KIERSTEN DUKE: NRL star reveals the toll of having dressing room cameras on all the time

Cameras in dressing rooms make us feel like we are part of the team, but what do the players think?

Is it great transparency into what goes on behind the scenes, or is it a breach of privacy for teams?

One high-profile player told me he understood the commercial reality of why the cameras were there watching their every moment, but after suffering an injury, sometimes season-ending, having the whole world see you at your lowest ebb was far from pleasant.

Titans coach Des Hasler was recently seen giving his players an almighty spray in the Leichhardt Oval sheds following the team’s shattering loss to the Tigers.

WATCH THE HASLER SPRAY BELOW

Cameras captured Hasler bellowing at several Titans players, appearing to direct them to come out of the showers to receive a dressing down. Pardon the pun.

Clearly filthy, what Hasler had to say left other players behind him looking at their coach like stunned mullets.

Like all good blow-ups, this clip captured plenty of attention on social media, receiving varied responses from the public.

The contrasting responses seemed to be mostly from different generations.

Old-school fans generally felt that cameras in the changing rooms weren’t appropriate and that what happens in the sheds should stay there.

On the other hand, I noticed an appreciation for the authenticity witnessed by the younger generation, who have grown up in a world where everyone is on camera and voyeurism is an everyday part of life — from your friends online to influencers on TikTok.

I also think that it’s important to note that those in the dressing rooms are very aware of where the cameras are located.

We’ve seen coaches play up to them previously, leaving notes on whiteboards in deliberate view of the cameras to have a joke at the expense of opposing teams.

Some have even been witnessed blocking cameras by putting towels over them or moving a whiteboard to hinder the view.

Coaches have even moved their team to another room during half-time to avoid prying eyes.

From a broadcast perspective, cameras in the sheds are a necessity. During every game, there’s time to kill during live broadcast in between interviews and pre-match analysis.

The footage of the players warming up helps grow the anticipation before kick-off.

It’s vital for the viewer to have something on their screens rather than a few people on a panel, no matter how knowledgeable those highly respected people are.

But what about the players themselves? How do they feel about having cameras on them in a high-pressure environment?

A good friend of mine chuckled at my naivety when I said I enjoyed the authenticity of the cameras behind the scenes.

He was quick to point out that about one per cent of the behaviour in front of those cameras is genuine.

He even went as far as saying that if I really wanted to see how players behaved behind the scenes, then I should have a look in their group chat. I politely declined. There’s not a chance I’d survive witnessing any of that.

While the NRL has rules and regulations around the cameras to keep players safe — for example, they’re only placed in certain rooms and the teams are made aware of which rooms — there have been times where they’ve still been slightly caught out.

After a tough couple of months, Manly managed to pull off what is commonly seen as the impossible last weekend and beat the Storm in Melbourne.

The relief and pure elation of the win led to Jake Trbojevic booting over a dozen plastic bottles as he walked into the dressing room, rejoicing at the success of his team. Rightly so, if you ask me.

But not everyone saw his excited outburst through the same lens. Some fans were quick to label him as disrespectful. Codswallop.

The bloke showed a level of passion that any fan would wish to witness in their team. And true to form, as one of the nicest fellas in league, Jurbo stayed behind to help clean up the sheds afterwards. You’re the role model every young kid should look up to, Jake. Don’t ever change.

Sadly, not all moments captured are joyful. The high-profile player I spoke to was candid on what having everyone’s eyes on you during the harder times was like.

He was kind enough to be open about struggling with the emotions that come alongside being injured on the pitch and just wishing for privacy.

“While we understand the benefits of having the media around us to grow our brand, it can be tough when you’ve come off the field injured and just wish everyone would go away,” he admitted.

A valid point. Imagine shaking in pain and fearing for your career while knowing cameras are right there looking at you.

In situations like this, I truly feel for the players. But there have been times where we’ve all shared a laugh from what the cameras in the sheds have captured.

A personal favourite of mine would be when Queensland’s Lauren Brown accidentally booted a footy into the sprinkler system, flooding the sheds before a Women’s State of Origin.

Like many things in life, there are pros and cons. For me, I don’t think the shed cameras should be going anywhere.