Ben Ikin: State of Origin Youngest Ever & the Power of Doing the Job Well

Ben Ikin is the Head of Football at the Brisbane Broncos — one of Australia’s largest sporting organisations — and still holds the record as the youngest ever player to debut in State of Origin.

In this episode, Ben reflects on his upbringing on the Gold Coast, a family full of sport, music and performance, and how that shaped the conversations and values he carried into rugby league. He shares a funny story about being selected for Queensland before his coach even knew what he looked like, and offers plenty of insight into life after sport.

We dive into his transition from elite athlete to media personality and leader, and the habits that helped him succeed — particularly his daily writing routine during his 10-year run on NRL 360. One key takeaway: “I haven’t so much fallen in love with what I do, but I’ve fallen in love with doin ...