dexter spoke with a foreign outlet ahead of the Asian RMR.
Q: We’re currently in Shanghai, your first LAN with Grayhound. You have a 23-game online winning streak, are you looking to showcase that form offline?
A: Yeah, I’m always excited for LANs, they’re usually more fun. It’s great to be here.
Q: Let’s talk about your European journey. Why did your stints with MOUZ and fnatic end in failure?
A: There were too many reasons. With MOUZ, it was natural for them to want to go in a different direction after two and a half years with ups and downs. With fnatic, I felt like they didn’t really believe in me. I didn’t get a chance to prove myself, and that’s how it ended up. That’s also why I wanted to join Grayhound.
Q: You spent almost three years with MOUZ and fnatic. What’s the most important thing you learned while in Europe?
A: I learned a lot, but maybe how to communicate with people, how to deal with people, how to become a better leader, and so on, depending on the team. I just want to be a better person and serve the younger players as much as possible.
Q: Do you think coming back to Australia was the right choice? How is it different from being fully committed to an Australian project compared to Europe?
A: I think it’s great. Towards the end of my time at fnatic, I really wanted to join an Australian team. We haven’t had any bootcamps in Europe, so we’re waiting for our chance. But it’s much more comfortable playing here because people don’t argue over every little thing you say, which makes it easier and faster for us to improve.
Q: Justin Savage | jks was benched by G2. Would you like to play alongside him in an Australian lineup one day?
A: Yeah, I hope to have the opportunity to play with jks, but I’m happy with everything now and with the progress we’ve made as a team.
Q: What’s your take on jks’ current situation in G2?
A: I’m not too sure. I know G2 said they needed someone who talks more, but there are always two sides to these things. If they need a more proactive player, then that takes up more space and potentially pushes others out. I don’t know how the dynamics work internally, so we’ll just have to wait and see how they perform in future matches.
Q: How do you view the current state of Oceanic CS? Are there new talents emerging or is it in a slump?
A: There are definitely a lot of talented young players in Australia, but I think they lack experience in how to play and conduct themselves. When other Australian teams compete overseas, you can see that they sometimes struggle.
Q: Does your return bring a positive leadership effect to Australian CS?
A: I want to bring that to Grayhound, whether it translates to other teams or not, I don’t know. Maybe they can learn something, I know some people love to learn, which is good. But I know some teams aren’t as keen on learning those things. But it’s definitely needed, and hopefully, by becoming a better Australian team, we can be a catalyst.
Q: Ahead of the Asian RMR, two teams had changes – one due to visa issues, another because of cheating suspicions. What’s your take on that?
A: I don’t have much of an opinion since I don’t know anything about them. I don’t know them, and I don’t care. I’m here just to win games.
Q: Before arriving in Shanghai, you had a 23-game online winning streak. How do you feel about your form?
A: I don’t think we’re at our best yet; there’s still a lot of work to do, like structuring the team more, having a bootcamp in Europe, and so on. Little details can cost us games, and that’s what we’re working on.
Q: For this event, are you more excited or pressured?
A: There’s definitely pressure fighting for Major qualifications, but we’ll try to stay calm regardless. That’s all you can do, but it’s still better than before.
Q: Aside from yourselves, which team do you see as a contender to qualify?
A: Maybe TheMongolz.
Q: Are you happy to be back in Australia?
A: Yes.
Grayhound’s first Asia RMR match will take place today at 11:00 against ATOX from Mongolia.
