Knights forward Tyson Frizell in Newcastle on March 31, 2025. Part of multi-cultural celebrations. NRL game away v Bulldogs after bye in round 4.
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00:00You're in the NRL. I suppose a milestone like that, what does that mean to you?
00:05Yeah, I'm not too sure how to answer that. I've been in the game for a while now.
00:12Yeah, there's a lot to reflect on once I've finished my career, but I'm still in the thick of it.
00:20Started the year off okay, in terms of the team and personally.
00:26Still enjoying my footy, still love it as I did when I first started, so things haven't changed.
00:32Yeah, really excited to get back in it. We've had a boy on the weekend,
00:38and I've had a team to come up against, and the dogs are playing some good footy at the moment.
00:45Talking about still loving it, you had that option to extend your contract here at the Knights.
00:49Why are you saying you've taken it this year?
00:51I suppose, why was it so important for yourself to stay here and continue what you love doing?
00:57Yeah, there's no reason why I wanted to leave. I've played some decent footy while I've been here.
01:03The family are happy. I enjoy the club. The club's going in the right direction.
01:08There's a lot of boxes that have been ticked.
01:12Like I said, wherever I'm enjoying my footy, that's where I want to stay.
01:16Hopefully, I can continue that in the future.
01:19At one year at a time now, I get to an age where I'll probably sign a multi-year deal with some other players
01:28and get the games in business.
01:31Like I said, as long as I'm still playing footy and still enjoying the game, I want to be playing for as long as I can.
01:36Do you feel like there's even some unfinished business in this team?
01:39Like you said, you're excited for where this team can go.
01:43Yeah, for sure. There's no ceiling on what we can achieve this year.
01:48Yes, it's still early days, but we slowly want to be progressing as the year goes on.
01:53We want to be playing for honestly. We want to be making it all the way.
01:56No different than any other team. I guess that excites you as well.
02:01Like I said, it's still early in the season, but there's a lot of great things to look forward to.
02:06Tonight, obviously, is a very special night within the club.
02:11What does a night like a multicultural night mean to yourself in sharing each other's culture?
02:18What does that do on and off the field to build a better understanding between the team and its players?
02:25Yeah, we've been doing this, I think, probably the past four years.
02:29It's a great way to showcase a lot of people's culture.
02:33I think there's probably more than 50% of the side have some sort of different background throughout the NRL.
02:40I think there's nearly 50% of the players are from either Pacifica or Maldive background,
02:46and that's not including our indigenous players on this side as well.
02:51It's a very diverse group. It's something that we can celebrate together, culture and family.
02:58All that is very special to a lot of individuals.
03:01It's special to them and it's special to us as a team and as a club too.
03:06It's a way we can showcase all that.
03:09We've heard a few dances, a few songs from a lot of different cultures, which is exciting to hopefully see more.
03:18Your two little ones you've brought along.
03:20What's it mean to you in terms of keeping their culture front of mind as you're raising them
03:26and also marrying that into what I imagine is a big part of their life, which is football as well?
03:30Yeah, it's a very important, like I said, culture.
03:34It's not only very important to me as an individual, but also being able to pass that down to my kids.
03:41Obviously my parents are Tongan and Welsh, so to be able to let them know that they have that in their blood
03:48is a day to showcase them.
03:51They're traditionally wearing traditional clothes today and I will be later on.
03:57It's a good day to showcase where people are from and their backgrounds as well.
04:04How was the bye week?
04:06First of all, the coach said before you went off on the quote-unquote break that it wasn't going to be much of a break.
04:12What was that week like?
04:14Yeah, it was good.
04:16It wasn't a big break. It's still early in the season, so it couldn't be going too far for many of the boys.
04:23We had a long weekend away.
04:27Usually, as always, it's the day you spend with loved ones and partners or whatever you want to do.
04:33It's almost like different moments that kind of value the family, which is great.
04:38Looking at how these first couple of weeks of the season are panning out, the Dogs are the only team that haven't copped a loss.
04:45What can you say about looking at all the teams and that there isn't that clear dominant team right at the start
04:56and that it does seem to be a little tighter than we expected?
04:59Yeah, you can say it's a pretty balanced kind of ladder at the moment with all the teams.
05:07There's been a couple of upsets throughout the few weeks.
05:12It is what it is. It's footy.
05:16We're looking to bounce back from, you can say, a poor performance last week against Titans 2.
05:23Like I said before, there's no better team to come up against.
05:26The Red Hot Dog is down there and they're playing some great footy.
05:30If we can get back to the style of footy that we want to play, I'll wait for a good game.
05:36What's dangerous about them? I'm not sure if you've watched any of their recent games, but anything particular sticking out to you?
05:42Probably the same as the past few years. Their defence has been winning a lot of their games.
05:48They're defending quite well.
05:51They've been able to put sides away. They've got some real athletic outside backs that have been able to score tries to them.
05:59Like I said, we're worried about ourself when we come up against them and hopefully that's good enough to get the job done.
06:09Obviously, player comings and goings are the nature of the NRL business.
06:13I suppose a thought on Will Price leaving and maybe his journey here at the Knights?
06:18Yeah.
06:20Price did come in to us today and gave us some news.
06:23We were all in a bit of shock, but we understood his decision.
06:26He's been able to go back home on a multi-year deal.
06:29I'm not too sure what side he's heading over to there.
06:32It's sad to see him go, but also excited to see how he progresses.
06:37He's done such a great job coming over here on his own to a new country for the first time at his age.
06:45He's been able to give a few games last year, which was great to see.
06:51His progression as a person and as a player has been great too.
06:56I thoroughly look forward to looking to see Price as he progresses throughout his career in the Super League.
07:03Obviously, only early stages as well with a couple of injuries and setbacks for the forward pack near Castle Weiss early.
07:10How much does that play on your mind when you're heading out across that line to carry that extra responsibility with those ins and outs early in the season?
07:26Obviously, you do carry a little bit more on your shoulders, but it's part of it.
07:33Every team goes through it.
07:35We're no different too.
07:36It's just a period of time where we've got a couple of our key players out through the middle.
07:41Like I said, the guys are stepping in and that will do the job.
07:46The guys have still got plenty of experience.
07:49We've got no excuses to not put in a performance that will grab it.
07:54Just quickly, what about the pathways?
07:58Obviously, you've had a bit to do with some of the teams and putting in the LS coaching.
08:03For yourself, why is it so important to be giving back to those different players and what do you get out of it?
08:08I quite enjoy it.
08:11I've been doing a bit of coaching there with the SG ball team.
08:16With the way things are set up, everything that starts from the top just funnels all the way down.
08:20I guess I've never had anyone in my position come down and coach.
08:25I was in a different position as those kids.
08:28I never got the opportunity to play extra ball or anything like that.
08:31I think it might get a little bit out of it, having me down there and helping out.
08:37Maybe one day those guys are going to be playing alongside me too.
08:44Wherever I can give them a little bit of information or help them out and make them better players,
08:50it makes me happy too that they are able to take something away from someone like myself.
08:58Is that something that you can see beyond your playing future?
09:02Is that coaching role something that you'd like to do in the future?
09:05Yeah, I'm not too sure.
09:07I do enjoy it, so it could be something I do in the future.
09:11I'm not going to say it isn't, but it's something that I do enjoy,
09:15is being able to help out the younger generation, especially the young men coming through at that age.
09:21We're transitioning into that elite kind of environment, but also growing as men.
09:28They're at that stage in their career where they can probably go one of two ways.
09:33They can probably go one of two ways.
09:35If it is their career, then so be it.
09:37They can do something else with their life.
09:40The transition from being a boy to a man is that kind of career.
09:46Thanks, Foster. Cheers.