How Conor McGregor became ‘cousins’ with Wests Tigers cult hero Pat Richards

Pat Richards will tell you how, no, he has never shown Conor McGregor the ’05 Flick.

Which is a shame, right?

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Understanding that when Benji Marshall went and tossed that Steeden his way, and from behind his back, some 21 years ago … well, it may just be the greatest NRL pass of all time.

Of course, Patty still had some work to do, too.

Which is why the pair’s entire sequence also sits among the most memorable Grand Final moments ever.

And worthy, as they say, of being hung in the Louvre.

Especially for Wests Tigers fans.

But as for Richards ever, say, calling up even a brief Youtube clip while downing whiskeys with Mystic Mac?

“Nah,” the retired Tiger grins, “definitely not”.

Yet please know Richards has introduced McGregor to rugby league. And even better, boomerangs.

But more on all that soon enough.

First, an explainer.

With many of you likely wondering how the bloody hell an ageing pick ‘n swinger from western Sydney, and a fella now working as Wests Tigers football manager, knows McGregor well enough to have attended his Italian wedding last December.

That, and spent Christmases with him.

Same as sometime before Sunday, when McGregor makes his hyped UFC return against Max Holloway, this man whose spiraling kicks once caused Leichhardt Oval havoc will quietly shoot the Irishman a message of good luck.

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So as for how Richards got here?

Put simply, this fella considered Wests Tigers royalty is also first cousins with McGregor’s longtime partner and wife, Dee Devlin.

Although so tight is Richards with the entire family that in an interview this week with Main Event Australia, McGregor referenced the flanker as his own cousin.

Himself the son of Irish parents, Richards is still extremely close with that side of his family, and spent years visiting the Emerald Isle during what would be eight English Super League seasons with Wigan Warriors.

In fact, it was late in his tenure with the Warriors, around 2012 he thinks, when the footballer first crossed paths with an anonymous fighter still plying his trade with popular UK promotion Cage Warriors, and while both were attending the funeral for Richards’ grandfather.

“It was back when I was still playing for Wigan,” recalls the Sydneysider whose himself boasts almost 400 first class matches, three premierships, a Super League Man of Steel award, and seven Tests for Ireland.

“When my grandfather passed, I flew across for the funeral and met Conor who was there with Dee. At one point, I actually remember asking ‘so what do you do?’.

“And that’s when he starts telling me about being an MMA fighter.

“Even now, I just remember him being so locked in. He was telling me all about his training, his diet, telling me about everything … and it was soon after that he blew up.”

Didn’t he what?

Within years of their first meeting, McGregor would have exploded into the fightin’ Irish megastar whose life now boasts Lamborghinis, luxury yachts and a 2025 wedding at no less than Rome’s Vatican City.

Following the couple’s extravagant wedding reception, which Richards attended with his wife, the party then moved on to a Roman castle in the countryside, with reception pictures showing the retired Tiger stood smiling, cigar in hand, and with an arm slung around the former UFC ‘Champ Champ’.

And wonderfully, while McGregor is wearing a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses.

“So don’t think I’ll ever be at a wedding like it again,” Richards recounted this week. “But really, it was just so great to be around family. The entire wedding wasn’t much more than 100 of their family and close friends.”

Two years ago, Richards and his family also spent Christmas Day with the McGregor clan.

“We were at my aunty’s place in Ireland,” he explains. “Which all sounds a bit crazy at first.

“But really, after a while Conor is just another dad at Christmas lunch with his kids running around.

“And having played rugby league in the UK for eight years, I’ve been able to pop across often to catch up with family. And even now, I do like to get back as much as possible.

“Christmas there is great, too. Last time there were about 40 of us with plenty of good food and everyone having a great time.”

So as for what Christmas gift you buy the man who has everything?

“Yeah, we did think about that,” Richards grins. “Eventually my wife decided to get them all some really nice Australian presents. For the kids it was stuffed koalas, some boomerangs, things like that.

“[Laughs] I actually remember Christmas Day, Conor standing in the kitchen and holding up a boomerang going ‘what is this … what the hell is this?’.

“Apparently, he’d never seen one before.”

Initially, it was the same deal with rugby league too.

However, during what have now been countless conversations between the pair, Richards has shown McGregor several clips involving the Greatest Game of All, although not his own try which – running off that Benji flick – earned Wests Tigers the 2005 NRL premiership.

“Conor has asked about the game, yeah,” he says. “We’ve spent a fair bit of time together now and so I’ve showed him some clips around the game and obviously he loves it.

“When you look at the UFC, it’s such a violent sport, too.

“So he knows all about the NRL. We also spoke about how the game takes its season opener to Las Vegas and I know how much Conor would also like to fight inside Allegiant Stadium.”

Given Wests Tigers play the Warriors at Campbelltown Stadium this Friday night, it means Richards will have Sunday clear to kick back and watch McGregor throw down in his headliner against Holloway.

“And I’ve always loved watching his fights,” the retired winger says. “Because whenever they’re on, you know it’s going to be something different.

“Something special.

“I remember clearly his fights against guys like Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo, Nate Diaz … it’s incredible the way he’s able to capture so many people.

“During the week of his wedding late last year, we were talking about him coming back.

“At the time, the White House card had been mentioned. But when it came to an opponent, he didn’t care.

“He just can’t wait to fight.”

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