Thirty years on from his 1995 Grand Final heroics, ‘Rocket’ Rod Silva was a special guest to address the Bulldogs players and staff ahead of the start of Indigenous Round.
Just a few weeks after experiencing the Round 21 celebrations from the 1995 Grand Final, Silva was back on deck to provide some sage words of advice alongside current star Josh Curran as the Bulldogs 2025 Indigenous Jersey was officially presented.
The pair spoke about their connection to culture, in front of NRL players, coaching staff and commercial staff in a powerful display of honesty and emotion heading into Saturday night’s Indigenous Round clash with the New Zealand Warriors.
In a Club-wide initiative, Silva's daughter and Rugby League commentator, Marlee also delivered a special address to the NRLW squad.
“It was really rewarding. I love this Club, I always have. My family loves this Club,” Silva said.
“The Bulldogs are always giving and very supportive of anyone, all of our players and their cultures. It was nice to touch base with the first-grade squad again in such an important round.
“The jersey is amazing. I think we have the best one. I suppose we’re a little bit bias, but the design is fantastic.
“I had a quick yarn to Kyara and she was telling me that she’s from Kempsey on Dunghutti land where my dad was from, and her mum was from Moree where my mother was from.
“So then to have Josh (Curran) there who grew up on Dharug land where I grew up, I guess it was meant to be.”
The Best of Rod Silva
Silva, a proud Gamilaroi and Dunghutti man, touched on his upbringing in Mt Druitt as a cornerstone of his success. Now a police sargeant, Silva’s strong sense of identity spurned him to overcome adversity and carve out an impressive fourteen-year career in the NRL.
“A lot of Aboriginal families were out there, a lot of them were working class and a lot in housing commissions,” he explained.
“But it was such a good place to grow up because it taught me a lot of valuable lessons about what to worry about, and not to worry about material things.
“Unfortunately, you got treated differently by the colour of your skin, and I suppose I learned from an early age that me and my brothers and sisters were different.
“I had no drama or issues that we see now with identity. I knew I was different, I knew I was a blackfella and when I went to school especially, I knew I was different.
It made me resilient, not giving people any ammunition. I didn’t want to miss school, and I wanted to do good, I wanted to make sure I didn’t get in trouble.
With the NRL celebrating its tenth Indigenous Round after the concept was formally introduced in 2015, Silva lauded the game’s positive influence within the Indigenous community.
With current Bulldog Josh Curran a leader in the community space – nominated for the Ken Stephen Man of the Year Award – Silva highlighted the role of instilling belief in and guiding young people to achieve their goals.
“You ask any Aboriginal people that you meet in this country, and they’ll tell you that Rugby League is our game,” he stated.
Josh Curran Press Conference Round 23
“It’s a time where we connect with family and community and we’re all on the same page. Now with the introduction of the women’s game we have young Indigenous girls playing as well. It’s a game that we grew up knowing that we belonged to.
“We spent a lot of school holidays visiting mum’s family in Moree. I just got to spend time with my aunties and uncles and cousins. We played footy growing up around a big family and it was just unreal.
It can get you out of circumstances that you were unfortunately born into or through other circumstances you couldn’t avoid. It’s a way out, and with the NRL embracing it, it’s so good for our young people.
“Like any Aboriginal person that I know, if they’ve succeeded whatever they choose, no matter what field of endeavour, it’s because of something from our upbringing that’s made us want to be better and give back.
“You want to help the other people that are going through things that you went through. I see it all the time with the Indigenous Rugby League players. They’re always doing community workout of the goodness of their heart because we all love giving back.
“But we can also picture ourselves as that young person wanting to make it. Our people have a really good realisation about knowing that just because you’re at the top, it doesn’t mean you can’t help others."
