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Okay, about this time last year, we had this guest as our uh very special, what should I say, maybe victim at that point. And I'm delighted to say he's so brave. Ian Bllee, sporting director at Ble Rhinos, has agreed to come back on for more torture. Was it torture? It was torture. No, it was good, actually, wasn't it? I thought you treated me well. I hope you're going to treat me well tonight as well. I love that you're just making eye contact with John there and not me. Yeah, it was fine. It's good fun. Bley. It's a bit breezy. Welcome.
It is. Yeah. Welcome along. Thank you. Thanks for having me. Thanks for agreeing to come on. I think the best place to start is exactly where the Rhinos are at point of recording and that is the top of the table. Can't say the same that they were there this point last year. No. Uh it means nothing I guess at this you know boring answer. It means nothing at this stage of the season but happy to be there going okay. Still lots to work on. Brad and the coaches are doing that behind the scenes. Players are responding well to everything we're throwing at them. Uh so yeah, good start to the season, but a long way to go.
What's impressed you most about the start, Blazy? What is it the development on last year where you left? I think attack's really good this year. Scott Griggs is worked well on that. Jamie's doing the defense and Brad's overseeing it all obviously. But I'm really pleased with the attack cuz we can work on that this year that we couldn't do the year before because Brad was still installing his, you know, deer and methods and processes, etc. So, we spent a bit more time doing that this year. So, pleased that's showing through really. Yeah. Lots to be excited about, isn't there? With the way that leads attack, Jay, Connor, Broady Croft, Locky Miller.
Yeah, Locky Miller. A real um I think you attack with speed that other teams just can't. you know, there's a lot of uh I'd say quick moving parts within that. You can really break teams down quickly. I think the new rules have I wouldn't say helped us. All teams have adapted to the new rules, but credit to the officiating as well. I think that's improved as we gone through the season. There was a lot of iron at the start of the year with the rook, but I think they're cleaner now, faster, and we're I think not benefiting as a result of it, but we're learning to adapt.
Yeah, maybe more than other teams. I don't know. One of the big changes from last year to this year is the fact that Gary Heatherington has moved on. And you've got JJB, our friend and colleague here at Sky Sports as the CEO. How's he getting on? Brilliant. Yeah, we Yeah, we work closely and I'm on the board with Jamie obviously CEO and then we've got other members of the board, Rob Oats and Sue Ward and others that are helping me and the owners Paul Kadik and Ali Kadic have been brilliant to us. But Gary, yeah, you know, I think of Gary. He's a godfather of rubby league. So, and he I listened to him a lot when I was coming through working in this administration type role. Uh but yeah,
he's always been an inspiration to me and Jamie is doing a really good job now. Well, I you know what I love about Jonesy having worked with him for a number of years now is Jonesy always has some sort of vivid story to compare something to. Absolutely. So, my best my favorite one where is he compared a team to a broken box of biscuits that you opened at Christmas. Do you know what I mean? and he spent four or five minutes getting there and I was like, "All right, you mean they're just a bit disjointed at the minute." So, does he use these stories in the board? He's got some classic sayings as well that we all giggle behind the scenes, but fabulous. Work works hard for the club. Loves the club. You know, he's
he's the DNA of his club, isn't he? So, yeah, really pleased that he's doing it. How has the transition been though with Gary moving on because he was the heart and soul of this club? Yeah, so I think we transitioned pretty well over it. Gary was superb. When I arrived, he was there for me all the time. And then, you know, the strategy was that at some point he'd move on. And that was done, you know, through Gary and the owners. So, you know, it was seamless really. Uh and he's still around. I saw him this week, made a beline straight away for him. Had a chat with him. He's just a great guy and he's missed the rubby league, isn't he? It is weird though, isn't it? In the
hospitality lounge, so we went up there, we did a podcast with him and people still speak to him like he is the chief, don't they? They're still asking him like really business questions about how the club's going commercially. Takes some getting used to that. It'd be just like, yeah, not me. Not me anymore. I'm not your man. But yeah, legend. Legend again. Okay, so plenty to go at, I suppose. Fley. Um, shall we start with the number of players that are moving on at the end of the year? Some people are describing this as somewhat of like an exodus.
There's what five players at this point in time that six is it? Yeah. I think some things you can foresee, some things you can't. NRL clubs coming from nowhere. Uh there was talk about it at the time. We were pretty comfortable with the contracts we we'd signed. But speaking off air, you don't want to keep an unhappy employee. And there was individual reasons for each one of them. Very unhappy. No, you would never keep one. They were never unhappy. But when they want to do something, you stopped them doing something. You can't stop people doing something in life. And I love ambition within players and members of staff.
And I like to see them want to get the best things for them and the families. And that's what, you know, some of them have done that. They made a great choice for themselves. And that's what it's about sometimes. Brody going has made a choice, as he said, for himself and his family. So, we've just got to deal with that. That one must have hurt. Yeah, they all hurt because they're all great guys. All part of our current squad. All playing well. Uh but I understand it and I get it because I've been around a bit and I know what that feeling is like when you get approached by and let's you know they're going to get looked after in terms of money.
You know people had testimonials that they had to overcome to leave. So it's they were big decisions for them and the families but I respect that and we move on as a result of it. Is it a unique situation now where leads who've who've had a turbulent period, haven't they? You know, not been exactly at their imperious best over maybe the last since co, you know, it's been a transitional period. Brad Arthur seems to have steadied the ship. The club now is on the cusp of getting right back to the big time. It feels like, isn't it weird now to have your squad almost dis disassembled at this time? Yeah, there's a way of looking at it like that which I would be slightly negative about, but
positivity is that we can strengthen if we want to, which we are going to do hopefully working hard on that in the background and as you see we've got a great youth system coming through. We've got to leave space for that as well. We've got I think five coming on cap next year. Yeah. And I'm we're keen on that as a club. That's going to be our DNA. Our culture going forward is promoting our youth. We've got some great youth players coming through now. We call them transition players uh who are knocking on our door. So, I've got to make sure to leave space for them as well. So, we spoke about the fact that Brody Croft leaving hurt you the most. Is there one particular player that I suppose you almost regret their decision to leave?
I regret their decision to leave or regret the fact that you haven't been able to hold on to them? Yeah, all of them. As I said, I think they're all important. You know, we would probably have them for next year given their choices. we wouldn't uh you know when I chatted to them all individually and some of them before it happened they were all they all had ambitions to go to the NRL so how do you stop that ambition in life you can't it's impossible uh unless you want to keep an unhappy player which Croft choosing to go to Warrington yeah and that was probably a difficult one there was tears on that one definitely uh and that's a shame but tears why because he didn't want to go really in a
way I don't think you know and he said it's just the he didn't want to go the travel and security for his family now. So, he did want to go then? No, I don't think Well, no, he did. Well, he's gone. He's gone, but yeah, I agree with what you're saying, but he signed a contract for a lucrative contract. So, I get the element of him not wanting to go, but if he didn't want to sign it, he's a grown man. He wouldn't have signed. Yeah. But I think he's done the right thing probably for his family. He's had enough of the travel. He's got another child on the way. He's had it now. So, therefore, he did want to go, didn't he?
Well, that's he's got he's made a decision for himself. Uh but it wasn't an easy one and it's it's one we wouldn't want again if it did happen again we'd be gutted again which we are now. So, and how much of a blip is that Broady Croft, you know, we talk about that triumvirate of players, Loy Miller, Jake Connor, Broady Croft that you can see that really bearing fruit and longterm as well. You know, Jay Connor's maybe got two, three more years at his best. Broy's got years left. Loy Miller's got a decade of being at his best. Just disruption of that core of your team. Um, that hurts, doesn't it? Yeah. And you know, we've got youth coming through there, George Brown. Uh we saw that a long time ago with talented youngster coming into that
position. Uh we're going to put our faith in George. I mean tell us about George because a lot of people listening watching probably won't know a lot about him. Yeah, you've seen glimpses of him playing for the first team obviously, but we've recognized that the youth is our future and George will be part of that plan. Uh we don't want to rush him in there. We probably say it's 12 months to I think Brad's come out and said that already, but we're going to support that. He's got fantastic tal talent. His D is good. His attack's great. And that's what we want to see coming through at this club.
Yeah, it's awesome that isn't in Super League. Um we spoke at the start of the year, Sam Tomkins said one of his ambitions for this year was to see uh maybe three or four gun halfbacks come through and get an opportunity. We've got Jack Farman's just won the lands tour at Wigan. We've got you win who's ripping up things for Warrington and then we've got Brown here, you know, and George Whippby at St. who you throw in there. So in that sense like we're in a good position of bringing spine players through and without doubt Josh Brown is one of those like I'm delighted that you're saying he will be our starting standoff next year. That's a big call because that's not easy to get that through on
the terraces. That's not an easy thing. Sorry we still don't know who the head coach is going to be next year. So how can you stand here today and like surely that if Brad Arthur does leave or maybe there's more breaking news. Is he staying and if he made that decision? Let's get into this again. It was good fun last year. Let's do it. Let's do it again. Yeah, let's not. Uh So, listen, we got a deadline for Brad and everybody knows that's the end of June. So, we'll stick to that deadline. Uh but you're right last year.
It's a good point you raise about but I think the process that we've got within the club, our culture now is bringing our youth through. It is and I've said it I think went to a scholarship uh parents evening the other week. Jamie asked me the question, what's the strategy? what's what's the plan for this club? And for me, it's 10 to whatever homegrown players playing for leads. Yeah, I'm not saying less overseas players, but I want to see the homegrown come through. And we're promoting George off the back of that. There's other ones. There's Presley Cassell, there's Ben Littlewood, there's Riley Long, there's Max
Simpson's coming back from injury next year. There's Alfie Ed. We've got a I don't want to single people out, but we've got a tier below them as well. So, we're really healthy in that position, and that's our job to make sure that comes through. Yeah. I think there's one thing though in sport that always interests me is that class of is it class of 92 or Man United. So Man United produced internally maybe five or six world class or Premier League class players at the same time and they all came through a similar period and a bit like leads the golden generation Sinfield Borough Magguire and all of those guys came through at a similar time but there is a danger that you chase that again and that's a very unique situation.
United have never got back there have they? Man United have tried to replicate that and never got back there. There's a concern, Blazy, that you go, "Yeah, we're going to go for 10 homegrown players and it not yield silverware, isn't there?" Yeah. And if you don't try in life, you'll never get anywhere either, will you? So, you've got to We've got to back. You can see how good they are. They're good. We've all been the game. We know what's good and what's not so good. And we're okay with it. We're we're happy with our decisions. Look, you know, we won't stop looking and we won't stop recruiting because we need to do that for next year. So, that's what's
happening now as well. But are you getting nervous about time running out? No. What a fall. He's 61. He's only 61. Recruiting players. I think you need your time for recruitment. Not sorry. Well, no. We're okay. We're all right. And who's the big names, right? Cuz I said about Brown, I'm I'm excited by him, but I know how hard it is to please people on the terraces, you know, where he's a name that will excite people. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to play that down, but you're going to have to bring a big dog in, aren't you?
Somebody a big name. Yeah, probably a couple hopefully. Yeah. And where how far on are you with that? Yeah, we're well on with it. Yeah. Right. But you've got this smug look in your You've got a really So there's a big There's a couple of big ones on there. It's we need to strengthen, don't we? You know, we was going we've talked about it. So we've got to strengthen in certain areas, but also we've got to leave space for our youth coming through as well. So, we've got a balancing act over the next
two years. When I started here, I thought it's going to take a few years to get in place. We've probably got to where we are maybe slightly quicker than I thought and Brad thought we were going to get. If you look back what changes we've done, it's been significant on and off the pitch, you know, but we are where we are now. And I'm quite excited because I know we can get to where we need to get to a nucleus of youth and then sprinkle some magic with some key players banging on about this, but when Broady Croft decided to like was that a shock? Did you see that coming or I think the NRL was always on his mind. Uh so to go to another English club was Yeah. kick in the guts.
Uh yeah, a little bit. But could you compete moneywise for Yeah. We were Yeah, we were there. So what? You're right there or not? Yeah. Right there. God, that Yeah, that's devastating. So that is devastating. So, okay. Can we go back to Brat Arthur because I just before I know before we go before we do that, let's let's rewind to this time last year. You were in discussions with Brad Arthur. Will he stay? Won't he stay? You bet that he wouldn't. You were confident. I did. I said three out of 10. You said six out of 10.
You were more confident that he'd stay. The numbers game again, aren't we? I can see you coming. If he had have signed a 2-year, threeyear deal back then instead of this rolling one-year deal, whatever it is. I don't even know if it's a rolling deal, but this one year deal. Okay. Do you think you would see those six players decide to move? Yeah, I think the opportunities some of them have got is Yeah, I think so. So, I'm, you know, Yeah, I don't think whoever we had would have stopped them guys wanting that lifestyle probably that money, that opportunity to test theelves. Uh, and it's up to us to make our competition as good as that. that we're way off, aren't we? We're way off in terms of money, in terms of stature. It's up to us to get
that better, but I don't think that would have changed it. Okay, so Brad Arthur, is he staying? Is he going? It's interesting one, Matt. Yeah, I've not been asked that one before, Jenna. Uh, listen, I've loved working with him. The staff have the club. We know that Cook interrupting you, but anyway, come on. Uh, it's when we employed him or when he came on board, did I think he'd stay this long anyway? Probably not. Will he stay longer? I hope so. He knows. He knows how I feel.
Why isn't he not signing? The deadline. But why is that the deadline? Well, cuz that's what we set as professionals. That's what you do. Set a deadline where you all know where you are and that's what we're going to do. So, is he waiting on an NRL offer? You'd have to ask him though. Yeah. It's not I would say right I think and I think what you've done and what Brad's done actually at Leads is remarkable and I'm I think Leeds are an amazing rugby league club. Like I love them. It was sad when they didn't make
the playoffs and you know they're bumbling around a bit and I always felt it's sad because it's this big club with this rich history and I'm like it's just not delivering is it? And then when Brad came in, I saw like Matt Pete's used the word identity in a different sense this season, but I thought saw leads find their identity again under Brad. The bit I'm struggling with is that if this man who has been so fundamental to you re reestablishing that identity, can't commit to a club like Leeds for longer than 12 months at a time. Is that acceptable? I think if we push him in a corner and he walks, it will be the bad guys, won't we? And we didn't give him that opportunity. And the contracts there for
that opportunity for whatever he wants to do, but the deadline is the deadline, so we'll know by then. Good. You want him to stay, you want him to be your coach. And the offer will be another one year. Will it be longer? Could be longer. Is it is that a prerequisite that it's going to be? I think that's down to me and him to chat through. But I think you know Jakey son plays for FC. His wife Michelle and his daughter Charlotte are over there. It's only Matthew now left back at home. So the ties are here. That doesn't stop anyone moving I guess because he can easily get on that plane and go back home. Having said that, I think
everything we've done for him is a credit to the club and we you know we've done well with him here. We've we've worked well with him. So why wouldn't he stay? But from so I we're talking about signings and you made a good point potential signings for next year. you're saying about George Brown playing six next year. Is that driven by Brad? Yeah, we had we've had a lot of chats about it since we knew Broad was going to leave. Uh and we've had a lot of chats with George as well. Uh me particularly with his agent, but yeah. Uh yeah, Brad was a big pusher in that in and in recruitment decisions. Yeah, I'll always we'll always be like that on recruitment. Uh is that not dangerous then going into a year where might not
say right we're going to go George Brown all in whack a new guy comes in and goes you know what can be not can be having said that as we said if you've been around the game you know what's good and what's not so good and sometimes it won't always work will it and you might have to change stuff but I'm I'm confident whoever we bring in will be right for this club we won't do anything that's not right for this club and I think we've got as I've said the culture and the DNA sort of like set a bit little bit now with still lots to do on and but I think we bring in will benefit this club. So you say to Brad, here's the contract.
We want you for two years at least. He says, I'm not signing that. I'll sign a one-year contract. You'll say yes. Probably. Yeah. Why not? Yeah. Why not go again for another year? And a lot of things can happen in that year, can't they? I mean, to see leads on top of the table given everything that's the noise and everything that's going the uncertainty if you like. And I think I use that word when asking a question to Brad if he puts any of, you know, I think it was a defeat. Can't remember who you lost to, but it was quite a surprise defeat. I said, "Could this have anything to do with the uncertainty surrounding your future, Broady Cross future?"
Braver. It was Raven. He shot me down on live TV. Um, but it had to be asked. But, um, I just think it you're in a I mean, next year is going to be a rebuild phase. Whatever way you look at it. the fact that leads this point of the season at top of the table with all of that movement ahead of you, I think it's remarkable. Yeah. I think the trust we've got within the club with each other, not just with Brad is good. We'll we'll work on that. I think everybody knows the journey we're on and sure about the rebuild word, but yeah, we'll we'll shape the squad to be where it needs to be for next year and I'm excited about it and the club are excited about it.
What are the things that would be non-negotiable now having worked with Brad? What are the non-negotiable traits of a coach for leads rhinos? What are the things they must be whether it's Brad or not? Because obviously Brad has got these traits because you love it. What are the traits that must a lead rhinos coach must have? Yeah. Well, I think Brad uses the words physicality and effort and in the right areas and all of that stuff is and like the attacking that we've got now, I think it's becoming part of the league's brand again. And it always was exciting. Excite the fans, excite the members and the sponsors. That's got to be uh and we might not have to look too far for that replacement anyway. So,
oh, is that a clue? So, if Brad says no, who's in? I'll open the net up like we did when I first got here when we recruited Brad. We'd be silly not to do that. We have We'd have to have a look around. How big is your net? Does it go wider than Heading Stadium or is it a net? It needs to. I think just as always. It's a big position, isn't it? It would be an international net. No. Yeah, it'd have to be because it's the same as players. The club's big as you've said. It doesn't always suit every player and every person, does it? Because it's that big, it can consume
you. All the duties you have to do here are far different from where I've come from before and things like that. So, I know that sometimes you've got to have the right characteristics as a person and the right personality to be able to do this job. Would you consider promoting from within? Yeah, that would be one of our options as well. Yeah, of course it would. Yeah. If you could pick your dream coach, who would it be? Not Brad. I knew he'd say. Why did you ask me that? Okay, let's say not Brad Arthur. Yeah. No, can't say. Because I'm not I've not gone past that post of Brad staying yet. So, it does need sorting though, don't for every year this year.
How many days you got now? You only I know, but you can't roll in for this every year, can you? Where you don't know your coaches next year? Oh, we're not doing so bad about that way. I know you're doing great, but I don't think long term that I don't No, I don't think long term that you can do that. I think Brad is I like your thoughts. Brad is integral and we all know that. But the danger is that now he is holding a lot of the cards, isn't he? What coach doesn't potentially you might be right at this level.
Yeah. you know, especially at the top. What coach doesn't in a way, but he's not like that. He's not that type of a guy to be like that. Well, you're fine with just signing a coach on a 12- month deal. Brad, any coach, Brad, just Brad. I think now we know what he can produce and give. I think I'd be comfortable again. And as I've said, a lot of things happen in 12 months. We've seen it this year, you know. So, given the team, given the movement that we're going to see at the end of this year, this is basically it. I mean, well, of course it's it, right? Success.
Silverware has to come. That is it. This is it. That's it. So, how confident are you that you're going to be lifting that Super League trophy come October? Not even thought about it. You just I don't You don't, do you? You didn't. When you don't No, you don't. It's not part of Yeah. You talk about it pre-season. How do we get there? Yeah. Your objectives are there, aren't they? Start of the year. We want to be this. We want to be that. Yeah. And then you're into the grind every day, every week. It's just
When do you start thinking about it? When do I or the club? Well, you and then the club. I thought I was thinking about it last year until the last 10 seconds of that game, you know, but it's foolish, isn't it? I think it's a foolish way of looking at things ahead of the time. You in this game, you've got it's an old saying week in week out, you've got to just take your opposition as they come. Yeah. I'll say this though. I was really critical of leadeds during a period probably the Ron Smith period. I was very critical openly and I back myself because I believed what in what I saw that's completely changed under Brad Arthur now they are
legitimately a title threat and not just that I don't think I think Wigan leads and Warrington somewhere in that obviously our champions I believe will come from that. The reason why I like leads is as a player. Leadeds are exactly the side that I would hate to play against in a playoff or a final. There's not another side in this competition who I would like to play less than this lead side because they can whack 20 points on you in 20 minutes out of nowhere. They defend well, they're tough. Uh the their efforts there, but when they those days
where everything's just perfect, they're almost unplayable. It's all Vegas. I watched the Vegas game and thought leads are just going to go all the way and smash everybody this year. Now it hasn't quite worked out that way and there's been ups and downs along the way, but there's something special about leads at the minute and it's anchored to Brad Arthur and that's why I know it's repetitive pleasing. We keep digging you about it, but that's why it's so fundamental that is resolved and I'm glad you've got a date June 29th. Mhm. Done. 29th or 30th? End of June is the 30th of June. Yeah. 30th of June. So we to make that announcement live on sports said was a day or two which becomes a week it's a month. So just finally on this matter
I remember last year Brad was saying that the reason he was delaying his decision was because he wanted to be certain that playing group had bought into his beliefs his tactics. I think it's pretty clear that this group this year have done that given where you are on the table given the success you've already had in 2026. So real like what is the hold up? I think because we put that date in that we've we've both agreed to speak. Are you kicking yourself? I should have been It's the right time of year. It's everything's been flushed through. We've talked about it and that's what we put in as a date and then we're fixed on that. He coaches this team to do the best they can all
year anyway and that'll be the date that he informs us or not. Either way. Okay. Last year you gave it a six out of 10 that he'd stayed. What do you give it this year? What are you saying? What do you say? I think I'm I'm sticking my gun. I say I'm going to go four. Four out of 10. He stays. I'm going six. Again. I'm going to go seven. Are you? Yeah. I'm going seven. Why is that? Um because I believe that he is invested in this club and I believe that he believes he can have success with them whether that be this year or next. And
the fact that he is looking ahead to next year, I think is a big key that he is invested in 2027. I'll tell him you're a seven. Yeah, that'll be good for negotiation as well. We've got 2 minutes left. So, very quickly, traditionally, we do on and off the bench. On the bench is something you want to see less of in rugby league, sport, the world. Less of challenges, captain challenges taking too long. Let's put a limit on it. So, put a limit on it. So you want to get rid of 30 seconds. Whatever it is, let's do a limit.
Put a time frame on it. Not necessarily get rid of Let's do a limit. Let's put them under pressure. I think put them really under pressure like 10 SECONDS. THEY GO JUST THINK I THINK WE can make it cleaner, can't we? We can make it cleaner. So that's less of Yeah. Okay. That's on the bench. Off the bench. Oh, can I put one something on the bench? Yeah. Uh the amount that we pay our players, I watched Bill and Neil get killed in a tackle at Wembley and I walked away from that thinking, why would you play this game? you don't get paid enough to put your body under that much threat. Um, it's not moved within line with inflation. The cost of living now is incredible. And we're expecting young
men to put their bodies in a situation that is critical, like life-threatening at times, dangerous in the most physical competitive team sport in the world, and we're paying them the same as we paid them 10 years ago. It's embarrassing. Lizzy, you're nodding. I won't argue against that. you know, as an ex player, the more pay you get in this game, it's toughest game, toughest sport in the world nearly, you know, so why not? I think the salary cap's got to move with that as well. We've not done much there. I know the RFL are working on it now, which is great. Homegrown players more. I want to see more homegrown players and being allowed to not spend more on the home goal, but reward them more and
clubs getting rewarded for that. So, I'm a big advocate in that as well. Brilliant. Um, okay. off the bench more of is that the sign of increase I think more reward for our young players and that's not just coming from a league perspective that's you know there's a lot of clubs doing it uh and getting more reward there when it we bring them through our scholarship and our academy programs and then at certain point we've got to make a tough decision on them at some point it's happened to us once this year it could happen again in the years to come uh so I'd like to see clubs being able to look after them more because they put so much time and effort in there originally so and the pay
they at that age before they get on cappies needs looking at which they are doing. They are looking at you ear minimum wage now in a cafe in Manchester. You earn £32,000 a year. Like I some of our young players aren't getting paid that and it's it's be below minimum wage what we pay our young athletes. Now, how can we expect young people to say I'm going to play this incredibly dangerous game, right? And I'm going to get my body battered and broke and I'm going to leave it with scars and limps and bumps and bruises for less than the
minimum wage. We've not got to do much cuz it creates this, you know, mass amount of money required more in it. We just got to be sensible about it and build it up now and look after them. That's all I say. Potentially if the NRL and this deal comes off, are you for and a big four is, you know, looking after the community game. I think we've let that go over decades now. I hope if it does come in, a big allocation of money is put at the grassroots. Really keen on seeing that happen at grassroots. put a pillar in for grassroot rugby with what used to happen with teachers and coaches being out there every single day of the week.
Yeah. And let me just say this about money as well, right? It's not all about money. You don't do things in life for money all the time, but it helps. And there's loads of people in our communities who live really tough lives on less money than the rugby guys are on. And I know that the money is relative to the interest in the sport, isn't it? As well. So, we've got to grow everything because ultimately the biggest signpost for me that our sport hasn't grown enough is how much our younger players have played and that's all I want to see is great reward. Great. That's one of the best things you've ever said on this podcast here.
Um Ian Ble, thank you so much. That wasn't so bad, was it? No, it was okay. You're an absolute Thank you for coming on. June 30th. We'll be on July 1st. I'm going to check the games now. breaking the news that Brad Arthur years question mark.
