In a league of his own

No one knows the importance of State of Origin better than Shane Webcke. The Queensland rugby league legend was an integral part of the "state-against-state, mate-against-mate'' series and has a growing media profile as a sports newsreader in the north. Webcke is a former Australian player who made his name in the front row with the Brisbane Broncos and has been driving cars on his family's property since he was eight.

It is no surprise the 33-year-old, a proud Queenslander, drives a Toyota LandCruiser in the state's maroon competition colours. Or that he is the subject of the latest book in the Icons of Australian Sports series by Hyperactive. Webcke, who will take up an assistant coaching position at the Broncos next year alongside former players Alan Langer, Peter Ryan and Paul Green, says he loves to drive, especially on Victoria's Great Ocean Rd.

What was your first car?
I grew up on a rural property so I was driving from the age of eight. My first car was a 1968 VE Valiant Sedan, white with a blue bonnet. We used to call her Valva. She let me down that often. I would top her up with petrol and oil -- she was disgraceful. I had her for exactly 12 months. The night the registration was running out I was driving back to our family property and halfway, in the middle of a freezing cold Darling Downs winter's night, she seized up. I had to walk for three miles to the nearest farm house to ring my mum so she could come and get me.

What do you drive now?
I drive a current-model Toyota LandCruiser. It's maroon.

Do you have a favourite drive and who would you take?
The Great Ocean Rd in Victoria is spectacular and I'd take my wife.

How far would you drive in an average year?
I would drive roughly 40,000km a year.

Do you have a favourite motoring memory?
I've done a few road trips. I once drove from Mt Isa, in central north Queensland, to Brisbane in a day. It's a long way but I was with a couple of mates and it was a great trip. I love driving.

What would you buy if money were no object?
Another Toyota. I love Toyotas. It's the best car ever made.

What music is playing in your car?
It would be a mixture of things. Slim Dusty gets a fair run, so does Johnny Cash. There's also Jimmy Barnes and Cold Chisel. It depends on my mood. If I'm going bush I like to put Slim on, but if I'm driving around town and I need to be a bit aggressive, I'll put some Barnsey on.

How much is too much for a new car?
Anything over $30,000. Most cars these days cost what a house used to!

What should be done to make driving safer?
We need better roads. I think roads are as much the problem as the people behind the wheel. One of the solutions to all the problems in life is that we all live too fast. And it manifests itself in our driving sometimes -- the aggression and speed. People are always in a hurry to get where they are going. It's a part of life today as we know it and I don't know how you fix that.

Are you sponsored by a car company?
Yes I am, Toyota.