SUBJECTS: NRL; NRL Grand Final; South Sydney Rabbitohs.

HOST: Good morning to you, Anthony. How are you?

ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Good morning. I'm very well. A bit nervous in the lead up to Sunday.

HOST: Take us through, you watching the game, are you sort of quiet or more boisterous and sort of, 'Get them on side, ref' sort of supporter? Take us through how you will take in the 80 minutes on Sunday night.

ALBANESE: I am a shocker. I have the flag off the car already. I have balloons ordered with the little rabbits on the green and red balloon. I filled up the lounge room. All I need to do is do up the front of the house. And I'm very nervous. It is only the second time in 50 years and brings back memories as well. Footy is about your identity and who you are and community. And my mum took me to the 1971 Grand Final on the SCG hill. Single mum took her little boy along, somehow got a ticket, got there really early in the morning, they were the days, of course, when everyone brought an esky full each on the hill there. And my mum used to say to me she never got to see any of the game because I was just a little kid and couldn't see. So, all these big blokes who consumed most of their esky over the day by the time it got a three o'clock had me on their shoulders. And whenever Souths won, I think the score was 16-10 from memory, every time Souths scored a point, I'd be thrown up in the air between them. She was petrified that there was going to be an injury on the hill there. But in 2014, I got to take my own son, Nathan, and then we went to Redfern Station and caught the train out and watched it with the people who I was on the board with way back 20 years ago now when we got, first of all, we got kicked out of the comp and then we got readmitted and we won the court case 20 years ago, back in 2001.

HOST: I was about to ask you about that, when Souths were kicked out of the comp. You look back now and think that you were in your second Grand Final in 2014. You won. Why did you feel so passionately about standing there with George Piggins fighting for South Sydney?

ALBANESE: We were devastated. I was a board member from the late 90s, sitting around that boardroom and trying to keep us going when you had the criteria, but we felt that the criteria was stacked against us. They didn't take into account our history as the most successful club, at that time we had 20 premierships and had such a strong supporter base in the region, we have Queenslanders going for on Sunday at Suncorp. And we felt very passionately that the community were with us. And when we lost the first case and we had to decide whether we go further up and appeal, basically, with Nick Pappas as the lawyer, and we sat around that boardroom at the Leagues Club at Redfern, and basically made the decision that we would have a rally again, a second rally, in ten days' time, I think it was, we gave ourselves to organise that. But it was largely word of mouth. We had, at that stage, we had no money. We had been kicked out of the comp. We had one staffer who was the lovely elderly woman who manned the phones, I think, since phones were invented. Everyone else was volunteering, including the CEO. And we basically made the decision that if people turned up and marched on the streets, then we keep going as long as they did. And of course, they did. More than 100,000 people marched from Redfern through the Sydney Town Hall. It is the only time a politician has been on a march that long and cheered the whole way through. A good opportunity. People had that sense of identity It was about who we are. For people who say, 'You could just follow another team', I don't think they got how tribal rugby league was.

HOST: Anthony, why rugby league? Did you play? Was that your chosen sport? And then Souths as well, from what you just mentioned as a child going and watching them, I feel like in New South Wales, once you pick a team, it's that pick and stick mentality and that loyalty stays with you for life.

ALBANESE: Absolutely. Well, I came out of the womb with a red and a green eye. And people say to me, 'Does your son support Souths?' And I say, 'Well, he had choices, but he chose to sleep inside'. It is about who you are. My grandparents were from Redfern and Paddington around that area, and they supported Souths. It was just who you were. I grew up in council housing there in Camperdown. There were three teams, Souths, Balmain or Newtown that you could support. Rugby league was the sport. And you played rugby league. It wasn't an option. You played rugby league. And I played in Souths Juniors comp for little St Joseph's Camperdown, a little school that I went to, they were a bit like a Wests jersey, and we had a little red rabbit on our jumpers. I used to go with my mum who would take me to Redfern Oval to watch Souths on the hill. And it was just a part of who you were. I grew up cheering for those great teams. I had Eric Simms' jumper, number one, on my back. And Eric Simms now live in Marrickville, not far from me. But I grew up wanting to kick goals like Eric Simms and wanting to play like my heroes - McCarthy, O'Neill and Stevens. It was a fantastic team that they had during that era.

HOST: How special would Sunday be if you do manage to get the win? So many distractions in the last couple of years. And I think we've all made it pretty clear how lucky we've been to be able to see the NRL continue to move forward throughout so many distractions with COVID. But again, I don't think Souths are really given a chance, especially after losing Latrell Mitchell. So, will this be extra special if they found a way to get over the line on Sunday?

ALBANESE: It certainly would be extra special. I mean it's Adam Reynolds' last game. So sad to see him go. I have been trying to lobby earlier on in the year but it's tricky. Actually, I think that is something the NRL has to fix. The NRL has been keeping the game going. But one little thing, and I have spoken to Peter V'landys about this one-on-one, you surely, for a player who has played so many games for a club, once you hit 150 or even 200 games, surely you should be taken out of the salary cap considerations and allow people that have that one team career. That used to be common. The reason why last Friday night was satisfying for Souths fans is we haven't forgiven them for fifty years ago. It's a part of who you are. And I think that players should be rewarded for their loyalty to a single club. I wish Adam Reynolds well. But to see him in something else will be tragic and I hope he gets to lift the trophy on Sunday night. But young bloke Taaffe has been a revelation. And it just shows that the team, I think, under Wayne Bennett has that real sense of self-belief. And Wayne Bennett indeed doesn't need to prove he is the super coach. Just getting us there, I think, is an incredible effort.

HOST: I was about to ask you about Wayne and the influence he has had on South Sydney because you've had so many wonderful coaches. And you've got such a proud history. And Wayne's only been here a couple of years but what he's been able to do in the game as a coach, you couldn't have wished to have anyone better in charge to prepare this side this weekend. 

ALBANESE: No. It's interesting, I have had the privilege of seeing a few of his speeches in the sheds. He doesn't say much. But what he says matters. He gives people that self-confidence. And that is a fantastic thing. I was in the sheds after we beat Cronulla and Benji Marshall had played the full game, and he sledged Benji in the shed after the game, 'It'll be back to the bench for you, mate. You're a bit like me, we're both towards the end'. And they all just had such a sense of team. For him, I think his great capacity is he brings more than just the sum of the individuals together as a team. And he showed that last year with the Queensland Origin team and he is showing it this year with Souths. Losing someone like Latrell could have led them to think, 'Well, we've got this far, we've done well, but that is enough'. But you know, they have lifted themselves up. The way that he's involved with Latrell taking the place of Tommy Turbo in training last week was just a really good thing to see. So, Latrell still is a part of the team, even though he's suspended. And that shows that sort of teamwork that Wayne Bennett inspires and that he is known for. And he actually does have a great sense of humour, as you all know, I am sure. But he keeps that very private. And as someone who has to deal with the media in my profession, I think it's fantastic the way he deals with the media as well.

HOST: I'm sure you'd love to be beating the Sharks in the Grand Final. But I am sure you will take Penrith as well.

ALBANESE: I'll take anyone. But Penrith have been fantastic this year. And they'll be hungry for it after the loss last year. It's good that it is an all-Sydney Grand Final. And I just hope that it's a good match, but a good match means Souths winning.

HOST: Well, enjoy and thank you so much for your time this morning. 

ALBANESE: Thanks very much. Enjoy the game.

ENDS