Victor Radley shares a unique connection to the Roosters fan base like no other player, hailed as the club's only, and historically rare, junior in their 2018 premiership-winning side.
When then Melbourne halfback Cooper Cronk was watching the 2013 grand final from his lounge room after being kicked out of the title race a fortnight before by Newcastle, Radley was in the heart of the ANZ Stadium stands letting loose.
By half-time his voice was already spent, berating a sea of Manly fans despite the Roosters trailing 8-6 at the break.
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But it was Radley who had the last laugh as his chorus of chants played a minor part in inspiring a 26-18 comeback victory - and didn't he let the opposition know about it.
‘’I was at the game with my brothers and my dad. We won two tickets and then my dad bought another couple so we were sitting separately,’’ Radley told Sporting News.
‘’Me and my brother were over in the Manly section because that’s where we won the tickets. I remember sitting there and we won and it was the best thing ever.
‘’We had come from behind to win and I was a little smart arse kid. We were just flipping the bird to the Manly fans, we were just so happy.
‘’When Jenko (Michael Jennings) scored that try to seal it, I just remember telling every Manly fan to piss off.’’
Fast forward five years and Radley himself had his hands on the Provan-Summons trophy, a dream he didn't imagine could become a reality until the day he was named at hooker for a pre-season trial against the Cowboys.
‘’It was definitely something I wasn’t thinking about at that age,’’ he said.
‘’I was still playing for Clovelly. I had just left school then in year 10 and started my carpentry apprenticeship.
‘’Until I was about 18 I was working as a carpenter and just thought that was it, I’m happy doing that, I loved it.
‘’Everything just happened. I probably got lucky with who I had coaching me and all the opportunities I got.
‘’I was playing Harold Matthews, then SG Ball and then through the 20s. I went to the Auckland Nines and just didn’t work another day from then.
‘’When I played in the Mackay trial, that was the moment I thought I could make it.
‘’I thought it was this massive step but I didn’t think I went that good. I just held my ground.
‘’I ended up making my NRL debut that year which was unreal.’’
Radley waited six months before he put on the first grade jersey again, debuting in August against the Knights and ending the year with a total of three NRL appearances.
With his first full pre-season under his belt in 2018, the hard-hitting lock became a more integral part of Trent Robinson's plans, playing evey game bar two due to separate one-week suspensions.
He featured for just 14 minutes in round one, but his development progressed quicker than anyone predicted. Come September, Radley was named to start at lock for the club's biggest game of the year in an ultimate show of faith from Robinson.
The moment was even sweeter than it was five years ago when Radley, who did a flawless job as Cooper Cronk's bodyguard, got a taste of premiership success for the second time - one in the stands and one on the field - in five years.
And he didn't lose any touch of his charisma and loose antics, earning cult hero status when his post-game interview with Immortal Andrew Johns resulted in his face being printed on T-shirts and beer coolers with the now famous slogan: ''Beers, beers and more beers.''
‘’I half-remember Joey interviewing me,’’ Radley recalled.
‘’It’s probably his fault. I’m not sure what he expected the answer to be when asking, 'what’s on for tonight?'
‘’I had been off the piss for about eight weeks so I just couldn’t wait.’’
We hope you @sydneyroosters fans are as excited as Victor Radley is!#NRLGF#NRL pic.twitter.com/fWOVQWXERf
— NRL (@NRL) September 30, 2018
Radley's eagerness proved to be his weakness on the night of the grand final as the ''beers, beers and more beers'' caught up with him, sending Radley into a spiral.
Asked who was the first Rooster to call it a night, suprisingly it was the old bulls teaching the young calf a lesson.
‘’I blacked out,’’ he said.
‘’I remember going back to the Leagues Club, we were at the stadium for a little bit, and we were drinking there then went on the bus.
‘’I was with my family for a bit then we went to Good Bar but I can’t remember any of it. Who knows what happened?
‘’I got a bit of a second wind at about 10am and we went out to the fan day and I was back.’’
‘’Apparently I was the first to black out and pass out on the couch.
‘’Everyone probably thinks I’m a good drinker or whatever but apparently I was first on the deck. I went hard but, I’m not remembered as a marathon runner.’’
