“Mate, I haven’t had a chance, I’ve been too flat out at work,” he said.

“I’m going to have Monday and Tuesday off and maybe even Wednesday, so I’ve got a lot to do.”

An hour later things were different.

“After I got off the phone things changed, I’m a bit nervous now,” he said.

“I remembered when I was younger and back home in Wellington in New Zealand playing in two rugby union grand finals — we won one of them — and winning three rugby league grand finals.

“I took being in grand finals for granted.

“But I haven’t played in another one since those days.”

Gemmell, a backrower, has been something of a journeyman.

He left New Zealand at the age of 24, played for Newtown, Cronulla and Wests Tigers, where he played with one of his teammates tomorrow, Ben Jeffrey.

During his time at the Tigers he also captained New Zealand Maoris in three tests against the Cook Islands and two in France.

He then took over as captain-coach of Narrabri, about four hours up the road from Narromine, Thunder coach Josh Cale’s home town.

“I never played against Josh, although I think at the time I represented one country group and he represented another,” he said.

But fate was to decide the two would one day be rugby league warriors on the same team.

“I had a good mate Shamus Wharepapa living down here and my wife Ali and I decided to come and have a look,” he said.

“That was four years ago, when Josh first turned up as well.”

Gemmell, a foreman with New-crete Concreting, has a fearsome reputation but he is wet as shearer’s socks around his two daughters, Delt, 7, and Makaia, 3.

Women have always played a big part in his life.

“I have five sisters and I was the only boy,” he said.

“Three of them played rugby and one of those represented New Zealand.”

Gemmell said if opponents were intimidate by his looks, then it was fine with him.

“But I’m a bit surprised; I’ve always thought of myself as being fairly handsome,” he laughed.

“However it will be handy when my little girls bring their boyfriends home.”