Ben Ikin

About this episode

At 18, Ben Ikin was the youngest player ever to debut in State of Origin. By 26 his playing career was over, and he had to work out who he was without rugby league.

In Episode 2 of Hosted by Wingman, Jonny sits down with Ben to unpack what came next — from professional sport and media into leadership roles at the Brisbane Broncos and Queensland Rugby League, and now a new chapter in property technology. It's a conversation about ambition, identity and what it takes to keep evolving when the scoreboard changes.

Ben shares:

• What elite sport taught him about success, pressure and perspective
• Why getting stuck in either failure or success holds you back
• How "shrinking your world" eliminates distraction and sharpens focus
• Why high-performing teams run on alignment, trust, culture and role clarity
• What 30 years around elite performance taught him about reinvention

A career built on knowing when to leave — and the harder work of deciding who you are next.