In 10 years with South Sydney, David Boyle had an enviably clean playing record.
But in a pre-emptive strike, the ALP's Gilmore candidate has declared his record off the field is not so clean.
Mr Boyle said he has convictions for two serious drink-driving charges - the most recent 16 years ago.
"I would rather people hear it from my lips than from someone else," he said.
EDITORIAL: Boyle gets a lesson in mud-slingingIn 1988 Mr Boyle fell asleep at the wheel in King St, Warrawong.
"I was charged with high-range drink-driving," he said.
He says he recorded a reading of .17 and lost his licence for nine months.
Six years later, after sleeping off a big night in his car, Mr Boyle was pulled over in Market St, Wollongong.
Again he lost his licence after recording a mid-range reading.
He recalls it was .13, but he retained his licence on appeal.
Mr Boyle still lives with the embarrassment he caused his family and still hears the strong words from his father, Bernie, telling him to get his act together.
Of the 1988 incident he said he was "young and foolish", and it came at a tough time when injury had curtailed a promising representative career.
Today a high-range drink-driving charge for an NRL player will inevitably lead to headlines, plus fines and suspensions from a club. In 1988 there we no such punishments imposed by Souths.
"There was a strong culture of drinking, but that is no excuse," he said.
"I deeply regret it, it has happened and I have to deal with it."
In 170 games with the Rabbitohs, he was sent off just once.
The judiciary ruled his punch on Sharks veteran Gavin Miller didn't warrant suspension.
These past couple of weeks have been tumultuous for Mr Boyle.
He was flagged as a candidate by the ALP's state executive prior to becoming a party member.
The ALP's Gilmore federal electorate council, made up of delegates from the seat's branches, then unanimously passed a motion calling on Mr Boyle to withdraw his preselection nomination.
His subsequent imposition as candidate by the party's national executive split the party and prompted resignations from ALP members in Gilmore branches.
All this occurred as the Government handed down its pre-election budget in the face of plummeting approval ratings.
As a small business owner, Mr Boyle found some good news in the budget.
"We'll be back in black in three years ... the budget is a reflection the economy is strong ... and the renewable energy fund is very important for Gilmore and the Illawarra."
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