Justin Loomans Reflects on Brotherhood, Community and the Power of the Future Immortals Tour
In Rockhampton, the conversations started with fishing.
Barramundi.
Cold water.
Missed catches.
And the ongoing debate around whether the “beef and barra capital” had truly delivered for the Arthur Beetson Foundation crew visiting town.
But underneath the laughs between Tyrone Roberts and Justin Loomans during the latest ABF Future Immortals Tour Podcast episode, there was something much deeper unfolding.
A conversation about rugby league.
About identity.
About the responsibility that comes with experience.
And about why the Arthur Beetson Foundation’s work continues to matter so deeply in communities across Australia.
For Loomans, who grew up in Rockhampton before progressing into professional rugby league, returning home through the Future Immortals Tour carries a significance that extends far beyond football.
“People get excited from seeing past players and it does a lot for community,” Loomans explained during the episode.
“But sometimes I don’t think community understands how much it means to the players too.”
That sentiment sits at the heart of what the Arthur Beetson Foundation has built through the Future Immortals Tour — reconnecting generations through storytelling, mentorship and shared experience.
Across every tour stop, former players step back into community spaces not as untouchable sporting figures, but as people willing to yarn openly about life, struggle, growth and opportunity.
And according to Loomans, that honesty matters.
“One of the true signs of greatness is humility,” he said.
“The public watch you on TV and think you’re angry, competitive and rough, but off the field, everyone’s human.”
Throughout the conversation, Roberts and Loomans reflected on how rugby league became what Loomans described as “the great leveller.”
A place where background, money and status mattered less than effort, discipline and commitment.
“Mightn’t have been the smartest kids at school,” Loomans admitted.
“But on the footy field, if you could play, you belonged.”
That sense of belonging continues to shape the Foundation’s approach, particularly when supporting young Indigenous athletes leaving regional communities to chase professional opportunities.
The transition away from home, culture and family remains one of the biggest challenges facing many young players entering elite systems.
Loomans knows that firsthand.
He spoke candidly about leaving Rockhampton, first for Townsville and later Sydney, and the overwhelming reality of isolation that can come with chasing rugby league dreams.
“You think you know everything at 19 or 20, but you’re still a kid,” he said.
“Sometimes you’ve just got to put your hand up and ask for help.”
That support network is something the Arthur Beetson Foundation continues to prioritise through the Future Immortals Tour — using former players, mentors and community leaders to maintain connection long after clinics and games finish.
For Roberts, the message was equally important.
“Home is always going to be home,” he reflected.
“No matter how far you travel, knowing who you are and where you come from is important.”
It became one of the defining themes of the conversation.
Because while rugby league may bring players together, the real impact often happens away from the scoreboard.
In conversations.
In mentorship.
In community halls.
On fishing boats.
And in moments where lived experience becomes guidance for the next generation.
The episode closed with one of the tour’s most personal moments, as Loomans reflected on Roberts travelling on tour alongside his father — a reminder of how rugby league often comes full circle.
“You left home young chasing opportunity,” Loomans said.
“And now you’re on tour with your old man. How good is that?”
It was a fitting end to a conversation that reinforced exactly what the Future Immortals Tour continues to stand for.
Not just rugby league.
But connection.
Healing.
Legacy.
And community.
Watch the full episode now on the IN SPORT app.
