The Power and The Glory by Peter S James, images: Paul Freeman (Blue #00, 1995) Back to Articles With a reputation for athletic excellence that is as formidable as his daunting physique, Ian Roberts is one of Rugby League's pin-up boys. He bares body and soul - in black and white for BLUE. Among millions of rugby league fans. Ian Roberts is regarded as one of the game's finest players. Prosperous, handsome and young, with an impeccable playing record, a dynamic career and a divine physique, he also embodies the eulogised ideal of the Australian male. Bronzed and symmetrical, Ian Roberts does more than fit the mould, he actually wants to break it. "I don't seek out publicity, though I guess it does go a certain way towards correcting this image people have of footballers being unapproachable." He laughs softly, "Physical size can sometimes work against you in social situations." He is right. Standing at over six-foot two, his massive chest, powerful legs and broad muscular arms more than live up to his tag as the super-athlete at large. Paul Freeman, the photographer and friend of Ian's who took these accompanying shots, has joined us for this interview; as we look over his images Roberts smiles wryly. "I know I'm my own worst critic but these are the first shots of me that I've been happy with." I ask Freeman what Roberts was like to shoot. "When I photographed Ian I wanted to capture the obvious - an incredible physique - while at the same time alluding to the discipline, the personality, behind the physique. To realise that in a visual sense in a series of shots. was the challenge and the pleasure. We had fun with it, and Ian became relaxed and open." Roberts nods and adds, "It was liberating presenting myself in this way. Everything I've ever done has revolved around football and even though it's taken more of my time and energy, it's not the only thing - it's time I let people know there's a different side. Here I am and I have no problem with it! When I was younger I wouldn't have dreamt of doing anything like this. I was worried about what other people would think or whether my family would be upset. Well, I'm 29 now and I think you grow through that stage of caring what people think. I know I'm a good person and so do my friends and family. Criticism doesn't affect me or upset me anymore." The testosterone world of first-grade rugby league is literally a school of hard knocks, and for nearly a decade it has defined Roberts's public persona. When asked what motivates him, his eyes light up. "To be the best person I can be without the burden of too many expectations. The hardest thing in life is to be content. All those people battling to make money and strike it big - sportspeople, businesspeople, even Joe Blow down the road - I look at them straining against the flow of life and I think, 'There is so much more!' This universal pressure to achieve! achieve! achieve!, not for pleasure but for social standing. If you're doing something that isn't paying you much but which you're happy doing, then there's nothing wrong with that." He sits back and links together his scarred fingers. the legacy of countless sporting injuries. "I know I've been lucky with rugby league. But if I wasn't a player I wouldn't be a different person. I'd probably just be working as an electrician out in the suburbs." But who taught Ian Roberts to be simply the best at what he does? "It comes from within," he says after a moment. "There are people out there who could have achieved more but who just didn't have 'it' in their heads. When you're talking about the top grade, the people on top, most of them have learnt it themselves - sports psychologists are for people who don't believe in themselves. Ultimately, it's all a question of focus." He remembers clearly the time when he saw his own point of 'focus': "I made it to first grade when I turned 20, and even though I had a good year. it was all just playing the sport I had played since I was kid. Then at end of 1987 it all suddenly clicked. We were playing against Canterbury at Belmore Oval. We ended up losing that game 4-2 and I was named 'Man Of The Match'. This may sound like I'm patting myself on the back, but I remember thinking. 'I am really good at this!' I felt like no one could stop me, and you only need to have that happen once to know that no one is ever going to stop you." He sits silently for a few minutes and then adds, "It's hard to explain what it feels like to someone one who hasn't experienced that kind of feeling for themselves. It's like you're invincible. Your whole life just turns around and makes sense, and nothing phases you. It's a real power thing, you're in total control on that field. And it's better than any drug! Every person needs to feel that in order to succeed in any field of endeavour." Roberts lives in a modest house in Camperdown and drives a run-of-the-mill Holden. which is in keeping with his own inclinations towards the simple precepts of Buddhism. "Though I'm not a follower of any spiritual tradition I do find Buddhism the truest and most relevant to where I'm at as a person. 'The Power comes from within you' - that's such a liberating teaching. There are no absolute standards", he ruminates. "The one thing that all people share in this world is a common humanity, but unfortunately a lot of people don't have enough vision to see that." Roberts's social life is also a factor to be considered in determining the evolution of his world view. He mixes easily in the 'anything goes', accepting world of the inner-city and dance party nightlife even though this attracts curiosity and derision from some elements. "Being part of a different group, being labelled as an outsider because you live your life in a different way to the 'norm', has put me in a position to look at things laterally and to think about them objectively. The fact is we can all live happily together without friction, with acceptance. It's true. We may all be born different, but that is what enriches us as a community, as a society. If anyone has a problem with that then that's their problem, not mine." "Having the ability to think for yourself is one thing," stress Roberts, "but so is realising that what some people say is not relevant to who you really are. That realisation endows you with a questioning perspective and then you begin to see all the hidden details in people and in situations. It's an invaluable way of seeing and relating, it teaches you to live your life in a way that is true to you. Just live and let live and get on with your own life. I guess that's all there is to it. Go your own way and make the best of it you can." Back to Articles