Josh Thewlis: The 'Yorkshire bus', Oldham & sleep-walking! | The Bench

[00:00:00]This is the bench with Jenna and John.

[00:00:02]Delighted to welcome our guest for another episode. And that guest is Warrington Wolves winger, also known as fullback, injured player, >> also known as fullback.

[00:00:14]>> Yes, very good fullback. I'll have you know. Um Josh Thulles, welcome along to the bench. Uh how's the injury? I mean, there's a lot of speculation out there as to what the injury actually is. I read a article today that it was an ankle/abductor injury, but can you clear this up? What have you suffered and what have you had surgery on?

[00:00:35]>> Uh, I've actually had a hernia, so it's nothing to do with my adductor and it's nothing to do with my ankle, which I don't know where that's come from, but um, no, I've had um, it's called inguinal hernia repair. Um, I've already had the mesh put in and the mesh has come off um, and damaged some nerves.

[00:00:51]So, yeah, I had to get that tidied up.

[00:00:52]>> So, you're born with that, aren't you?

[00:00:54]that that ingu it's like it's historically there but becomes aggravated.

[00:00:58]>> I was speaking to the surgeon though the other day it's actually hereditary.

[00:01:01]>> Yeah. So >> yeah. So that got me asking and my dad's had eight hernas.

[00:01:05]>> How?

[00:01:06]>> So that's why it's come back.

[00:01:07]>> I've had eight hernas. You don't know nothing, son.

[00:01:10]>> Who aggravated the hernia?

[00:01:12]>> Uh I don't know. Well you Sky did the game and we played against Castleford at home and I stepped off my right foot and I thought that I don't know what that was. So I was like, "Oh, I need I need a groin strap on." And they was like, "No, you're not having one on. You're just coming off."

[00:01:26]>> So I was like, "Oh, sounds." So I came off. And ever since that, it's just progressively got worse.

[00:01:29]>> And uh obviously it does rip through the muscle in the end. And that's what you had the surgery on.

[00:01:34]>> Yeah.

[00:01:34]>> So both Sorry to cut you off. Just just final clearance. Clearing this up. Both ankles are fine.

[00:01:40]>> Both ankles are fine.

[00:01:41]>> That's good to know, Josh.

[00:01:42]>> I think so. Yeah. Can we clear a power to say your last name? Thus >> thulis. Yeah.

[00:01:48]>> Thus thulis. Yeah, that's right. What's going on? Thus, thoolless. Yeah.

[00:01:51]>> Thus, thus thoolless.

[00:01:53]>> What do you mean? No, you can't be both.

[00:01:55]You can't be Tom John Stone. Who are you?

[00:01:56]>> Oh, yeah. John, who are you? Who are you?

[00:01:59]>> Thus. Yeah. Thous.

[00:02:02]>> Fine. Anyway, I I both had the same operation, double hernas. And I had it done by this doctor called Mike Scott.

[00:02:07]And he's How long ago is this?

[00:02:08]>> This was like 15 years ago. But Mike Scott is a famous groin surgeon. He like drives in, he's got floppy gray hair, waspy glasses, drives in Aston Martin, you know, and he's like cool tie over his shoulder. He's like, "Repaired both my hernas and I've come round from surgery and I'm still off my head on the drugs and whatever." And he said, "Oh, we've got some student doctors going to come in and they just want to have a look at the op sites." So, I just remember being sort of half passed out on drugs and just just Mike Scott just pulling my gown down. And for anybody who's had anesthetic, it's not very good for your manhood, is it?

[00:02:40]>> Oh, no. It's not good.

[00:02:41]>> It's not, is it? It's not good. No, >> it's just not. No, but it's just It was not very flattering. I had a group of junior doctors like just looking at me I was like oh my god this is pathetic.

[00:02:51]>> Yeah them netted boxes you have them I had some netted boxes on that you could see right through and I woke up I had none on. I was like what's going on here?

[00:02:58]>> Where did they take my boxes off?

[00:02:59]>> Yeah. Where my boxes were gone anyway.

[00:03:01]>> They could do all sorts with you in surgery. Could you put so much trust?

[00:03:04]>> I'm not even thinking about that.

[00:03:05]>> You get knocked out and it's like your three hours of your life disappears. It could be like >> what hospital were you in?

[00:03:10]>> Um I don't even know. It was in London.

[00:03:13]It was in London. It was posh. That's all I Sounds like a horror movie.

[00:03:16]>> Just get knocked out for surgery.

[00:03:17]>> One hospital in London. Not quite sure which one.

[00:03:20]>> Doctors on a night out with Josh when he's under anesthetic. Just taking him with him.

[00:03:24]>> I don't mind anesthetic though. It's a nice feeling.

[00:03:26]>> It's the best.

[00:03:27]>> Anyway, other than the hernas, how are you?

[00:03:30]>> Yeah, I'm pretty good.

[00:03:31]>> Very healthy other than this.

[00:03:33]>> So, four weeks you're going to be on the sideline.

[00:03:35]>> Four to six. Yes. Four weeks in it.

[00:03:37]>> Four weeks in it.

[00:03:38]>> It always is. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:03:39]>> Maybe three.

[00:03:40]>> No. Sam's already told me it's not three.

[00:03:42]>> It's not three. It's four. I said about the three and he said, "No, it's four."

[00:03:45]>> It's definitely four.

[00:03:46]>> Yeah, it's definitely four.

[00:03:46]>> Right. That's good. That's good for him to clear that out. The doctor Dr. Burg off camera. We were talking about it and I know it's quite topical and there's been a lot of chat about the number of injuries sustained in Super League in 2026.

[00:04:02]Why?

[00:04:02]>> Yeah. Well, I don't know. I think there's a couple of reasons that it could be. One is the game sped up fractionally and obviously it takes a bit of time maybe for people to adapt. I would have said that at the start of the year, but I think the game's probably gone back to somewhere. I'm >> just about to say that.

[00:04:14]>> Yeah. No, back back to somewhere normal.

[00:04:16]So, I think that could have accounted for it at the start of the year. One, another one might be that this um not obsession, but the mandate to reduce tackle height. Like there's a lot of lower limb hip droppy sort of tackles. A lot of people getting like snagged up with the legs which I don't just don't think we've seen previously. But there's a disproportionate number. Look at the teams who have been absolutely hammered.

[00:04:36]Wiganar at the minute. Warrington uh St. Helens are decimated. Um, you know, a lot of other teams have have have gone through the ringer with injuries.

[00:04:43]>> Leads have been lucky.

[00:04:44]>> Leads leads have leadeds have been healthy. All >> doing something right, aren't they?

[00:04:47]Yeah. All the lucky clubs aren't. Yeah.

[00:04:50]I don't know.

[00:04:50]>> Yeah.

[00:04:51]>> Like I said though before like it's not short injuries, is it? Like they all seem to be 12 16 week enders. So >> I don't know. I can't put my heart finger on it either.

[00:05:02]>> But it is something to kind of keep a close eye on. And it is Yeah. It's a >> too many games >> which has always been the case. But maybe too many games. Maybe the game's a bit quicker. Um >> there's loads of things, but it needs somebody proper science buffing to look into it. We're not going to find the answers here.

[00:05:18]>> Not today. Anyway, Josh, you're from Oldm.

[00:05:20]>> Yeah, still >> corn and bread.

[00:05:23]>> Yeah, still there.

[00:05:24]>> Still there. Still there.

[00:05:25]>> And what? Tell me about this Yorkshire bus that I keep hearing about.

[00:05:28]>> The Yorkshire bus. Uh yeah, that's built up of uh Jordan Carver who lives an absolute mile away, lives on the other side of Bradford somewhere. Uh Jimmy Harrison, uh me, Luke Yates, and then my younger brother Jake. But Sam's actually split us up into two cars now. So >> that's probably safety, right?

[00:05:44]>> Because there's five of us.

[00:05:45]>> So you Well, because how many people fit in a car?

[00:05:48]>> Well, he's saying that if you have an accident.

[00:05:50]>> No, you're more prone to injuries if you're squashed in. If your legs are open, >> right? I was thinking if you're all in one car and you get taken out, that's five gone. Split into a three and a two.

[00:05:58]That's one way of putting it.

[00:06:00]>> Royal family. When the royal family fly, they fly separately.

[00:06:03]>> Yeah. What we going to do? Let's put Josh. Who? Who can we lose? Put Crowder in the front. We'll put Josh behind him.

[00:06:10]What we going to do in the other car?

[00:06:11]Jake, he's cannon foder. Jake's Jake's cannon foder. Make sure he sits in the front.

[00:06:16]>> Yeah. So, we we've actually split up now. It's actually quite sad when you think about it cuz we also meet for a coffee in the morning though cuz we have to go early to miss the rush hour.

[00:06:25]>> So, we meet George Williams and Ben Curry and Costa at 7:00 at Winn Road.

[00:06:29]Oh, I'm telling everyone where we're going now. Beep.

[00:06:32]>> Yeah. Welcome everyone. What roughly what time did you say?

[00:06:35]>> 7:00 on the dot.

[00:06:36]>> 7:00 on the dot actually.

[00:06:37]>> So for any keen Warrington fans really seeking memorabilia aside.

[00:06:41]>> Yeah. If you fancy a brew, come down.

[00:06:42]>> For your birthday, maybe a birthday message for social media birthday message off George Williams.

[00:06:48]Yeah.

[00:06:48]>> Yeah. I'm going to come down. Should we go?

[00:06:50]>> If you should, you should.

[00:06:51]>> So anyway, we have a bit of a debrief there and you have a laugh and then you go into training.

[00:06:56]>> What's it like Old Growing up in Oldm?

[00:06:58]Because it's a rugby hot bed on the slide, isn't it?

[00:07:00]>> Yeah, on the slide it is. Yeah. There's um there's three or four main clubs now that are >> obviously chucking them through and you know you look at some of the names that have come through. Yeah, Waterhead's number one obviously >> uh Saddaf um and then there's Saint Ans but then there's some other ones around there as well like um Higgins Shaw and stuff. So yeah, >> but why does that area produce so many rubber players off the off the back of the strength of those junior clubs?

[00:07:23]>> I don't know. I just think we're all pretty thick to be honest and hard hard as nails know it is like most rugby players are. So if you look at it that way, then you're going to produce something. You look at, >> you know, Barry M. But then you've got like Kevin Simfield doing. Hang on a minute. You just dropped on something realize thick and hard as nails.

[00:07:42]>> That's Barry M. That should be his social media. You know his handle Barry thick.

[00:07:47]>> Do you So actually speaking to Josh just short um while ago, you're not on social media. You've been called the oldest 24.

[00:07:56]>> I am on social media. I'm sorry you are, but you're not active on it. I'm not active on it.

[00:07:59]>> So you're on it.

[00:08:00]>> Don't like I'm not active on it. Yeah.

[00:08:02]Never post her apparently.

[00:08:03]>> So tell us why.

[00:08:05]>> Not for you.

[00:08:06]>> Honestly, I just don't see the point in it.

[00:08:08]>> Well, I do. I do see the point. That's wrong. I've worded that wrong.

[00:08:11]>> Um I don't like the fuss around it.

[00:08:13]>> Yeah.

[00:08:14]>> So I told a story before. I was night before preseason. I was flicking through Instagram like you do.

[00:08:18]>> Wasting me time flicking through >> and someone posts a picture on a jet ski with a Rolex in Dubai with a bit of a video. And I just thought, who are you doing that for?

[00:08:26]>> Yeah.

[00:08:26]>> You're doing it for yourself. You're pumping yourself up and then actually came off social media for a few months and then >> Joe Filin calls me the oldest 24y old ever.

[00:08:34]>> Just cuz you don't like social.

[00:08:36]>> No, there's a few reasons. There's a few reasons. I'm just like stuck in me own ways and like >> I don't know. I just don't see the fuss in it all. And >> but I think for Joe maybe it kicks everything against the stuff that he's into.

[00:08:46]>> Well, exactly.

[00:08:47]>> So you go to you would not go to Turkey and get your hair done. You wouldn't have fake teeth. Joe on the jet ski.

[00:08:53]>> No, it wasn't.

[00:08:54]>> It wasn't.

[00:08:56]>> It wasn't. That would be good.

[00:08:57]>> No, it wasn't.

[00:08:58]>> Pearly whites in Dubai. Yeah.

[00:09:00]>> And don't get me wrong, it's probably a bit of jealousy, too, that I'm not sat in Dubai and I'm going getting flogged in the morning.

[00:09:05]>> Yeah.

[00:09:06]>> In that social media, that's what it does.

[00:09:07]>> Well, it's just self-promotion.

[00:09:09]>> Yeah. But no, no, but you only We've done this. You only post when it's something great. And it is to induce envy, is it? Unless you're posting it to your family and friends. I don't mind like a suple player posting a post like great win and this that the other like you're inspiring young kids like this that the other role model then you have people that aren't just showing off.

[00:09:28]Nah, not for me.

[00:09:29]>> Who was it? You followed them.

[00:09:31]>> It was an influencer. Yeah.

[00:09:32]>> Is it?

[00:09:32]>> They've unfollowed now.

[00:09:34]>> Good.

[00:09:35]>> Was it um Oh my goodness, I've forgotten his name. Jax. Jax O'Neal.

[00:09:42]>> No, it wasn't. It probably was someone off I can't even remember who it was, honestly.

[00:09:45]>> Who is Jax these days?

[00:09:46]>> Jax O'Neal.

[00:09:47]>> Yeah. I don't know.

[00:09:48]>> Shout out to Jack. He was actually meant to do this podcast once at Magic >> and he went out and got hammered. Didn't wake up and he sent me a picture of himself with a bottle of vodka on a table in a nightclub with nobody else there. He said, "Why don't you come down?" I said, "I'd rather not, Jack.

[00:10:04]>> I'd rather go out with Josh Dus and we'll drink bitter in drink coffee.

[00:10:09]>> We'll just we'll just keep it simple, you know."

[00:10:12]>> So, okay, let's get on to some rugby chat then, shall we? Although were you finished with the olden bit?

[00:10:18]>> Yeah, I was all I was going to say is the rugby in olden is yeah it's a hot bed but also the the it's got the greatest chant sports chant of all time.

[00:10:28]>> I know exactly what you want about it.

[00:10:29]>> Yeah. What is it?

[00:10:30]>> So the the old fans starts with give me a t.

[00:10:34]>> Yeah.

[00:10:35]>> Yeah.

[00:10:37]Give me a T. Give me an I. Give me a T.

[00:10:39]Give me an S. What do you do with a big pair of tits's?

[00:10:44]All them. All the old >> It's good, isn't it? What we beat.

[00:10:51]>> It's exactly what we're good at in this country.

[00:10:53]>> We've forgotten that we're good at that stuff.

[00:10:56]>> It's exactly what This is what we'd beat Australia at, isn't it?

[00:10:58]>> Yeah, we would.

[00:10:59]>> Yeah, we beat you at witty.

[00:11:01]>> Yeah, you probably would.

[00:11:01]>> Chance off the sideline. I don't think that's too witty actually. It's just crude.

[00:11:05]>> Yeah, it is a bit crude. So, Warrington Wolves in 2026.

[00:11:09]Where do you think you are right at this point? What are we uh round 19? going into round 19 where here Warrington are about to um take on Hulk's massive game.

[00:11:21]>> Josh, as you know, isn't playing. Where do you feel that Warrington are? Because you spent a lot of time kind of in that second position in the table. You've started to lose a couple.

[00:11:32]>> What I mean, again, so many injuries, we've touched on that, but where do you feel Warrington are? Sam Burges constantly talking about the belief that he has in his team. these young players are coming out and they're doing a great job. Um, but what are the kind of hopes and aspirations as we stand here heading into to round 19?

[00:11:51]>> Yeah, we just touched it there. There's no secret that we've been doing it tough recently, but obviously early on we spoke about all the other teams that are doing it tough as well. So, it's it's no excuse like we're we're confident in the group we've got. Um, obviously we've we've gone back to back losses. I think we've just gone. Um, so yeah, the confidence might be a bit low like as in the group like you've been in teams before where you feel like, oh yeah, confidence a bit low. We've lost two games, but >> like when you actually go back and go through the games on >> uh we call them pressure releases, you know, like when you're in the big games against Wigan and you're not finishing your sets you like and then you're 30 m up the pitch and then you're working harder, you're making more tackles.

[00:12:27]>> We're just we are making it hard for ourselves like and you don't realize you're doing that until >> you're watching. Like I'm sat in the stands with George at the minute. I'm like, oh, >> like just if we just nailed that there, then it they pay us back later in the game and you know, we're missing out on a few tries here and there and >> but then when you're in the game, you don't see it like you don't.

[00:12:48]>> So, how can you then take what you're seeing for when you do come back in four weeks time? How can you kind of implement what you're seeing, what the team's missing, and bring it back?

[00:12:57]>> Well, me and George watched the first half at Wigan, and he went, "M, come on.

[00:13:02]What what we doing? We're going in half.

[00:13:04]I'm going to tell them what we're seeing. So, we went down, we started telling them what we're seeing and obviously the second half didn't go as we planned, but there's a load of other factors into that, but then like Luke Yates is doing the same for the middles.

[00:13:14]Like I know he's testing middles on the defense. Sam Pal's doing the same at the minute. Obviously, he's he's banned. Um, so it's coming from within what we're trying to improve. It's just actually doing it on the pitch is another thing, isn't it? Yeah, that's quite it's quite I think that's amazing really to take your learnings as a player to watch and then be able to bring that down >> into into the dressing room and Sam speaks about moments he in games big big big moments >> and it felt like in against better opposition with a weakened side he's probably just been the wrong side of those moments.

[00:13:45]>> Yeah, exactly. And like >> people don't chase moments, you know what I mean? Like my first few years in the first team, we talk about younger players here, I was always thinking about surviving the game. Let's not make any errors. Let's not let anyone know let's not miss any tackles. But now I go into games >> trying to play a perfect game.

[00:14:02]>> Yeah. And now I go into games thinking I could go and win us the game. I'm thinking about where my finishing in the corner, what try save I'm going to make.

[00:14:10]Like I've seen the winger, how he finishes, what plays he run for fullback. I need to get there sooner on certain players.

[00:14:15]>> So then your mindset does change and the confidence level >> as you get all the and that's the confidence thing because I've not mentioned once about making errors in a I'm just thinking where I can win us again.

[00:14:24]>> And then once you get the flip side of that, which Sam was trying to get out the young lads earlier, that's when obviously big players will start coming.

[00:14:31]>> Last year it was quite the season for yourself and for your brother as well.

[00:14:35]He he was young player, Warrington young player of the year. You were player of the year at the club. What was that like for your family?

[00:14:43]>> Uh I'll speak on behalf of them. I don't really know. Um but I >> What you receiving award and watching your brother Uh yeah, it was it was pretty special because he got his first but then the club invited all our family to the presentation. So I was thinking I must be on for >> Oh, you're a shoeing. Come on.

[00:15:01]>> Like surely not invited them all for him. So then >> not for him.

[00:15:05]>> Just for him.

[00:15:06]>> No, just for one awards. I was like surely I'm on for some. Anyway, I ended up getting it like just seeing my mom and dad after they were just like oh like can go and get a picture like we got an older brother too. We got a younger sister there with her grandparents with her. It was just so nice like getting them to hold the player of the year trophy. Obviously Jake, we made up with his ward and >> you touched back what it must feel like from him. We played at Magic Weekend at Newcastle, our first game together >> and uh we shared a room together the night before.

[00:15:30]>> That was so weird.

[00:15:31]>> Yeah, it's so weird. Like all last year cuz I I show Matty Ashton obviously Matty was injured and Jay went in his spot. So every away trip I shared a room with him. It was like what did I talk to him about? You know what I mean?

[00:15:42]>> But then like we got then you talk to him about just nothing really. I spent a lot of time in TV. Surely the beauty of that is that you can sit in silence with a family member though. You don't need to talk to them.

[00:15:51]>> Yeah. And I sleepwalk a bit as well. So we knew that would be >> Whoa.

[00:15:55]>> Yeah.

[00:15:55]>> Whoa. Right. What?

[00:15:57]>> You sleepwalk? What do you mean?

[00:15:59]>> Oh, I'm a terrible sleeper.

[00:16:00]>> What a sleepwalk.

[00:16:01]>> No sleeper.

[00:16:02]>> Sleepwalk, sleep talk, up walking around, moving stuff. Really? Like what?

[00:16:07]What? What? Tell what's the weirdest thing you've moved?

[00:16:10]>> Oh, when I was younger, I've been downstairs and I've took all the cushions off the setis and stuff, put them all on the floor, gone up, got back in bed. I'm doing no harm.

[00:16:18]>> I'm doing no harm. I'm doing no harm.

[00:16:19]I'm not in the microwave.

[00:16:22]>> I'm not doing anything bad. I just honestly Mom Dad took me to um doctors when I was younger with it.

[00:16:27]>> Doctors.

[00:16:27]>> Yeah. I used to have like really bad night terrors when I was younger.

[00:16:29]Anyway, what do you know? Yeah. Let's talk about >> No, let's not talk about that.

[00:16:32]>> No, no. I used to have a repetitive nightmare about this. It was half horse, half monkey thing that chased me. That used to scare me a lot. But what what were your night terrors? What was it? It was um it was like I'd be sat in my room and my room would be getting smaller and smaller and smaller. Then I'd be getting bigger and bigger at the same time. It's always the same thing. And then like I'd like wake up and I'd be like in the bathroom. I'd be like, "What am I doing here?"

[00:16:55]>> That's um >> I would be in my room wake up sweating.

[00:16:59]I wouldn't be in my room. So I'd be like, "Oh, why is my room closing in on me?"

[00:17:02]>> But then I'd wake up I'd be stood in the bathroom. I' like in the bathroom >> bathroom or downstairs or I just wake up not in the room.

[00:17:10]>> No, >> you never go outside. He's disciplined.

[00:17:12]>> And you've never tried cooking or anything?

[00:17:15]>> No.

[00:17:18]>> Like Matt's accepted that now?

[00:17:20]>> Yeah.

[00:17:20]>> So, it took Jake a bit of time to accept that. I might be walking around the room in the middle of the night.

[00:17:23]>> Did he not know this when you were growing up?

[00:17:25]>> Yeah. Yeah, he knew it. But I think he thought I'd grown out of it. Clearly haven't. 23 walking around the room boxes.

[00:17:31]>> It's like step brothers in it bringing in.

[00:17:33]>> That's exactly what it's like. Pretty embarrassing actually. I don't know.

[00:17:36]>> No. No. It's great. That's good.

[00:17:38]>> Oh. Um, tell us about the time you got your um, well the call to make your your debut for Warrington. I think Steve Price was your head coach, wasn't it?

[00:17:49]>> I was. Yeah. So, it was um, >> so I've done my research. John Wilin.

[00:17:52]>> Yeah. Yeah. I've done >> What research have you done?

[00:17:54]>> Lots.

[00:17:54]>> It was 2019. It was 2019. I just turned 17 that week.

[00:17:59]>> So, >> second youngest Warrington player to make their debut.

[00:18:02]>> Yeah. So, I just turned 17. What do you do when you turn 17? You're out in the car driving lesson. And it came up Steve Price ringing me. The driving instructor up to me. He like knows his rugby and he was like, "You want to answer it?" And I was like, "Yeah." So I was like, "Hey Steve, you >> did you know at that point what was coming?"

[00:18:15]>> No. No. Did you drive? I was driving.

[00:18:17]Yeah. So you've answered the phone when you were driving. You pulled over was in the middle. But down Steve Price and instructor went, "Steve Price. Are we pulling over?" So he was like, "Yeah, yeah.

[00:18:25]>> Was it not your test?

[00:18:26]>> Pull up safely on the right." So I'm giving it all that dipping clutch anyway.

[00:18:30]>> He answers and he goes, "Was it your test or just a lesson?"

[00:18:32]>> No, just a lesson.

[00:18:33]>> Just a lesson.

[00:18:34]>> Gosh. And he was like, "Uh, what are you up to?" Speak that. Did you Did you have him on speaker?

[00:18:39]>> I'll leave you to it then. That's more important. Put the phone down.

[00:18:41]>> So, I'm driving around for an hour thinking, "Why is he he's never rang me before?"

[00:18:45]>> But it was after Matam and all the Warrington fans and the >> Yes, >> that incident and loads of players got red cards and stuff. So, I thought I might have a chance.

[00:18:54]>> So, when he rang me, I thought I must be on and I had to drive there for an hour thinking, "Am I playing? Am I not? Have I done something wrong?"

[00:18:59]>> I have just crashed the car and got a bit like that. I want to speak.

[00:19:02]>> I was like, "No, you pulled over going."

[00:19:03]was like, "No, no, get it past. Put phone down or something."

[00:19:06]>> Oh, no.

[00:19:07]>> So, yeah.

[00:19:08]>> I love the driving instructor. Full rugby.

[00:19:10]>> Yeah, proper rugby head. He's like, "Hey, Steve Price is ringing.

[00:19:13]>> You might be getting the call."

[00:19:15]>> And then we pulled over and he was like, "I'll see you in a bit." He's like, "You going to ring Steve back?" I was like, "Yeah, I am. Can I listen?

[00:19:19]>> What do you want to do?"

[00:19:21]>> Did you um ever have another driving lesson with him again?

[00:19:24]>> Yeah.

[00:19:24]>> For free?

[00:19:25]>> Not for free. No.

[00:19:26]>> So, he didn't give it to you for free.

[00:19:27]>> No.

[00:19:28]>> But he's a Warrington fan. Did you get him to the >> No, he's not He's not a Warrington fan.

[00:19:31]Just loves >> ruger. Oh. Oh yeah, I was in I did my test. Yeah.

[00:19:34]>> Shame.

[00:19:35]>> Um, >> but you passed your test now.

[00:19:37]>> Yeah, passed.

[00:19:38]>> So he's just driving.

[00:19:39]>> You never drive. You never get up and get in your car.

[00:19:43]>> No, no, no. Back to sleepwalking. No, I've never done that. Never done that.

[00:19:46]>> What's the weirdest thing you have done then? I'm not having it. Rearranging the cushions is the weirdest thing you've done.

[00:19:50]>> Uh, so it was like the first uh couple months I went my messes and I stayed at her house and um I got up and said, "There's someone outside your room." And she was like, "What?" And I've never told her I slept walked. I was like, "No, there's someone outside your room.

[00:20:03]I've just seen him, but I'm fast asleep and she's like absolutely petrified."

[00:20:08]Wakes me up and she goes, "What are you doing? What you doing?" I'm like, "There's someone outside your room." And but then I'm awake, but I'm believing what I've >> It was you. You >> just been in my mind. And I walk out.

[00:20:18]It'll be boxes. Look, no one's there.

[00:20:20]Get back into bed. And she's like, "Is there someone out there? Is there someone out there?" I'm like, "There's honestly no one out there." But then that's just the sort of thing that >> would trigger me to get start with you after that.

[00:20:30]>> Yeah. Well, we've got a little girl now going seven years. So, I think she got over it.

[00:20:34]>> When And when you're asleep walking, what does what does your face look like?

[00:20:38]>> Like, you know, >> he's he's asleep.

[00:20:40]>> No, but when No, you know, but when I'm asleep, but what I'm saying, but what I'm saying is if I'm asleep, my eyes are Exactly. This is my point.

[00:20:47]>> Right. So, Josh, he's awake >> visually. He's not. He's asleep.

[00:20:51]>> No, he's asleep, but he's eyes are open.

[00:20:53]Yeah, >> that's so creepy.

[00:20:55]>> I honestly didn't see this podcast going this way. I'm not going to lie. Neither did we, Josh. Neither did we.

[00:21:00]>> You brought it up.

[00:21:02]>> Um, fascinating.

[00:21:04]>> Yeah.

[00:21:04]>> Have you ever I think I've spoke to you a couple of times. We bumped into each other in uh Magic in Newcastle outside the hotel. It would be Was he awake or asleep?

[00:21:12]>> No, he was definitely asleep. He can't remember it.

[00:21:15]>> He said there's somebody outside your room to me. That's what that it just made me think. By >> what a great way.

[00:21:21]>> Was Jack O'Neal knocking on the door to come out? Such a good thing to say in your sleep because it petrifies everybody.

[00:21:29]>> She says she was so scared.

[00:21:31]>> Just wake up. Imagine you're like, "The house is on fire." What?

[00:21:35]>> Um, >> right. Time for on and off the bench.

[00:21:38]>> Yeah.

[00:21:38]>> On the bench, as our lovely listeners and viewers know, on the bench is something you want to see less of in sport, rugby league. The world off the bench is something you'd like to inject into the world, sport, or rugby league.

[00:21:51]Josh Thulis, you go ahead. on the bench.

[00:21:54]Something less of >> uh less of and it comes back to the social media stuff.

[00:21:58]>> Perfect.

[00:21:59]>> Um I cannot stand a day in the lives.

[00:22:02]>> A day in the life of anyone >> of people.

[00:22:05]>> Oh, what's going on?

[00:22:06]>> Honestly, right. So, >> example be first clip comes up. It's like um Instagram reel you call it like 3 minutes longs and it'll be their alarm clock and they lay in bed and then they wake up. Boom. I'm >> not. Are they awake? Are they awake?

[00:22:19]>> I beat the alarm clock. I beat me alarm clock by a minute. Good start to the day. Well, you haven't. set your alarm 5 minutes earlier. Your phone's propped up on the side. You're now videoing yourself.

[00:22:28]>> Next, he's going to bathroom brushing the teeth, towel around the neck, phone's propped up on the side, videoing him.

[00:22:32]>> So, they've had to go in. Oh, that that video is good. Me waking up. Now, I'm going to do this. Brushing my teeth. And then they go into the kitchen. They're making scrambled eggs.

[00:22:39]>> Yeah.

[00:22:39]>> Phone's propped up. You know what I mean? Goes all the way through. They're stretching in front of the camera and that. Just do it for yourself.

[00:22:45]>> Again, name names. Is this Filin?

[00:22:47]>> No, it's not Filin.

[00:22:48]>> Is Filburn, is it?

[00:22:49]>> No, it's not. It is. It's not. Honestly, if anyone did one in my team, I'd >> Who would be the most likely in the team to do a day in the life video?

[00:22:58]>> Joe Filby. Yeah, >> he's Joe Filin. Yeah, >> he's not he's not done one, but he's >> Well, can we get Joe Felin to do a day in the life? He just loves his social media, don't he? I know, but I'd love to see a Joe Filin day in the life.

[00:23:07]>> But like honestly, it just infuriates me. Like, >> it's a great one. I know it's absolutely on the >> But if it was somebody like Lionel Messi, wouldn't you want to see that?

[00:23:16]>> You know what? I've seen one with like um >> I've seen one with Man United uh Matteas Kun does one >> and he's like just in training he's got a bit of a GoPro on like it's funny he's having a laugh with people he's not videoing himself bang beat me line by one minute great start to the day like again who you doing it for >> they're just trying the followers I just can't stand it >> but they're trying to be famous everybody's so desperate to >> get out of bed go and brush your teeth get your breakfast >> anyway I get the cash >> you're not very active on social media >> I'm not at I'm I'm anti I'm aggressively anti- social media.

[00:23:49]>> I think it's rank.

[00:23:51]>> Rank.

[00:23:52]>> It's rank, isn't it? It's just >> Yeah, it's not great.

[00:23:54]>> I don't think you see anything on it and I think, "Wow, that's cool." I just see things and I go, "It's just cringe mostly." And it >> Yeah. Do you know especially for grown men? I just think about my dad, right?

[00:24:03]And my dad is like a he's like a passive pig farming, you know, guy. And he's like just trying to think what my dad would ever post on social media. And the answer is nothing. Therefore, it's the right thing to do. farming. Maybe a day in the life.

[00:24:16]>> Day in the life of a farmer is such a good Yeah, I'd love to see it. I'm not sure what it actually looks like.

[00:24:22]>> Again, though, can you imagine your dad propping his phone up, pressing play, lying down in bed?

[00:24:25]>> Yeah. Oh, do another one.

[00:24:27]>> Doing Oh, I don't look good on that.

[00:24:28]>> Yeah.

[00:24:29]>> Yeah.

[00:24:30]>> So, okay. Good. Social media on the bench. On the bench for me is >> the announcements that come alongside six. again >> as in the >> the stadium announcement >> the voice.

[00:24:44]>> Ding ding six again. Rock infringement.

[00:24:48]Yeah.

[00:24:49]>> One is if there's that ding-ding enough, isn't it?

[00:24:52]>> We know it's a six again.

[00:24:54]>> Yeah.

[00:24:54]>> Right. So just do the ding-ding. Don't have that number.

[00:24:57]>> Oh, just six again.

[00:24:58]>> Yeah, but we're rugby league. If we're going to do six six again, rock infringement. You know what I mean? Not six again, rock infringement. It's like he's advertising cream cheese for waitros or something.

[00:25:11]>> Okay. Um, >> six again.

[00:25:13]>> Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

[00:25:14]>> Captain's challenge.

[00:25:15]>> Why are you dancing when you say it?

[00:25:17]>> Because that's how I imagine he's saying it. Six again. Very odd.

[00:25:19]>> Ruck infringement.

[00:25:20]>> Um, okay. Yeah, good one. Great. I'm benching vitamins. And the reason I'm benching vitamins or vitamins, >> vitamins, vitamins, >> um, is because I've recently seen a naturopath just for like, well, actually, I went for my younger my youngest child and then when I was there, I was like, actually, do you want to just see maybe?

[00:25:37]>> So, what's a naturopath?

[00:25:39]>> Well, it's somebody who prescribes you uh vitamins to make you feel good.

[00:25:44]>> What What do they do naturally? Um, well, they test you and they do all lots of things.

[00:25:49]>> How do they test you? They use different machines >> such as >> well, I don't know what the machine is called, but basically a machine.

[00:25:55]>> What does it look like?

[00:25:56]>> I think I should do a day in the life of this. It's >> No, you shouldn't. Tell me what this machine that you've been hooked up to is.

[00:26:02]>> Um, it's not that you're hooked up to it. They basically have this pointing thing and it goes into your toes and it goes into your um fingers and all that and it measures what you're lacking.

[00:26:09]Anyway, the whole point of this is I am now spending probably about 35 minutes of a morning going through my vitamins.

[00:26:16]This morning, 22 vitamins I had to pack to come up here. 22. And the reason it's so um it takes me so long is because you got to space them out. So you I have to have about five of the 22 30 minutes before I have my first >> This has made great social media content. Day in the life 35 pill I have to eat another five of these asleep. He's sleepwalking. Um and then another five um during breakfast and then the rest is like >> created loads of head noise. It's it's so I need to now start taking like some kind of vitamin to chill me out from how many vitamins I'm taking cuz it's very stressful. And then at night time I've got another 12 I would take at night to help me sleep.

[00:26:53]>> What What are they What are they?

[00:26:54]>> I I mean there's so many of them. I I just there's like loads.

[00:26:57]>> What do you Where do you buy them from?

[00:26:59]>> Well, you order them online from >> loads of people.

[00:27:01]>> Not the naturopath.

[00:27:03]>> No, she doesn't make money off the vitamins. I know where you're going with this. She's not like, "Oh, here you go.

[00:27:06]This is my special range." Anyway, this needs to be edited out. We're wasting time here. I just want a bench vit. Not so much vitamins, but just somebody should make one vitamin that has everything in it that is appropriate to that individual. So when I go to the naturopath and she pokes all those things in me, she works out what I need and then she puts a vitamin together.

[00:27:23]That's a great business plan.

[00:27:24]>> I think they did that. I think they came up with that, didn't they?

[00:27:27]>> I don't know. I haven't found someone.

[00:27:28]Anyway, off the bench. Something you want to see more of, Josh.

[00:27:31]>> Uh something I want to see more of. Uh well, I'm sick of people telling me that rug is not a real job.

[00:27:37]>> What?

[00:27:37]>> Great show. Great show.

[00:27:39]>> No.

[00:27:39]>> Yeah. Good show.

[00:27:40]>> True.

[00:27:40]>> Is it? So, like when I go around to my mom and dad's, my brother works in uh Freight Logistics. Uh me dad's a builder.

[00:27:47]>> Real job.

[00:27:47]>> My dad's a builder. Yeah.

[00:27:49]>> Do you help him out every now and then, too?

[00:27:51]>> Uh me dad. Yeah. Yeah. Me and Jake.

[00:27:52]Yeah. We get stuck in. Goter.

[00:27:55]>> Anyway, back to it.

[00:27:56]>> Sorry.

[00:27:57]>> Um so then, what if you got on tomorrow?

[00:27:59]I'm like, oh, I've got a recovered air massage ice bath. He's like work. You call that work this that the other. So then I'd like to bring in, have you seen like fat versus skinny where like they swap days or rich kid, poor kid?

[00:28:12]>> Then you can job swap >> cuz I reckon I'd last longer in both of their jobs than they would in mine >> without a doubt. That's what I'm saying.

[00:28:19]So they're saying, "Well, mine's not a real job. I could do your job. You can't do mine." Like 100% can't do a day preseason. I'm saying I'm not saying player in front of 15,000 against Wigard.

[00:28:28]>> But they couldn't do any of it.

[00:28:29]>> No, they can't. But if you had to do a full day preseason, no chance. They couldn't do it. your dad >> and he's gonna come back to me for this now. Yeah, he's gonna come back to this.

[00:28:38]Let's shout Let's Let's shout him out.

[00:28:40]>> Kev.

[00:28:40]>> Kev.

[00:28:41]>> Kev. Kev. So Josh can lay bricks. You can't play rubby, mate. All right. Hype down. You want to do day preseason? Come down here. We'll take you through. We'll we'll do a day can have a go. Yeah.

[00:28:51]>> Same same with my brother as well. I reckon I could do fair logistics. Like >> bit of chat GBT, bit of googling. Like he couldn't come in and do a Bronco. He couldn't do session. He couldn't wrestle. What bike?

[00:29:02]>> I couldn't agree more. Well, that's fantastic.

[00:29:03]>> Well, it's not a real job. So, >> it is a real job.

[00:29:06]>> It's a great job.

[00:29:06]>> So, job swap.

[00:29:07]>> It's a great Okay. Job swap.

[00:29:08]>> A program where you job swap.

[00:29:09]>> I like it >> with the fans. That'd be good, wouldn't it?

[00:29:12]>> You could get the most critical fan online and then they come and do preseason.

[00:29:16]>> People might hammer you say, "Oh, John Wilin don't know what he's on about this, that, the other." Right. Job swap me.

[00:29:21]>> You might have to go to BQ or something, but they've got to stand here and present for 45 minutes.

[00:29:25]>> Yeah, but I actually think No, I think they could do it. I just That's the problem with that example. I'm more than comfortable doing the rugby stuff. I'd rather go out there and say, "Right, you come and do Broncos and I'll go and stack shelves."

[00:29:37]>> I'm not so sure.

[00:29:38]>> I think there's a lot of people we find ourselves to do this.

[00:29:42]>> Oh, what a way to end this week's The Bench podcast. Josh Thulis.

[00:29:47]>> Thanks for having me.

[00:29:48]>> It's been a pleasure. Thank you.