Rabbitohs’ Cody Walker keen to emulate hero Preston Campbell

DESPITE his incredible rise in the Rabbitohs No. 6 jersey, Cory Walker grew up convinced he was a halfback and idolised Preston Campbell.

NO PRIZES for guessing who Cody Walker idolised as a kid.

“Yeah, Preston Campbell,” the Souths No. 6 says, grinning.

“I remember watching him in 2001, the year he won the Dally M medal at Cronulla. I was thinking, wow, he’s the smallest bloke out there and he’s still doing things nobody else can.

“Had no fear, either. I really admired that. Preston was about 60 kilos wringing wet he’s making linebreaks left, right and centre.”

Sound familiar?

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Cody Walker has been in outstanding form for South Sydney. Photo: Gregg Porteous

Outstanding for Souths over the opening third of the season, Walker also now sits No. 1 for that same category he so admired in Campbell — linebreaks.

Not just in the halves category, either. But ahead of every other player in the NRL.

According to Fox Sports Statistics, Walker has broken opposition defences 11 times. It puts him one ahead of Canberra flyer Jordan Rapana and two in front of Parramatta powerhouse Semi Radradra, Manly young gun Tom Trbojevic and Melbourne winger Suliasi Vunivalu.

Elsewhere, Walker also sits second in the NRL for try assists, behind Gold Coast halfback Ash Taylor, and has more running metres than every half bar Brisbane’s Anthony Milford.

Yet despite his incredible rise in the Rabbitohs No. 6 jersey, Walker admits he grew up convinced he was an NRL halfback.

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“Loved wearing the seven,’’ he cackles. “Couldn’t tell you why. Having always been a runner, I was told my whole life I wasn’t a halfback. But I didn’t like it, either.

“My dad would say it all the time: ‘Mate, you’re not a halfback, you’re a five-eighth’. I used to get the shits with him.”

Switching to five-eighth in his 20s, Walker credits much of his current form to Souths coach Michael Maguire.

“I’ve got a role here where I play in structure but, if I see something, Madge has told me to back myself,’’ he says. “Taking opportunities if I see it. And I think a lot of teams are starting to play that way now.

“The structure is there to get you places. But then, if you see a short side where you have the overlap you take it.”

Preston Campbell in action for Cronulla back in 2003. Photo: Brett Costello.

Up against Manly at Allianz Stadium on Friday night, Walker says his Bunnies needed to better capitalise on the opportunities they were creating.

“Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve blown three or four scoring chances a game,’’ he said. “Key moments that you don’t get back.

“Against the Bulldogs, Cowboys, Roosters ... in all of those games there were situations where we dropped the last pass, didn’t execute properly on the last or just weren’t where we needed to be.

“That’s what we have to improve.”