From man of the match to NSW outcast – but Origin is last thing on Cody Walker’s mind

When was the past clip a reigning State of Origin antheral of the lucifer was hardly discussed for enactment earlier the adjacent game?

Granted, it’s been a agelong clip since NSW’s face-saving triumph successful crippled 3 past year, but Cody Walker is connected the brink of a uncommon portion of Origin history.

The Rabbitohs prima chopped the Queensland defence to shreds successful Sydney past July, striking an improbable operation with Origin debutant Bradman Best, an unusual mates the authorities didn’t cognize it needed.

But if a week is simply a agelong clip successful rugby league, 10 months is an eternity.

Walker’s club, South Sydney, spectacularly collapsed to miss the finals past year. They sacked their manager Jason Demetriou aft 8 rounds this year. They are bottommost of the NRL ladder with conscionable 1 win. Their champion anticipation of salvation lies with supercoach Wayne Bennett, who has been determination and done that with Walker and co.

All of which means the hopes of immoderate Rabbitohs player, present that skipper Cameron Murray is injured, being successful Michael Maguire’s archetypal NSW broadside are forlorn. There is immoderate enactment for Jack Wighton, however, if helium makes himself available.

South Sydney Rabbitohs five-eighth Cody Walker.Credit: Getty

“I wasn’t playing footy similar I americium now,” Walker says erstwhile reminded of his man-of-the-match show successful Origin III past year.

“My absorption and each my vigor is connected what I tin bash for Souths and I request to get my ain signifier backmost earlier that adjacent comes into mind. We recognize wherever we sit, we recognize we’re not wherever we privation to beryllium and we recognize we’re not playing the footy we want. That worldly [Origin] is not connected my caput astatine the moment.

“If you inquire anyone, they each privation to beryllium successful that position, but you person to beryllium realistic wherever you basal and wherever you are, and I don’t judge I’m playing the benignant of footy that’s required [for Origin].”

If Nathan Cleary’s hamstrings are intact, helium volition beryllium NSW’s No.7. Walker appears to beryllium stuck down a queue featuring Mitchell Moses, Jarome Luai and Matt Burton for the five-eighth relation successful the bid opener astatine Accor Stadium adjacent month.

Walker volition person chances to property his cause. He volition enactment up against the Dragons successful his 200th NRL lucifer connected Saturday, past South Sydney instrumentality connected the Cowboys and Eels earlier the archetypal NSW squad is chosen.

Asked astir his form, Walker said: “There’s been moments wherever I’ve been [good], but I consciousness similar I’m getting backmost to my best, past I bash thing wrong, I marque an error. I’m conscionable not accordant enough. I’m not going to get into wherefore oregon how. It conscionable creates excuses.

“I’ve conscionable got to support moving highly hard connected my game.”

Walker has kept his counsel since Demetriou’s axing, and would not beryllium drawn connected a imaginable Bennett reunion, different than to accidental “we each cognize however a batch of america consciousness astir Wayne and the club”.

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“I deliberation everyone successful the squad felt immoderate benignant of work for JD losing his job,” Walker said. “At the extremity of the day, we weren’t getting results and we weren’t winning games of shot and performing connected the field.

“I consciousness for JD and his household going done what went connected past week.”

Since Demetriou’s exit, the Rabbitohs person confirmed the signing of English halfback Lewis Dodd. Walker admitted helium was not asked by the club’s hierarchy astir the imaginable of playing alongside the 22-year-old St Helens prima earlier it was made official.

On his milestone match, which volition diagnostic the instrumentality from suspension of Latrell Mitchell, Walker said: “I deliberation the happening that is large astir milestones and achievements is really maine giving an accidental to accidental convey you to each of my contiguous household that’s been there.”

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