Steve Roach and Mark Carroll ham it up at the launch of Fox League's Retro Round in Sydney. (Photo courtesy Fox League)

Roach is a proud product of the Wollongong rugby league nursery, but his ties to Balmain can be traced back to his early forays into Sydney rugby league, which he dreamt of being part of since playing mock games of footy as a young kid during the half-time break of Saturday afternoon television coverage.

“The only game ever shown on television was the ABC match of the day. I’d play knees footy with my brothers down our little hallway at home at half-time in the TV game and think: Geez, I’d love to be like those players on the TV one day. I just loved the game. Couldn’t wait to put my footy gear on. I played for Red Devils in Wollongong. It was the highlight of your life … just to play a bit of footy.

“I followed Manly when I was a kid … because of Bob Fulton. He was a Wollongong bloke, so was Graeme Langlands. Mate, I just jumped at the first opportunity I got, which was with the Tigers. In those days you had to play two years in the juniors to qualify for first grade. So I came up to Sydney not knowing anyone. It was about relying purely on your will to want to do it.”

The 17-game New South Wales Blues veteran and 19 Test-match stalwart for Australia was lucky enough to be spurred on by unarguably the best supporter a rugby league player could have on their side, the great Laurie Nichols. For almost a quarter of a century, Nichols would famously shadow-box on the sideline at Leichhardt Oval in an attempt to fire the Tigers up as they ran through the players’ race and out onto the field.

“Laurie Nichols would be there throwing air punches: ‘Carn the Tigers.’ That was Sunday arvo footy at our home ground … Just seeing him stand there and supporting the team no matter what: win, lose, draw at Leichhardt.”

As Roach remembers, Nichols was also famous for his rhyming slogans, which he’d direct the players’ way as they ran past him.

“There’d be Wayne Pearce - he’s so fierce. Garry Jack - the world’s best back. David Brooks - spoils their looks. His one for me was: Steve Roach - teach them not to boast. It didn’t really rhyme!

“He rubbed off on everyone, though; the love that he had. You could feel his genuine love for the game.”