Former Bronco, Cowboy, Maroon and Kangaroo Carl Webb is influencing Broncos in their new gym

The former Brisbane and Queensland champion is one of a few past players represented on an enormous mural in the club’s gym, a strength leaderboard unveiled at the start of the pre-season.

Webb was there that day, in the midst of his tragic battle with motor neurone disease. The 41-year-old is now in a wheelchair, and his voice doesn’t project as well anymore as the disease takes a toll on him physically.

But that day the Broncos’ playing group were hanging on every word.

“You could imagine 50-odd footballers in a gym, normally when the boys are down in the gym it’s heaving,” says Broncos football boss Ben Ikin.

“They’re working out, it’s banter, and a whole lot of really loud music.

“But in this instance, the leaderboard was unveiled and (Webb) had the opportunity to speak to the team about what this part of the footy program meant to him … and there was not a breath from anywhere. You could hear a pin drop.

“It was deeply respectful. It was wonderful actually.”

The mural highlights the records set in the gym by club legends in the past – men who slugged it out at the original facilities across the road from the Broncos’ modern $30 million home at Red Hill.

The old boys didn’t have the technology or fancy equipment this generation of NRL players are used to, but there’s no current players with all-time records – yet.

Webb is among the best of them – his back squat of 252.5 kgs and bench press of 180 kgs is still a benchmark current players aspire to. It’s the biggest set of numbers yet and the reminder of it is printed in huge letters on the wall of the gym.

The power he formed in the gym helped him become one of the toughest players in a brutally physical sport like rugby league. For the Broncos, Cowboys and Eels as well as the Maroons and Australia from 2000 until he retired in 2011, Webb was the kind of player you loved to watch and players loved to play with.

These are the achievements that MND can’t take away from him.

“He has some pretty gnarly records and he jokes that he’s still up there and could throw the boys around still,” says Broncos forward Pat Carrigan.

“It’s just good to see, it gives you a good perspective on life and (coach Kevin Walters) wants us to be good people at the end of the day so he’s surrounding us with as many good people as possible.

“Webby’s around a little bit now. To be honest it’s pretty cool to have him around the place.

“He’s going through a pretty tough time. I had a pretty good conversation with him last week, just about everything, not even footy.

“But as a Broncos fan and a Queensland fan, he was someone who never took a backward step, it’s pretty special to have one of your heroes around the place.

“I just remember the Q he shaved into his head, and the whole mateship part of a team. Standing up for your teammates.

“Footy gets pretty technical sometimes, but at the end of the day it’s 17 people against 17 people and whoever‘s willing to work harder wins. Webby typified that.”

To get your name on the mural you need to have played at least 50 games for the club. Players like Webb, Shaun Berrigan, Lote Tuqiri and Brad Thorn and Darren Lockyer all feature as not only club champions but legends in the gym.

Under Walters’ leadership, the door has been thrown open to the club’s old boys, and they have a welcome invitation to the club at any time.

Webb, as he fights the devastating effects of MND, has been around the club frequently working closely with Ikin to help as much as he can manage.

“It feels like he’s a part of the place,” Ikin says.

“He provides support for me where it’s possible, and beyond that, the fact that his picture is in the gym every day with a whole lot of other club legends … We’re just trying to connect our history with our work in the gym and rugby league excellence.

“It brings to life that component of what we do and helps people understand there was a lot of success at this place where the gym was an important and central part of their prep.”