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His parents made him wear a Rabbitohs jersey – and he hated it. Now he’s a Roosters star
ByChristian Nicolussi
March 19, 2024 — 3.46pm
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The pain on the face of a three-year-old Sam Walker being forced to wear a South Sydney jersey is real.
Only diehard Souths fans would have noticed this team photo of a young, blond Walker standing in front of his dad Ben, and next to his younger brother, Jackson, after the 2006 Charity Shield.
But Sam hated Souths from a young age, and even made a point of supporting their bitter rivals the Roosters just to upset the family.
On Friday night, Sam will shoulder playmaking duties for the Roosters against the Rabbitohs, with regular halves partner Luke Keary missing due to concussion protocols.
Sam’s father Ben spent two seasons at Souths, along with his uncle, Shane Walker, who appears in the same photo.
Shane told this masthead there were two reasons Sam switched his football allegiances: to “buck the family trend”, and because he couldn’t bear to watch films starring Souths owner Russell Crowe.
Sam Walker (circled) next to dad Ben and brother Jackson at the 2006 Charity Shield match.
“Sam hated the Rabbits, only because he was such an oppositional child – everything his dad wanted, he wanted the opposite,” Shane said. “He was so defiant. Nothing has changed. He’s still an awful animal.
“Katie, my wife, bought him and Jackson those jerseys in the photo. It had ‘Walker’ on the back and No.7. It was always hard to get him into that Souths jersey.
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“We made him watch Russell Crowe in Master And Commander one night, and that was the real breaking point. He never wanted to wear a Souths jersey again. That movie was just too much for him.”
When Sam was presented with his jersey before making his NRL debut for the Roosters, Ben told those in the room about the night Sam burst into tears watching a tight derby loss. He rarely showed emotion, but seeing Souths score two tries in the final two minutes to snatch victory in 2012 was too much.
“Adam Reynolds scored the winner,” said Shane, who was at the family home in Ipswich that night. “The whole family turned on Sam. He stormed upstairs, slammed his door, and went to bed in tears. It’s one of the few times we’ve seen him cry.
“When he went to bed, he made a point of turning the Roosters’ team poster back to front so the players faced the wall.”
The Walkers loved the heated battles against the Roosters, including a vicious 17-16 win in round 24, 2005 which featured Ben kicking the winning field goal.
“Ben took it upon himself that night to rip into the Roosters – his first tackle of the game was somewhere between Joel Monaghan’s chin and eyeballs, and it set the tone for the night,” Shane said.
The Walkers will be at Allianz Stadium for the round-three derby, and will be there to support Sam. The 21-year-old has had several running battles with his Souths namesake, Cody Walker, in recent matches.
“We love rugby league, and what jersey he wears is irrelevant – I’m rooting for Sam as a nephew and bloke and a player more than any jersey,” Shane said.
ByChristian Nicolussi
March 19, 2024 — 3.46pm
Save
The pain on the face of a three-year-old Sam Walker being forced to wear a South Sydney jersey is real.
Only diehard Souths fans would have noticed this team photo of a young, blond Walker standing in front of his dad Ben, and next to his younger brother, Jackson, after the 2006 Charity Shield.
But Sam hated Souths from a young age, and even made a point of supporting their bitter rivals the Roosters just to upset the family.
On Friday night, Sam will shoulder playmaking duties for the Roosters against the Rabbitohs, with regular halves partner Luke Keary missing due to concussion protocols.
Sam’s father Ben spent two seasons at Souths, along with his uncle, Shane Walker, who appears in the same photo.
Shane told this masthead there were two reasons Sam switched his football allegiances: to “buck the family trend”, and because he couldn’t bear to watch films starring Souths owner Russell Crowe.
Sam Walker (circled) next to dad Ben and brother Jackson at the 2006 Charity Shield match.“Sam hated the Rabbits, only because he was such an oppositional child – everything his dad wanted, he wanted the opposite,” Shane said. “He was so defiant. Nothing has changed. He’s still an awful animal.
“Katie, my wife, bought him and Jackson those jerseys in the photo. It had ‘Walker’ on the back and No.7. It was always hard to get him into that Souths jersey.
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“We made him watch Russell Crowe in Master And Commander one night, and that was the real breaking point. He never wanted to wear a Souths jersey again. That movie was just too much for him.”
When Sam was presented with his jersey before making his NRL debut for the Roosters, Ben told those in the room about the night Sam burst into tears watching a tight derby loss. He rarely showed emotion, but seeing Souths score two tries in the final two minutes to snatch victory in 2012 was too much.
“Adam Reynolds scored the winner,” said Shane, who was at the family home in Ipswich that night. “The whole family turned on Sam. He stormed upstairs, slammed his door, and went to bed in tears. It’s one of the few times we’ve seen him cry.
“When he went to bed, he made a point of turning the Roosters’ team poster back to front so the players faced the wall.”
The Walkers loved the heated battles against the Roosters, including a vicious 17-16 win in round 24, 2005 which featured Ben kicking the winning field goal.
“Ben took it upon himself that night to rip into the Roosters – his first tackle of the game was somewhere between Joel Monaghan’s chin and eyeballs, and it set the tone for the night,” Shane said.
The Walkers will be at Allianz Stadium for the round-three derby, and will be there to support Sam. The 21-year-old has had several running battles with his Souths namesake, Cody Walker, in recent matches.
“We love rugby league, and what jersey he wears is irrelevant – I’m rooting for Sam as a nephew and bloke and a player more than any jersey,” Shane said.
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