fitzgerald Dennis was the CEO of the parameter eels okay and Jack goes boy Lydia bring your boots back cuming over at 5:00 and I went Nick off who I thought it was someone playing a practical joke of me
You know so Jack handed the phone to Dennis and Dennis said David is Dennis fitgerald from the paramet hills um I went oh is it Jack Gibson really and he said just bring you bring your boots and be at cing Noble so I was 19 years old I
Lobed down to cumb and oval I walked in the dressing room um the who who were playing you know like Kenny and Cronin and all all the all the guys were there and I signed a contract and um you know the rest is history I suppose you know I played under 23s and
Then I made Reserve grade the next year and then 83 I made first grade and um that’s when it all started to happen far out so you’ve coming into a team that’s W back toback grand finals 8182 you’ve got the mega star players you’ve mentioned like your Ray Price
Steering Kenny growth Steve ell all of them you know what’s the thought process for you coming in as the new kid on the Block uh walking into training and you’ve got like the best of the best in front of you I jack was a hard but fair
Coach and um we used to do he he’d make us go away and try on our own and we’d come back and we’d go through we do an eight laap time trial and I was pretty good runner back in the days I you could do long distance but I could I also got
Into Sprints and I was you know used to train in this oval and this other bloke that was down there with his son he ended up making the Olympics he said to me he said you’ve got great form i’ you know if I work with you you could
Probably run in a 100 and I in the in the Olympics and I went oh well I’m I’m going to play footy you know and uh so I was very fortunate I’ve always loved my training I’ve always been fit and um I’ve never had a never been a big drinker i’ never smoked
A cigarette i’ never done drugs and um you know I was Jack gave me the opportunity to play first grade and um I was either playing fullback or Wing I watched the Highlight Reel with Eric growth a couple of days ago to come up on my Facebook and um you were playing
Bulldogs in a major semi and um he beat like six players like running across the field it was one of the yeah I was standing there clapping it was just unbelievable and that’s what that’s what the team was like but they weren’t bigh heads You Know Jack was
A um a phenomenal coach and no one ever answered back to him like you know he it’s it’ go to sterlo kick to the Sea goals and we’d all be looking at each other going kick to the seag goals what’s what’s that mean you know like when the seag gos
Were on the field it meant there was no players there so he he he come up with these sort of different terminologies where you’d be walking back scratching your head going what the hell but he was he was unbelievable like just yeah just an amazing I was very fortunate to um
Have a sort of friendship after he finished coaching us and um yeah it was uh he was a really lovely Guy and um probably one of the you know he was big on the on um the Green Bay Packers in the NFL
So we used to have a a bus and we sit on a bus and we’d watch videos of um of of the NFL and we end up going over and watch watching the Los Angeles Raiders and I was very fortunate to go on to Miami and watch a Super Bowl and um and
Jack Jack was the biggest influence on that for me like I would have never have known much about American football until you know I played fully with with Jack and um we used to watch it every week on the bus yeah it was pretty cool pretty awesome memories so that first season
You scored 13 tries like you said playing wing and fullback um and you were pretty much in the starting side all season and you picked up the deli Rookie of the Year as we talked about like how good does that feel you’re thinking holy crap I’m this team of
Superstars I’m rooking of the year like I’m king of the world right now well yeah I just got invited to the delm not knowing that I was going to get it Ray Warren and in this video I’m going to send you that I have I’ve never seen it
Before until I went in this SP spook called Heroes of yesterday and um they showed me this video and I’ve gone oh my God I’d never realized that I had bloody good hair back then I was 22 years old so I was still a like not a kid but um
At 202 you’re still trying to get your bearings and stuff you know and um yeah I was playing with an unbelievable bunch of BLS who had already won two grand finals and um and that was the difference between what Jack did with the ears like if you’re playing under
23s you’re still trained with first grade if you’re playing Reserve grade you’re still training we all trained together and then when we had to do ball work we split up and go to our own ovals and you know with our own coaches and do it I had John Moone as the reserve grade
Coach and then he took over when Jack left so did it 86 final he he won the 86 86 yeah yeah so um because I I got an offer to go to pen and play Under Tim shein they made me twice the money that was I was getting paid at parah and I
Thought well this you know it’s pretty decent offer and M cran tried to talk me out of it he said we’ll win another Premiership and I said cow the money’s too good and um and because Mick Cronin apparently what I’d heard he never signed a contract it was always a
Handshake deal with the crow and um he lived in Jen gong which is a couple of hours drive from here so he used to drive up to train and four four days you know four times a week and drive back after training it was and he’s just one
Of the nicest bles that you’ll ever meet you know just such a decent well they all are they’re all great BL so there’s not one big head amongst any of them even though they’ you know won all those premierships and did what they did you know they the whole parameter backline
Except for me played I played City Country about four times for City every time I played City I end up getting busted and never played origin that was one of my goals is to play origin obviously and um yes and then play for Australia that’s that’s the
Ultimum actually and uh um but it was never meant to be and what you know I don’t cry myself to sleep over it every night but um it’s it’s it would have it’s every Black’s dreamed if he plays footy to go on and play you know for
Your state and then play play for Australia and um those boys nearly the whole backline of the eels played played origin for Australia so it’s pretty cool to to play in the side like that even though I didn’t do it but um you know just to be around those BLS and be
Mates with them is um pretty pretty awesome yeah man um so speaking of winning you guys won the Grand Final in the 83 so you played on the wing and uh you know what’s it like going into your first final series you’re a rookie like the competition’s tough back then um but
Mark Graham was actually telling me uh that param were quite a clean-ish kind of side they liked to play footy they weren’t always like thug Jack didn’t like us fighting Jack was um um pull a player off the field if he ever you know if if someone ever started a fight Jack
Was very strict in you know in the rules of he how he wanted us to play the game and it was clean we never you know obviously some uh Ray was a Ray Price was a tough ombre you know he used to bash so but we had some great forwards
You know we had a great forward pack who but we all um no one dared to go against what Jack said ever and um so we we never ever went out to pick a fight you know we had we did have some punch-ups at times but um that’s just that’s just part and
Parcel of the game isn’t it you know it’s just um but something that we never really started that Jack wasn’t into that sort of stuff with us basically okay so what were your feelings though when you because you beat um you actually lost to Manley um in the lead
Up to the Grand Final they beat you 1910 and uh then you got to the Grand Final and it was against manly again and uh so what are your thoughts how did Jack Gibson get you guys up for that Grand Final and you being a in your first ever
Final like how were you guys going were you confident it was um look those I just watched the highlight real of um Brett Kenny he took intercepts like he could have been a a world class baseball player his hands were like unbelievable and um I just seen him intercept some of
The most amazing balls that yeah and he he never dropped he never dropped one like it and um I set him up for his first try not the first try the 83 Grand Final the ball come out to me I was going to go into touch I threw it back
Inside it didn’t he didn’t catch it but he picked it up on the bounce and went over and scored and we just got away we got away to a good start and um Manley had Manley had some great players don’t get me wrong they they were a guns side and
Um um but to win the Grand Final and what it was you know we we hadn’t eaten all day type thing and we stayed in the dressing room celebrating for a bit and we got on the bus to go back to Paramount Leagues Club but everyone was
Starving so we stopped at McDonald’s on the way back and and grabbed some cheeseburgers and and some drinks and stuff and we walked into the McDonald’s and everyone was sto and looking at my God you guys just W the Grand Final how come you’re here e McDonald’s but um it
Was just cool you know like I we were we were lined up at the club and it was just absolutely crackers and you know it’s like feeling like um i’ never had this feeling before but you know like a rockar type thing you know like um yeah people just wanted
To get F I don’t know about the cameras back then but um it was just you know sign and autographs and just people wed to talk to you because we just won a grand or they’ already won an 81 and 82 so they they’d been through it before
Jack Gibson got up on stage and said dingdong the witch is dead or something like that you know like his speeches were that was it like that was was all he said in that when we’d won the 83 and we had the you know the all the reporters there getting photos of you
And all that sort of stuff it was like being sort of like a rock star but not a rockar so to speak you know it’s hard hard to explain must have been amazing like you know what what’s that feeling when the the fulltime whistle goes I mean you had
Some amazing players at manly Phi Blake he he actually tore you guys to shreds on a couple of occasions and uh had that classic chip over the top reg score and he did it to me I was playing fullback and he chipped over my head as well and
Um re gathered and scored like he was a freak Phil Blake there’s no doubt about it he could play and I think he played in England as well but um yeah but uh I turned to St Steve Ella when the siren when he turned to me he has Lids this is
Going to be a big night brother and I went okay I’m ready so yeah it was it was surreal really like sitting here now 40 years on talking to you about it it um yeah brings back some pretty cool memories Brother am man well you know
When I was 13 so fair while ago now 27 years ago I found this video in a secondhand video store of the Windfield Cup highlights from 1982 to 1995 when the Windfield cup was a thing so it was the highlights of every single finals match right through all those
Years and that’s why my knowledge of that era is pretty okay for someone that’s born in 84 like mate I just remember seeing these crowds just packed out on the The Hills these massive Flags streamers all over the field like it was epic man like the Amazing Days of rague running across
Went in the Grand Final and and Steve Edge was our captain and said boys we’re going to go and thank the CRA the supporters you know we’re going to go to the hill where they all were they were going nuts like it’s I know it’s it’s
Hard to put it into words but it was like I’ve been a big fan of Elvis Presley’s for a very you know obviously he’s dead now and um but can imagine what he was going through when he turned up to go on you know people were trying
To rip his clothes up and all that sort of stuff that’s what it was like like it was we just played a game of footy not it wasn’t always was presy but it was that’s what it felt like you know like they wanted a piece of you like it was
And that that the param eel supporters they’re passionate I follow you know a few different groups online and um they always go nuts when I M you know say something or make a statement and that you know that I was walking out of my apartment a few weeks ago in Sydney and
Um this spoke stops and looks at me and I had a a pair of jeans and a sports code on I was going to a meeting and um he’s looking me up and and down and I’m checking my fly and I’m going are you all right mate and he goes you’re David
Lyard and I went yeah and he goes oh mate I’m a massive Paramount heels fan said can we get a photo and I said yeah sure takes a photo of me he told me more about my career than I could remember and uh I’m going wow you are a fan he
Goes I can’t believe I just had a photo with you because I thought my fly was UN because he was just standing there looking at me going I’m massive ills fan but so they they do exist it’s crazy you getting this Ambassador rooll with the
Ears to go back and to be on stage with um Steve Edge and Steve Ella and Brett Kenny and Eric growth and it’s pretty cool it’s very cool yeah yeah man oh right like I say every podcast I get so nervous before someone comes to my place
To do it on one person or meet them online I’m just like excited nervous every single time but because just a big fan you know it’s pretty amazing for me to meet people I’ve looked up to and watch my whole life yeah it’s pretty crazy so who who was the last guy you
Did your podcast s of all people so he was a tough him and his brother yeah his brother they both played for canala didn’t they they did yeah yeah he was they were solid boys like they didn’t marck around those boys good kiwi stock good kiwi stock 100% yeah yeah man oh man
And I had Mark Graham a little while ago and love I was sh myself before that one Mark’s Mark is an absolute Legend I’ve caught up the boys I live on the Gold Coast at Palm Beach and they’ve got a pub down in Kira and they called the figs the former
International greats and I wasn’t one of them but um I get invited to go down and Larry Coro who played for b m with um black flash he’s a I’ve known him for a long time bloke but you know Gary Freeman the halfback um all those boys are down
There um and they’re all really downto Earth humble guys you know like they yeah talk to everybody that want to come up and say hello and um you know I go down with darl Williams and uh yeah you know he loves have about 30 skooners he
Does he not shy Al Tino but um but uh they they’re just an amazing group of bles who have done you know played at that level and they’re just all down to earth and decent guys you know which is pretty cool really cool you know what I
Like about it is that they still love rugby league it wasn’t just a thing that came and went they like still love it to bits that’s what I like you know yeah that’s cool I look at the game now um where they starting to take bles off um for
Concussions and um I watch the Vegas games cuz I thought that was pretty interesting and um and that The Season’s kicked off now and some BLS are getting knocked around already and coming off with you know back in our day when we were knocked out they’d give you some
Smelling salts under your nose and you’d get up and go oh and then you’d be on the field you’d be wanding around going what the hell’s going on so but I’ve been diagnosed with a I had an MRI six months ago um my memories starting to go
On me now and it might be old age as well that might have something to do with it but I know I CED a lot of concussions over the years Mal maning knocked me out one day um he’s and uh he uh I end up getting in the back of a
Ambulance going up to the hospital and the nurses were around me um looking at me because I thought I was having a baby and they said you’re going to be very famous if you can have a baby and um but that’s how that’s how that’s how
Conscious I was Mel I spent a couple of nights in hospital um recovering from that but um yeah it was it was it was um tough back in those days but um it was what it was and um you know we’ve we’ve gotten through it and um I have got a
Few injuries to to show from it but um I if I if someone said would you do it again 100% cuz um made a lot of friends and here I am talking to you on a podcast and um you know it’s uh it’s been an amazing journey so it’s been so
Enjoyable Yeah man so speaking of injuries I saw something online that said you were the most injured player of all time because you had a stack of injuries through your career what are some of the best ones you had that you had to play through or that took you out
Of the game for a while well when I when I rolled my ankle in England I was playing against leads and um I heard my ankle go snap and one foot was facing that way and the other foot was facing that way and BLS were throwing up and
Nearly passing out on the field looking at my how bad my foot was it was turned the other way around and I’m I’m going oh that doesn’t look good and I ended up going in plaster for three months in England and when I tried to come out my
My asset was my speed I you know used to try and run fast and I had front rowers running me down so I thought all this is not good um you know I’ve had I’ve had the ankle reconstruction I’ve had I’ve got two titanium he going through
Airports of pain the ass but um I’ve had I’ve had seven broken noses three broken cheekbones 25 Grand with the teeth three um yeah three broken cheekbones broken this broken shoulder broken collarbone five broken ribs couple tunnel surgery on both my hands I’ve got I’ve got severe arthritis right through my body
And I went to the doctors this morning and I might have to have two hip replacements so yeah it’s been fun I I played against a guy called Trevor Gil Meister I don’t know if you he rings a bell for you the axe well the axe a
Me when I I was playing against West and this play called Trevor Koga come through and was playing fullback for the ears and kicked me in the face and knocked all my top front teeth out into my bottom teeth broke my nose my nose was sitting over here and um well
Because um the crowd burnt down cuming over we were sharing the Bulldogs ground at Belmore Park and this is a Belmore so I got taken off I was off my head I’m sitting in the stand with my Mom and Dad and John muggleton kicked the ball out
And bounced two seats in front of me and smashed me in the face and broke my nose a second time and Blacken my eyes just swellen I couldn’t see out of my eyes and I my father had to drive my car home oh wow and um it was a and you know I’ve
Had all my teeth replaced but I because I was playing only had caps so for 30 years I kept them and just could get them knocked out and then I just stopped wearing a mouth guard because I just thought what the heck Trevor Gil to hit
Me and my tongue was out and I bit through my tongue I had to hold on it it was hanging on by a skin so I went into the dressing room our doctor got me on the table whacked a big injection in my tongue stitched my tongue back up and I
Went back out and played the rest of the game so yeah that was oh my God that was that was interesting I just SW tongue ohra some of the stuff was just ridiculous back in the in the 80s so yeah yeah how did you um recover from
That ankle you snapped because do you remember jell Yi for the Broncos he caught that bomb you know that’s what the one injury can’t watch on replay I just it just makes me cringe because his ankle just snaps you know 90 degrees and he never
Know play top grade game no well I was um it was a painful that that that finished my career I was I was at the end of anyway I was playing in England I was playing um the H whole KR against leads um I tried to come back and in the
End I couldn’t do it and I just said to my coach listen I’m done I’m you know I was 19 I was 35 years old I think and um I just thought I come home I had major surgery on it and I was in a cast for six months and
Um and it hasn’t given me any grief since but um that was the end that was the one that you know I put the queue in the rack then I just thought my time’s up I’ve had I’ve had an okay career you know it was pretty long time I played
For the E I played for the Panthers I played three years at Manley and played four years England and um I was pretty you know I got to I got to go and see where my grandfather grew up in London in pekham and then I went to um County
Cork in is and where my grandmother was from so I got to travel around the world a little bit and um with footy and you know spent some time in the group when I went over to play in England I just finished with the eels and the coach
Said look we’ll pay for you to go to the Greek Islands for 10 days and you can have a break before the season starts here and um so that was pretty cool I got to some really good things yeah very lucky so because you played in The Grand
Final in your very first season and you’ve won a grand final did was there ever a moment where you fell in that trap that some players probably get caught up in they think oh this is easy I’ll be here again next year and then they never make another one or they
Never even play finals like how did that work out because 88 four you guys didn’t you didn’t get the chocolates at 84 no we got beat 6’4 by the Bulldogs indeed which was a hard pill to swallow because going from winning in 83 and then winning delam and
I won all these other Awards as well which I can’t remember but I know I got stuff in my cupboard that says I did and um and then and then obviously you know it was a different it was a whole different atmosphere um losing in 80 884 and um yeah it’s uh you
Know what do you do you know like it’s you got to take it on the chin it was different atmosphere back at the club supporter still came and supported us which was nice but it wasn’t like it was in 83 when you know I picked up the delm
And won all these Awards and then won the Grand Final it was like ridiculous like it’s hard to put it into words what what the feeling felt like and then the feeling of not winning you know but getting beat six 64 was pretty hard pill to swallow for sure
Yeah you guys were leading at halime 4-0 if I’m right um yeah so there must have been pretty good optimism at half timee that you’re going for number four well you know John money was a protege of Jack and great coach great bloke and um it wasn’t his fault we were out there
Doing the you know doing what we had to do but obviously it just didn’t go our way you know some Ray Price went and I’m not blam blaming Ray I spoke to Raymond this morning I love Ray and uh but he was down on a tackle with um Jeff bug’s
Brother Mark who ended up playing for the eels at some point in his career and um he just seen an opening and um got across the line and they kicked the goal and yeah I’m I’m not blaming I’m not throwing mck cran on the us cuz I love
Mck cron but um obviously um I don’t know where we scored but he didn’t kick the goal and it was um that was it you know it was a defin definitely a different feeling than went it in 83 that’s for sure so I bet mate I bet and
Um so 1985 rolled around you played 18 matches you scored tries in the round one and two um and by the end of the season you’re fourth on the ladder you g to the finals you came up against the Panthers and you gave them a hiding and
You scored a try what’s it like scoring in like a massive match like that what’s the feeling when you put the ball out in such a a massive big game I think um my skill set was to hang around BLS that could get balls away Mick Cronin was he
Didn’t Jack Gibson had a bit of a thing about mck Cronin never he’d always come off with a clean Jersey I’m not saying Mick was not a great player because he’s one of the he played for Australia he played origin he did it all and um but
He could hold two players off and just get a ball away you know like he was just so I used to time if I was playing fullback or Wing I’d just be hovering around when the crow got the ball and he just always seemed to get give it to me
Where there was a hole and I’d hit it and obviously had a bit of speed and I was very lucky you know so I’m not taking any bloody credit day for that I I just had the most amazing group of BLS in that backline that were all
Superstars and um and they’re not big heads either they’re really down to earth normal fls you know like just just every day sort of even though they did it all in the game they just Jack was Jack just had that thing where he made us
All just be normal you know it was sort it’s hard to explain but um yeah he just didn’t want bles walking around with big heads you know yeah did the trick so you you guys went down to the Bulldogs 26 nil um the next week which bundled you
Guys out of the competition and that’s when you went over to Olden so how did that all come about um because that was in the offseason for you guys wasn’t it yeah so bloke who was the coach of oldum he was I think he was a Great Britain
Coach he’s passed away now name was Frank Miler he was over there watching me play and um he approached me after a game and um said you know we’d like you to come and play at oldum and um I was lucky enough to be released to go and
Play because it was it was the end of the year for us and it was in our offseason so um I still got amazing friendships I took my 16y old brother Glenn with me and I took my mom and dad to give show them what another country was like you know and uh
So I had the most amazing we didn’t play a few weeks because the snow was so thick it covered the oval and we couldn’t play on the on in the snow we actually I end up did playing in the snow at when I went to
Hul KR crazy I got to the ground and it was absolutely pting down and I’m in the grand stand making no balls P Pilon the the punters coming in to watch the game and I’m thinking there’s no way in the world we’re going to play in this and
Sure enough we get it the coach um he was the fullback furn Fairburn he a fullback and he he played for England and end up coaching Hulk but yeah they get us in the dress room and they said you’re playing I went you serious like it was like Knee Deep
And um I was playing fullback and I was shivering and um I just didn’t want to touch the ball didn’t want to do anything I but I every time they kick it down I’d have to Bloody Run the thing back and in the snow and the mud and the cold and it was
Minus 22 windshield factor I walked off at half time and I was chugging down port and normally having orange oranges and other you drinks for for halftime break and I said look I’m retiring I don’t want to play anymore I’m not going back out and I went you got you got a
Contract you got to go back out and I went I ain’t going back out I had hypothermia I was like this shaking I’m trying to fight BLS to get into the hot showers and they’re going you can’t have a hot shower you’ve got hypothermia and I’m going well
Bu so they wouldn’t let me they end up giving me this massive big Woolen full onesie type thing and um yeah I said I need to warm up before I go back out there so they said okay cuz I was in in a bad way like I was
Thinking I’ve never played anything like it ever you can imagine and um bloody one of the players went down within two minutes of him going back out the field I said you can’t be injured I’m not I’m not going out so they said
You got to go out Ls I’m gone oh God so that was I remember I you would have remembered Desi hler I played with Desi for three years at Manley and he was playing he was playing over there as well and um okay he come over and while
I was in asleep and he knew my car the cars in England when you play over there they take photos and put your photo on the team you’re playing for on the car so he come over when it was snowing and put vaseline under my door handles
Vaseline on on my windscream wipers so I go out to go to train and and the car’s full of snow so I put the windscream wipers on the vaselines I’ve G the hell so he was he was a shocker he got I got I got him because it was my birthday and
They wanted to take me out for my birthday so we go to this place and um and Desi and I were never been Drinkers and I used to train with Dez cuz he was a fanatic as well and um yeah and so when we’re getting drinks I was putting
Double vodka shots in his drinks and um got him absolutely his wife R me the next day and go what did you do to Dez and I went I I started I was never into Opera but I’d heard this play called Pavarotti cess and dma um before and I’m
Walk yeah I’m walking with all the boys like Roy Simmons and James Grant from the from Bal m David Hoskins Who was over there playing as well so we’re all catching up coming out for my birthday yeah and I’m saying I’m walking with a group saying I just heard this amazing
Song Ness and dor paperotti and Dez kept going who pav Lo and I’m going no you knucklehead it’s paparotti and he’s being a idiot and so I thought I’m going to stitch him up so every time I went I went and bought drinks I went and tipped
A double vodka shot in his in his drink and Christine’s wife rang me the next day and goes Lids what did did you do to Desi and I said oh I probably ate too much have Loa so I went over and gave it to him and he went you’re I’m gonna get you
Back I would do your best so oh some of the some of the fun you have when you’re with all those BLS is pretty pretty can’t tell you too obviously you got an audience so I’m not going to go into detail but yeah it was interesting times
Brother let me tell you oh that’s so cool now what goes on T her stays on to her okay so what was your time like with the penth Panthers because that so did the eels release you to go to Olden but then did you then signed with the Panthers
When you came back I did yeah okay I left the eels and um went went to penth under Tim shines and um played with BLS like Greg Alexander and um Brad isard and some pretty decent players and um yeah they we come close a couple you know making the playoffs and stuff but
Didn’t didn’t win the the Grand Final but um I had a great time with those guys I went up going back to the eels for a couple of seasons and John man took over as coach and um I think the Crow M Cronin come and Coach the E for a
Bit as well but um and um I had an opportunity in the end I was my contract was up with the Panthers I got a big offer from the Bulldogs and um Manley made me an offer gri low who you’d know and um oh yeah so yeah I ended up
Signing with Manley and um playing there for three years and then um i’ I’d met a a a really nice girl in Hull and um um so I’ve got a son in Hull and a grandson now and um so that that was one of the reasons I went back and stayed and then
You know the the club hul K heard that I was in town and the chairman and the coach come and picked me up and took me for dinner and gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse so I stayed a couple of seasons and played there until I broke
My ankle badly and thought I’m I’m I’m putting the Que in the rack now it’s all done and dusted that you I thought my time was up yeah yeah so what about when you went back to paramed were you excited to go back to your old Club because you only got like
Eight games over two seasons like what was the reason behind that I had a lot of injuries as well so okay I I near I broke I didn’t break my neck but I was I played in a City Country game and um one of the front rows fell on my head and
You try and push your your foreward to your chest and every everything just popped in the back of my neck and uh I spent I spent a couple of weeks in hospital and I was in a I was in a brace for a very long time and I was a bit
Nervous about coming back and playing footy I thought my career was over then and um um yeah I I had a lot of injuries so that was the reason I didn’t play a lot of footy back then yes fair enough too so then you went to Manley as you
Said in 1990 which was probably a good change for you I’m guessing after a couple of tough years but that’s when you met guys like Matthew Ridge and Al man Dar Williams Cliffy Lions Jeff tuby I’m great mates with those guys we had a reunion a manly reunion just a couple of
Months ago and um I went and caught up with all the boys um you know the the eill supporters gave me a lot of grief because they didn’t like Manley and obviously we beat Manley in the 83 final when I when I turned up at a reunion for
The for the seag fatty vorton come up to me and going what are you doing here and I’ve gone I’ve played for man for three years he goes yeah but you beat us in Grand finals and I’m going so unlucky so yeah I was I was getting a lot of group
From BL going come you all here when you you know you played you beat us in Grand finals back in 83 and 82 I think it was and uh I went it is what it is but uh they were only mucking around they’re it’s funny because you they’ve all got
That sense of you obviously fatty was with sterlo in the Footy Show and um yeah yeah he he he was always taking the Mickey out of everybody all the time so that’s I knew that’s what he was doing with me but um yeah I had a great three
Years under gr low there and um you Cliffy Lions was a freak and um Tony Ira darl Williams you know yeah they’re great players yeah Mich oh yes Michael con he could kick a goal that boy and he could yeah and a champ Champion like loves his golf
Andly down to earth they’re all great BLS you know R Rie was a Rie was pretty confident he could kick a goal as well but um yes they’re all they’ve all been at every Club I’ve been to I’ve never really fallen out with anyone they’ve all been amazing BLS and and the long
Life friendships you know so who were a couple of players during your career you just loved playing alongside like when you look around the changing rooms or uh you know who’s the guy that you think oh I’m so glad he’s on my team and I love
Playing next to him the crow was one of the most down to earth um bles that you could ever meet like I I rang him a few years ago and um he’s got a pub down in jingong and I rang him and I just said
Um Crow I just want to let you know that I’ve had a mad crush on you for a long time and he said keep that to yourself I said it’s nothing you know like just just the most decent blog that you could ever meet but they were all
Like it’s hard to even sort of you know they played at every level the blacks I played with at the eels like Greg Alexander also played at Australian level in origin Brad iszard you know the Roy Simmons they’re all Champion BLS and then they’re not that they’re not up
Themselves you know even though they could be if they wanted to be but they’re just all down to earth BL that’s a tough one to to you know pick Dave I I couldn’t really pick anyone out you know like I’ve been very blessed to have just
Just decent BLS and down toe BLS around me as well okay well I’ll make it even harder for you who are some of the players you loved playing against there must be a couple of Fells you just loved marking up against I remember I remember playing against spell mine um this this wine
Piece um I took off and I was going pretty good and Wayne Pierce left the ground and hit me around the chest and it just went like that and took my wind out I got up and played the ball like nearly killed me and I went is that the
Best you got like and turn around and run back and I went oh my God that kill me I thought he broke every rib of my body but um that’s what that’s what you had to sort of do put on that sort of um is that the best you got like like
People in the crowd they just went oh God like you could hear it the smack like he hit me and Junior I’ve done some stuff we got picked to do something together and a great guy like down to earth done it all in the game yeah you
Know um but that’s what they’re all like you know they’re all I don’t think I’ve there’s been too many big heads at all you know that I’ve come across that have sort of strutted around like you know that there’s something special they’ve all they’re all down to Earth really
Lovely guys and Junior were yeah I’ll never forget that tackle like that makes me feel sick thinking about it now speaking of Bain there’s a tackle I remember in probably the early 90s Benny Elias I don’t know if you remember it but he was just out it was a completely
Legal tackle but just flew in at him and smoked him it was great it’s funny because I caught up with Benny i’ become sort of mat with Benny and um he’s a champion bloke and uh we had a we were at a function a few weeks ago and he was
There and we had some photos together and people were coming up and saying oh it’s good to see that You’ like some mats and I said oh how how can we not like he’s he’s a great play and great footballer as well like he’s did it all
In the game but um I can’t remember I can’t remember that tackle but um yeah I’ve seen some I’ve seen some Beauties over my yeah how many years it’s been so yeah I’ve been very I just feel so blessed to have you know been called up
To go and play for the years playing those grand finals winner delm few other Awards um and be able to you still be remembered by it and I’m feel really honored to be on your podcast mate So you you’re pretty famous yourself so you never know I’ll be looking you up when I
Come over I I took my dad over when he wasn’t well and um we went to a place that has all these mad um hot springs I went to kre with Matthew Ridge because I didn’t know I remember because gri low we went and played in New Zealand couple
Of times with gri low cuz he’s a ke and um we had like a thousand people lined up and your culture over there is where you do the yeah where you touch noses and stuff hung yeah what do you call it it’s a
Hungi h h h yeah yeah so we had to we had to rub noses with like 500 people like it was and I’m not saying anything rude but some of them would have liked nice if they put some under under um deodorant on something but I love it I love the
Culture we did the we went and did the where they put the things around your ankles and you jump off a freaking Bridge into the water yeah and because I didn’t go into the water the first time the boys said you got to do it again and
I went no I don’t need to I went yeah you got to do it again so you go into the water when you’re coming back up mouth and nose you’re spitting water out yeah love that thanks guys so yeah love New Zealand I love it mate so great did
You play in that match against Newcastle in 1992 at Carell park by any chance for Manley when Newcastle won right on the buzzer it was the first ever Premiership match played out of Australia in New Zealand oh maybe not if was 92 that was my last year at Manley so I signed at
Manley 90 91 92 so um I can’t remember can’t remember sorry that’s all good darl Williams scored in that match right before half time it was a beauty I definely definitely can’t remember that for sure so I got a question from tahi rahana wants to know who’s your favorite neighbor tah
Obviously he uh him and his dog him and his wife his gorgeous wife walk their dog uh where they don’t live far from me I’m in Palm Beach and um what a champion BL he is so yeah no I gotta I got to
Have a shout out to T he’s a he’s he’s a legend he’s a champion guy he’s punching so much above his weight though but anyway that’s another story AR we all AR we all um and the question I asked you earlier from the fan questions was actually from Troy Warner from the
Paraca podcast I’m sure he’d love to give you a shout out and say hello um he yeah good old Troy and um he he was the one who asked how important is connectivity between the team as you guys always catch up all the time yeah
So I just thought I’d be to point that out well Troy Troy I’ve done a I’ve done a podcast at Troy’s Place I think he’s ke for me to come out and do another one which um he’s out at penth as well so and he loves the ears and um you know
It’s it’s it’s just really I feel very honored to be able to mix with you know have this chat with you um I feel really special that you you’ve had some amazing Legends on and I don’t feel like I’m anywhere near that level but um just to be able to play in the
Team or the teams I played with and and kept these friendships and it’s open doors for me and um helped me with my not for profit and giving me a bit of a name you know like people still even though I’m Bal now and um old I’m still
Being asked to be an ambassador for the years which I’m so proud of and um you know I get to go to DAR for four days when they play the Dolphins up there and um oh nice you know I was watching the Dolphins play the other night and that
Fullback for the Dolphins um good is he scor three tries freaking hell it’s unbelievable yeah but um yeah I just I just look at the boys at the pace they play now and what it’s like and um hopefully they’ve got good insurance well I’ll tell you what um you
Might not think you know like I I’ve had this from a few people I’ve approached to come on the podcast and they say oh oh now I wasn’t anybody in rugby league and I’m like well I’ve heard of you I’m just a fan I never played you laced up
The boots you you won a grand final with one of the greatest teams of all time so you know don’t underrate yourself mate when you when you put it like that it sounds pretty cool doesn’t it really pretty amazing you know and and you know what um as a fan of the
Game and like I’m a fan of the game I love the game but rugby league is something that brings people together and it’s something to get passionate about and look forward to at the end of the working week and you know without the amazing players that play like we’ve
Got what else is there to do what what are normal people have you have you seen obviously Vegas looks very um tempting now to they want to sign the next 5 years to play in Vegas which is unbelievable and then um the Panthers eels game full out full Stadium like CH
Every so where the Dolphins played whoever they played yesterday um sold out stadiums like people um can’t wait to get back to the footy now like it’s it’s unbelievable like you know which is fantastic which is great to see so yeah I feel very honored brother but you to
Pick me to be on your podcast CU I know you’ve had some amazing legends that I just look up to and think wow you how how lucky you know to have interview some of these great guys that have played the game so yeah well I just I
Just thank you so much for coming on and you know you know giving me a chance to chat to you because not everyone says yes let’s put it that way well well I’m feel very honored and I’m I feel very honored that you asked me mate so Dave
It’s been a pleasure when I come to New Zealand I’ll get Reggie in a headlock Tano you don’t I don’t you know to divorce him but we’ll come and um I’ll have a canadi I just started doing a Canadian Club brother so I’m like I’ll sh you couple Canadian clubs sounds
Perfect right we’ll finish with a few fun questions I like to ask all my guests and that is who’s going to win the NRL in 2024 and you got to be objective well I played the three clubs in in Australia parah pen penth and manly and
Um I think even though you know the ears went down to the Panthers and they’ve I think they’re on a three p um I was I’m mates with Ivan clear my brother works for the Panthers but I’d like to see Power win it I’d like to see them go out um so I’m
Going to say par um fair enough and penth will they’ll play penth in the grand final hopefully oh big rematch from couple years ago it’ be pretty cool be pretty cool yeah yeah okay so what’s your favorite TV show of all time oh M I’m a massive Elvis Presley fan so anything
That Elvis played in I I love but um my favorite TV show oh god um I’m into maths at the moment they Married at First Sight me and the misses watch that too so I’m not on my own so yeah good trash TV at the end of the day there it
Is that’s it brother that’s it I love it yeah oh that’s awesome first person to say maths I’m so happy that’s good okay last question if you were on death row what would your final meal be I love Lobster it would have to be yeah I’m a festar black fell M my my
Tribe is a verace tribe you know you know i’ if I could eat lobster and steak that’s that’s me I’d love it so I’m a seafood man so yeah yeah prns and lobster so I’d have to say lobster brilliant brilliant man oh loving it well thank you so much for coming on the
Point of different rugby Le podcast and go back in the day with me it’s been an absolute privilege to speak to you uh absolutely you know you’re amazing mate and look forward to catching up when I come to New Zealand I’ve got your details so I’ll give you I’ll let you
Know when we’re on our way and we’ll go and have a nice dinner somewhere mate sounds perfect to me man and thank you to everyone out there for watching on YouTube and listening on Spotify um this has been the amazing David lyan and we’ll see you guys next time for kickoff
Thanks Dave full time
