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The biggest serve Ned Hanigan ever received was in in Brisbane – but he wasn’t wearing the blue of New South Wales as you might expect, but the gold of the Wallabies.
Hanigan isn’t the first player, and won’t be the last, to experience the fickleness of rugby fans. He’s been abused in person and on these very forums, and, being human, plenty of it stuck.
“The worst bombing I’ve got on the field was at Suncorp Stadium. I had a yellow jersey on and I’m just absolutely getting fed by some fella. I remember thinking ‘we’re on the same side tonight, brother’!”
Hanigan was a guest on The Roar Rugby Podcast with Brett McKay and Harry Jones on Tuesday. He reflected on his time in Japan and return to the Tahs and Wallabies in a chat that was fun and light-hearted but with serious message at its core.
Listen to the podcast in the player below or on your favourite podcast app
Hanigan revealed it took some advice from NFL star Tom Brady to put criticism into perspective after going through a tough time with online abuse.
“You get your professional contract, you’ve come out of playing a bit of good footy as a junior there’s a bit of good chat, then probably not a lot of chat – unless you’re Jorgo [Max Jorgensen] and you score two tries on a debut.
“It’s probably a little bit of a lull where you’re building your body and getting used to the intensity of what Super footy was like. Then you start playing a little bit more footy and you’re hungrier, stronger and faster.
“I debuted in 2016-17 and played 13 or so Tests that year. It was all good. What happens is you go into form and come out of form and that’s where you try and strive for consistency.
“In 2018 I just went into a form slump and I definitely wasn’t prepared for the scrutiny from outsiders.
“I’m reading things when they were good and you’re feeling good. That’s still reactionary, you’re still letting comments and people’s suggestions affect the way you’re feeling and although it doesn’t feel bad at that time that turns.
“You’re attached to it. So you start feeling bad and it’s no good. You see it not just in rugby union. NRL recently has had a fair few blokes coming out to talk about it.
“It’s important that as players we understand sometimes when blokes are going through things and if it’s an arm around approach or a more of a direct approach and how you can fix certain things.
“I remember listening to Tom Brady, and he’s the GOAT you know? A bloke who is constant, but there’s been periods and there’s been games where he’s lost and he’s just been absolutely sprayed.
“He said on a podcast ‘you can’t let people’s opinions or voice determine how you feel because it’s giving them control’. You’ve got to take all the control yourself. Once I convinced myself don’t read the good, don’t read the bad, it’s neither here nor there, I concentrated on being consistent footballer and just trying to be better and ended up having a mindset of being determined to get better.”
Ned Hanigan during Australia rugby squad training at the UCD Bowl in Belfield, Dublin. (Photo By Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
For all the self-help, or Brady-help if you like, Hanigan says damage is unavoidable if the abuse is relentless.
“I would say this: there’s no way that if an individual cops any of it over an extended period of time, it’s not going to have some effect on them. It is going to. You can’t really properly escape it and and it’s just important for people to know that it’s going to have a detrimental effect.”
Hanigan said it was important for players to have a close circle of friends to lean on but to also understand their role in the game.
“Initially, you probably don’t realise the impact you can have,” Hanigan said. “Whether it be good or bad you probably don’t. The feeling of representing people, that part has always been quite close to me as the reason I play the game.
“The kid on the side after the game who has stayed around and they want you to sign a ball and you might ask what his name is and he’s speechless. You realise if you spend time with that kid, give him a rub on the head, he’s in rugby for life. That’s the impact you can have and it can’t be taken for granted.”
Hanigan has hopes of going to the World Cup under Eddie Jones this year and was asked what position he preferred after being used as a No.6 and as lock.
“You’re always going to have preferences because it’s where you think you can do the most for the team. But that’s kind of the beauty of team sport. You might feel like you are better in a position or doing a certain thing,” Hanigan explained.
“I prefer playing six but if DC [Darren Coleman], or whoever is coaching, says ‘this week you’re at four I’m going to apply myself as best I can and and still try and bring that particular skill set to that position.
“I’ve got aspirations and goals to pull on the yellow jersey later on in the year and go on to win a World Cup. The Bledisloe, that’s just something that you want it real bad, and you have to be like that and feel like that, for it to be able to go clos.
“If I’m a part of that and Eddie was to say ‘you’re [playing as ] a centre’ because he thought that was the best, then I’m a goer!
“I’ve always loved playing six. I don’t mind backing in at eight either. But some of the games I’ve played I’ve been playing lock. But it really doesn’t worry me. It’s more about the mindset of how you’re going to apply yourself in that position and where you want to go.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.