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A safe place to share, celebrate and unpack life's journeys.
Join us and special guests to discuss all things close to our hearts.
Podfire (00:00.172)
This podcast is brought to you by Meteor 8. We acknowledge and pay our respects to all First Nations people. In Australia, we honour the cultural connections and responsibilities of our custodians, past, present and future. This podcast is recorded on the lands of the Youganbe speaking people.
Podfire (00:34.254)
Welcome to Yarns with Linda and Preston. Welcome to episode six of Yarns with Linda and Preston. And today we have the great pleasure of having Dennis Watt in with us today. Thanks heaps for coming in, Dennis. We're really keen. We always love to yarn with you and it is, it's just relax and have a yarn. But we always start off with,
who you are, where your connections are, and then your connections to Preston and I. Yeah, great. Look, thanks very much for the opportunity and love being with two of my very favourite people. And you're amongst my favourite people because it's never about you two. It's always about what you can do for others, know, the value that you can add to community, to people's lives. People get confused about...
leadership, they think it's about titles and authority but really it's not about you, it's about serving others and your entire lives you two have always done that, community and certainly Rugby League has brought us together and great history of Rugby League here, you've both been part of the Gold Coast Titans, certainly from
from day one and before, you know, with the predecessors, if you like. And, you know, we've got great Indigenous connections here too, and I'm really proud of our game in this area, in that it provided the first level playing field for people of colour. You know, was 115 years ago. And, you know, Paul Broughton, the godfather of rugby league and...
this area, the foundation chairman of the Gold Coast Titans. And he was a captain coach in 1958 for Moolimbab Brothers and he played against the Tweed All Blacks. And one of the stars was Lionel Morgan. And Lionel Morgan went on to become the first Indigenous representative from an Australian sporting team in the early 60s there. And I only put that
Podfire (02:59.992)
together recently when Lionel, who sadly has passed away, was honoured by his acceptance into the Rugby League Hall of Fame and his son Earl also played. He keeps Dad's memory alive and he's on the board of Wynnum Seagulls as well. I sort made it bit of a project if you like to find out more about Lionel.
So Lionel, yeah, he went after that Premiership win, went to Wynnum and initially he had to shower on his own because of colour and the way they viewed things in those days. But from that point on, the community just embraced him to help get him into his home where his wife is now still living.
to this day and become an absolute champion of that community and spent an entire life of service up there. So I'm just, I'm very, very keen to find out more about Lionel Morgan's life story, if you like. An absolute legend. Yeah. That everyone should know about, Yeah. So yeah, a lot of history and a lot of connections and the great work that you guys do for us in Deadly Futures, where it's about developing young Indigenous leaders.
It goes way beyond that of course too. Preston of course, the very first player signed by the Gold Coast Titans, the only life member thus far of the Titans, of the man who sort of set the standards in terms of doing your very best on field but also off field in terms of play, do your best on the field, ensure that you're
You fill that jersey with pride, you represent it with pride, you represent your team and your people and your community with pride, but you also give back. You give back when not training, when you're not playing, when your playing days are over. And you both have done that, know, initially through this club and then more broadly in community. So yeah, it's a privilege to be with you both today. Thank you.
Podfire (05:23.406)
And where did you start life? Yeah, I was to say, you never answered the question. It was great though. We almost went off on a huge tangent then. That was a dummy past. Yeah, through a dummy. So I remember you did come along to one of the sessions, Deadly Futures, and you mentioned a little bit about yourself being a country boy, being from Kingaroy Way. So you want to touch on that a little bit? Yeah, well, Tony.
Tony Clacka McDonald, who's, you know, he was actually... Clackas? Yeah. He was actually employed by the Titans before they began. So the Titans have just completed their 18th season. So he did two years before they started. So he questions my credentials as a Queenslander. Because I was born in Upper Furniture Gully, know, just outside of Melbourne and then...
My mum and dad, I was one of eight eventually, brought the first half of the family up to Brisbane and soon after we moved to Kingaroy, Red Ant Country, where I started playing footy junior football up there. And it was a really strong local competition then, so Kingaroy was part of the South Burnet League, South Burnet was part of Wide Bay.
and White Bay was close to the best regional team in the state at that time. I remember when I played for South Burnett for the very first time, there were five state players in the actual team. growing up in King Roy, a small town, the centre of a strong regional community. So on Sundays, people would head off to church. There'd be Methodists and there'd be Seventh-day.
and there'd be Lutherans and there'd be Church of Christ and there'd be Salvation Army. But I promise you, it's three o'clock Sunday afternoon, there's only one true religion. So Rugby League brought everybody together. And in those days too, you used to park your car around the field and you had to get there early. Some people would take their cars out early.
Podfire (07:49.582)
You know, so and then they come back later to watch the game. So, you know, go all the way through from the juniors, you know, under 17s, reserve grade and first grade, whatever. But that was the biggest, that was the biggest show in town. Yeah, absolutely. Well, they came. They had to take Sunday school and do it on a Saturday when football come to town. really? Yeah. Well, Sunday school, it was a bit different because if you went there in the morning and you did the normal thing, you go to church.
adults it was a little bit different because when you're a young fella and you know footy's coming to town you wanted to go up to the field to be the ball boy or the sand boy you know because you had the best seats in the house if you were a ball boy or sand boy you know so my auntie who ran Sunday school
She decided to turn it into a Saturday school and we were happy with that because, and it was only when I come to town, but I totally understand what you mean when you talk about rugby league being a religion, know, so in communities all over Australia or in the early days, particularly Queensland and New South Wales, it was such a, well, we had such a presence and we often say that rugby league is like many sports.
It's a beacon to a lot of our communities. And that's why it's such a great space for us to be able to not just connect, but talk about the, well, talk about the bigger, bigger pictures. that's exactly right. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, so your experience is very similar to mine. Your auntie was a very wise lady. She was. Yeah. And hopefully she regularly, we all get to heaven in the, in the finish anyway. She regularly connected, you know, community, community service.
And then, so I was a, I, you know, I left school and went into, went into journalism and so there used to be quite a bit of sport as part of that. My wife Janelle and I, sort of travelled around a little bit, spent a fair bit of time in Wide Bay, Harvey Bay, Harvey Bay for a few years. Played for Harvey Bay Seagulls, Mirabai Brothers and then went down and we played, played at Mullumbimby, Mullumbimby for
Podfire (10:08.814)
for a year as well and went back and played for Norse in Brisbane where I played with the great Trevor Gilmester and Steve Walters in Co. So yeah, still see Trevor every now and then, is great. So, then in Brisbane too, I was with News Corp for many years and as part of that,
I was on the board of the Broncos. I was there for nearly 15 years. while there, I was general manager of Queensland newspapers, Sunday Mail, Curie Mail. And while there, the Melbourne storm ran into a bit of trouble with salary cap issues in 2010. Anyway, the decision was made to take me out of newspapers and put me exclusively in Rugby League.
So my portfolio was, at that point, News Corp owned half the game. So I was involved with News Corp in backing out that half ownership into what is now the Australian Rugby League Commission. So I also worked with the Melbourne Storm, know, hopefully helped them get back on their feet. You know, great people like Craig Bellamy and Frank Benisey down there, Roy Masters in the background.
And then, so the Storm actually won the Premiership in 2012. And then we went into a sales process whereby, you know, the club has sold to the present owners down there under Matt Tripp and, you know, Bart Campbell and co. And I returned to Brisbane and became chair of the...
of the Broncos there and I finished up there in 2017 when we completed a new high performance centre. And I came down to the Titans to give the Frazzelles and the Kelly's a hand to help them take this club where they envisage it should go. We're all joined in that journey. So great people.
Podfire (12:30.694)
You know, it for the sake of the club, for the community, you know, for the game itself. It's always about great people. So the Titans is full of really, really good people, know, from the, know, right through the playing group, coaching group, staff, as ownership and board. and we, you know, you're very much part of that family. And we appreciate being a part of it because you do see the passion.
in the club and what its purpose is. One of questions I wanted to ask you is, with the Gold Coast Titans and other clubs all there now, do a lot in the community space now. What place does it have in rugby league and vice versa? What place does rugby league have in community?
You know what I'm trying to say? Because if you look at rugby league and how much has grown over the years and you would have, you you would have had a front seat to that as well. And now there's so much in terms of worldly, a worldly view. And it's not just rugby league, you know, there are other elite sports as well, but what place does rugby league have in community and what places community have in rugby league? And is it a good fit?
at the moment? look, absolutely. You know, I think of, you know, I think of community too as, you know, sort of like your virtual stadium. It's about making connections with people. It's about valuing people. And this club does it so well. Yeah, I don't think you can divorce the two. And I mean, that's been our upbringing, hasn't it? That's been our...
our personal experience. think, you know, this is a pretty turbulent world that we live in, you know, it really is and it's, you know, what we're going through now is quite scary, particularly in terms of what's happening in the Middle East and, you know, and, you know, the knock-on effect here in Australia, but sport does give people a sense of, you know, a sense of connection. You know, we do create...
Podfire (14:56.514)
We do create tribes, we do live by rules and regulations. Our sport is very much about, as I say, caring for others as a team sport. I just don't think you can count yourself as successful if you divorce the high performance from community.
you know that's your family. I just watch with great interest the Brisbane Lions win over the weekend, the Premiership under Chris Fagan. The coach, I don't know Chris but he's all about caring for his players but beyond that and you guys get this because you've lived it, it's about embracing entire families and communities so when he signs a player he goes and meets the family.
you know, because he realises how important family is, you know, being that support base for that player when they're performing on that massive, that big stage with all the pressures that come and all the social media. You know, it's so different, Preston, from probably when you were playing. You know, that's a pressure. That's a pressure all of itself. Yeah, it's interesting. I was listening to a podcast the other day.
talking about the SAS, you know, who have to go out there and, you know, do some pretty confronting things behind enemy lines. And this commander was saying the only time they really struggled in the performance of the very difficult roles was when things weren't great at home. Yeah, so it actually, so they actually put their lives, they put their lives at risk.
Yeah, I guess it's like a pyramid where the player's up the top of the pyramid there. He's held up to the light, he's held up to the public gaze, but underneath it is family, family, family connections, community and what have you. And I think we do a pretty good job in that respect. But yeah, to me they're indivisible.
Podfire (17:19.81)
They are very important and I think we, when you start getting at the higher levels, you need that strength of community. And sometimes it can get a little bit lost and sometimes community can maybe feel a bit disconnected and stuff. I think it takes a lot of effort and a lot of commitment to make sure that that connection stays strong and alive. And I know that
It isn't just about sort of players doing visits and signing autographs and taking a photo. It's actually about the programs that are run out in community and how you can connect with those programs and actually really connecting with the people when you go out into community and not just kind of run in, take a photo, autograph and run away.
that it is a relationship and those relationships need to be nurtured and they continue to build and they're fluid. You never know what you're gonna get. No, it's such a strength. know the work and I've seen it myself, the work that you and Preston do with those young people. You see this transformation take place over the program and suddenly those young people start talking about what they wanna do.
what they wanna do when they leave school, they start setting goals. And it's always about helping others, helping community. education is the key, isn't it? To getting ahead, if you really wanna impact your family in a positive way, impact your community in a positive way, you gotta equip yourself as best you can. Yeah, we should be learning every single day. Yeah, exactly right.
Yeah. We have these moments, kind of just saw it. We have to remember on a podcast and continue to talk. know, when especially if something pretty profound comes up, you have to take time to think about it. Yeah. So you might find you might have moments of silence. not because we don't have anything to say. It's because we're actually taking in what people are saying, which I think is really, really important.
Podfire (19:43.502)
You know, so, and that's why communication is so important. And again, as you're well aware of being in the media, the language that we use and how we use that is really important, not just in connecting, but continuing that relationship, you know. And it doesn't matter what level of community you're at, whether you're at the grassroots or whether you're in the elite, communication is something that's...
That's very important and I think over time, you know, with enough doing it, like anything, you you become better at it. But it is a skill. It is a skill that we need to have. I think to build that skill, have to those moments of silence that take in from people are saying. You've got to hear it. Reflection. That's right. Yeah. And I don't think we do it. Do it enough, you know.
When it comes out comes the rugby league and and look times are very very different now when I was playing, you If I was to go in to talk to the players, I don't talk to them as a former player I talked to them about where I am at life in life now because I find I find that a lot of the stuff that I'm Dealing with now manager now is actually what I had to deal with the manage when I was a rugby league player But when you're rugby league player
you have to focus on just being the best athlete possible. When you're in this world, you have to focus on other responsibilities, know, because you're not just a rugby league player there. In this other world, you're a mum or you're a dad, brother sister, so there are other responsibilities. So how do we help our rugby league players understand that rugby league is a great opportunity for them? And obviously they need to prioritise that.
They need to prioritise themselves. But how do we help them realise that what you were talking about before with community is actually going to benefit them as an athlete? I know that if we had a magic wand we'd just go bang, bang, I know myself. I know when I was struggling as a rugby league player, I remember my manager getting a phone call. Well, I got a phone call from my manager.
Podfire (22:12.462)
I wasn't playing too well at the moment. The club had rang him and said, you need to have a young man, Preston, talk to him about not doing any community stuff because he's not playing so well at the moment. But what they didn't know is that I wasn't actually doing community stuff. that may be the reason, part of the reason why I wasn't playing so well, because the club, I'm not gonna mention the club, but they told me that I'm doing too much outside the club and I need to focus more on
rugby league and I did that but by doing that I actually played worse. Yeah. You know what I'm trying to say? It wasn't until I got back in and I was connected to community the purpose was bigger than myself. Yeah I absolutely see that and you know you do see that with athletes you need something else working for you. And that's not all athletes. no. those ones that do struggle sometimes you need to
need that gentle reminder outside of that space because it can be, well I'll say it's pretty seductive. Like you said, mean these players are at the top of the pyramid when it comes to that sort of space and it is pretty seductive, know, and there's so much that attracts you outside of that and can sometimes blind you from your potential. Yeah, yeah, I think, you know,
Generally with, if you're a high performer in any field, actually need other things working for you. You need to be giving your time somewhere else because if you are an athlete, you're gonna have things go wrong from time to time. There are gonna be injuries, maybe there's suspensions or whatever. can't all be about what you're required to do on the weekend. But if actually feel that you're
You know, you feel you're helping others, you know, you're serving your community. I think what it does is just strengthens you for whatever, whatever's coming your way. And not just talking community. mean, for someone that might mean.
Podfire (24:31.022)
studying or something just something different outside the realm that they're in you know I'm not just talking about community that worked for me for other people it might be something different but I know where where you can take your focus away from from rugby league or whatever industry you're in it gives you that time to think yeah you know time to reflect yeah and it's in you're not taught you know not entirely tied up with you
with your sporting career and as you say education, higher education or whatever, you you're actually building a future life. it's, you know, it's because, you know, today, you know, 24 seven media coverage and whatever, that's, that can be crushing for young people. It's soul crushing. absolutely right. If you're not performing, not performing at your best. And I think for me, I have a real, if I'm honest, I've got this love hate relationship with media because
Knowing often that the story is very different to what you hear in the media, like I love to know what's sort of happening and to hear what's going on. But what really affects me is that lean always towards the negative and making those headlines. But also that to me it feels like it doesn't tell.
the whole story often when they're more focusing on those headlines. And I worry about them, young fellows that are new and they're a part of this machine and they're kind of being carried along because they've got to be training and they've got to make appearances and they've got to dress a certain way and eat a certain way and everything is controlled for them. To then... Managed. It's managed. Yeah, okay, sorry. Managed.
as a major part of their lives when they are so young and then to have that layer of media as well. I don't know. I think that's very challenging. Yeah, and the instant negative feedback too. You do see players go straight to their phones after a game and they're much more than that. They're much more than that. But yeah, it's a trap.
Podfire (26:55.854)
Yeah, it's much tougher these days. And again, that's why it's important. They do stuff outside of the game. Yes. They go on there for different reasons. don't know, self-gratification is maybe one of them, but they're not going to find that there all the time, unfortunately, you know, because like Andy mentioned, there's so much negative stuff going on every now and then. You might see something positive about you, but it's just the way of the world at the moment. You know, and I guess
these programs that we do are important because it's not ignoring the fact that all of these things are out there. It's trying to help strengthen the individual to be able to make the choices that are going to benefit them most. You know what I mean? it doesn't mean they can't use their phone. It just means what are they looking at and why are they looking at that? You you just talk about, well, sorry, if we just touch on it, I don't know if you...
Podfire (27:58.966)
In the case of Josh Adokar, we've seen it in the news a fair bit. Whether he's done it or whether he hasn't done it, how does a club, I mean, you've been part of it and I'm sure you've had your own little issues with players that have come up. How does a club manage something like that? Because we see it through the media in a different way. Maybe as a club you have to treat it a little bit differently.
You know, trying to say, I mean, you talk about plays and duty of care. How do you manage something like that? Yeah, it's interesting. did see that. We don't really know, you know, what went on. But I was certainly taken by something that, you know, Gus Gould said that, you know, the primary focus is the welfare of the individual. So, you know, they're getting beaten up out there. Who knows what the truth is.
the of the matter is, but you gotta understand that when someone's going through that, they're going through a lot of hurt, regardless of the actual circumstances. So why do we then as a world jump straight to the negative? You know what I mean? That's something like, I know with the group that I hang with, we wanna ring Josh.
And we want to ask him if he's okay. Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah. That's, that's, and that's what we should be doing. You know, whether he's taking it or not, it's like, is everything all right, mate? That's the, yeah, that's, that's, that's the most important thing. And as I say, the, the human hand is perfectly designed. So when you point the finger of blame at somebody, there's always four pointing back. Yeah. None of us, none of us are blameless.
all make mistakes in life. We all do the wrong thing. But overwhelmingly we strive to do the right thing. if you're a sport like rugby league, there are strict guidelines and rules and regulations and what have you. So every now and then people, I'm certainly not endorsing drug taking, but every now and then people will do the wrong thing. And why? That's the question you need to be asked. And why? Because then we can
Podfire (30:24.846)
We can help them, and you're not gonna ensure that or guarantee that they're never gonna do it again. Maybe the first time's a mistake, maybe it's a choice. People have their different view on it. You know what I mean? Yeah, so it's very interesting, know, because again, you're talking about a world where there's so much...
Podfire (30:52.278)
So much, what am I trying to say? So much involved in it, you know, and so many people are attacked, you know, they look at these rugby league players and for a lot of time, I don't know if they respect them. They idolise them, they envy them. I don't know if they respect them because if they respect them, they're most likely going to go the path that we're going to go, you know. Give them the benefit of doubt because they're human. They make mistakes.
And Linda, you talked about that media pile on before and you've always got to remember there's a human being at the centre of it. That's right. And like, I don't know, you've probably seen, because you've been around for a minute, the changes and the effect now in terms of media, because it's not just in the paper for a day.
with social media and the internet and stuff, these stories last forever. Yeah, they're out there, aren't they? But not only that, you see more of the commentary, you see more of people making those negative comments and stuff like that where you wouldn't have seen that before. Yeah, I think that's right. And there's certainly a motivation there to drive eyeballs, to drive hits and sometimes I think, you know,
telling the truth might be down the list of objectives in some of that. yeah, the reality is you just can't spend too much time or focus on it too much. Yeah, and again, it comes down to the individual, which is very important. And again, it doesn't matter whether you're somebody that's in school or whether you're a professional in whatever field.
It's about the individual. We need to make sure they're okay. Yeah, exactly right. Just got to look after each other better. Yeah, someone was telling me the other day, you know, kindness. It's a sort of forgotten goal or forgotten word at times. Well, they say...
Podfire (33:14.062)
There's not enough empathy in the world. Because we would talk about leaders, if we talk about good leaders, empathy and perspective is two things that, and not limited to that, but two things that make really good leaders because they can come from a place of understanding. You know what I mean? A place of empathy where...
Again, we point fingers too much like you say, instead of trying to get to the bottom of things, we're quick to judge, whether it's the way we act or what we speak. Yeah, and being empathetic doesn't mean you're necessarily soft either in terms of keeping people accountable and maintaining standards and whatever. But amongst the leaders I've seen over the years and
I talked about Chris Fagan, you talk about the Craig Bellamy's, see it with Des Hasler, whatever. They genuinely, genuinely care about their people. It's people first. People first, performer, worker, competitor, competitor second. But as I doesn't mean they'll shy away from having those tough conversations when performances are falling a bit short.
There's certainly compassion on one hand and there's the courage to actually have those honest conversations when they're required. But yeah, it's that genuine, that's the thing that sets the best leaders apart, that genuine care for their people.
Podfire (34:58.104)
There we are again. So what next for Dennis? I mean, you've been around for a little while. mean that respectfully. I'm pleased I'm still here. Rugby League. What's next for you? Right now I want to give my full professional energies to getting this club where it needs to go.
You know, we're looking for new home. So there's gonna be a lot of work there in determining the future location and funding and what have you. That's a heavy onus on the owners. So I'm pretty determined to lighten that load as best I can. yeah, just wanna see this club on a trajectory, if you like, on the path.
And I think we're very, as I say, it's always about getting the right people on board. And I think we've got many of the right people already helping steer this ship and rowing furiously in the right direction. So yeah, I think the future's pretty bright. there is, as I say, we just need to put our shoulders to the wheel for the next little while and yeah, move us up a notch.
I'll get a little bit cheeky here. And I'm not often cheeky. But can you because no doubt that would be a pretty lengthy process. What sort of what sort of things do you need to do in terms of getting a space? You mean a home like a excellence center? So it'd be a lengthy process. So what sort of work would have to go into something like that? You'd have to speak with government.
Yeah, speak with government. Yeah, all levels of government. we've got to working very closely with a potential partner right now. And that's looking very, very, very promising. There's a lot of work and a lot of energy going in. So occupying the owners and the board and Steve Mitchell and Steve Mitchell and co. But yeah, on top of running the business here, that's...
Podfire (37:25.004)
Yeah, and you know all clubs, all clubs do it. So, and I was lucky to be part of that at the Broncos. And it looks good up there. Yeah does. looks really good. Yeah, I think they've sort of outgrown it now with the other, you know, with the community aspect of their business up there. that was my next question. How does something like that benefit community? You know, like I know.
I know what it does but from your own understanding what benefit is it for community? it is, I mean, we talk about a club that goes in, they build this excellent centre in order to perform better. What give back does the community get? Yeah, well essentially that building is getting a bit small for the purpose now but it has enabled the growth of
some pretty terrific programs. You the work that the Broncos do is superb in community, as you know, in the indigenous community, that whole education sector there. As you know, they ride throughout Queensland, know, Northern New South Wales. Yeah, beyond Broncos, they do a great job. Yeah, they do a wonderful job. And their game development too is a lot of what they do is community, you know, it's about
getting, you know, bringing young kids together, give them a sense of purpose, helping drive the game. And they got quite a strong team there, you know, under, you know, Paul Dyer and, you know, Mickey Hancock and Mick DeVere and others up there. Yeah, they do superb work, but certainly the High Performance Centre has enabled or helped facilitate the growth of those programs that they...
they impact a lot more young people, boys and girls. Big education focus there. And particularly on the Indigenous side too. So getting them through, getting them to set their sights higher, whether it's into trades or whether it's into higher education. So they do a superb job. I think the key is the word home.
Podfire (39:53.954)
that it's not just a building and an excellent centre, it's actually a home which encompasses so much more. And it needs to be welcoming and there's a flow that goes through there, but it's a foundation base as well for that connection through to community and that they feel like they're a part of it as well. Yeah, yeah, that's important isn't any organisation I think, yeah.
You know, you've to feel like you belong, you've got to feel safe, you've got to feel valued, whether it's family, whether it's the office, or whether it's community. Yeah. And I think, you know, from an outside perspective, it's really hard to understand and connect with the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes. Yeah.
It's so much more than just having a great game on that field that the administration and the staff that work in the clubs to pull everything together and have everything connected, they go over and above. And knowing them, you know that they're not there just to do a role. They're there because they love it.
Yeah, absolutely. And it's a passion and it's often a connection that they've had for a large part of their life. It's not, I'll just pop in and do this job for a couple of years. No, that's right. Their commitment and their connection within there, I think is something that many people don't see, understand or appreciate. Yeah, I think that's very right. And you two yourselves have seen so many things that are actually life changing.
And we had our leagueability presentation recently. How good was that? Amazing. And obviously when the club started a few years ago under Rene Cohen and the team, probably had no idea how widespread it would be. And I often describe it as like dropping a large pebble in a pond and you've just got those concentric circles that roll out to the shores of the pond.
Podfire (42:13.206)
It's players, and I feel a little bit guilty in saying this, but I never actually envisaged that those players would want to play on the main stage. But they do, and it changes their lives, their perspectives. So it's the players, it's the families, it's the carers, it's the coaches, it's the staff. Most of it's voluntary, that's they do. Even our own staff. It's the extra effort they make. It's in their own time.
that they find, you know, that they put into those programs. We had a young man there, young Jacob, who was in hospital in a coma for quite a while. And his family will tell you that the only thing that brought him through was his love of the Titans. So they filled his hospital room with Titans gear, Titans paraphernalia, kept talking to him about the Titans and what have you.
the medical team describes it as a miracle that he came out of the coma that he's with us today. And mum and dad were there with young Jacob and just so full of gratitude because they believe that the love of the Titans had actually saved his life. And you a hero. So that's not winning a premiership but you know that's.
That's pretty, that's pretty up there. Yeah, it's just up there, isn't it? I the premiership is great. Yeah. But that's, that's definitely, it's a different, it's a real high. Yeah, that's a real high. And the thing about, I mean, you have to be successful on the footy field. You really do. the great thing is that when you, when you're winning and that's the goal, when you're winning, it does elevate all these, all these great things that you're doing in community, it elevates all your programs.
you know, gives them a higher profile. It does allow you to attract more funding to grow and develop those programs. that's, I mean, that's never lost on people in the game. We know that. Well, we rely so much on each other. Yeah. You know what I mean? People don't turn up. Like you mentioned, we don't get that sort of stuff, you know? It's like, it ends the workplace if you don't turn up.
Podfire (44:40.192)
If you know, if we don't turn up, we can't we can't Yeah, we can't we can't create. I love it. You got to love regularly. we say it like, you know, so what happened? we didn't turn up. Yeah. So true. It is. Yeah. Poor old swan is on the weekend. What happened? What happened? They didn't turn up. Yeah. They were there. Yeah. They were there. They were there. They just got blown away. Yeah. Yeah.
And that's the thing, the important thing is once you turn up, it's having that space where you can perform at your best. Yeah. You know, and that's a, you know, again, that's a different level of understanding in terms of relationships and responsibility, which I think is as a place in business, you know, I don't know if we talk enough about it, you know, in terms of responsibility. Yes, we have our duties. Yeah. But as you mentioned, you know,
there are people that work with the Gold Case Titans that are responsible for stuff they're not even paid for. Absolutely. And that's where the difference lies. yeah. The power of the game, the power of the club, you know, what you guys put into that jersey, what it means to people, because we all wear it. You all wear it every day, don't you? So people see you, they associate you with the...
with the Titans and good work, good work in community. So it's a responsibility, Yeah, everyone. And everyone having the same idea, I know you have your departments, where you can, come together and talk about the purpose, share on the purpose. I think that's where your teams are.
Gonna be more successful is when when when you're on the same page and I know this is all cliche But yeah, we talk about it a lot, but we don't actually do it and put it into practice don't practice it leave it on a piece of paper and a strategy Yeah, you post on the wall. Yeah, so know be in your heart. That's right So I guess just in that in a little cheeky way. That's that's that's what I'm trying to do. You know, I love the club
Podfire (47:02.826)
It's given me so much, still gives me a lot. And I'm always trying to look where I can reciprocate the offerings I get from the club. I've changed as a person. I can't do it on the field anymore. So have to do it in a different way. And this is my way of doing it is trying to inspire, motivate through the work that we do.
No, you certainly do that. Yeah, I'm not sure we owe you anything, Preston. I think we're in your debt. No, But that's the thing. mean, we have to, that's how we have to think. You know, I feel like I'm indebted to the club because not only did it give me some, it still continues to offer stuff, you know. So if we all think that way, I think we'd be much better off.
What's living in reciprocity? Things will be different. Like truly always in everything, not even like employment, even at home with your family, even with when you go shopping, whatever it is, where are you showing up? How are you showing up and how are you giving back first rather than sitting back saying, what am I going to receive out of this? Yeah, yeah. First.
Podfire (48:30.574)
get him interested in about this new home. And if we can do anything, I'll throw it in the Come out to my place because you know that I'm out on country and you'll certainly be spiritually looked after. And I reckon I could run them hard up my heels. Like, you don't need all this flash equipment because you can run up my heel. That's certainly got some value. But again, you know, it's the people that make it, isn't it?
I remember, I remember when back in the early days when all the staff were actually working out of their cars. They went into the new office and then something happened and they couldn't be in that office and they were literally working out of their cars. Really? Yeah. And then stationed sort of everywhere around the Gold Coast and the Gold Coast was great in terms of supporting
taking staff in different occasions along the Titans journey. But the dedication of those staff was that they were happy to work out of their cars to make it happen. Yeah, well, that's what builds a great culture and a great club, it? Yeah. Yeah, that selflessness. Well, and you just learn appreciation as well, I think. don't go in...
to a job, like I can't need my mobile phone and my helicopter. But you should be like going into, if you're going to be employed in somewhere, what's your connection to that and what's your passion and your love for that because that job's gonna be so much more then. Yeah, I am a fan of office helicopters.
Give them the traffic and everyone wants to live. That's right. Get away from the M1. Well you can't blame them. can't blame them. Certainly got its attractions. And you know with the Olympics coming up too, everyone's post COVID. Yeah. And you could actually use on Dennis, I don't think people realise how many kilometres you travel to be a part of this club because you're actually up on the north side of Brisbane and come down and fight that M1 regularly.
Podfire (50:55.054)
Yeah, so I'm coming. It's a lengthy journey, but I'm going the right way too. I do feel for those people who going up to, you know, who have to work in Brisbane. Got to have travel strategies. But you know, that's a great opportunity, it, to win the hearts and minds of all those people coming here. often see, don't you, at the Seabass Stadium, you'll see Mum and Dad will be wearing their traditional, you know, Sydney club colours, but you know what, the kids.
Kids are Titans, Yeah. Yeah. And they've grown up here. They can call it their team. Yeah. It is a local team. Been around long enough now that kids are born and grown up with Titans. They're not new to their lives. Yeah, no, that's, it's heartening to see. And you know, our schools comp's probably, you know, the biggest in Australia. Once again, Renee and her team run that. Yeah. It's getting close to 3,000. Enormous increase in female players.
particularly since the NRLW with the 30 plus teams yeah yeah well yeah and well the registrations up 30 % you know you know since the girls you know showed what was possible by you know going to the grand final last year and riding it right up to right up to the last we just had a run of injuries before we even started yeah you with the top players and what have you but they're magnificent representatives you know of the club and them and themselves and the game
They've really changed the club for the better. Some great people involved there. They're incredible humans. Yeah, absolutely, Karen and Co. Yeah. work so hard. Absolutely. Yeah, so I think we're in good shape, but it's always, as I said, it's always about the quality of the people that you have on board and there's such a determination across the club to be knocking on the door of, you know,
Topping the table. Under Desi Hazle this year, there's just so much effort going on across the board. And that'll continue through the off-season. Lots of work going on right now. People sort of take the view that you shut up shop once the season's over, it's really, you do have to, people work so hard. You do have to back them off, but.
Podfire (53:20.93)
Yeah, there's just constant work about building for next year. So that's all happening now. Good time to fine tune. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Don't have to do any heavy lifting. Just get on the dyno. Yeah, fine tuning. Yeah. We may have a name. Yeah. We may have a name for the new home. Yeah. The Gold Coast Titans. You know, the footy. Yeah.
They generally call it the cauldron or they want it to be the cauldron. What's the other terms they use? Where they come and they just want to make it a fort. Yeah, a fortress or fortress. Yeah, fortress. You don't want people in. Yeah. But the home of the Gokas times, you want people coming. So maybe we call it the beacon. The beacon. Hey, look out. The beacon. I know, it's a little bit corny.
Hey, we want people coming. Throw it out there. That's right. And feel the dreams has already taken. Feel the dreams has taken. like that. I said when you talk about the beacon, I thinking about those three wise men following that star. So yeah, there's a bit of history there, isn't there? Absolutely. Yeah, definitely. Come out home there and fill your spiritual cups.
Yeah, I think your home needs to be right across the goal case. Yeah, little pockets of your location for preseason. That's right. You'll cater for it. Absolutely. Don't do it. They'll work hard. They'll work harder than they. The dampers good. It's basically in training. Yeah, true. Very true. Very true. What about you Preston? You still dream about footy? Dream about it? Yeah. your mind, you're still playing?
Every now and it's funny, it's strange, this time of year it does come up. I know what you're trying to say but yeah, it's like, I don't know about other former players, when the Grand Final comes around, for some reason I go and grab my premiership ring and I pull it out and I put it front and centre of the home. I don't know why, it's the only time of year I get to see it.
Podfire (55:32.686)
Is that right? Is that time of year? When you were above the TV set? Yeah, I know, it's a strange thing. It's probably a self-absorbed thing. I don't even know what it is yet. I just feel it. I go and grab it. I pull it out. You know what it is? I don't think it's personal achievement. I think it's the fact that with a committed team, you actually scaled the heights. You actually did it.
you actually did it together. And I don't know if there's anything better than Maybe that's what it is. A bit of a reminder that yes, we did achieve something great. You did. And it's probably not, it was definitely not my greatest achievement. I don't even think I've achieved anything great, to be honest. We've made it out of a lot of achievements, but I don't think I've personally achieved anything great because other people have achieved.
winning Premierships. Maybe that's the camp. I don't know, still working on it. So what do you think your greatest achievement is? I don't think I have a greatest achievement. You haven't peaked yet. Well, that's good. That's encouraging. No, I don't know. I don't know. mean, I think it's because you don't really focus on striving for that great achievement, striving to be the greatest that you can be each day. But is there a...
something that you like look at and go, right, that is going to be my greatest achievement. No, it's about taking that journey and then allowing that to unfold. Yeah, I don't know. I just might be different from people and appreciate everything along the way. I don't know who said it, somebody said it, but it really hits home to me. She said
people know my achievements, whether they're great or not. She said, I don't wanna talk about what I've achieved, I wanna talk about what I've done in order to achieve it. And guess that's where I'm at. I wanna talk about the things that helped me through tough times, know, it's not so much about the achievements, it's more about the journey. You know, that's how I view it. So we knew at rock bottom and you'd...
Podfire (57:59.662)
you did bottom out. What sort of got you back? In the beginning it was just small steps in the journey. through the day. For me it was about the practice, know, again because we talk a lot of theory, there is a lot of talk.
Podfire (58:18.082)
When I understood the theory and then understand what I needed to do in order to move forward, the practice was important. And in the practice, I'd be responsible and respectful about the practice in order to make those movements forward. And even though they really small ones, and not just in my case, so many other people, it's frustrating.
because sometimes you just want it to, again, that magic wand. You want it to turn around so quickly, but it's a journey. don't focus on what's happening now. We focus on where we want to be. So the practice for me, understanding it, what I needed to do, and just getting it done. So was that partly challenging your own thinking too? Yeah, definitely.
If you got thoughts come up that are potentially going to be harmful to you, you you bat them away like you have a mantra or like you just kept your eye on the girl. to people. that was the big difference. Yeah. You know, I went to people that helped me understand why I was feeling that way. You know. And at the end day, I had to make a choice of whether I took that on or not. Yeah. But again, that's just theory. Yeah. But that was really
getting that right was whether you lived or died, wasn't it? Exactly, yeah. And a lot of people live like that out there. And it's one of those things, you know, in order to move forward. it's something that... You ever sit and watch the stream or watch the river? Yeah. That it's moving. And look, when you talk about water, it has its duality. It can be devastating. Yeah. You know, can take life. Life-giving.
But it gives life as well. It's one of those things, you can learn so much from nature. But if you sit and watch a stream just move, it's not just that, it's the things that happen around it. The grass, the trees, whatever vegetation's involved, it's green. It's full of life. There's a lot of native animals that are around. And if you've ever been at a place where there's just water and it's stagnant,
Podfire (01:00:42.504)
and it's not moving. You look around that area, there's no vegetation. Everything's often died off around it. And you barely see any animals. Any animals out of there are bony and malnourished. So it's not good for you. And I guess that's what I'm trying to say as a human being. I think like a river or like a creek, like a stream, we need to constantly keep moving.
Otherwise, we'd get sick. And stagnant. Yeah. Where we can keep continuing to move forward, whether it's an education piece, whether we can learn, just gain a lot of confidence and continue. Every now and again, we might stop and a little whirl. We pull and just keep moving around, but at least we're still moving. And once we get out of that, am I making any sense? Yes, you are. It's a constant movement. think we need to.
it constantly move you know and we see it a lot in community where people struggle because we just we're stuck. Yeah. Do you have special places that you go to like back home or whatever? Yeah, I'm so I've been pretty lucky. Yeah. I mean, I dare say you too feel privileged to be able to visit other other places. Yeah. And that's what Rugby League again give to me because I mean, again, it still gives me because it allows me to travel to different places. It's a real privilege.
For me, is anywhere that I'm in good company. Beach, trees. I don't really need to go proper bush to find peace. I can find it here on the Gold Coast, and it's everywhere. Yeah, I think, thanks for that. was a great analogy, isn't it? Yes. True, but. When we connect with nature and we understand actually the strength that
is around us and the strength that you can harness. It's our superpower. Connect with yourself first and then with yourself and everything around you too. That's just just a bonus. Absolutely. It is quite powerful. Remember the name Beacon. Beacon. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's lobbying now. I can see the light. Yeah. It's just over that hill. So I keep moving.
Podfire (01:03:07.458)
Preston, if keep moving, I'll get there. The beacon reveals all. There you go. Absolutely. We always appreciate our time with you mate. Like I said before, we're great admirers of you without knowing too much about you. And I guess that's why we wanted to bring you in, we appreciate you coming in, Bud and Sharon. No, thanks very much Preston. Thanks very much, Linda. Always great to be in your company. We probably always go.
go deeper than what I'm used to doing. So I really value that. But I value your company. I value all that you do too. So thank you very much. Thank you. love connecting with you, mate. Thank you. Yeah, it's really good. And it's always authentic. So you're stuck with us basically. I feel so relaxed. Can you check?
See, I just have a little snooze here for a while. Yeah, right. Yeah, They'll be having a good. You got to come in here and chill and it is just having a yarn. Yeah. Thank you very much. Thank you. Episode six. Dennis White. Thank you very much, guys. Thank you.