Watch Jake Duke go Face to Face with Roosters legend Anthony Minichiello on Fox League at 7:30pm AEDT on Tuesday!
They say the best mentors see things in individuals that they themselves can’t – and thankfully for Roosters and NSW Blues fans, that exactly what Ricky Stuart did for an up-and-coming Anthony Minichiello.
Watch every game of every round of the Premiership Season LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
WHAT’S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
The legendary Roosters and NSW fullback has paid tribute to the current Raiders coach for instilling him with the belief that he was born to be a No.1, after playing the majority of his junior career in the centres.
In tonight’s Face to Face episode on Fox League, Minichiello recounts the Rooster’s 2002 premiership year, when then-new head coach Stuart was forced to make a call on fullback between Mini and prodigious Broncos transfer Justin Hodges.
“They made a change and Ricky Stuart came in as coach. He said ‘everyone thinks the Roosters are the soft underbelly, the latte boys and all that’. We’re going to be the fittest team in the NRL,” Minichiello recalled to Face to Face host Jake Duke.
“I still thank Ricky to this day, just the vision from him to switch me from wing to fullback and have the insight that ‘this could elevate his career’.”
MORE NRL NEWS
‘WHO GIVES A F***’: Benji tells Tigers ‘there’s the door’ in brutal NRL ultimatum
‘NOT GETTING BETTER’: Cronk comparisons are wrong amid DCE’s Achilles heel
‘DIDN’T GET IT’: Madge’s ‘strange’ Mam move… and what happens now after backfire
Minichiello’s switch from Roosters wing to fullback is now legendary. The East Valley United junior would go onto to win two premierships with the tricolours, as well as Origins, Tests and accolades including the Golden Boot Award.
All told, the Count, as he is affectionately known, starred in one of the most successful stints at the Roosters history during his 15-year NRL career, featuring in six grand finals and winning the top prize in 2002 and 2013.
Playing in an era largely before smartphones, Minichiello’s presence also coincided with some of the most legendary off-field tales in Roosters history, including the infamous ‘House of Grouse’ – a palatial five-bedroom home in North Bondi that played host to epic shindigs.
“In 2004, we were looking around Bondi and we found this big five-bedroom house in North Bondi. It could only last a year because every weekend it was just on,” Minichiello told Duke.
Get all the latest news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports NRL Sportmail. Sign up now!!!
Lomax insists no regrets after switch | 22:14
“Mad Mondays, we would have the 6am party at the house. We went to both of our neighbours and we said ‘look, we’re happy to put you up at the Swiss Grand Hotel for two nights’. They were happy with that.
“The party rolled in at 6am, we had a full DJ. That went until 12 lunchtime, and then at lunchtime we moved on.
“Back then, everyone was invited. All the supporters, they would just come.”
Minichiello’s career wasn’t all high-flying parties and on-field accolades. At the peak of his powers in 2005, the Count began enduring the first of many back issues that would continue to plague his career for some years – at one point threatening his time at the Roosters.
Pumping anti-inflammatory tablets, pain killers and sleeping tablets daily, Minichiello got to a point in 2006 where he couldn’t touch his knees without extreme discomfort and even developed a stomach ulcer because of all the drugs.
“I did have signs from my body telling me that I’ve gotta change things,” Minichiello remembered.
‘Most vocal I’ve ever seen Ponga’ | 00:50
“I’m looking at my face and how puffy it was, my eyes were almost closed over and my hands are puffy. The inflammation and oxidative stress that was bubbling away beneath my body was out of control.
“I had a ruptured disc in my L5 S1, which is the lowest disc in my back. It was permanently hitting my sciatic nerve and that’s why I had numbness in my toes and pins and needles everywhere. So that was my first back operation.”
Minichiello eventually overcame his injury struggles to lead the Roosters to the premiership as captain in 2013, under the team’s current coach, Trent Robinson.
He describes that year as the best of his life.
“My daughter was born in December that year and it was a great memory, that year,” Minichiello recalls.
‘Trindall is a pure football player’ | 00:55
“Robbo came in and he challenged us about being full-time professionals and he also challenged us on being a second-half team.
“Right from day one at training we had this thing about the last 20 minutes.
“Then we found ourselves in the grand final against Manly. We were down by 10 points with 20 minutes to go. We sat all the boys down and said ‘what have we trained for? Right from day one in pre-season we wanted to be a second-half team’.
There’s 20 minutes to go, everyone do your job and do it well’.”
Watch Jake Duke go Face to Face with Roosters legend Anthony Minichiello
on Fox League at 7:30pm AEDT on Tuesday!
Discussion about this post