Leading into Saturday's Round 5 match against the St George Illawarra Dragons at Hunter Stadium, Jarrod Mullen has taken Knights Insider questions from the Club's Members and fans.
Schuhmacher Bush Robinmay via Facebook: Hey Jarrod, great work so far by the team. Do you think you are all working more for each other this year compared to last year?
Jarrod Mullen: I’m not sure it's about working more for each other but everyone is doing their job a lot better. We have all been together a few years now so we are all starting to gel. It’s just a matter of keeping everyone on the park and not having too many injuries that is the key to success.
Jordan Donald via Facebook: How will you guys play against the Dragons considering what happened last year in Round 26 against your opposition you are playing against this Saturday?
JM: It’s going to be a totally different game because they are a totally different squad. We will have a game plan going into the game like we have every week. We’ve been executing our game plan pretty well. We have to give credit to Craig Sandercock, Danny Buderus and (Rick) Stoney and all the coaching staff that have put together some game plans and all the boys have been sticking to it and it’s been working so far.
Lachlan McDermott Schuhmacher via Facebook: Are you and the boys confident about going 5-0 this weekend?
JM: We always thought we’d start the year well but we never thought we’d be going for 5 from 5. I don’t think anyone would. The brand of footy we are playing at the moment and the sides we’ve been beating have been encouraging. They are a good side the Dragons, but we have confidence so we’ll see what happens.
Nathan George Sciberras via Facebook: Jarrod, it must be a good feeling to be able to play with an attacking flair like Newcastle used to, how different is Stone coaching style to Bennett's?
JM: I suppose Wayne is all about completion rates and that does work. We like to throw the ball around and I think you see how potent our outside backs are out wide and you like to give them the ball as much as we can. When you have Aku Uate and Jimmy (McManus), Dane Gagai and Joey (Leilua) out wide, you want to give them the ball as much as possible. The way Stoney is coaching it’s good to watch and I know the fans are appreciating it.
Hayden Woods via Facebook: Do you think Gagai will be playing Origin this year?
JM: I think with Brent Tate retiring, I know Greg Inglis and Justin Hodges are there, but I think Dane could play on the wing or something like that. I know he is an Origin player of the future, there’s no doubt about that that he will play for Queenland. Whether it’s this year or next year. I know he’s going to be Origin player for years to come. He’s a very good player.
Sarah Atchison via Facebook: Hey Jarrod! In your opinion what has contributed to the success of the team so far this season?
JM: I think it’s everyone is doing their job. Everyone is happy at training and I think the addition of Craig Sandercock and Danny Buderus as assistant coaches has really helped us. Sandy spends a lot of one-on-one time with the boys and the younger boys coming up who sort of don’t know their role yet. I know he’s really close with Aku and that’s why he is playing so well this year I think. Everyone is doing their job really great at the moment, but we have to keep the ball rolling.
Gabby Page via Facebook: What does your arm tattoo mean?
JM: I have one on my left shoulder, which is SLK stands for Steve, Leeann, Kayla which is Dad, Mum and my sister. I have Mullen down the back of my arm and a V which is five. It means the five boys that I grew up with. We are five tight mates and we all got it.
Stephen Augustine via Facebook: Would you say that you've earn the right to be in the NSW squad for 2015?
JM: Maybe not in the first couple of rounds, but I’m starting to play some all right footy at the moment. That’s been thrown around for years now and doesn’t really effect me anymore. I’d love to play there again and show what I’ve got, but I’d trade it all in to win a comp here at Newcastle.
Dave Browne via Facebook: Hey mate, what interests do you have outside of footy?
JM: I like to relax outside of football because we are training all the time. I have a couple of race horses and that's an interest for me. I like just hanging out with my family and friends. Life is pretty short and I’ve learned over the years who your true friends and family are. I like to hang around with them because they are the people that make you happy.
James Purcival via Facebook: What song/s gets you pumped up before a game?
JM: I’m a bit of a hip-hop sort of man. I listen to a lot of music, anything that sounds good.
Dylan Elturk via Facebook: Who has been the most improved player this season?
JM: Everyone is doing their job well, but I think Kade Snowden has been unreal for us, and Korbin Sims. Any one of our forwards have been tremendous. We can’t do our jobs as halves and outside backs without them going forward. Anyone knows the secret to success is a good and hard forward pack. I would have to say Kade Snowden.
Daniel Gillies via Fabeook: Career highlight?
JM: Origin is definitely one and I don’t remember it being that long ago. You definitely remember your debut, that’s been a highlight game wise. But the highlight everyday is going to training everyday with your best mates and ripping in with them on the weekend. That’s a highlight I’m going to miss when I retire.
Alex Gale via Facebook: What exercises did you find the best to put size on your frame over the years?
JM: If you struggle to but on weight, I think that squats are a good one for your legs and gluts. I do a lot of that, but it’s probably not all about exercise, it’s about eating. I found I was doing weights and having protein shakes, but my diet was pretty bad. I wasn’t eating enough food and wasn’t putting on any weight. I went to a dietician, Trent Watson, he used to play here at the Knights and he gave me a good routine and told me you have to eat a lot and every two hours and snacks all the time and that’s what put on my weight.
Phil Coles via Facebook: Hi Jarrod, is it true you are the crankiest man on the field during a game?
JM: Yes I am Phil and you’ve probably copped a lot of my brunt. My role is to get the best out of the boys, and if I need to rip into them, I have to. They look at me and there’s no love lost on the field. It’s part of the game. Yes, I am pretty cranky on the field.
(Phil Coles was the Knights’ Physiotherapist who is now working with the Antonio Spurs’ Director of Medical Services.)
Brendon Williams via Facebook: What's your best advice for a junior player wanting to improve?
JM: The best advice that I got was train when no one else was training. Whether it’s doing skill work or you need to pick up on your passing. When I first started I was a centre, but centres these days are massive, so I had to go play at five eighth and in the halves. I could never pass properly, so Bedsy (Danny Buderus), my family grew up with his family at Taree, he was playing first grade at the time. He told me to draw a circle on a tree and just pass and hit the circle time and time again. That’s how I learned to pass and it just became second nature.
Cotty Merv via Facebook: Do you ever get compliments on the size of your biceps? I reckon you have some of the biggest guns for your size in the NRL.
JM: Every one reckons I do extras on that, but it’s just genetics. If I could, I’d have smaller ones because I can’t find any shirts that that have a medium size body and don’t pull out the sleeves. If I get bigger shirts, it looks like a gown on me.
David Eveleigh via Facebook: What do you credit with the improvement in your game this year. Including your kicking game?
JM: I don’t think my kicking game has been up to scratch to be honest the first couple of weeks. I think repetition. I have a kicking coach that helps me out a lot. He’s really good especially with the younger boys on technique. You definitely have to have a good kicking game in the NRL because it can change a game.
Daniel Kerslake via Facebook: How does The Mulverine prepare for a game on game day? What is your routine?
JM: I go for a swim every game day morning. Especially when we are at home because we live in the loveliest place in the world. I kick back and do nothing. I don’t usually leave the house, I’ll go for a bit of sleep and I always have an ice bath or a cold shower when I get to the game to wake me up a bit.
Gazza Soewarno via Facebook: If you had a say in which players the Knights could recruit is there any certain players you wish you could play with?
JM: I’m pretty happy with the roster I have here. Maybe another explosive forward like Jared Waerea-Hargreave would be handy. There are a lot of good players in the NRL I would love to play with like Greg Inglis, he’d be unreal to play with. But I’m happy with the squad we’ve got.
Ben Asher via Facebook: What’s the tape on your wrist all about?
JM: It’s just something I did one game and I liked it. I do have pretty bad wrists though. I dislocated and broke my wrist back in the day and I still get pains. I used to write a bit of the game plan on it, but I never looked at it so it wasn't worth it.
Michael Klein via email: Hey Jarrod, I know a lot of people, and some aren't even Knights fans, that think you should be a regular in the NSW squad. Is it still a goal for you to have another crack at Origin level?
JM: It’s definitely a goal. I don’t want to retire and only have played one game. But I’m happy and grateful I do play that game. But I’d like to play at that level again, that’s for sure.
Richard Hill via Facebook: What's it like to play with the bash brothers in Beau Scott and Jeremy Smith and then add Tariq Sims to the mix as well?
JM: It’s unreal and I’d hate to play against those boys. They definitely tackle hard and compete hard and don’t give an inch. I used to play against them and hate it, so it’s great to play with them.
Thank you for the Knights Insider questions. We hope to see you at Hunter Stadium this Easter Saturday!
