“It made Dad so proud”: Sattler’s only Maroons match before Smith era dawns
- FOGS
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
The wonderful thing about being a FOG is that you are a member of the prestigious Queensland group whether you played 42 State of Origin games like Cameron Smith or one like Scott Sattler.
It is why Sattler is proud as punch of his solitary Maroons appearance in game two of the 2003 series.
In a poignant twist of fate he shared hooking duties in that match with Michael Crocker before the Smith era reigned supreme for the Maroons at No.9 for the next 14 years.
Sattler now works with Smith for SEN Radio and plenty of banter is exchanged.
“Every time he walks into the SEN studio I say, ‘here he is, the bloke that stole my Origin jersey’,” Sattler joked.
MAKING DAD PROUD
Sattler is the son of the late and great South Sydney, NSW, Queensland and Australia representative John Sattler. John moved to Queensland and played for Wests and Norths in the BRL competition. He also played for Queensland in 1973 in the interstate series.
Post-playing John stayed in Queensland and brought up a family, owned hotels and was a founding member of the 1988 Gold Coast consortium that entered the NSWRL.
“I knew from that day forward that if I was ever going to play rugby league that’s one thing I wanted to do. It made dad so proud when I told him.
“It was one of the most amazing feelings of all time getting the phone call in 2003. Also it was one of the most frustrating things in your life, that you didn’t get to do it more for whatever reason.
“To go into camp I was able to watch how elite players prepare. I was always big on my preparation. It was great to go in and watch Shane Webcke, Gorden Tallis, Darren Lockyer and Ben Ikin prepare.”
THE CALL-UP
Sattler, playing with Penrith at the time, got a call from his close friend and former Queensland prop Clinton O’Brien that he was in the side for game two of the Origin series in Sydney.
“I was waiting for my son, who was in Year One, to walk out of school when I got a phone call from Clint,” he recalled.
“He said, ‘congratulations’. I said, ‘what for?’. He told me I was in the Queensland Origin team. I didn’t believe him at first but then I got a couple of phone calls from friends. Funnily enough I didn’t hear from the QRL until my flights came through.”
HOOKING SHOWDOWN WITH WAYNE
Queensland played PJ Marsh at hooker in game one of the series, won 25-12 by NSW. The Crocker and Sattler hooking option for game two was a strange one on the surface. Crocker made his reputation as a tough as teak second-rower while Sattler was the Penrith lock at the time.
It is not widely known that Sattler was a hooker as a junior at Runaway Bay.
“Then when I got to Year 12 I had a big growth spurt. So I basically started playing second-row after that,” he said.
Maroons coach Wayne Bennett was unsure who was going to start the game and who would have the bench hooker/utility role so he called the pair over for a “pass off” to determine which one of them had the best service from dummy-half.
“Wayne was standing there after one of our first sessions and he simply said, ‘Satts, Crocker … fire a ball at me’. There were two balls on the ground. Crocker threw it and it hit Wayne in the ankles,” Sattler chuckled.
“I thought I had the job sewn up but I threw the next one and it hit him in the right ear. We both didn’t come in with great credentials and I think we were both so nervous to be put on the spot.
“Wayne said to me that I should prepare to play a bit of hooker, a bit of lock and even centre where I had played back in the day. I was his everywhere man and it was a role I liked to play anyway.”
The NSW side, led by a red-hot Andrew Johns, secured the series 2-0 with a 27-4 win.
“I was always critical of my performances but I thought I’d played well,” Sattler said.
“Locky said to me at the after-match function that I’d done really well and that felt like a stamp of approval.
“The next morning I was at the team hotel in Parramatta and my old man picked me up to take me back to Penrith. As I was leaving Wayne said to me, ‘well done last night. I will see you in a couple of weeks’.”
SATTS USHERS IN SMITH ERA
Sattler was preparing to play in the final match of the series at Suncorp Stadium but Bennett and Maroons selectors had other ideas.
“We beat the Bulldogs and then Cronulla where I had a really good game. The late and great Peter Mulholland who was our assistant coach at the Panthers pulled me off with five minutes to go because I was going into camp on Monday,” Sattler said.
“I was packing my bags when Des Morris rang me. I thought he was ringing to tell me my flight details. He said, ‘Wayne has decided to go in a different direction. He’s decided to pick someone else’. I was filthy and asked who he had picked.
“He said, ‘the kid from Melbourne … Cam Smith’. I had played Cam when the Storm had beaten us that year.”
Smith had a blinder in a 36-6 win to Queensland and the rest is history
“He goes on to play 43 Origin games for Queensland and become the greatest player of all time,” Sattler grinned.
“So, if it wasn’t for me being 31 and too old you would never have heard of Cameron Smith.”
The rest of the 2003 season was kind to Sattler. The Panthers went on to win the premiership and Sattler was hailed a hero for his covering tackle on Roosters outside back Todd Byrne. He has since been on all the grand final highlight reels for his “tackle of the century”.
HIGH ACHIEVER POST-FOOTY
Post-footy, Sattler has also been a versatile and successful businessman and media performer.
“I have been involved in the media since I retired with Channel Nine, Fox Sports and now SEN Radio,” Sattler said.
“The latest project is that I have stepped into the player agency world. The only reason I have done it as a legacy to my old man. He always wanted me to do it and to offer something different to players that no-one else is doing.”
"I have also been the managing director of a national investigation firm for the last 12 years."
“The latest project is that I have stepped into the player agency world. The only reason I have done it as a legacy to my old man. He always wanted me to do it and to offer something different to players that no-one else is doing.”
BACK TO THE TITANS
It is fitting that Sattler is now back at the Gold Coast Titans as director of football alongside new head coach Josh Hannay.
Sattler was integral in the foundation of the Titans as their inaugural football manager and played a major role in the recruitment of the core of the side that played finals in 2009 and 2010.
He has a deep investment in the success of Gold Coast rugby league. John Sattler was part of the consortium that launched the Gold Coast/Tweed Heads Giants in 1988.
"It’s like a full-circle moment. In 1988 I was 16 years of age and I see my dad putting together a NSWRL club in his offices at the Palm Beach Hotel that was owned by Bob Hagan," Sattler recalled.
"Then I was asked to play a big role in putting the Titans together before our entry in 2007, so the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers community I really hold dear to my heart."The Gold Coast deserves a rugby league team they can get excited about. I’m willing to do whatever I have to, within reason, to ensure that happens."
