Life After Rugby: Morley, Lunt & McDermott on Identity, Change and Starting Again

Welcome to the very first episode of Changing Rooms, where every show Barrie McDermott sits down with fellow hosts and rugby league stalwarts Adrian Morley and Shaun Lunt. With decades in the game - and just as many stories - the Changing Rooms squad dig into life on and off the pitch.

In this episode, the boys kick things off at the end… with some honest chat about retirement! 

That moment every elite athlete has to face - when the body finally says “enough,” when you wake up on that first morning with no team run, no matchday routine, and no gaffer barking at you! 

So is retirement the hardest tackle of all? And when transition knocks even the toughest blokes sideways, what does it really take to get back up again?

They also take a moment to look back on the games that shaped them: Challenge Cups, Grand Finals, Test matches down under, the chaos, the guts, the daft moments and the dressing-room characters that make rugby league the sport it is from Leeds to Lang Park.

The message?

Whether it’s exams, a new job, or life just shifting under your feet, everyone faces transitions. But with the right attitude, a bit of grit, and the nerve to reach out when you need it, change can take you to a better place than you ever expected.

Subscribe, have a listen, and welcome to Changing Rooms!

Timestamps:
(0:00) Meet the Hosts!
(2:58) Transitions – Stepping into Retirement
(5:51) Facing the News — Reactions from Family and Fans
(8:49) Waking Up to a New Routine — The First Morning After
(10:41) Filling the Void — From Call Of Duty to New Careers
(14:09) Losing the Player Identity and the Structure of Sport
(17:38) Lessons from Rugby: Resilience, Grit, and Life Skills
(24:35) Back in the Day — Unforgettable Matches and Wild Moments
(32:18) Banter, Bust-Ups, and the Lighter Side
(36:31) Starting Again — Lessons for Any Transition
(41:00) Full-Time - Takeaways