Raiders captain Joseph Tapine has revealed he "got addicted to pokies" early in his NRL career, admitting it was the "harshest lesson" he had to endure. The 30-year-old has become one of the most respected players in the game in recent years, starring for Canberra at club level and for the Kiwis on the international stage. Tapine burst onto the scene over a decade ago with the Knights, before taking his talents down to the nation's capital and establishing himself as an elite front-rower. However, it wasn't all smooth sailing for the towering Tapine in his early days. In a candid chat on the latest edition of Nine's Marlee and Me, he explained how the footy "culture" was back in his formative days around gambling and alcohol. "The harshest lesson was probably that I got addicted to pokies," Tapine said. "I was living in a share house and one of the boys said 'let's go for dinner'. We go in this pokie room and like everyone's first time, just luck - I put a freaking $20 in and won big. "Three years later I was trying to have to shake that addiction. Pokies and a bit of drinking was big in the culture and that was pretty hard for me to shake. "Those things get you. I think athletes as well and we want that adrenaline kick and that's what it gives you. It took a while to get off it. "I didn't learn about finance or anything back home. I had to learn all of that on the go and Kirsten [wife] taught me a lot of that. After I met Kirsten, she gave me an ultimatum. "I think the move here helped, it was around that time when I had that drama at Newcastle. The change in environment really helped me." Tapine's comments come as the sport continues to raise awareness about similar issues, especially with players from as young as 17 now entering full-time NRL systems. The enforcer starred for Canberra in their round one win in Las Vegas, before copping a two-game suspension for a shoulder charge. He will return for the Raiders in round four against the struggling Cowboys.
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