Latest news with #Thaiday
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sam Thaiday goes public with game-changing call that has unlocked Payne Haas
Broncos legend Sam Thaiday has praised a tweak from new coach Michael Maguire that has helped really unlock Payne Haas' influence on games and turned him into an even more formidable weapon for Brisbane. Haas has started the new season in devastating fashion to cement his status as the NRL's premier middle forward and Maguire's management of his playing time has helped Haas take his game to another new level. The 25-year-old has always been renowned for playing big minutes and going long stretches in games without a break. Haas' extraordinary workrate, coupled with his size, power and footwork have made him a handful for opposition defences and it's no surprise he's been named Brisbane's player-of-the-season five times already. But unlike former coach Kevin Walters, Brisbane mentor Maguire has preferred to use Haas in shorter bursts and with a clear message to go as hard as possible at the start of games, before being given a break before halftime. Under Walters, it would not be uncommon to see Haas play the entire first half and most of the second 40, but his average playing time has dropped by about five minutes in 2025 after featuring for 49 and 57 minutes in the opening two rounds. Maguire has also seemingly given Haas a license to unleash the offload more than we've seen from the big man in the past and it's already paying dividends for the Broncos' attack. However, Thaiday reckons that the tweak in Haas' playing time is the reason why he's looked so dangerous because it allows him to put everything into a shorter stint in the opening 40 minutes of games, before being given an extended break at halftime and the beginning of the second half. The Broncos legend - who played 304 NRL games for the club - says it's also the blueprint he believes will help prolong Haas' career. 'It felt like as a 19-year-old, he was carrying the whole of the Broncos on his shoulders,' Thaiday told Nine Newspapers. 'His body is going to get banged around no matter what, and the level of commitment from Payne Haas from a representative point of view is only going to make his career tougher. 'I would love to see Payne Haas there for the next 10 years-plus playing some great, consistent footy. I don't want his body to fall apart, and I understand playing in the front row is not an easy thing to do." Thaiday used North Queensland's former Dally M Medal-winning forward Jason Taumalolo as the perfect example of a player whose body had begun to let him down after copping years of punishment playing through the middle. "Jason Taumalolo signed a 10-year deal with the Cowboys, and is coming to the end of it now... his body is really slowing him down from being the player we all know he is," Thaiday added. 'Hopefully in hindsight, we look back and say this was a brilliant idea to limit his minutes. That might be a way of preserving Payne Haas for a long-term future at the Broncos.' Bulldogs great and former NSW and Kangaroos prop Willie Mason is also a big fan of the way Maguire has been using Haas and says he's shocked it's taken this long for Brisbane to unleash him in such a way. "Someone's finally figured out how to coach Payne Haas," he said on the Levels podcast with Willie Mason and Justin Horo. "Play him 30 minutes, front-load, (say) 'give me everything and I'll give you a rest'. Then see how we go in the back half and then destroy the back half, that's how you do it. "I've been saying it for three or four years that's how you should play Payne Haas. Because sometimes when he knows he's going to be out there for 60 minutes pretty much straight (he is not as effective). But 30 minutes, look what he did. He can singlehandedly destroy a team by himself." RELATED: Brandon Smith's move to Souths sparks 'brutal' reality for $650k star Panthers in telling backflip on Blaize Talagi after Parramatta switch Calls for Billy Slater to hand State of Origin debut to Queensland gun Shifting rep star Patrick Carrigan from lock to prop and having him work in tandem with Haas is also looking like a masterstroke from Maguire. Carrigan's class and ability to play huge minutes in the middle means Brisbane are still dangerous even without Haas on the field and Mason believes Maguire has got his strategy with Haas spot-on. "You can leave (Pat) Carrigan out there for 60 or 70 minutes because he's a weapon. You don't stop Carrigan," Mason added. "But when Payne Haas front-loads you've got that different power, different footwork, he can just really destroy lines by himself. And offloads, he can do whatever he wants. He's more destructive in that 55-60 minutes than he was in 80.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sam Thaiday's family admission as fans rally around Brisbane Broncos legend
Sam Thaiday has revealed he's glad the Australian public got to see the real version of himself that his wife and kids see at home after the Brisbane Broncos great won $100,000 for a charity close to his heart. Thaiday was crowned the winner of 'I'm a Me Out Of Here' on Sunday night, beating fellow finalists Matty J and Reggie Bird. The NRL champion won $100,000 for men's mental health charity 'Find Ya Feet', which helps teach young men that it's okay to speak about how they're feeling. Thaiday opened up to his fellow contestants earlier in the season about how he contemplated suicide as a teenager, and how a charity like 'Find Ya Feet' would have helped him so much. In an interview on the FIVEAA Sports Show on Adelaide radio this week, Thaiday opened up on why his triumph on the reality TV show means so much to him. "My tactic was to say yes to everything in there and lean into the experience," he said. "I really wanted to show Australia the full package of Sam Thaiday. "I am known and remembered for my footy talents and maybe some fun and humour off the field with the Footy Show and things like that. But to be able to show a kind-hearted Sam is something that not a lot of people get to see. It's mainly just at home with my daughters - they get to see that sort of stuff all the time - but Australia doesn't. So I was pretty pumped to show Australia the full package." Thaiday is also rapt to be able to help Tommy Herschel with $100,000 for the 'Find Ya Feet' charity. "It's a fantastic charity," he said. "Tommy goes into schools and works with young boys and lets them know it's okay to talk about their feelings. "I think as men we are still very guarded with our emotions and our feelings. We have the old school mentality of 'men don't cry' and 'men don't talk about their feelings'. Tommy starts young and lets boys know it's ok, and at the end of the day they'll grow into champion adults that will run businesses and be great husbands and great fathers." Thaiday said the $100,000 will allow Herschel to spread his message further, and he's now planning to head to North Queensland to work with some remote communities. "I just think what he's doing is such an incredible thing," he added. RELATED: Cameron Murray's wife caught in 'cruel' development after injury blow Fresh calls for Latrell Mitchell and Tom Trbojevic switch after sad news Thaiday previously told his fellow contestants why the charity was so close to his heart. "I sat in on one of his sessions and to hear how brave some of these young boys were in opening up and sharing their stories about what was going on in their lives," Thaiday said. 'As a 13-year-old boy, I wanted to take my own life, and I wish I had someone like Tommy around to let me know that it was okay to talk about my feelings. As a young kid, I really struggled to find my place. I found myself too white to be black and too black to be white, and didn't know where I fit in. And if I had someone like Tommy Herschel in my life as a young kid, maybe I would have shared a lot of these stories a lot earlier in my life. 'He's a bit of a one-man band at the moment, and I just thought he needed help. So that's why I'm in here. And hopefully even, like, I don't even have to win it, I just want to raise some awareness for him, I want people talking about it.' Thaiday played 304 games for the Broncos as well as 29 State of Origin games for Queensland and 32 Test matches for Australia. He proved a popular winner of 'I'm a Celeb', with fans expressing their delight on social media. 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 👑A big congrats to Sammy on being crowned the winner of I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! 2025 and helping out a great cause 👏 — Brisbane Broncos (@brisbanebroncos) February 17, 2025 Congratulations Sam Thaiday, what a legend. @brisbanebroncos — 𝕭ronco𝕭uck🐴🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆1988 (@Thoroughbredmen) February 17, 2025 Congratulations to Sam Thaiday for being crowned King of the jungle. 👑 — Jenny Ford (@jennygford) February 16, 2025 You deserved every vote, Sam . 👑 — Lyn Poholke (@lynpoholke) February 16, 2025
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Broncos respond to Sam Thaiday news after NRL great goes public with awful revelation
The Brisbane Broncos have joined fans in congratulating Sam Thaiday after the retired NRL great was crowned the winner of 'I'm a Me Out Of Here' on Sunday night. And it came after the Queensland champion revealed the heartbreaking reasons for his appearance on the reality TV show. Thaiday was named the winner ahead of Matty J and Reggie Bird on Sunday night, leaving fans delighted for the NRL great. On Monday, the Brisbane Broncos wrote on social media: "King of the Jungle. A big congrats to Sammy on being crowned the winner of I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! 2025 and helping out a great cause." That great cause they mentioned is the 'Find Ya Feet' charity, which Thaiday won $100,000 for. Earlier in the season, the 39-year-old explained why the charity means so much to him as he laid bare some of the personal struggles he overcame as a youngster. 'My charity is called Find Ya Feet. It's run by a guy named Tommy Herschel,' Thaiday told the other celebs. 'He goes into schools and helps young boys, and he gives them a safe place to share their feelings and talk about how they're feeling. I sat in on one of his sessions and to hear how brave some of these young boys were in opening up and sharing their stories about what was going on in their lives.' Thaiday, who played 304 games for the Broncos as well as 29 State of Origin games for Queensland and 32 Test matches for Australia, made the heartbreaking admission on national TV that he contemplated suicide when he was a teenager. 'As a 13-year-old boy, I wanted to take my own life, and I wish I had someone like Tommy around to let me know that it was okay to talk about my feelings," he said. "As a young kid, I really struggled to find my place. I found myself too white to be black and too black to be white, and didn't know where I fit in. And if I had someone like Tommy Herschel in my life as a young kid, maybe I would have shared a lot of these stories a lot earlier in my life. 'He's a bit of a one-man band at the moment, and I just thought he needed help. So that's why I'm in here. And hopefully even, like, I don't even have to win it, I just want to raise some awareness for him, I want people talking about it.' Learn more about our celeb's chosen charities here: | Watch on @Channel10AU and 10 Play — #ImACelebrityAU (@ImACelebrityAU) January 28, 2025 It wasn't the first time Thaiday spoke publicly about his mental health demons, after opening up in an interview back in 2020. But it brought it to the attention of a national audience on TV for the first time, and gave 'Find Ya Feet' some much-needed exposure. 'I had bottled up my feelings for so long not knowing how to express them," he told the in 2020. "I told her (the therapist) my story and I left that session somewhat motivated to tell people my story. Hopefully by getting my story out I can encourage people to speak up. 'I still have moments now where I second guess myself. Self doubt is the loudest voice in your head. That kind of was an ongoing thing throughout my whole life. I want to learn and grow and get better to make that the quietest voice in side my head. I see myself right now as being a little bit lost and lonely at times." 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 👑A big congrats to Sammy on being crowned the winner of I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! 2025 and helping out a great cause 👏 — Brisbane Broncos (@brisbanebroncos) February 17, 2025 Congratulations to Sam Thaiday for being crowned King of the jungle. 👑 — Jenny Ford (@jennygford) February 16, 2025 Sam Thaiday is good people. So happy he won #ImACelebrityAU Yiew 🤘🙆♀️ — morgannahh (Kel) (@morgannahh) February 16, 2025 Sam Thaiday what a legend Deserved the win #IMACELEBRITYAU — JT (@JTowne7) February 16, 2025 Sam Thaiday what a pure legend @samthaiday — Jackson (@Jacksonmouse32) February 16, 2025 Congrats 👏🏼 — Louise (@sunshine1980_uk) February 16, 2025 You deserved every vote, Sam . 👑 — Lyn Poholke (@lynpoholke) February 16, 2025 I'm so happy Sam's charity won, what an amazing cash boost for them. — Matt (@raffrew) February 16, 2025
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NRL fans rally around Sam Thaiday after Broncos legend goes public with awful news
NRL fans are praising Sam Thaiday for his bravery after the Brisbane Broncos legend revealed on national TV on Tuesday night that he once contemplated suicide. The Broncos and Queensland Maroons icon is one of a number of Aussie sporing stars on this year's season of 'I'm a Me Out Of Here'. On Tuesday night's episode, the celebs were asked about why they'd decided to enter the jungle and the charities they'd chosen for the potential prize-money to go to. The 39-year-old spoke bravely about wanting to help the 'Find Your Feet' charity because of how it had helped him. Thaiday, who played 304 games for the Broncos as well as 29 State of Origin games for Queensland and 32 Test matches for Australia, said he could have benefited from such a charity when he was younger. 'My charity is called Find Your Feet. It's run by a guy named Tommy Herschel,' he told the other celebs. 'He goes into schools and helps young boys, and he gives them a safe place to share their feelings and talk about how they're feeling. I sat in on one of his sessions and to hear how brave some of these young boys were in opening up and sharing their stories about what was going on in their lives.' Thaiday made the heartbreaking admission that he contemplated suicide when he was a teenager. 'As a 13-year-old boy, I wanted to take my own life, and I wish I had someone like Tommy around to let me know that it was okay to talk about my feelings. As a young kid, I really struggled to find my place. 'I found myself too white to be black and too black to be white, and didn't know where I fit in. And if I had someone like Tommy Herschel in my life as a young kid, maybe I would have shared a lot of these stories a lot earlier in my life. 'He's a bit of a one-man band at the moment, and I just thought he needed help. So that's why I'm in here. And hopefully even, like, I don't even have to win it, I just want to raise some awareness for him, I want people talking about it.' Learn more about our celeb's chosen charities here: | Watch on @Channel10AU and 10 Play — #ImACelebrityAU (@ImACelebrityAU) January 28, 2025 Thaiday first spoke about his mental health demons back in 2020, but Tuesday night brought it to the attention of a national audience on TV. Fans took to social media to praise his bravery and rallied around the beloved NRL legend. One person wrote: "Never had much knowledge about Sam tonight, I freakin love him. What a legend of a bloke." Another wrote: "Sam Thaiday is such a lovely person. He is my pick to win ...I'm a celebrity get me out of here." While a third commented: "I'm warming to Sam Thaiday. What a lovely bloke." #ImACelebrityAU Sam Thaiday CharityPlease donate todayhttps:// — AUNT TRACE HANSHAW (@HanshawTracey) January 28, 2025 How good is Sam Thaiday on #ImACelebrityAU — dubzz2228 (@dubzz2228) January 25, 2025 Absolute legend. — Jen Lee 🇺🇦🇺🇦 (@jenleeren) January 22, 2025 RELATED: Corey Parker's warning after Wests Tigers rocked by Jarome Luai blow Wayne Bennett detail called out as Latrell Mitchell cops 'wake-up call' Thaiday first spoke about his troubles in 2020 and revealed how therapy helped him. 'I had bottled up my feelings for so long not knowing how to express them," he said. "I told her (the therapist) my story and I left that session somewhat motivated to tell people my story. Hopefully by getting my story out I can encourage people to speak up. 'I still have moments now where I second guess myself. Self doubt is the loudest voice in your head. That kind of was an ongoing thing throughout my whole life. I want to learn and grow and get better to make that the quietest voice in side my head. I see myself right now as being a little bit lost and lonely at times."
