‘I just shat in Schlossy’s shoe’: Julian O’Neill breaks 25-year silence to reveal his shame at excrement drama

Former NRL player Julian O’Neill has broken a 25-year silence to reveal his shame and regret at the infamous ‘Schlossy’s shoe’ drama – and how he was gagged during the furore.

Julian O'Neill's biggest regret happened in 1999.

Former NRL bad boy Julian O’Neill has broken a 25-year silence to reveal his shame and regret at the infamous ‘poo in the shoe’ drama – and how he was gagged from explaining his behaviour.

In February, 1999, an intoxicated O’Neill, as a prank, caused social uproar by defecating in the shoe of South Sydney teammate Jeremy Schloss during a pre-season trip to Dubbo.

It led to O’Neill’s infamous boast to a teammate: “I just shat in Schlossy’s shoe.”

He was fined $10,000 and was suspended by the NRL.

There were reports at the time that faeces had also been smeared on towels.

“It was one of the things I did which was greatly regrettable,” O’Neill told Andy Raymond’s Unfiltered podcast.

“I extremely regretted my part in the whole incident.

A room at Dubbo Palms Motel awaiting refurbishment after O'Neill trashed it 1999.

“It was a prank that went wrong (but) there were a lot of other things that transpired that night.

“(At that time), with sides being omitted from the ARL and others being included in joint ventures, the best thing to do was close shop.

“I just shut my mouth and I got (blamed) with most of it. I took everything. I should never have turned down that road in the first place. Everyone can say that in hindsight.

“It’s better to own up and cop it than running around pointing fingers, which creates more murky water.

“I never really had a chance to talk about it. That was the state of play back then. I was asked not to (talk publicly) by the club and I didn’t – I kept my end of the bargain.

“It was good to get back across that white line (the sideline) after that six week suspension. It was probably the hardest six weeks of my life. The club (Souths) were extremely good to me.”

Julien O'Neill returned to Redfern after the NRL registered his new contract following the incident. Picture: Milan Scepanovic

Julian O'Neill played 10 games for Queensland.

Asked whether alcohol was an issue during his playing career, O’Neill said: “In Sydney, yeah.

“I stopped going out for about a year and a half when I was there because it seemed every corner I went to, I was either in some place or leaving and it just wasn’t the case.

“I was blamed for something in Kings Cross when I was 4000 kilometres away in Perth.

“It was the culmination of a few years of bad press and all of a sudden where there’s smoke, there’s fire. I was always the guilty one.”

O’Neill enjoyed and endured a mixed career which included some wonderful football moments coupled with multiple off-field incidents.

He was accused of urinating under a blackjack table at Jupiter’s Casino and allegedly attempted to set fire to a highly flammable dolphin mascot suit being worn by a 13-year-old boy during a trip to Australia with English club Widnes.

O’Neill was later found not guilty of the casino allegations.

“I had to carry that baggage every single week,” he said. “That was hard to deal with. It makes you become a little bit of a recluse.”