The big thing that stood out with Canterbury was, they were the type of club that would look after me. The family club, they had a strong board, the Mortimers, the Hugheses. My mum and all of us thought that’s where I fit in the most. I was going through a tough time even though I was doing well in rugby league. They were hard, too – disciplined and tough. They were the best possible club at the time. They were so successful, and they were the family club. I don’t know if they’re quite there at the moment; they’ve lost that aura.

You won a premiership in your fourth full season with Canterbury. I remember asking your old Roosters team-mate Anthony Minichiello about winning one as a young player, and he talked about not appreciating it properly. Did you have the same experience?

Yep, and if you have success early, you think that’s just the way it is. You talk about Mini, similar situation, like the Roosters back then, we were top-four for three or four years. Come straight into grade, making semis every year, won the premiership by 21 or 22. You don’t understand at the time. You’re elated; it’s the best feeling ever. But you still don’t understand what you’ve achieved until you realise how hard it is to achieve it. And that only comes with time and playing many seasons … You definitely appreciate it more after winning and seeing how hard it is to get back there.

Lining up for coach Freddie at the Roosters. (Photo by Getty Images)

Did you have a later team that you felt was as good or better than the ’04 Bulldogs, but just didn’t get over the line?

That team we had in 2004, we had some experienced heads, but we had guys that would go on and have bigger and better careers. We had no weakness; everyone was tough, everyone was born to play. I don’t think I would’ve got close to having a squad like it after that, when I think about it.

When we made the grand final in 2010 with the Roosters, we just had a dream run. We had a young team – when we lost that grand final, I was devastated. I’m sure Mini was too. The senior guys were rocked by it. I knew I was, because I’d taken so long to get back to that stage.

I remember we were on the team bus on the way home, and all the young kids, they were just happy to make the grand final. We’ve got mad Monday, they were singing and having a drink. And I’m sitting up the front thinking: these guys, they don’t know what they’ve just missed out on; they might not get another one again. And in turn, a lot of those guys got one three years later. I knew they were going to win it, because I knew they had that same feeling, how limited those opportunities are.