NRL 2022: Rabbitohs hire former AFL, Richmond Tigers ‘leadership Guru’ Shane McCurry
With their finals hopes under threat, the Rabbitohs have turned to the ‘thought leader’ who played a massive role in the recent success of Richmond.
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As their season teeters just before the NRL finals, South Sydney players, coaches and management are working with an AFL leadership guru whose philosophy includes getting players to form Conga lines and dip into what he calls a $5 Bucket of Love.
Rabbitohs captain Cam Murray, the team’s entire leadership group, coach Jason Demetriou, CEO Blake Solly and other senior club administrators have held mentoring meetings this week with Shane McCurry, known as “a thought leader, culture, leadership, wellbeing and performance consultant.”
McCurry has previously worked with North Melbourne and Essendon AFL clubs but played a massive role in the success of Richmond in recent years.
His key philosophy is “all individuals, teams and organisations have the capacity to improve and can reach their full potential through focusing on progress, story, connection, wellbeing and reflection.”
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McCurry has been in Sydney this week to continue working with Souths ahead of Saturday night’s massive game against North Queensland at Accor Stadium.
“Shane would do many weird, wonderful and educational things. One was the Bucket of Love where he would bring in a big red bucket full of $5 notes and they money would help the players connect with someone that they hadn’t spoken with for a while over coffee,” said Justin Leppitsch, the former Richmond assistant and current Collingwood assistant.
“He might put a few topics to the players to discuss but most of the time the players could take it where they wanted to take it.
“He once got the players and coaches together to form a Conga line to go through the Richmond administration offices to build connections. Some players loved it and others were embarrassed but it got them out of their shell. It also showed the staff that players weren’t just faces on a football field – they were human.
“Shane was so good for that era at Richmond. He had a great handle on the human element of sport. His ability to bring teams together was terrific, he built connections and conversations.”
McCurry is respected and admired throughout the sporting franchises where he has worked.
“We have a leadership mentor who comes to speak to all the leaders at the club - Shane McCurry. I have chatted to him from a high performance perspective several times throughout the year. He has been good for me,” said Murray.
“He’s got a really laid-back but effective approach to leadership. Shane helps all the leaders. He gives me a perspective from other leaders because he works with other teams. He gives us activities to do and helps with ways to be a better leader.
“Shane tells you to talk, get out of your shell, to lean on other people who have better characteristics with leadership that maybe you’re not good at.
“When we went to the Sunshine Coast, we had a mini-camp up there before we played the Warriors. There were a couple of polaroid cameras getting around. We were getting snapshots of different memories and posting them on the board in the team room.
“We also wrote little poster notes about memorable moments from the year. It’s all good for culture and leadership. It sparks conversation and captures moments. It’s about creating an enjoyable environment to be around. It’s about having fun.
“When you’re happy off the field you’re playing better on it. Leadership and culture can be as simple or complicated as you make it out to be – and vice-versa.”
Solly added: “Shane is not only working with our football leadership group but also with our senior management team and some other staff as well.
“I think what Shane brings to the club is a real focus on what sort of culture we want to set and how accountable every member of staff is to creating and enforcing that culture.”
Murray has worked hard to improve his captaincy style and credentials since replacing Adam Reynolds at the start of the season.
Teammates claim he is developing into a wonderful leader.
“I have always had a curious eye when it comes to this type of thing. I know in the back of my mind that, to be a better leader, I have to pick and choose things from people I admire. I’m always looking for stuff,” Murray said.
“I learn the most when I’m not specifically asking, it’s more about characteristics you pick up through different things you read, see and watch; little bits here and there from people you look up to.
“I also lean on coach (Demetriou) a bit – he’s someone I talk to. I know I have contacts in my phone I can call if I have specific questions. I feel it’s something you learn along the way. I read a little bit. Some are self-help books, others are just random.
“I’m definitely not a born ‘speaker’ so that’s something I have to develop. I guess I have always valued hard work and always valued the characteristic of leading with your actions, not your words. That’s always been ingrained in me. If leadership is a massive iceberg, I think I’m just peeling back the tip.
“It’s just a privilege. I grew up supporting this club, I grew up playing grand finals here (at Redfern Oval) when I was eight years old, this is the heartland of South Sydney. It’s where I have always wanted to be. To be able to lead the club, represent myself, my family, the community, it’s pretty special. It’s an honour to be captain of such a great, historic club.”
Souths finish the regular season with a round 25 match against Sydney Roosters.
ILIAS FINDS HIS VOICE TO FIRE UP RABBITOHS
He was the reticent Rabbitoh but halfback Lachlan Ilias has found his voice — and self-confidence.
And it’s just in time for the looming NRL finals.
The softly-spoken Ilias, in his first full year of NRL, spoke of the awkward challenges he endured earlier this season when having to tell the club’s superstars when and where he wanted the ball.
Even Ilias’ Trinity Grammar director of co-curricular, Lachlan White, said last year that his former student was “relatively shy”.
As the season has progressed, and aware he needed on-field presence, Ilias has become more self-assured, talkative and demanding.
“That is something that I learned throughout the year. I talk when I have to but I’m not a loud person,” he said. “I’d definitely say that my talk has been getting better throughout the season.
“I have to accept that is my role in the team. That’s what I have learnt – I’m the (number) seven and when you’ve got that jersey on, you have to demand and be the person they need you to be.
“I’m feeling really comfortable right now in terms of demanding the ball and telling them where I want them to be. It just feels normal now. I try my best to demand the ball and lead them around the park.
“Everyone has a role in the team and my role is to tell the boys what I want. Cody (Walker) and I talk every set about what we want to get out of the set.
“Once we communicate early in the set then it’s our job to relay that to the whole team. I just want to play my part. Twelve months ago, I was watching them (Souths’ stars) play. It’s a good feeling being out there with them, it’s really exciting.”
Ilias says he now feels like an NRL player.
“Yeah I do,” he said. “I was actually thinking about that at training. When ‘JD” (coach Jason Demetriou) was saying that we need everyone to lift at training on both sides of the ball and both teams – NRL and reserve grade, I was thinking I’m part of the NRL side.
“I’m still pinching myself from time to time. It’s a great feeling waking up and doing this as a job. Winning makes it a lot better too.
“There was a bit of pressure (when Adam Reynolds left) but I tried to stay away from that. There was a lot of media talk in articles but I tried not to read any of them. If I saw anything on Facebook or Instagram, I just scrolled past it. It’s pretty simple.
“I just wanted to focus and listen to the people that I needed – my family, friends and the people in the club. Everything else was just external noise.
“I did my best to shut it out and I think I did so here we are at the business end of the season. There has been a lot of work put into us to get this far and we don’t want to throw it away.”
Ilias’ halves partner at Redfern, Cody Walker, a born winner, admitted he hates losing.
“I put a fair bit of responsibility on myself. I take the losses as bad as anyone in our team – I can’t stand losing. The losses do hurt,” Walker said. “I grew up with three brothers (Dane, Ryan and Luke) who flogged me and never let me win any backyard footy games.
“Anything I can do to help get the team a win, that’s what I’m striving for. I want to be in the game as much as I can.
“I analyse every game to see where I can improve. That’s no different whether we win or lose. It’s self-reflection about where I can get better and what I could have done differently.
“Early on in the season we just weren’t giving ourselves an opportunity with the footy. We were making far too many errors. I was a big part of that. I was in the conversation for having the most errors in the game.
“I understood that I needed to clean up that part of my game. Over the last couple of weeks I have been able to do that.”
‘Put on a show’: Latrell’s call to NRL entertainers
-Brent Read, Dean Ritchie
South Sydney superstar Latrell Mitchell has urged his fellow players to drop their guard and unleash their inner showman over the remaining weeks of the season as he prepares to take centre stage in the Rabbitohs’ push for the premiership.
Mitchell has been in scintillating form since returning from injury, having played a pivotal role in turning around the Rabbitohs’ season.
Yet they still face two crucial games, against North Queensland and the Sydney Rooster, over the next fortnight. The results of those matches could decide whether they play in the finals.
Mitchell has vowed to continue entertaining as Souths’ season goes on the line and has encouraged players across the game to put on a show of their own.
“We sell tickets for people to come and watch,” Mitchell said. “You may as well put on a show as well. That is what this game has to start realising – we are entertainers as well.
“Us as a playing group need to realise we are the narrative. We control the game, regardless of what we earn. Put yourself out there. We have some great characters like Bizza (Brian To’o), Fox (Josh Addo-Carr) is No.1 definitely. He is contagious.
“You have so many characters in this game. How do we keep expressing that? A lot of people have to come out of their shell and start expressing it and being more confident, get an arrogance about them.
“That is why I go to watch boxing because I want to see people throw them. It’s exactly the same thing.”
Mitchell was at his entertaining best last week in the Rabbitohs’ agonising loss to Penrith. In the lead-up to the game, after reports emerged of him finishing training early with an ice pack on his groin, Mitchell posted on Instagram: “Ferrari in the garage.”
In the opening half of the loss to the Panthers, Mitchell hit the deck after creating a try for teammate Cody Walker. As Walker raced away, Mitchell did two push-ups before rising to his feet with a broad smile.
The 24-year-old has become rugby league box office. You can’t take your eyes off him because he plays with the sort of confidence that could yet deliver South Sydney a premiership.
“If you set a try up, if you kick a goal, put a good shot on, you have to show it,” Mitchell said.
“People love that stuff. You can’t break my spirit. I have been here for 10 years now. We have a laugh here and there and switch on when we need to. I just love being around the people who are here. That is genuine.”
Walker struggled to describe how good Mitchell had become.
“He is probably one of the best players I have ever played with,” Walker said. “Just what he is able to achieve, and what he is able to do out the back of block shapes, with no time when players are trying to jam him, he gets the pass in nine times out of 10.
“Latrell is able to throw that ball from left to right and right to left, 30 metres, cut-out. For his size and stature, he is quite amazing.
“He has (natural ability) in bucket loads. I speak for our halves and forwards. When he’s running that ball back with intent, and he’s throwing players off, that gives us great opportunities.”
Mitchell also said he wanted to be part of Mal Meninga’s World Cup squad later this year, having missed the State of Origin series with injury. He is likely to be among the first picked.
“I am 100 per cent keen but that is about me putting my performances together and giving big Mal a headache,” Mitchell said. “Give me that No.3 jersey and let me play. A World Cup is something I haven’t done yet. I am keen on that. Tick that off the list.”
Originally published as NRL 2022: Rabbitohs hire former AFL, Richmond Tigers ‘leadership Guru’ Shane McCurry
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