Athlete

I thought that if I could play rugby on TV, I'd be able to get my mum a house. That was the driving factor.

Every rugby player in Australia and New Zealand or wherever they are from wants to play in the World Cup, and I am no different.

By the end of my first year at the Dogs, we'd won the competition, and I'd played some pretty good footy.

I've definitely got to look after myself first and foremost.

To be an Olympian - not many people can say that. But first of all, I've got to make the team, and I know a lot of hard work is going to go into it, so hopefully it pays off.

I've had an amazing ride. I've been blessed beyond things that I could never have imagined.

One thing I've learned over my career is that simplicity is the key: on the field, off as well.

Sometimes they are big hurdles, but good players can overcome them. I am trying to do my best.

You always feel for your fellow players when they are going through tough times, losing and things like that.

It's not an easy gig, being in the NRL sometimes: you always feel for the boys because you have that mutual respect knowing what they go through.

After that first month in Sydney, I went home for two weeks. I didn't want to ever go back because it was so hard.

If you go about trying to please everyone, there's going to be endless struggles.

I like the challenge, week in, week out, of trying to play good, consistent footy.

My mindset at this stage, especially after having a daughter... it's just changed my whole outlook.

My biggest challenge for myself is to be the best father I can be and be the best husband I can be.

There was no way I was going to end up in the scrum when I came to rugby - you know, waste my pretty looks.

I've definitely got to look after myself first and foremost.

If a lawyer, if a teacher, if a bus driver, if they're on $40,000 and they get offered a lot more to go somewhere else, what do you think they're going to do?

I grew up in a commissioned house in the next suburb over, Mount Abbot. It was a two-bedroom house with me, my brother, and my two sisters. Mum and Dad slept in the lounge, and we didn't have wallpaper.

I had to work on the fundamentals of the game because in league, the position I played, it was just bash and crash.