Episodes
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Welcome to the Jungle, Jarome Luai, our special guest on this weekâs summer series edition of Behind The Roar.Wests Tigers' marquee signing covers plenty of ground on the clubâs official podcast, telling us how much heâs looking forward to the challenges ahead.Jarome reveals his first taste of the NRL was watching the 2005 Grand Final from a caravan park on the Central Coast, and how from that moment on, he became a Wests Tigers and Benji Marshall fan.âRomeyâ also tells BTR how important Benji was in his decision to join Wests Tigers, as was his good mate, Api Koroisau.All that and more on this special edition of BTR One Jungle. No Limits. Get Behind the Roar.
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On this special edition of Behind The Roar we speak to Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson. Richo give's us some insight into the strategy behind this years draw requests. He also announces a big re-signing at the club.
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On the final episode of the 2024 season, we speak to Head Of Football Matthew Betsey.
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In a special edition of Behind The Roar, Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson sets the record straight about some key issues at the club ahead of Fridayâs sold-out match against the Eels at Campbelltown.
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On this weekâs episode of BTR, as we celebrate Wests Tigers 25th season in the NRL, we chat to the teamâs very first coach and Balmain Tigers legend, Wayne Pearce.
Juniorâ covers plenty of ground as our NRL and NRLW teams prepare for big games at Leichhardt Oval over the next few days.We chat about his days as a 14-year-old selling hotdogs on the very same hill that would eventually be named in his honour.He talks about his time as the inaugural coach of the joint-venture club, revealing how a call from his 7-year-old daughter was the catalyst for his decision to call it quits after that first season.He also reflects on the early days, outlining some of the struggles and the benefits of the joint-venture club, and of course that very first game against a star-studded Broncos team.A fitness fanatic, Pearce tells us how and why he was a pioneer in that space. It was a handful of events, including the death of his father, and contracting Hepatitis B from the âmagic spongeâ, that prompted Junior to complete a science degree and search for a healthier way of life.He recounts the âsecret meetingâ he had with the late, great Jack Gibson in the early 80s, when Jack was trying to lure Pearce from Leichhardt to Parramatta.We chat about club legends including Benny Elias, the late Keith Barnes, and Benji Marshall, and about the disappointment of losing the â89 Grand Final. Pearce also talks about the resilience and loyalty of Tigersâ fans; confident the club has put the building blocks in place to âturn the Titanic aroundâ. All that and more on this weekâs episode of Behind the Roar.
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On this weekâs episode of BTR we chat to Wests Tigers Player #287 Reuben Porter, who made his NRL debut this season at the age of 27.
After eight seasons in the NSW Cup, Reuben had almost given up on his dream to play NRL, before a call from Benji changed all that.
This is a story about a perseverance and patience, about belief and self-doubt, about a guy who put ambition on the backburner only to fall back in love with the game.
After uprooting and moving from New Zealand to Sydney as a 17-year-old, it didnât quite go according to plan for Reuben.
Recruited by the Roosters, and then the Raiders, he found himself stuck behind some very good players. Then a snapped Achilles, then a thing called Covid, and then a rethink about how he would pay the bills.
He talks about rediscovering his love of footy when playing with his mates at North Sydney last year, and about the biggest challenges heâs faced in stepping up from NSW Cup to NRL.
Reuben explains how important âattention to detailâ is at NRL level, and the âdomino effectâ on your team if you happen to âmiss your assignmentâ.
He talks about the pride he felt when making his long-awaited NRL debut, and offers great advice to others who, like him, may think their big opportunity has passed them by.
Reuben also details what it means to him and his family to represent the Cook Islands, saying heâd love to again play in the Pacific Championships at the end of the season.
Away from footy, we chat about the perfect steak, the LA Clippers, and a whole lot more.
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On this weekâs episode of BTR we chat to Wests Tigers Player #291 Tim Johannssen, who made his NRL debut last week against the Cowboys. BTR is proudly sponsored by Pro Wrestling Australia. This is a story about a young fella who walked away from rugby league, giving up on a childhood dream, who was then called back to give it another crack. A young man of strong faith, Tim reveals how he wandered down a wayward path, making poor choices, and taking wrong turns. A strong and talented athlete, the Swiss-born 22-year-old had attracted plenty of interest from NRL scouts, but the hunger had gone. Tim talks openly about his struggles, his faith, his family, and the tumultuous journey that landed him at Leichhardt for his NRL debut in Round 22. Itâs a captivating story about belief, self-knowledge, resilience, and hard work.
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In episode 60 of Behind The Roar we speak to Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson.
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On this weekâs episode of Behind the Roar we chat to the Fainu brothers who last weekend became the first trio of brothers to play NRL together for Wests Tigers.
Itâs not often three brothers all get to play NRL, yet alone at the same time, and in the same team. So rare in fact, only ten times have three or more brothers played together in the same team in the past 100 years.Last weekend Latu, Samuela and Sione Fainu created a slice of history when they suited up together against the Rabbitohs in Gosford, and theyâll be at it again on Friday against the Warriors in Auckland.
Two of them made their NRL debut with Wests Tigers this season, while the other made his NRL debut against Wests Tigers last season.In an odd twist of fate, Latu and Sione played their very first NRL game against the same opposition, at the very same venue, yet some seven weeks apart.
We talk footy, family, and a whole lot more. Three good young men who differ in shape, size and personality, but who share the strongest of bonds as brothers.
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This weekâs episode of Behind The Roar is a special State of Origin preview as we count down to Wednesdayâs series decider at Suncorp Stadium.We chat to a couple of fellas who know a thing or two about Origin deciders at Suncorp having experienced all that the Queensland cauldron has to offer.We are joined by Wests Tigers current NRLW Coach Brett Kimmorley, who played 10 Origins for NSW over a ten-year period, and current Head of Wellbeing, Tim Grant.Noddy talks about his highs and lows in Origin, including a victorious clean sweep in his debut series, and that costly, ill directed cut-out pass in game one, 2005.Grant was a part of the NSW team that headed to Suncorp for the 2012 series decider, after making his Origin debut just a few weeks earlier. He talks about the hostility of the Queensland crowd and the star-studded lineup he faced that night which included the likes of Inglis, Smith, Cronk and Thurston.Both give their views on the series so far, the changes made to each team, and how the game will unfold.
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In this episode of BTR we speak to NRLW co-captains Botille Vette-Welsh and Kezie Apps.
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On this weekâs episode of Behind the Roar we chat to Wests Tigers Player #281, Justin Olam, ahead of the teamâs Round 18 match against Melbourne Storm.Adored in his homeland Papua New Guinea, Olam has also developed a big following here in Australia since his arrival in 2017, following six seasons with the Storm.
âJuzzieâ, who didnât start playing rugby league until he went to university, tells us about how he had to learn on the run when he first joined Melbourne, admitting he knew very little about the game.
It was a steep learning curve, eventually developing one of the most powerful centres in the game, admired for his sheer ferocity, and feared for his ------ We talk about the evolution of footy in PNG, the chat with Benji that lured him to Wests Tigers, and the âlittle thingsâ in a game which have big consequences.
We also chat about his upbringing, his education, his love of nature and a whole lot more.
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This weekâs guests on Behind The Roar are three rising stars who have recently made their NRL debuts with Wests Tigers, as we celebrate Junior League Appreciation Round.Joining us for episode 54 of BTR is Wests Tigers Player #270 Tallyn Da Silva, WT Player # 275 Kit Laulilii, and WT Player # 277 Lachie Galvin.All three are Macarthur juniors who have played with and against each other for many years and have followed a similar path in their rugby league journeys. They are part of a larger group of Campbelltown-based players who created a slice of history two years ago, winning the first ever Harold Matthews premiership for Western Suburbs Magpies.We have a bit of fun talking about junior footy, life away from footy, and the people who played an important role in their formative years. Itâs an easy chat with three great young fellas who also happen to be damn good footy players, as we look ahead Sundayâs Junior League Appreciation Round match against the Raiders at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
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This weekâs guest on Behind The Roar is Wests Tigers Player #94 Keith Galloway. One of the best props to have pulled on a Wests Tigers jersey, Galloway played 173 games for Wests Tigers over 10 seasons after joining the club from Cronulla Sharks in 2006.
A good old-fashioned prop who had a cult following in his heyday, Galloway reflects on the good times and the tough times in his days at the Wests Tigers. Still in great shape, the heavily tattooed big fella explains how he still misses playing the game, but says it helps having a big group of ex-NRL players as current workmates.He talks of the camaraderie of his playing days, his life post football, his brief experiment with an acting career, and his love of Leichhardt Oval.
Galloway enjoyed some really good years in a team which fell narrowly short of the grand final on a couple of occasions, and which regularly pressed for the top-eight.
He also talks about the latter years in his time at the Tigers when things werenât going so smoothly, so he knows a thing or two about the pressure that mounts during a losing streak.
Offering some sage advice to the current group of Wests Tigers, he says to ignore the outside noise, and keep working hard.âYouâve just got to keep it between these four walls, you just got to work at it together,â said Galloway.âYou can't listen to too much outside noise. You start reading all these headlines, all these people on social media hammering you, things like that.âYou just got to stick together, keep turning up. I know it's hard. I've been there.But the only way out is to stay positive, keep believing and keep working hard.âGalloway doubled down on those who are relentless with their criticism of the group.âAs long as the effort's there, the supporters be proud.
âSome of these media outlets, there's blokes on TV that I don't think they've even played games and they're throwing barbs at the boys and things like that.âThey're just like parasites. My advice is to not let them rattle you.âKeep believing and keep working hard.â
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This weekâs guest on Behind The Roar is former Dragonsâ winger Alex Lobb, who will make his first starting appearance in the NRL on Friday night in Wollongong.
Lobb, a 22-year-old Wollongong local, joined Wests Tigers in the off-season looking for an opportunity.
He was unexpectedly called on to make his NRL debut in the teamâs most recent match against the Cowboys in Townsville.
It was an unlikely debut with little fuss or fanfare in the lead up to the game. As Alex explains, it was not how he thought it would happen, but heâs just stoked that it did.
His debut milestone was belatedly celebrated this week at the club, with his family on hand at the Zurich Centre on Tuesday to present Alex with his very first NRL jersey.
They will be there on Friday night too when Alex gets to run out in the starting side for the very first time, against of all sides his former club, and just up the road from home.
We chat to Lobby about his first 12 minutes in first grade, about his pathway to Wests Tigers after switching from soccer to league, and about how heâs enjoyed his first season at Concord despite the daily journey from the Gong.
We also dig a bit deeper into the mindset of a player and how he prepares for a match when named as 18th man.
Alex is living proof that youâve got prepare as if youâre going to play, and you just never know, 18th man or not, you might even make your NRL debut!
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On this weekâs episode of BTR we chat to the man behind the design of our 2024 Indigenous Jersey which will be worn on Friday night against the Cowboys.
Itâs a special bitesize edition of BTR where we recognise and celebrate the immense contribution indigenous players â past and present â have made to our game.
Uncle Richard Campbell has very close ties to rugby league and indeed to Wests Tigers. He is from the same Indigenous community as current Tigers half, Jayden Sullivan, who quickly suggested that his Uncle Richard should design the jersey. He is also the cousin of former Balmain Tigers player Paul Davis.
Richard talks about the significance of NRL Indigenous Round, the important role that rugby league plays in helping Indigenous youth, and his sheer delight in being involved with the club he supported as a child.
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This weekâs guest is a highly regarded sports administrator who was CEO of Central Coast Mariners for nine years and has previously worked in the NRL at both Penrith Panthers and South Sydney Rabbitohs.
He was recently appointed to the position of GM Community, Foundation and Affiliates and his work will play a huge role in Wests Tigers Strategic Plan.
We talk to Shaun about how his challenging experiences in the A League have shaped his passion for making a true difference in the community, and about the structure and purpose of the soon-to-be-launched Wests Tigers Empower program.
Shaun also tells us about the time he shared a beer with Kenny Sutcliffe â the âmale model from Mudgeeâ â not in Mudgee mind you, but of all places in Saudi Arabia!
All that and more in Episode 51 of Behind The Roar.
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Joining us this week on our 50th episode of Behind the Roar is former Cowboys hooker, now Wests Magpies NSW Cup Coach, Aaron Payne.
Payne joined Wests Tigers in the pre-season, uprooting from Townsville for a sea change in the big smoke, and a fresh challenge.
After playing 219 NRL games across 11 seasons with the Cowboys, this fella has plenty of skin in the game, and can tell a yarn or two as well, like how he made a thousand bucks a minute when making his NRL debut.
We talk about the challenges and opportunities that come with the job as reserve grade coach, when, more often than not, the team changes from week to week.
Payne talks about his own football journey and why the time was right for him to hang up the boots as a 29-year-old and turn his hand to coaching. He also talks about the disappointment of losing the 2005 Grand Final, the No.9s competing with Api Koroisau for a Blues Origin berth, and away from footy, his love of fishing and thoroughbreds.
All that and more on our 50th episode of Behind The Roar.
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On this weekâs episode of BTR we learn a lot more about 21-year-old middle forward, Fonua Pole.
We chat about preparations for Saturdayâs game against the Bulldogs, how some divine intervention helped him switch from Aussie Rules to Rugby League, and he also tells us about his âfirst true loveâ.
As debate continues about banning the long kick-off, Fonua says he loves coming off the back fence, and reveals what goes through his mind at that moment just before âcollision time.
Of Tongan heritage, New Zealand-born, and raised in Melbourne, Fonua also reveals his entrepreneurial side, telling us about his latest clothing label and the inspiration behind its name, âlive yourzâ.
All that and more on episode 49 of Behind The Roar.
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