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Did you understand that pokies are one of the most played games in gambling enterprises and also on the internet video gaming? Actually, the pokies produce concerning 70 percent of the average gambling establishment's income. This is because they are so simple yet thrilling and also do not require any discovering or special skills. Unlike other gambling games, pokies depend primarily on the player's good luck in mix with couple of essential strategies.
Pokies maker are recognized around the world by different names. In fact possibly you have actually heard a few of them and you just did not recognize that they describe the exact same game. Pokies are referred to as fruit machines, casino poker makers, or gaming machines Australia.
Pokies are wagering makers that have 3 or even more reels that spin whenever you push a switch or move an arm attached to the maker. The land-based pokies also have a coin detector which detects if a coin is inserted. When the coin is put the video game begins quickly. Pictures as well as signs on the screen begin to move up or down and afterwards unexpectedly quit. You win if the images match Complimentary Pokies
A raising number of people have tried playing pokies in real gambling establishments or in the on-line gambling enterprises. Do you understand why? Because as soon as you attempt it, you appreciate it so much that you are being literally formulated to it! You get pleasure from the enjoyment you get every time you rotate the wheel. You enjoy the uncertainty whether you win or shed, which provides a moment of adrenaline thrill. However, for sure, I understand that you like to win as opposed to shed Australia.
Although with pokies you rely mainly on good luck, recognizing its ins as well as outs with the right approach surely helps in raising your chance of winning. If you are aiming at winning a great deal, it is best that you familiarize on your own with establishing reasonable money management and also techniques.
Let's discuss pokies myths. Perhaps you've heard the idea that if you keep playing on one certain equipment and invest a lot of cash there one way or another you will definitely win. Well, sorry to bring an end to your conviction yet this is most definitely not true! There are no premises that would support this concept. As an evidence, there are even instances when a player wins a prize after just two spins while others fail to win also after rotating the entire day. The real concept behind the pokies device is that it follows the complex theory of randomly generating numbers, and also each number stands for a certain combination of the reel.
So what's your best technique when playing pokies? To start with it is finance. Before playing, decide on how much you agree to spend. Have a certain bidding quantity and constantly, and also I mean constantly, adhere to it. Whether you win or lose do not differ your strategy. In cases when you happen to lose, do not try to maintain playing up until you win everything back since if you do, you obtain available to more losses. It is necessary that you preserve self control.
An additional equally crucial point to keep in mind is to kick back during the video game. Bear in mind, you are there for satisfaction. Once you obtain distressed, after that the major factor for having fun is lost. So, it is much better to quit, regroup, and play the next day. Try playing devices that provide totally free games, below you are under no pressure and hence you can invest a long time there till you obtain your cool back. You can not win or lose cash right here yet instead you can acquire more experience.
Australian Fruit Machine Or Pokies.
In the 1950s, an Australian company called Aristocrat established their very first one-armed bandit called the "Clubman." They modified it 2 years later on with a brand-new as well as better vending machine called the "Clubmaster." Nevertheless the first vending machine was originally created in the USA of America by a man named Charles Fey Free Pokies.
It wasn't until the 1900s when the slots lastly struck Australia. In 1956, the NSW Australian government legalized gaming machines in clubs.
The next few years provided nothing new in terms of the video game technology. They all had three spinning reels as well as either one, three or five lines. The rewards were by today's standards tiny and also the interactivity was limited to drawing the manage and also waiting for the reels to quit Australia.
It was not until the mid 1980's when the very first video ports rolled off the production lines and also were launched to the public. This was the most significant growth in video gaming given that Charles Fey had designed the very first video game. Not only did the video games have 5 reels but the likewise had many more lines as well as provided added means to win such as cost-free spin attributes as well as perk attributes.
Nowadays, you are likely to see these slot machines all over you enter Australia; from clubs to gambling establishments. They are just one of the most prominent types of betting and also enjoyment.
Pokies is a slang word in Australia for vending machine. There is no recorded day for when the term "Pokies" was first utilized in Australia. Individuals in Australia usually state points like "I'm off to the bar to play some pokies" or "I'm off to have a wager at the pokies."
Discover Pokies Online!
Pokies are frequently described as port video games. These games are tremendously prominent amongst casino players worldwide. It is mainly based upon the idea of sheer good luck and hence the requirements of winning or losing becomes uncertain. On the internet pokies are created according to the precise feel and look of land based casino sites. This game supplies hard competitors to all its gamers. Pokies online includes functions such as multi line bets, reward function games, particular gambling functions and lots of various other qualities comparable to an initial casino.
There are many advantages while selecting to play pokies online as contrasted to the land based ones. The primary reason regarding why people opt for such online poker video games is the high percentage of payouts. Typical casino site has reduced payments because they need to consider the maintenance of these casino sites. Yet on the internet pokies above expenses are incredibly low and also hence they account to high payouts. Aside from these benefits, these video games also offer particular considerable tips to the player so that he/she can make use of these reminders and also win the video game. The slot video games provide you a great chance to make money unlike any various other on-line gambling enterprise video games. A gamer does not need to break his head constantly in order to get necessary skills because it entirely relies on your luck Free Pokies.
There are different slot machines that have released several versions of these games to please the gamers. A number of these pokies games have gained immense appeal amongst people. Some of the popular ones are: Queen of the Nile, 50 Lions, Super Bucks, Wild methods and also Burial place raider.
Queen of the Nile is the very first amongst all pokies games because the moment of its launch. It features an Egyptian style and also offers cost-free video games bonus offer. Consequently 50 Lions video slot is also being extensively played among several players. It has teams which presents the top having fun lion icon on each of the reels. Wild methods includes a Wild African style with specific icons such as lions, zebras as well as elephants. In A Similar Way Super Bucks are on-line pokies games that supply a chance to pick between cost-free spin choices.
Burial place Raider is taken into consideration to be the very first brand that accredited itself to an on-line computer game slot. This video game consists of numerous features and also excellent graphics. It is a 5 reel port game with additional 2 video game bonuses. It likewise includes the function of free spin mode. These unique top quality animated graphics puts it amongst the preferred pokies on-line games.
The phenomenon of Australia and casino poker is identified with each other due to the victory of fellow Aussie Joe Hachem at the WSOP in the year 2005. His triumph has brought interest amongst people in Australia and hence has motivated them to play this sporting activity. Words "Aussie pokies" has actually been derived from it, as poker is one of the most common leisure games in Australia.
How to Wager Online With a Poker Device
Every location around the globe has its very own term for every casino site game known to guy. The same opts for poker. Online poker is known as pokies in Australia as well as, in Britain, it is labelled as slot machine. Regardless of what its name is, one thing stays the very same, casino poker has never ever fallen short to intrigue casino players specifically with its video game play that is majorly based on pure chance Free Pokies.
Nevertheless, with the coming of on-line innovation, on-line betting also entered the photo and also this was just one of the very best benefits that British gamblers experienced in their years of playing in casino sites. What deals with do these online betting sites offer? First off you get to play all type of games such as various sort of poker as well as complimentary roulette suits. Nevertheless, British gambling establishment players stop working to appreciate their very own variation of the fruit machines. This is due to the fact that most on the internet gambling establishment supplies five duplicates of the Las vega ports that have a great deal of winning lines. This kind of texas hold'em is entirely various to that of the fruit machine Australia.
Rather surprisingly, on-line betting would not simply sit down as well as let the needs of bettors pass undetected. Certainly, they would constantly get this sort of opportunity as putting up a gambling enterprise consists of needing to deal with teeth and also neck versus competitors. To do so, they need to satisfy and even go beyond the expectations of their clients. A great deal of pc gaming sites make use of Pub design replicas with the aid of Microgaming software. What this does is it assists boost the experience of playing on-line slot machine. It is capable of providing the ports specifically how a person would certainly see them in land-based gambling establishments. Furthermore, the on-line variation also has additional features such as super hold, pushes, holds, to name a few.
Restriction Your Number of Sheds
As you have fun with the on the internet variation of the video game, you would certainly notice that the functions very closely appears like that of those located in the fruit machine, the UK variation of poker. Comparable to any various other gambling enterprise video games, it is additionally based a lot on good luck. That is why among the most effective methods that a player might utilize is to stop while he is still has even more wins than losses. He must have the ability to know when to quit especially if he is on a losing streak. If, as an example, you still continue playing the video game, you run the risk of ending up bankrupt after the game Free Pokies.
Finest No Down Payment Incentive Gambling Enterprises
On the internet casino sites are getting an increasing number of prominent nowadays. They provide different rewards to their present participants as well as likewise lots of special bonuses to brand-new participants so as to draw in more gamers. These incentives are supplied on conditions that you will certainly have to stay in the play for a specified time. If you are a gambling establishment video game enthusiast as well as are looking for an on the internet gambling establishment then the most effective alternative will be to try to find no deposit perk gambling establishments.
A few of the most effective are gone over below.
Awesome Pet cat - It is among the best no deposit bonus offer gambling enterprises which is much preferred amongst game enthusiasts. If you are a new member then you will be offered a $50 no down payment bonus by the casino site. There is a maximum withdrawal limitation of $100 over which you can not withdraw the quantity at a provided time.
Silver Oak - This gambling enterprise also provides $50 to its brand-new participants. If you are looking for no down payment perk gambling enterprises then you can simply go for Silver Oak Casino whose reward quantity must be bet 40 times prior to making any withdrawal.
Custom - This gambling establishment is also consisted of in the checklist of such casinos and also provides $30 as no down payment perk to its new participants. If you experience the conditions of this on the internet casino site after that you will discover that the players are called for to gamble the bonus offer 99 times prior to they can go for any type of withdrawal. You can make a maximum withdrawal of five times the perk quantity while the minimum possible withdrawal amount is $30. The most effective thing about this casino is that the players are used extra $50 on their birthdays.
Club Player - Club Gamer is one of the popular online casinos which is just best for all on-line gambling establishment fans. It uses $65 to its new participants and also the amount should be wagered 30 times before any kind of withdrawal.
Palace of Possibility - This is once more a superb no down payment incentive online gambling enterprise which uses $50 to its brand-new participants. The quantity is offered as no down payment bonus, as used by most of the no down payment perk gambling establishments today. You are allowed a $100 optimum withdrawal that too only after the bonus amount is bet 40 times.
Sorts Of Online Casino Perks
Among the most effective factors that gamers require to on-line gaming is the suggestion of enjoying casino site incentives. While standard land-based gambling establishment perks such as complimentary drinks and dishes obviously can not fit right into the world of internet gaming, betting internet sites still take care of to draw in and compensate consumers by providing them rewarding bonus offers.
Online gamers can be forgiven for getting a little perplexed regarding all the various bonuses as well as promotions offered in the market. Besides, the buzz as well as marketing projects bordering the various type of bonus offers are enough to make any individual concern specifically what type they must benefit from and also just how much they will certainly gain from a certain promo. Therefore, it is absolutely imperative that gamblers have a clear understanding of the different kinds readily available as well as make notified, educated choices regarding their options Free Pokies.
Invite Incentives
Invite bonus offers are specifically as their name suggests - a reward that invites players to a certain online gambling enterprise. Invite (or 'sign-up' rewards) are the online gambling establishment's way to draw in players onto their site as well as try their online casino. With a lot of on-line gambling establishments available, it is essential that welcome bonuses take care of to catch the player's eye with more-than-generous offers and also problems. Sometimes, players may feel that the deal is ALSO excellent to be real; nevertheless, it is certainly worth looking into every promo as a lot of websites really are using wonderful terms merely for players to experiment with their casinos. There are numerous kinds of welcome perks, both most typical being a match benefit as well as a no-deposit perk.
A match reward suggests that the online casino site will match the gamer's initial down payment by a particular percent, usually as much as a particular amount of cash. So, for example, if a site provides a 100% match bonus offer approximately $100, the gamer requires to deposit as much as $100 and will instantly be awarded with another $100 (or 100% of the first deposit) to spend at their pc gaming sessions. This is a great method of increasing one's playing time at the online casino site as well as for that reason putting oneself in line to win a lot more.
A no-deposit bonus is an extremely profitable bargain that is not supplied at all sites. Basically, gamers do not have to make any type of first down payment at the website after registering. Rather, they will instantly be rewarded with credit reports to begin their gaming session. As with all bonus offers, it is important that gamers read the conditions of these kind of promotions very carefully.
Month-to-month Incentives
As soon as players have attempted a particular online casino site with making use of the welcome rewards as well as enjoy the games and features, the opportunities are that they will certainly continue dipping into the online casino over a size of time. To make sure that gamers really do return for even more, sites reward returning consumers with generous month-to-month bonuses - so called due to the fact that they are typically offered on a monthly basis. These incentives are additionally known as reload incentives since they start when gamers reload their accounts at the online casino. The monthly benefit is normally awarded on a percent basis, as an example 20% of the amount that player spends moneying his or her account.
High-Roller Incentives
Obviously, on the internet casino sites are eager to draw in gamers that spend big quantities on their on-line pc gaming home entertainment. Thus, these gamers, called money players, are compensated additional amounts for depositing and also playing at on the internet casinos. High-stakes gamblers likewise take pleasure in one-of-a-kind promos, VIP clubs and other benefits to make their remain as satisfying and also beneficial as feasible Free Pokies.
Repayment Technique Bonuses
Great on-line gambling enterprises use a vast array of payment approaches whereby gamers can transfer as well as withdraw their funds. Some websites wish to motivate players to utilize a certain payment approach (such as Click2Pay or Moneybookers) and therefore supply gamers an extra 10 or 15% additional bonus simply for making use of these techniques.
Online Casino Site Incentives
As can be seen, there are many sorts of bonuses to choose from in the on the internet gambling enterprise industry. The technique is to learn about every one of these as long as feasible and then choose one (or numerous) that suit the gamer's specific gaming requirements and also lifestyle. In the long run, the incentive needs to offer the gamers well as well as ought to not make them invest more than they originally laid out to. When all is claimed as well as done, on-line gambling establishment benefits are among the most effective reasons to check out web video gaming.
A Quick Guide To Online Gambling Establishment Bonus Offers
One of the big attractions of on-line casinos is the various types of rewards provided by them. Remain updated concerning the selection of incentives you can anticipate when you gamble online, to make sure that you can make use of the benefits that profit you the most. Here are one of the most typical type of online gambling establishment bonuses you can anticipate.
Invite Or Sign-Up Benefit
Additionally referred to as the new player perk, the welcome or sign-up perk is the very first point you will come across and the most popular type of bonus offer. These on the internet gambling enterprise perks are usually additional set apart into percentage, no-deposit, or match rewards.
* Suit perks are the most common sort of on-line casino incentive where you obtain one debt for each credit scores you acquire. This is usually a 100 percent benefit on your very first acquisition with a restriction of $100. This bonus might differ as well as it is not mandatory to spend the $100. Most online gambling establishments enable you to purchase a minimal $20 to make you eligible for the match benefit Free Pokies.
* The percent bonus is anything more than 100 percent and provides you 200 percent or 300 percent. Almost all casino benefits are similar to percent perks, no matter whether they take place to be suit or portion Australia.
* The no-deposit benefit is certainly the most preferred bonus offer. It can be cost-free cash in the kind of cost-free gambling establishment credit reports that are included in your gaming account when you subscribe and free play online casino where you obtain a complimentary newbie's equilibrium. You can maintain any kind of earnings that surpass this quantity.
Reload Bonus
A reload bonus offer is offered to get you to keep reloading your account as well as remain to wager online. It is generally comparable to the welcome or sign-up incentive as well as offers a 100 percent pair up. This may be on a monthly, once a week, or day-to-day basis, relying on which on-line gambling establishment you are playing.
Down Payment Method Perk
When you pick a specific down payment method with a casino-usually your credit card or an on-line repayment provider-to fund your gaming account, you obtain a deposit approach reward. This can be in the series of 5 percent to 15 percent, and also is independent of other rewards you get Australia.
High Roller Bonus Offer
A deposit of $1,000 or more receives a money player perk and also ranges from 25 percent to half Australia.
Loyalty Rewards
Loyalty bonuses are used by on-line casino sites as Players Club bonus offers as well as special acquisition bonuses.
* The Players Club perk is typically called a player rewards or "compensation" reward as well as involves accumulating factors based on your on the internet casino games wagers. This is typically set aside as one factor per $10 bet. When you gather 1,000 factors, you can retrieve them in United States dollars in casino site debts. Most gambling establishments enroll you in the casino site players club by default. It is, nonetheless, far better to confirm.
* The special purchase benefit is a deposit bonus offer used to players that have actually already made a deposit. This might be in the kind of a match perk, portion incentive, or a no-deposit reward.
Proceed and also discover a trusted online gambling establishment that fits you and begin your gaming by seeking a no-deposit gambling enterprise reward.
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Andrew ‘Fifi’ Fifita was born on the 29 day of June, 1989. Coincidentally, he has a twin brother David that was also born on that day, which according to medical professionals, is not uncommon. He also has an older brother Latu (stylised as LA2). Andrew was the nephew of John Fifita, who had an unsuccessful career at the Dragons and he is also the nephew of Solomon Haumono, ex-partner of Gabrielle ‘The Pleasure Machine’ Richens.
In the context of this pedigree it is no wonder Andrew had a troubled and tumultuous upbringing. He struggled with school and had extreme difficulty with spelling, a problem that lasted into adulthood. When his football career took off, journalists asked him how to spell his name, and his instruction resulted in his surname commonly misspelled as ‘Fafita’; a legacy that persists to this day.
He constantly skipped school, preferring to hang with David outside Westpoint Blacktown. The two brothers were described by local shopkeepers as being ‘thick as thieves’ in all 3 senses of the word. The brothers were constantly in trouble with the local police for a range of petty crimes: loitering, petty vandalism, aggravated buggery and trespass.
At age 8 Andrew formed his first gang – the Blacktown Bois.
An anonymous source recalled Andrew killing a homeless person at age 11 however this could not be verified in any way.
At age 12 Andrew and David joined the gang of another local youth, Mathew Lodge, pledging allegiance to the ‘Mathew Lodge A Complaint Against Us And You’ll End Up In A Body Bag’ gang, or MLACAUAYEUIABB for short. Andrew became concerned with the psychotic level of violence from Lodge and threatened to leave. The final straw came when Andrew was caught tagging the gangs name on disputed territory. Due to the amount of time it took to tag the walls and the risks it posed, he left the gang at age 14.
It was around the 5th time that Andrew’s mum bailed him out of prison that he was given an ultimatum. In an interview for 60 Minutes Up Late Edition, Andrew recalled this turning point in his life. ‘Mum had just bailed me out after another thievin’ spree. I got in the car and she said ‘Andrew, I love you very much, but you need to change your wicked ways you naughty, cheeky, silly boy. Here’s the deal. I have arranged for you to spend time down in Griffith with a family friend. You need to get out of Blacktown. Also if you don’t go, I am going to slowly poison David until you decide to go. You don’t need more blood on your hands.’ When she said that to me I was thinking ‘Man I’m hungry’ and then I thought Ok, I’ll go. There’s mad sick weed in Griffith and I can work for the Trimboles’ and all that as like an enforcer or a soldier’.
Unfortunately for Andrew, Robert Trimbole had died approximately 15 years earlier and his drug distribution network largely disbanded by the time Andrrw arrived. Regardless he went to Griffith and remained there for several years before returning to Sydney to finish school, now relatively free from the life of crime that had previously seemed inevitable.
Andrew was a talented junior footballer, and trialled with the Roosters as a winger. He was eventually signed by the West Tigers as an impact forward and made his NRL debut off the bench in 2010, scoring a try. He finished the year representing Tonga in an international, eligible through his father’s heritage. Andrew said he would have liked to have represented Australia, however there were many far-better players at the time that warranted selection over the 4 game Wests Tigers rookie.
Towards the end of the 2011 season Andrew fell out of favour with coach Tim Sheens and was dropped to NSW Cup. Sheens’ instructions were for him to go back and ‘channel his inner Laurie Nichols’ but Andrew had no idea what that meant and therefore didn’t get another opportunity in first grade.
Frustrated, he signed a 3 year deal with the Cronulla Sharks. This was part of a package deal with Bryce Gibbs, freeing up salary cap space so the Tigers could then sign Adam Blair, in a deal that Tigers fans need to be constantly and mercilessly reminded of at every available opportunity.
At the Sharks, Andrew flourished. He was given regular game-time, his own locker, new boots and a sausage sandwich every second Wednesday after training and it showed in his performances.
2013 was the year Andrew announced himself as one of the premier front-rowers in the world. He was selected for the NSW Origin team, playing all 3 games of the series off the bench. At the end of the year he was the Sharks leading try scorer with 9 for the season, however that was more a reflection of the Sharks attacking woes than Fifita’s try scoring ability.
Andrew was also named Dally M Prop of the Year. At the awards speech, Andrew was quoted as saying ‘this is an amazing honour, now all I need to do is win the award for International Special Best World Prop of the Year’, an award coach Shane Flanagan had in fact made up to motivate him.
Off the back of his individual performances, Andrew was selected to play for Australia in the 2013 World Cup. In the semi-final match against Fiji, Andrew scored the last try of the match in the nail- biting 64-0 win. Interestingly, this was the last try ever called by BBC rugby league commentator Ray French before he retired. ‘Rather unfortunate and, quite frankly, a waste of me bloody breath’ is how French fondly recalled the occasion.
Andrew was on top of the world at the end of 2013. Quite fittingly, he summited Mt Everest on New Years Eve. It is said that all good things must come to an end, and 2014 and 2015 did not list many positive moments as featured on Andrew’s Facebook ‘Year in review’.
In March 2014 Andrew signed a four-year, $800,000 a season contract with the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs. Two weeks later, the contract was terminated. There was conflicting accounts from both sides on why this occurred.
The Bulldogs claimed they were unhappy with comments Andrew made in the media after signing, saying things such as he wished he chose Rugby Union, his heart will always be in Cronulla and that he does not support gang rape.
Andrew, on the other hand, stated that his official contract offer was significantly less than agreed on, and the clause allowing his brother to be the one that led Spike and Belmore James onto the field at each home game was removed entirely.
Andrew eventually signed a contract extension with the Sharks, but he first had to personally apologise to the Board for trying to leave, run 20 extra laps at training and was required to chop onions for the Wednesday sausage sizzles for the rest of the year.
2014 was the year the Sharks faced the full punishment over their supplement saga and their on field performance suffered. While not one of the players facing a ban, Andrew was unable to lift the side as he suffered an ankle injury that kept him off the field for the majority of the season. Some commentators believe he would have recovered a lot quicker if he had of been part of the Sharks doping regime.
Andrew missed all 3 games of the Origin series, which NSW won for the first time in 8 years.
Andrew had become increasing upset with his circumstances on and off the field and in August, he was involved in a road rage incident where he threw a non-egg shaped object at a car travelling behind him. Both cars pulled over and when the second driver realised how big Andrew is in person, he refused to get out of his Subaru. Andrew then punched and kicked the panels of his car in a fashion similar to the bonus stage in Street Fighter II, before driving off.
With Cronulla getting the wooden spoon and Andrew facing several injuries and a slump in form, he suffered serious depression. This part of his life has no humour in it so I’m just gonna say if you feel like you may have a problem, speak to your GP, talk to a mate or check out some great online resources. There’s help available and you aren’t alone.
2015 rolls around and a string of good performances earn Andrew a re-call into the NSW side for the first game of the state of origin series, however he was not selected for game 2 or 3 because his club team-mate and occasional babysitter Paul Gallen returned to the side after injury.
Andrew had seemingly got his life back together by mid-2015 with his return to rep footy and Cronulla on track to make the finals, however Andrew and controversy are as synonymous as Brisbane and Friday Night Footy; Newcastle and the wooden spoon; Melbourne and Yachts; Souths and tooth; Julian O’Neill and Schlossy’s shoe…you get the point.
In early August Andrew went to Penrith to watch his brother run the water for St Patrick’s Blacktown. David was constantly boasting that he could carry 3 water bottles at once and could also spray water into a players mouth from 5 meters away while on the run. Andrew decided to see this for himself and film it for David’s new YouTube channel. During the match David became incensed and swore at the referee (a 24 year old riot policeman) because he did not stop the game for an injured player.
The referee (seeing a potential A Current Affair interview situation and associated payout unfolding) took out his phone and started filming David’s potty mouth tirade. Andrew then became involved and reportedly told the referee to ‘Stop filming and delete it or I’ll smash you up’ and had to be held back from the referee by Gwen Hilderbrandt, a 68 year old grandmother.
Andrew denied this version of events and attempted to clear his name in an exclusive interview with Danny Weidler on his short lived chat show ‘Danny on the mic’:
‘I never told that ref to delete the footage. I thought it was hilarious. David was goin’ off his head and I thought the ref’s footage would make a great end to episode 6 of David’s Youtube. You know the bit at the end where they tell you to click subscribe and that and all the things like flash up? I was gonna put it in there. I never said ‘Stop filming and delete it or I’ll smash you up’. I actually said ‘Don’t stop filming or delete it and I’ll cash you up’. I wanted to give the bloke like $20 bucks for a copy.’
Unfortunately the NRL did not see it that way and both David and Andrew were fined $30,000 and each suspended for 6 weeks. The brothers were also suspended for a year from the Penrith District Rugby League, which had no effect on Andrew, however this impacted severely on David’s ability to get content for his YouTube channel, which closed down soon after.
Andrew returned from his suspension off the bench for Cronulla’s elimination final victory over Souths, however they bowed out of contention the following week in a nail-biting 39-0 loss to the eventual premiers North Queensland.
2016 began and the Sharks, buoyed by several key signings, saw themselves as serious contenders for the 2016 premiership. Andrew was selected for NSW, playing all 3 games off the bench.
During Game III Andrew was sinbinned for choking Gavin Cooper just before half-time after Cooper threw the ball at NSW 5/8 Matt Moylan. This action was again viewed unfavourably by the general public, however Andrew at the very least ultimately proved one commentator wrong:
‘This clown will cost Cronulla its shot at the premiership, as for his efforts in the origin match I think the video says it all.’ Terry, Daily Telegraph comments section July 15, 2016.
Ahh Terry. How wrong you were.
Also during the series Andrew renewed his rivalry with Qld player Joshua McGuire. McGuire was jealous of Andrew’s ‘rats-tail’ haircut and tried to steal it for himself, in an audacious attempt to complete his transformation into an actual rat.
Despite his best efforts, McGuire was not able to scalp Andrew. After the game Andrew said that while it didn’t physically hurt him ‘I am hurt and upset that McGuire wanted to ruin all the good work of the poor orphans’ (To clarify, Andrew auctioned off the occasion for people to plait his hair for him. That auction was won by the Sydney Orphan Centre, narrowly outbidding an R. Crowe of Bowraville for the once in a lifetime opportunity. The auction raised $57 for the Tim Simona House Charities).
Andrew’s 2016 season culminated with a chance to play in his first grand final with the Sharks against Melbourne. Andrew lead from the front and scored the winning try for the Sharks in the 14-12 victory, giving the Sharks their first ever Mad Monday in October.
Controversially, Andrew was overlooked for the Clive Churchill Medal, with Luke Lewis receiving the award. It was later discovered that several high-profile gamblers did not heed Joel Caine’s warnings and Sportsbet was required to flex its muscle to ensure Andrew did not win, due to the large bets it had taken on the rampaging prop. The conspiracy is real people!
During the offseason of 2016, Andrew was fined $20,000 for writing the letters ‘FKL’ on his wrist tape during games that year. It was suggested that it stood for ‘Free Kieran Loveridge’; a friend of Andrew’s in prison for a one-punch attack. Andrew tried to clarify the issue with Paul Vautin on the ‘Fun Fatty Friday Footy’ podcast: ‘Yeah Kieran’s a mate and I visited him in prison. But that was because he put me down as his next of kin and I had to tell him it wasn’t appropriate. I kept getting calls from the prison guards about things he put in his butt and I did want to deal with that. But FKL actually had nothing to do with him. It stands for Fifi Knows League. My brother made it up. Good hey. Because I know league, Fatty. Front and back. And when I need to dig deep I just look at it and it reminds me. Also reminds Chad Townsend too. That’s why he always passes me the ball’.
In the most recent 2017 season, Andrew played 23 games for the Sharks, and started at prop for NSW in all 3 games of the state of origin series. In Game 1 of the series Andrew was judged man of the match in a performance that judges believe showed he was the best player on the field during that particular match.
Due to Andrew’s domination in game 1, he was heavily targeted in games 2 and 3. After a loss in game 2, Andrew’s cheeky nemesis and still transitioning rat Joshua McGuire sledged Andrew. It was later reported that McGuire cruelly told Andrew to ‘go have a whinge you little girl NSW cry-baby girl’. Andrew took it personally and footage from Game 3 saw Andrew with ‘I Hate JM’ and ‘JM loves Billy 4 eva’ written on his strapping tape, in a brutal get-square with the Qld lock.
At the conclusion of the 2017 NRL season Andrew was selected in the Australian side for the upcoming World Cup. 24 hours later he declared that he was going to shun the country that raised, nurtured and supported him through all the difficult times and actually provided him with the opportunity to play rugby league in a productive environment, in favour of representing Tonga again. Andrew explained his decision to Steve Mascord steavis, writing for Man-hunk magazine. ‘I actually made a pact with good friend Jack Bird. We were both gonna play for Tonga. Unfortunately Birdy was advised that he wasn’t eligible as he had absolutely no Tongan ancestry whatsoever. So we both rung up Fiji League but weren’t eligible for them either because of the same reasons. Apparently you need like an uncle or step-dad or something from that country to be able to play for ‘em. So I rung Tonga again on the home phone and let ‘em know I was playing but Birdy wasn’t allowed. They were disappointed but they said he can run the water or something. He’s a bit weird old Birdy to be honest. Club wise he’s Brisbane’s problem now which is good. ’
When Andrew retires he will be known as an awkward, powerful and potentially gamebreaking prop. He has a terrible play-the-ball style (known colloquially as ‘doin a fifi’), a commanding tackle-break, large capital letters tattooed on his legs and a knack for scoring tries. He loves an offload and once famously said he wanted to perform 40 offloads in a game. With games only being 80 minutes long and a current career high of 7 in a game this seems extremely unlikely, but anything is possible for the mighty Andrew Fifita. Well, except that.

Anyone had luck redeeming those bonus bet offers various bookies have? (E.g. deposit $100, get a $200 bonus). I'm in NSW so I'm technically not eligible, but I know a few years back you could just call up their customer service to complain and they'd credit you anyway. Has anyone done that recently?

Evening all - wall of text inbound.
I had the great pleasure of taking part in two separate tournaments over the weekend; one in Parramatta NSW and the other up the coast in Newcastle. Massive shout out to both The Games Cube in Parramatta and Good Games Newcastle for putting on two great tournaments. The organisers at each event did a fantastic job and as a player everything seemed to run like clockwork (though I'm sure it was more stressful than they made it look).
Saturday - The Games Cube Parramatta (400pts)
The Games Cube decided to run an XL-sized tournament using a non-FFG scoring system (due to their being no official MoV for 400pt games as of yet). A margin of 30pts or less was a draw and scored both players 3pts, a margin beyond this was 4-2, and if the victor doubled their opponents score it became 5-1. In all results 1 bonus point was on offer to either player if they managed to kill their opponent's flagship.
As a filthy rebel at heart, as well as a sucker for squadrons, I took what became affectionately referred to as 'The Whale Pod' - 3 Guppies with Luke, Wedge, Dutch, and 4 Y-Wings.
Having taken Dangerous Territory to another tournament I had found that the benefit for losing initiative was minimal (for my fleet at any rate). Deciding to shake things up I opted to try and play on the perception of Minefields' ineffectiveness and find a way to make it support my list. In the end, while I would find it wasn't perfect, a mine layout similar to this is what I would use - aiming to disrupt my opponents movement and target them with long range broadsides. My red and yellow objectives were Advanced Gunnery and Hyperspace Assault respectively and are pretty self-explanatory (Paragon being able to double side arc, and Paragon arriving to the rear of an opponent's ship are both brutal).
The Games Cube had a full prize pack on offer so I was really hoping to pick up an alternate art Guppy or, if I was lucky, the coveted medal. With 6 players in the tournament my basic mindset was 'don't make any glaringly stupid mistakes and you should go alright'.
Game 1
My first catch of the day was against Courtney, a fantastic dude new-ish to the game. His list was 2 VSDs with a smattering of upgrades (one was a carrier VSD, the other a direct damage dealer) and Demolisher with I believe Motti as his Admiral. Also a bucket load of fighters and bombers.
Courtney took the initiative and elected to take Minefields. The deployment really threw him, and he swung wide around to the right. This strung his fleet out and in the end his carrier VSD did not do anything of use the entire game. The fighter balls engaged without any decisive victor - although Luke and 2 Y's broke off to deal solid damage to Demolisher. Demolisher after this snub-fighter foray got focused down as a result of flying to close to the Whale Pod; however with the loss of some hero squadrons, points were tilted barely in my favour. His Motti VSD having turned in to meet my Guppies copped an Asteroid and a Mine on the same turn, and then before it could move received the full brunt of Paragon.
Paragon managed to score a critical, Comm Noise, which led to the no-brainer decision of dropping his speed to 0. Without defence tokens Motti dropped hard in the final turn sealing me a 6-1.
Game 2
Game two was against Dan, a player who I had taken on once before in an earlier foray. To summarise, I don't know if Dan just hates my occasionally lucky rolls or me personally but that is the atmosphere we have.
Dan's list was two VSD's (one I and one II) with a butt load of squadrons (4 or 5 Bombers, Vader, Howlrunner, 2 Tie Advanced, 2-3 Interceptors). Dan opted to make me go first and I took Dangerous Territory. I will say that this game was easily the worst that I played the entire weekend - I made lots of strategically poor decisions and moves that, barring a single good roll, should have probably cost me the game.
As it was we deployed basically facing each other, with an obstacle / objective in front of each of our ships (with the 6th far off to the side). My plan was to nab my 3 objectives and then swing hard right to leave one VSD high and dry. Which, in the end, was basically what happened, but it was a close run thing. The VSD-II with Dominator and Tarkin traded front arcs with Paragon's side as the fly by occurred and this left both ships pretty beat up. Dominator stripping it's shields came back to haunt it however as Paragon's rear arc on Turn 5 managed to score exactly enough damage (with H9's securing the accuracy to lock down brace) off a concentrated shot to slay the behemoth.
Dan was not impressed. His bomber wing chased afterwards and left Paragon limping along with 2HP left, but in the end it was not enough and the score was again 6-1.
Game 3
After two big wins I was seeded top table for the final game of the day. My opponent Damien was the only other Rebel in attendance, running a Guppy, two corvettes (1 Red, 1 Blue), Neb-B with Salvation, Wedge, 3 Y-Wings, and 4 A-Wings. This game was the first time I had ever faced another Rebel using Mon Mothma, and I must stress how much I hate that troll of a woman when it's not me using her.
Having heard Courtney's lamentations over taking Minefields, Damien opted to take Hyperspace Assault after I elected to play second. Paragon jumped into Hyperspace with two Y-Wings as the remaining guppies prepared to limp along the corner edge at Speed 1. Damien on the other hand flew in from all angles at maximum speed. This overeagerness cost him his blue corvette at the bottom of turn 2, however, as he overextended the ship into close range double arcs.
This was a huge early blow that was soon compounded by Paragon jumping in behind his Assault Frigate. In the end, despite Salvation's best efforts I traded my carrier Guppy for the rest of his ships.
This game, much like the second and first, was far closer than points would have suggested, but once again it ended 6-1 in my favour. With a clean sweep I had secured my first ever tournament victory and the coveted medal! Fucking stoked!
The weekend however was only half way done.
Sunday - Good Games Newcastle (300pts)
Making the drive up from Sydney with irokenics, we were back to the Wave 1 standard 300pts. Without the extra 100pts my Newcastle list dropped a guppy in favour of Jaina and parsed the squadrons down heavily while opting to keep the same objectives.
Newcastle is meant to be the best meta currently in Australia, and with six of the top 8 placings at Nationals (including first) coming from Newcastle it was going to be a tough day out. Reflecting how good the community up there is though player turnout was excellent with 16 players turning up (absolute madness!). You can see most of us cramming into the place (I'm the bespectacled guy wearing a singlet).
Game 1
Game one was against a great player by the name of (I believe) Jason, who had placed 8th at Australian Nationals. This was without question my toughest game of the weekend - Jason flew a mean game and it proved to be a real nail biter.
Jason's list was an Assault Frigate with Mon Mothma, A Blue Corvette with Dodonna's Pride, an EA Red Corvette, and Salvation. Jason opted for the Minefields assuming, correctly, that it was his best bet. This was one of the few games where I have a photo of ships on the field. Here you can see us heading into turn 2. I deployed roughly centre of the board while Jason spread his ships the full breadth. My plan was to accelerate and hook left to try and take on his corvettes - leaving behind his guppy and Salvation.
As it happened though my Mon Mothma guppy got jammed up on his red corvette in the centre of the field - trading 3 separate rams before Paragon collided to finish the ship off. Meanwhile Jaina and Salvation traded blows as his Guppy looped in menancingly behind. The real danger though was his blue corvette, who swung into range of Mon Mothma with double arcs. As it was I managed to avoid taking two critcals (praise be to evade), or being rammed, leaving Mon Mothma hurt badly (but alive) on 2HP. Some well timed nav commands allowed her to slip by the asteroids and just out of mine range to survive the battle.
In the meantime a limping Salvation rolled hot to take out a Jaina which had double arcs ready to fire. At this point I was very concerned as I was down by about 2pts. Thankfully Dutch and his boys lay in wait and put some serious hurt on Salvation before Jason made a poor call on the final turn and activated his Guppy first, allowing Paragon to wipe out Salvation before it could reply. In the end I sneaked out a 7-3 victory with a MoV of 69pts by the skin of my teeth to take me into the second round.
Against the Australian National Champ.
Welp.
Game 2
Game 2 was against Andrew (the reigning Australian champ and like all the Novocastrians a top dude). Like my first round match up Andrew was also running a 4 ship Rebel list. This time though it consisted of 2 x Mark A Guppies both with Gunnery Teams, Salvation, and Dodonnas Pride, led by Dodonna himself. Again I elected to go second and Andrew picked Hyperspace Assault, which Paragon happily jumped into.
Out-shipped and acting second every turn my plan was fairly simple, to keep his fleet at arm's length and not allow him to utilise those deadly broadsides. Executing this I deployed at low speed near the centre of the deployment zone angled to my right. Andrew deployed both his Guppies at maximum speed roughly parallel to my own but angled to my left (I figured to try and get behind my ships). Meanwhile both Salvation and Dodonna's Pride were on the left of his Assault Frigates with a fair space in between and angling diagonally across the board.
My first few turns consisted of navigating for the extra clicks and to bump both Jaina and Mon Mothma to Speed 3. Both ships hooked hard to my right angling around asteroids and debris fields. As his ships turned in to face them they got bunched up on each other and were left with only frontal arcs for the majority of the game.
Turn 3 I Squadron commanded Dutch into the heart of his fleet and stripped a fair chunk of Salvation's shields, while my ships continued to kite away from his fleet. Turn 4 saw Paragon arrive behind his fleet ready to unleash some pain. In the end his Dodonna's Pride caught up to Jaina and dealt some solid damage before flying off the board. Although I felt Jaina with double arcs had it covered it was nice not to have to leave it to chance. His Guppies were unable to get into firing position onto my fleet and spent most of the game plinking away at Y-Wings. Salvation was brought low on the final turn through a combination of Paragon and the Dutch Crew.
All told I lost a single Y-Wing for his Dodonna's Pride and Salvation, netting me a 8-2 with a 103pt margin.
Game 3
The final game of the weekend had me seeded on the third table against the lovely Dean (or so I recall). Dean was running Screed on a naked VSD-I, a VSD-II with Warlord and I believe H9s, and Demolisher with ACMs, Wulf, and Engine Techs. Dean had the initiative bid and elected to go first. Extremely fortuitously Dean decided to play Advanced Gunnery. This was fortuitous because only one other player had ever willingly given my Paragon an advanced advanced gunnery team.^tm In all honesty it was always going to be an uphill battle for him from there, a fact he noted on Turn 2 when Paragon off a round of shooting left his VSD-I with its single rear shield remaining.
Paragon did all the heavy lifting here, melting his VSD-I and touching up Screed (who ended up flying off the board as it was chased by Dutch and co.) and finally nabbing Demolisher after it had munched on Jaina. The game ended 10-0 in my favour, leaving me on 25pts for the day, taking out second behind a a great fellow named Andrew.
Unsurprisingly, I had a phenomenal weekend but really what was fantastic was seeing the fledgling Australian Armada community turn out for some choice tournaments.
Can't wait for the next one.
TLDR: Went to two tournaments over the weekend. Came 1st and 2nd respectively, scoring a bunch of sweet loot. NSW community is on the rise and if you can you should turn out to either this event or this event

Verified? (This bot cannot verify AMAs just yet)
Date: 2013-05-21
Link to submission (Has self-text)

Questions	Answers
Hey there, I'm a Kiwi living in Australia, 21 years old. I've been told that Mining is a good way of sacrificing a few years for some good cash. Would advice would you give someone for joining the mining industry?	The money is good, but you need to have a plan and stick to it if you want to get in and out. A lot of people say that going in and stay. Either that or you can make a career out of it if you want to, and that's where some really good money is. Underground is probably easier to get in to than open cut. At the moment things are a bit stagnant so coming in with no experience will take persistance. It helps if you know someone already in that can put in a good word for you. Other than that, start with contractors. The ones that hire the most cleanskins (inexperienced miners) are the ones that do outbye work. Constructing stoppings, secondary support that sort of thing. WDS, UGM, AMS, Spartan Mining are a few names that come to mind. They will ask if you've done a mine medical and generic induction, tell them you'll do that once you get an offer, because like everything mining, they're expensive.
Coal miners disease; is it a problem for you? Is there a respirator? If so, how much are they and how long do the filters last?	I'll assume you mean pneumosilicosis, the black lung *eheh *eheh? No, as far as I know there haven't been any cases of that (in Australia) for 30 years or so. The level of protection required depends on where you are and what you're doing. Typically outbye work (not cutting coal) masks are not required. In development (cutting the first tunnels) we usually use the disposable paper type masks. Longwall (where the bulk of the coal is cut) operators can use an airstream mask if they want. This is a semi enclosed helmet with an external pump and filter worn on the belt. It's incredibly funny to drop a fart in to someone else's pump. The filters are good, but not that good. On top of that the government regularly monitors our exposure to silica to make sure we're doing everything by the book.
	Tl;dr No. Yes. Depends.
What are your thoughts on Gillards new Mining Tax? While this latest mining boom is doing wonders for the Australian economy do you think the bubble will burst yet again in the near future?	I think that the government's watered down super profit tax is a great tragedy. The big miners are hardly paying any tax at all, as far as I can gather, certainly percentage wise, they pay a lot less than me. I don't think the government capitalises enough on our mineral wealth. We should be using this gift to develop industries that will keep Australians employed when it's no longer economical to pull this stuff out of the ground. When it was originally proposed and Rudd was in charge, I thought it was a good idea. But that's my opinion.
What's the biggest scare you've ever experienced?	The one that kept me awake at night for a while happened on the rigs. It's funny because really it was such a small thing compared to say, bad roof or gas outbursts which are no picnic either but here goes: I was on the type of drill rig that cuts cores out of the rock, looking for sphalerite, we would drill 3m remove the rod string, take out the core and then run the rods back down the hole to drill the next 3m. Easy right? Except I was working with a driller that had a few home/money drams, so not only was his mind not on the job, he was always in a rush for bonus metres. So I'm standing by with the wrench to start removing drill rods, the drill stops and I jump up clamp the wrench down and look up to the control panel. It turns out that the driller hadn't finished his run, he was lighting a smoke. Still looking down at the control panel, I saw his hand push the lever forward to spin the rods up again. Now, these machines are incredibly powerful. We could drill up to a kilometre deep and a bit further if we needed to. Thats big torque. Enough to turn me into jam, anyway. I didn't even have time to remove the wrench, but just enough so the pressure didn't clamp it down. It threw me and the wrench off the platform. So, I escaped unharmed and the driller asked just what the fuck I thought I was doing. I didn't know. We'd been working for two weeks straight at this point, so fatigue may have been a factor.
Is it hard on your family being down there? My grandpa worked in the nickel mines for years and my grandmother was scared every day he went down there... I also had a cousin who got crushed by a mining cart and died, they say it was a freak accident. Are there a lot of safety features down there?	I'm sorry to hear about your cousin. I know mines in America have a lot more injuries than us. We are fortunate in Australia, and especially Queensland, that we have some of the most exacting safety standards in the world. I've never been seriously injured, but it does happen. More often than it should. My parents don't like it much. I turned down a job in New Zealand because of the money, and that pit blew up. I'd like to think I would have been smart enough to see the signs, but I dunno.
Have you ever worked on any kind of soft rock drilling? (Oil and Gas) How did you get into this field after you turned 18/graduated etc?	No I haven't done any drilling like that. But coal seam gas drilling is causing a bit of a stir locally at the moment. I took a summer job at a company that repairs mining equipment while I was doing an Engineering degree. I dropped out and eventually got in to the mines. I started on the 'rigs when I felt like I needed a break from coal. After that, coal didn't seem so bad.
Thoughts on Gina Rinehart?	It'd be immature and shallow to say she's got a head like a smashed crab, so I won't. Other than that though, the only thing that springs to mind about her is some remark she made about Aussie miners being paid too much, that we should be happy to be on a few dollars a day like those in third world countries. I can't say it impressed me.
What's it like down under?	Great. I'm lucky enough to have seen a bit of the world, but I still call Australia home. ;)
How physically tough is the work? also have you encountered many irish immigrant in the mines working?	At first it was tough, but it's mostly pushing buttons and pulling levers now. Night shift always sucks. I haven't worked with any Irishmen. Lot's of guys from Yorkshire, South Africa & New Zealand though.
There's a tv show up here called Call of the Wildman, where this hillbilly animal control guy removes animals from houses and businesses. There was a problem with beavers getting into the mining areas and eating the wooden supports. Wildman had to safely extract the animals without traps. I'm pretty sure there aren't beavers down there, but have you ever run into any wildlife in the mines?	Mice. It's gross. We bring in big palettes of timber every now and then for various things (only rarely to keep the roof up) and sometimes a snake hitches a ride. So that's fun.
	I work with a couple of guys that worked with the last pit ponies: 'Warrior' and 'Mr. Ed' who were made members of the union so they couldn't be sold to the local meatworks at the end of their working lives.
Kiwi here. What's your favourite summer menu and accompanying beer?	Mudcrab and James Squire nine tails will do me eh bro. Expecting XXX were you?
Can I ask you what you think coal prices will do over the next year? Do you think coal mining companies will make more profit this year then last?	IMO I don't think mining companies will make more this year than last. Last year saw record breaking profits because metallurgical coal was at crazy prices. I think the spot market went as high as $300/ton.
	As a result, everyone went apeshit and invested heavily in pulling more coal out of the ground. Then one of the bigwigs in China came out and said that he wanted China to become more of a consuming economy than a producing one and that caused a bit of a re-think. Some very expensive projects had already begun on the belief that prices would stay high for a while longer.
	I've been to China, briefly, and was shown all these empty apartment blocks that were banged up as fast as possible and bought by speculators at premium prices because they felt like it was a good investment. The concern then was that a lot of people would be in debt for something that was no longer worth what they paid for it. Sound familiar? Anyhoo, the upshot of all this is that I think metcoal is sitting on $160ish / ton. Which is the break even point or worse for open cut mines, and open cut is where the big boys make the bulk of their money.
	So, I think the price will drop, some mines may close or briefly stop producing and then the price will stabilise. Where at? Dunno.
	Tl;dr Down slightly, up slightly but not back to where it was. No, last year broke records.
Can I ask what company you work for? and more specifically i was looking into answers into thermal coal, any insight on that?	I'd rather not say who I work for. They probably have negative views about this sort of thing. As for thermal coal, I can't give you any insights. My personal opinion is that it's not going to drop any time soon. Nuclear power doesn't seem to be very popular all of the sudden.
Any advice for a 25 year old woman interested in admin in the mines? Everyone I speak to either says "oh you won't be able to deal with it, or its not for you" without knowing what I'd be willing to do to have a stable career.	I don't imagine the requirements would be that much different to any other admin job. Familiarity with excel, word, that kind of thing. The big thing for Queensland mines though is sourcing accommodation. The town I live in has some of the highest rental prices in Australia and very few vacancies. That's where the SO's of miners get a shoe in because they already have somewhere to stay. NSW is different of course because all the pits are close to civilisation.
	OR... you could get your truck licence then try and get a job driving the big trucks in an open cut pit. WA has a lot of vacancies at the moment I hear. I'm told companies like female operators because they are gentler with the gear. I have a hairdresser friend who did that when she developed an allergy to hairspray. She drives one of those massive Cat trucks at the Kalgoorlie superpit now. Loves it.
Ahhh, did Bob drive one of those bigass dumptruck looking things?	No this was underground, on a longwall.
Where do you see yourself in 5, 10, 20 years?	Well, I see a big push towards automation coming. So, I'm studying a degree in my spare time to hopefully find myself a niche in the yawning gap between miners and the designers/engineers who build our machines. A niche with a desk and a coffee maker would be nice.
	Failing that, deputy's ticket and mine manager's after that if I think I'm smart enough.
Do you have a favourite/least favourite mine you've worked in?	My least favourite would have to be a very old, deep pit in the Hunter Valley. It's a rats nest. The kicker though is the water that comes dripping out of the roof is fairly acidic, so it does bad things to machinery, clothes and skin. Plenty of methane too, to keep things interesting.
How often do you get to see your family? My husband is thinking about going to the mines, but in a very different job. I guess the time spent away would have its $$$ compensations?	I'm single, but even so it can be hard to coordinate with people who work Monday to Friday. The last girl I was dating didn't like it much.
	Time away takes its toll on families. I work a 5 on 5 off roster now and the family guys seem ok with that. Though most move the wife and kids out here when they can. When I was on the rigs doing 14/7 and sometimes 21/7 all the guys I worked with were divorced, or about to become divorced.
	On the plus side, having so much time off is great. I don't know how anyone gets anything done with just a two day weekend.
How would you react if Derek Zoolander was in your mine with you?	I've worked with all different sorts of blokes. In WA you have to have a criminal background check to get a job on a mine site, my boss at the time liked to hire people who had been convicted of assault and GBH because he figured they'd be tough. A prancing male model wouldn't be so hard to take. He would be good for a laugh.
Have you heard of the latest, hippest independent band? No, but seriously, just throwing in a quick plug to our mates over at /mining - have you heard of the sub and do you read it?	Not until now. I'll have to have a look. Thanks for that.
People say that with the mining boom you guys get paid a ton. Is that true?	Yes, but it has to be taken with a grain of salt too. Everything is more expensive in mining towns.
How much do you earn?	$150k/year roundabouts before tax. The tax man takes a goodly portion of that, though.
How much do you lose in tax?	Roughly 35%.
Hey that's not so bad! That's what an average swede pays in taxes. But with a salary at $150k you would be looking at about 50-55%.	Ouch. That's savage.
How much are sparkies getting in your mine?	Same as the operators.
Have you ever worked at Ulan Coal Mines in their drift? You look like a guy I knew there.	No I haven't been to Ulan. But I'd bet money we know some of the same people.
Hey mate, just about to finish up mining engineering degree and deciding on UG coal or hardrock. What are your thoughts between the two? I did vac work in the hunter valley (UG Coal) and enjoyed it, however the industry seems to be in a bit of a standstill at the moment. How easy did you find it to switch between the two?	They are completely different worlds. Different techniques, different roof support, different gear. The cap lamps are the same and that's about it I found. :)
	Hard rock pits can take ipods underground, have microwaves and fridges in the crib room, so it has that going for it. Two way radios too, I don't know how many times I wished I had one of those in coal. Their gear is more sophisticated (nicer to use) than ours. But coal is usually not so deep, so its not as hot (most of the time), and the strata doesn't have quite so much pressure on it. Operators make more money too, on average.
	From a mining eng perspective I suppose you would have to look at what is more challenging and the lifestyle that goes with that mine. If you're just starting out I'd have a look at both and see what your job is actually going to be, engineers often end up doing less engineering and more managing. I think most metalliferous pits are FIFO, whereas in the hunter you might get to be home every night.
How important is safety and ground control to Australian mines? Do you feel safer in a coal mine or a heavy metal underground mine?	Our ground control is pretty good. It usually doesn't fall in unless we want it too. As for coal or metalliferous being safer, it's hard to say. They both have their risks. I probably wouldn't work in a lead or uranium mine for too long though.
The safety question was because I noticed you don't have your safety glasses on.	Haha, bloody staff. Well in all fairness, one of those pics was at the go line so glasses are not required. The other two we were 2km deep, it was 38 degC on the wet bulb and glasses were impossible because they kept steaming up. You are right though, I was doing the wrong thing.
How many giant trapdoor spiders have you had to fight?	Well there was this one time on acid... nah jokes. Though the air intake at a hard rock pit I was at was notorious for spiders, they would get sucked in and become trapped. Spiderwebs everywhere. No giant ones though.
Where are you working at the moment? never wanted to play with the big toys above ground?	I'm working in central Qld. I won't say which mine exactly because companies like mine don't appreciate unexpected publicity. Did you see the underground version of the harlem shake? They all got sacked.
	I've known a few blokes do the switch and go dirt herding. They don't come back so it must be alright. It does interest me but I hate the idea of starting from scratch again and being the new kid that can't find his arse with both hands.
I visited a few mines in the hunter in a sales role. a liebherr 966 is a big digger. for an outsider the sheer size of the equipment is impressive. Do you have 3 dirt bikes an ss ute and two sleeves of tattoos? all the young coal miners near here do!	1 road bike, 1 dirt bike, 1 wrx but no tattoos. Some people look good with tatts, I'm not one of them.
Yea a couple of guys I know from Kalgoorlie were caught up in the aftermath of that mess. You worked in kal?	Nah, the only pit I worked at in WA was Golden Grove. Closed now I think.
What's your position on the phrase "back to the coal face"?	Meh. It sounds like my boss but with less swearing.
I'm a geologist from the states and I've been on a longwall mining outfit for Trona. I have to say it was the coolest thing I've ever seen. Like being on the set of Alien. This one was all automated. A big toothy wheel cruised up and down the face depositing the ore onto a belt. Then I've heard of longwalls as simple as cribbing get kicked out as miners extend the face. What kind is yours?	Haha, it is like an alien set isn't it? I keep banging my head on stuff when I'm on the wall. It can get pretty close.
	There was an experiment with automation done in NSW, but from what I hear it didn't go all that well. It is coming though.
	Our longwall is a brand spanking new top coal caving type. It runs a second armoured face chain behind the chocks to recover the top part of the seam as the whole show advances. It looks pretty cool.
	I saw a mock up of whole recovering roof support as you chip away at the face deal, in a museum. I'd bet money they still do it in China somewhere.
Do you prefer Marmite or Vegimite? Thoughts on having some Nutella right about now?	I like promite. Always.
Can you get me a job? Im an auto sparky trying to get in to the heavy side.	If you've got a trade then it's easy. Just start submitting your resume' to the big companies through their websites; Anglo, Xstrata etc. You'll find a job somewhere. Even though things are a little flat at the moment, trades are still in demand.
Do you belive that some of the OH&S Stuff on mine sites has gone a bit overboard now.	I don't know. What I don't like is the whole trend towards paperwork and process. You are 'trained' on a machine if you've filled out the paperwork and copied the answers in to the right boxes. A lot of OH&S I feel is a legal arse covering exercise rather than a concerted effort to improve things. That being said, I've worked with guys from the states and some of the stories they tell me are pretty wild, and same goes for the guys who were in the industry 20 yrs ago. It's a fine balance I guess.

Last updated: 2013-05-21 23:22 UTC | Next update: 2013-05-21 23:32 UTC
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