Martin Gillingham
At least two of Australia’s top rugby league clubs are trying to tempt troubled Wallaby winger Andrew Walker into making a return to the 13-man game.
It’s barely five months since Walker was the toast of Canberra when he kicked 21 points for the Brumbies in their 36-6 triumph over the Sharks in the Super 12 final. But since then he has twice gone missing from Wallabies training camps and is not part of the Australian squad that arrived in London last week ahead of their seven-match tour of Europe.
Walker, who is believed to have a drinking problem, has undertaken to go through a counselling programme. Meanwhile, sensing that this might be a good time to get their man, the rugby league scouts have got to work. An official from the South Sydney club has claimed Walker’s future is most secure in the code where he first made his name.
“I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Andrew Walker yet,” says South Sydney’s manager Sean Garlick. “But I think we could get the best out of him. We’d love to talk to Andrew if things don’t work out in rugby union for him.”
Garlick claims Walker almost joined South Sydney three years ago during his first career in League. Instead, Walker switched to union and formed an impressive partnership with Joe Roff at the Brumbies. Garlick says: “Back then Andrew actually approached us and said he would love to play with Souths.”
Having turned his back on league, Walker soon went on to play for the Wallabies. His career appeared to be blossoming. But then the first hint of a problem surfaced when he failed to catch a connecting flight from Sydney to Perth in preparation for the Tri-Nations game against the Springboks. Coach Eddie Jones dropped Walker for one game. It later turned out that Walker had rerouted to his home in Canberra to see his pregnant wife and three children.
Now, following his latest walkabout, it has surfaced that Walker has an alcohol problem. Two weeks ago, he checked out of the team hotel at Coffs Harbour as the Wallabies prepared for their tour of Europe. Jones responded by dropping him from the tour party. But Jones, who was his coach in Canberra, claims he’s prepared to give Walker a final chance if he commits himself to a rehabilitation programme. Walker is understood to have already undergone his first counselling session.
Jones met Walker shortly before the Australian team’s departure for Europe. Jones says: “He’s got the chance to do the appropriate things to get himself right. Hopefully, he’ll play good footy with the Brumbies next season and we’ll take it from there.”
That’s if league doesn’t get there in the meantime. In addition to South Sydney, the Canberra Raiders have also expressed an interest in signing Walker.
Despite the growth of the union game in Australia, league enjoys far greater public support. The Super 12 has started to challenge its dominance and the trickle of big names to union may soon become a steady flow. Next year’s Super 12, for instance, will see the debut of Wendell Sailor. If you haven’t heard of him yet, believe me you will have done by the time the Queensland Reds get to South Africa on their touring leg of the Super 12.