Australian heavyweight boxing champ and NRL shit-stirrer John Hopoate gives RALPH the finger.
First things first, mate – did you get a bum deal from the NRL?
I brought a lot of it on myself but, yeah, the NRL gave me a bit of a kick. Getting that last suspension [17 weeks for a head-high tackle] and not finishing on my own terms was a big low.
Think they made an example of you?
I got 12 weeks for that finger episode but we thought it was
funny. We used to laugh about it at training. We all sort of did it – it was a tactic to get players on the ground and slow them down. Players flick each other in the balls and stuff but who cares? I got caught, though.
I had to cop it on the chin.
There was a huge media shitstorm after the finger incident.
I didn’t read or watch anything about it. I just brushed the media. Everything takes time to heal. I had to ride that out. I think I came out a better person. At the time, I thought it was the end of my career.
How much shit did you get when you were playing league?
I was hated. You’d get the crowd screaming, “Hoppa’s a
wanker!” and when I’d get sin-binned they’d cheer. But that used to spur me on to play better and shut them up.
Is there anything that you’d do differently in your footy career?
No. I wouldn’t be John Hopoate otherwise. I took the game global with my antics. The NRL should’ve been paying me for taking it to Canada and America.
Do people still give you crap?
Not so much, ’cos I might punch them. But yeah, people would drive past and say stuff and do gestures. There’s one bloke I’m still trying to get a hold of. He keeps sending me letters. I’d love to get a hold of him. Apart from that, everyone’s pretty good. Especially now I’ve won the Australian [heavyweight] belt.
When did you decide to be a boxer?
It wasn’t until I got run out of the NRL. My trainer at Manly asked if
I wanted to take up boxing. I said, “Why not?” But I don’t think I was a natural talent.
Who was the last person that you punched outside the ring?
As a kid, I had a record for a couple of assaults and that. I remember throwing a couple when the Tigers were playing St. George. None of them connected but I thought they looked good. I watched the footage and they actually looked terrible.
Dan Steiner
• To read the rest of the Hoppa interview, get the August RALPH. On sale now at newsagents.
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