INSIDE CAMP: With Mike McMeeken

How’s camp going? Who have you been spending time with?

We’re one big group – everyone hangs about with everyone.

There aren’t any little groups and I think a big part of that is down to the Elite Performance Squad sessions we had throughout the year. It's very beneficial for guys like me.

There’s been a lot of travel on this tour – apart from this trip, where’s the furthest place you have travelled to?

I’m pretty used to travelling. When I was at London Broncos, every other game was on the road.

We had the mid-season Test this May in Sydney and when it’s not work it would probably have to be the Canary Islands. I haven’t done much travelling… yet!

What three things will you miss the most about being away from home?

My girlfriend and the family. I’ll be catching up with my brother while I’m here. He works for New Zealand Rugby League as a youth development coach. I miss my dog Nala too; she’s a German Shepard.

I like the comforts of your own home and being able to put your feet up and watch your own TV programme.

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BZtqznmg9NC/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; ; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Massive thanks to @puppercuts for Nala&#39;s groom this afternoon! Never fail to do an amazing job...highly recommend these guys! ✂️💈🐶</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; ; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Mike McMeeken (@mike_mcmeeken) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; ; line-height:17px;" datetime="2017-10-01T17:20:58+00:00">Oct 1, 2017 at 10:20am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>

There's a good mixture of northern accents in camp – do the boys get into you about the southern one?

Surprisingly not, no. I seem to have got away with it!

A few of the lads over here have an Aussie twang and Gaz Widdop puts on his Yorkshire accent as much as he can when we’re around.

You signed for Castleford in 2015 and are now featuring in a World Cup in 2017 – a lot has happened in two years.

There was no way when I signed for Cas that I thought I’d be in Australia two years down the line representing my country on the world stage.

I’ve got a lot of people at London Broncos to thank who put me on my way and gave me Super League experience. When I signed for the Tigers, I was probably half the player back then than I am now.

Daryl and the coaching staff have moulded me into what I am now. It wasn’t all physical but more the mental side of the game I needed to learn. My passing and running game have developed a lot in two years.

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BaRezYcgXWm/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; ; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Fun in the the sun ☀️ #perth</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; ; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Mike McMeeken (@mike_mcmeeken) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; ; line-height:17px;" datetime="2017-10-15T15:08:44+00:00">Oct 15, 2017 at 8:08am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>

The Grand Final loss would have been tough to take but do you think that will make you kick on and work harder?

It’s not a good feeling to lose but it stays in the mind and helps drive you and keeps you motivated.

I always need to make sure I improve on how I played in that game and put it to one side so I can focus on the games we have coming up.

Can you tell us a funny story about team-mate, Luke Gale?

He gets frightened very easy. There is a good compilation video going around on social media of all the times he has got scared this year. It’s definitely worth a watch.

There’s a bit in there where he knows what’s coming but still gets scared!