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Sam Walker's four weeks in reserve grade with North Sydney Bears helped shape the instinctive playmaker now guiding the Roosters to a grand final, with a huge payday and Kangaroos hopes ahead.
Sam Walker's four weeks in reserve grade with the North Sydney Bears may prove the making of a playmaker now guiding the Roosters into Sunday's grand final.
The dumped half used his time in the NSW Cup to work on his deficiencies and become the player he is today. Walker's riding instructions were clear during an opposed session in 2023. As a member of the Bears squad, the feeder team to the Roosters, his duty was to help the first-graders prepare for games by mimicking the movements of the opposition halfback. With the Roosters practising defending their tryline, the ball was flung to Walker.
Walker's Unexpected NSW Cup Breakthrough
The brief from coach Trent Robinson was for Walker to call for the ball and run a regulation play, the kind the Tricolours defence would likely encounter that weekend. Given Walker was axed to reserve grade and had no intention of staying there, it would have been prudent to stick to the script. Instead, he tore it up. When the ball came his way, instead of shovelling it out the back as instructed, the maverick ran to the line.
He spotted the opposition fullback out of position, grubbered ahead for himself, regathered and scored under the posts. Did we mention it was the second tackle? Robinson was beside himself. Equal parts furious and fascinated, the only words he could muster were to the effect of: What the f--- was that?!
Walker responded with one of those impish grins. I thought it was on, Walker shrugged before walking away. Jason Taylor, who witnessed the session as North Sydney Bears coach, said Walker has always been different and able to do stuff other guys just could not do. From that moment, I believe that he does not know when he is going to kick the ball, Taylor said.
He just saw an opportunity to kick the ball and score a try. It did not matter that it was tackle two. It was not deliberate. It is not like he said to himself, there is a grubber on, I am going to kick the ball.
He just got the ball and in the moment, he sees it and does it. That is why he is different. How many times have we seen that? I have watched him in NRL games over time.
He does not know when he is going to do it, so how are you going to know when he is going to do it? That is his game. It is total instinct. Good luck knowing what he is doing next.
From Reserve Grade to Grand Final
Walker's journey has taken him from dumped playmaker to the State of Origin arena, to Sunday's grand final, an upcoming payday that will rank him among the highest-paid players in the game's history and perhaps even a Kangaroos jersey for the upcoming World Cup. Despite the demotion and a succession of injuries, Walker did not kick stones. Experiencing adversity and knowing how to deal with it is always important, Walker said of his stint in the NSW Cup.
I learned a lot and how to deal with it, and it set me up in a really good stead for now. I think Norths did a really good job. They were pretty professional as well, and it felt like you were stepping into an NRL team, almost. They made it a really good experience.
I knew that off the back of that, I would be a much better footballer, and it has all panned out well so far. The big stage has never scared Walker. In the traditional Anzac Day clash with the Dragons, the biggest NRL match of the regular season, he has been awarded the Ashton-Collier Spirit of Anzac Medal as best on ground on three occasions.
Had it not been for a couple of Nathan Cleary masterclasses, he would have picked up the Wally Lewis medal as the best player in his first State of Origin series. When betting markets were released this week for the Clive Churchill medallist, Walker was installed as a short-priced favourite. Not that his career has been all cut-out passes and chip kicks. Even the game's greatest non-conformist has had to take stock.
Leadership After Adversity
Roosters captain James Tedesco said Walker has gone through a lot of adversity in his young career after starting in first grade early. He has been through a lot, an ACL and then being in and out of form and in and out of the team, Tedesco said. You knew Sam was going to be a superstar.
We knew if he just screwed his head on and took it very seriously that he would be a superstar of the game, and he has done that. Even the way he has come through this latest ankle injury, the way he has got back quick, and the way he is able to play was pretty unbelievable. As a halfback, you have to be a leader and a role model, and you have to lead the team.
I think he is learning that and turning into a great leader. One area Walker has had to address is his work without the football. Given he weighs 78kg, the second-lightest in the competition behind only Souths half Ashton Ward, the Maroons star is a target for opposition ball-runners. He is someone who never shies away from his defence, said Roosters teammate Nat Butcher.
Finding Freedom in the Roosters' System
He knows how important that is to the game and important for our team and our system. I know he loves to get into it. But what sets Walker apart is what he does with Steeden in hand. It has taken time to work out how best to integrate himself into the Roosters style of play, and vice versa.
However, it appears to have all come together alongside veteran halves partner Daly Cherry-Evans. Sam has got his own path and he sees the game differently, Robinson said. As Chez said, it is a beautiful way to see the game. It was not just about him adapting slightly; it was about us adapting our eyes to the way that he saw it as well.
Obviously, we missed him in 2024 there when he got the injury just before we finished third. Now it is time. It is time for Sammy, and we have seen that. It is such an important way to play in our game.
How do you execute the role of the team and run the system of the Roosters, and then how do you have the freedom to play your own game and act on what you see on the edge? Sammy is at that age now where he is mixing the two, and it is beautiful to watch.
brisbanetimes
smh:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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