The genuine discomfort evident on the countenance of three-year-old Sam Walker as he is made to wear a South Sydney jersey is unmistakable.
Only devoted supporters of Souths would have taken note of this photograph featuring a youthful, fair-haired Walker positioned in front of his father Ben and alongside his younger brother, Jackson, following the 2006 Charity Shield.
From a young age, Sam harbored a strong aversion towards Souths, even going as far as deliberately supporting their arch-rivals, the Roosters, just to provoke his family.
This Friday night, Sam will take on the playmaking responsibilities for the Roosters against the Rabbitohs, as his usual halves partner Luke Keary is sidelined due to concussion protocols.
Sam’s father Ben, along with his uncle Shane Walker, both spent two seasons at Souths, as depicted in the same photo.
Shane revealed to this publication that there were two primary reasons for Sam’s switch in football loyalties: firstly, to go against the family tradition, and secondly, because he couldn’t stand watching films featuring Souths owner Russell Crowe.
“Sam’s animosity towards the Rabbitohs stemmed primarily from his rebellious nature as a child – he seemed to oppose everything his father endorsed,” Shane remarked. “He was incredibly defiant. And that trait hasn’t waned; he’s still quite headstrong.”
“Katie, my wife, purchased those jerseys seen in the photo for him and Jackson. They were customized with ‘Walker’ and No.7 on the back. Convincing him to wear that Souths jersey was always a challenge.”
“One evening, we insisted on him watching Russell Crowe in Master And Commander, and that marked the turning point. After that, he refused to put on a Souths jersey ever again. That movie was the tipping point for him.”
When Sam received his jersey before his NRL debut for the Roosters, Ben recounted to those present in the room about the night Sam was moved to tears witnessing a closely contested derby loss. It was a rare display of emotion from him, but witnessing Souths score two tries in the final two minutes to secure victory in 2012 proved to be too overwhelming for him.
“Adam Reynolds scored the decisive goal,” Shane recalled from that evening at the family residence in Ipswich. “The entire family turned against Sam. Frustrated, he stormed upstairs, slammed his door shut, and retired to bed in tears. It’s one of the rare occasions we’ve witnessed him cry.”
“After retiring to bed, he deliberately turned the Roosters’ team poster around so that the players faced the wall.”
The Walkers relished the intense contests against the Roosters, including a fierce 17-16 victory in round 24, 2005, where Ben’s winning field goal sealed the deal.
“On that night, Ben took it upon himself to go hard against the Roosters – his first tackle of the game landed somewhere between Joel Monaghan’s chin and eyeballs, setting the tone for the rest of the match,” Shane recounted.
The Walkers plan to attend Allianz Stadium for the round-three derby to show their support for Sam. The 21-year-old has engaged in numerous heated encounters with his Souths counterpart, Cody Walker, in recent games.
“We’re passionate about rugby league, and regardless of the jersey he’s wearing, my support for Sam as a nephew, individual, and player outweighs any allegiance to a particular team,” Shane expressed.
