The Lucky Breaks in My Footy Career, And the Skills I Had to Earn the Hard Way

People love to say footy is all about hard work. And yeah, it is. You don’t play close to 300 NRL games without putting in plenty of it. But anyone who’s spent enough time around the game knows there’s another part to it too – luck.

Sometimes it’s obvious. Other times you don’t even notice it until years later. It could be a coach backing you at the right time, an injury that almost happens but doesn’t or being in the right place when an opportunity pops up.

Looking back on my own career, I can see moments where things definitely fell my way. But there were just as many times where nothing was handed to me, and I had to work really hard. That balance is what footy is all about. You do the work, prepare as best you can, then see how it all plays out.

Getting the Chance in the First Place

I grew up in Auckland and moved to the Gold Coast when I was young. Like most kids, I just loved playing footy. I wanted to do well but wasn’t thinking about careers or captaining an NRL club. I just wanted to play and see how far I could go.

Getting into the Brisbane Broncos system was a massive break and changed my life. Plenty of talented players never get that chance. Timing plays a big role. Who’s recruiting. What the squad looks like. Who’s injured at the time. You don’t control any of that.

What helped me was landing somewhere that cared about development. I had coaches who were big on standards and honest feedback. Not always what you wanted to hear, but usually what you needed. Getting that kind of guidance at the right time makes a huge difference.

Too early and it can knock your confidence. Too late and bad habits are already set. I was lucky I got it when I was ready to listen.

Injuries, Timing, and Staying in the Fight

I’ve always said I was lucky with injuries, and that’s true overall, but that doesn’t mean I got through without a few setbacks.

I’ve had my share. Knee issues, a leg laceration that needed surgery. I even picked up a calf injury during a warm-up late in my career, which is about as frustrating as it gets. You do all the prep, feel good, and then suddenly you are rehabbing instead of running out.

The knee injury in 2020 was a scary one. I remember it collapsing on me and knowing straight away something was not right. When that happens, your mind goes straight to how long you will be out and whether you will get another shot.

Before all of that, when I was about 16 I actually had a back issue that nearly ended my career before it even started. I was told to stop playing and took almost three years off the game.  That’s tough to deal with at such a young age.

Despite some knocks, what I was lucky with was timing. I got through my back issues and my injuries didn’t totally derail my momentum or keep me off the field long-term.

On the flip side, I have seen plenty of good players whose careers have changed because of one injury at the wrong time. Footy is brutal like that.

Being Ready When the Door Opens

In my experience, breakout moments often come out of nowhere. Someone gets injured or someone’s suspended. You get told on a Tuesday you’re up this this week. No big build-up, just be ready.

Those moments feel like chance. You don’t know how it’s going to go. But what separates players is whether they’re prepared when that opportunity shows up.

I’ve seen blokes get chances they weren’t ready for. And I’ve seen others grab one opportunity and never let it go. Same situation, completely different outcomes.

I always tried to make sure that if my name was called, I was ready to do my job.

The Stuff That Had to Be Earned

Here’s the part that doesn’t come from luck. The boring stuff.

On the field it’s defence, communication, making good decisions when you’re running on fumes. Being reliable. Being someone the bloke next to you trusts.

That all comes from repetition. Training when you’re tired. Doing extras. Paying attention in review. Owning mistakes. Knowing when to speak up and when to listen.

Wearing the captaincy for the Broncos was a massive honour, but it also came with responsibility. You don’t get that role because you’re lucky. You earn it by doing the work year after year.

Learning the Game Properly

Early on, footy’s pretty simple. You run hard and you tackle hard. That’ll get you through juniors. In the NRL, you need more.

Off field, you watch video and study tactics. On field, you’ve got to communicate, understand momentum, and make decisions under pressure. You try something, sometimes it works , sometimes it doesn’t, so learn to adjust. That side of the game takes time…and mistakes. I made plenty of those!

Rep Footy and Perspective

Pulling on the jersey for New Zealand and later the Cook Islands added another layer to it all. International footy is different. Shorter camps. Higher intensity. A lot of pride.

Playing for the Cook Islands, especially later on, meant a lot to me. It’s about connection. Family. Culture. Giving back. Being involved in coaching and mentoring now has given me a different view of the game.

Looking Back Now

Probably the biggest lesson footy taught me is that luck always shows up at some point. But it doesn’t stick around.

Luck favours the prepared. If you’re ready, luck can change your career. If you’re not, it moves on to the next bloke.

Now that I’m done playing full-time, I can see how many things had to line up. Opportunities, timing, people.

Have I been lucky?  No doubt about it. But I also know I wouldn’t have lasted as long as I did without earning my spot over and over.

Footy doesn’t promise anything. Neither does life. You get chances, but nothing’s guaranteed. You might get a shot. You might not. You might get a bounce your way. You might get none

All you can really do is be ready. And when the moment comes, make sure you don’t waste it.

That’s footy. And honestly, that’s life too.