Two-thirds of the way into my first season at Manly I got a chance because of injury. Bob Fulton was working at the club at the time and he stuck his neck out to push for me with the coach, Trent Barrett. Bob told me, ‘I’ve gone in to bat for you and told Trent I really recommend he picks you and I’m telling you to go out there and give a good performance in reserve grade this week and he’ll take note of that’.

I played well, showed a good attitude and, sure enough, I was in first grade the next week against Penrith. I played probably my best game all year and stayed there pretty regularly for the rest of the season. Even though I’d always been an edge player, Trent told me going into last year that I’d probably have to play front-row if I wanted to stay in first grade. I said,’ OK, whatever it takes’.

I’d always been told I didn’t train hard enough, so I thought, ‘I’m going to train my arse off this off-season and force my way into the team’. I must’ve impressed him, because I was on the bench for round one and never lost my place in the 17. Trent was very positive when he talked to me about my game and my future at the club and I started negotiating a new deal there, but at the same time there were all these dramas happening at Manly… the blow-up between a couple of players in Gladstone, a lot of negative stuff in the papers, the doubts over whether Trent would still be coach and the reduction in salary cap space because of a fine.

Plus, Trent still wanted me to play prop and with the representative props they already had, in Addin Fonua-Blake and Marty Taupau, with Jake Trbojevic at lock, and Curtis Sironen coming back in the second-row, I wasn’t convinced about where I stood in the make-up of the team. I thought it was best for me to go, especially when I had another good opportunity elsewhere.

WHY HONESTY WORKS 

Right from the start of pre-season, Brad told me and our other starting second-rower at Parra, Marata Niukore, that he wanted his back-rowers to be able to play 80 minutes every week. It’s just the way the game’s heading, especially with the reduced interchange in recent years and how hard the game is in the middle of the field because that’s where everyone plays through these days. You need to be using most of your interchanges on your middle forwards.

So I worked hard in the off-season and I’m feeling really fit and I’ve played four 80-minute games and a couple in the 70s. One game I had the flu and felt really crook, but I got through it, so now I know I can do it. I’m told my stats are pretty good, even though I don’t look at them much. I know if I’ve played well or not.

One thing I’d like to aim at is getting close to averaging a try every two games from now on. I know I’m capable of that. I’ve got 17 in 54 first-grade games, including two in the first six games this season, which is good, but I feel I can do better.

I’m two metres tall, so if I get the ball five metres out and fall over I’m halfway there anyway. You’re not always going to get great opportunities to score and a lot of it comes from good combinations, but we’re working on that. I’m only 24. I’m still not at my peak, but I certainly aim to get there.

Brad’s approach really suits me. He’s upfront and true to his word. No mind games, he tells you face-to-face what he’s thinking and at Parra we’ve tried to instil that idea of talking honestly with each other throughout the whole club.

The truth, even when it’s hard to take, can really only help. It’s worth listening to and acknowledging. I’ve learned that.