South Sydney’s Cody Walker ensures young son is NSW-born
As he closes in on NSW State of Origin honours, South Sydney star Cody Walker has revealed the cheeky decision he made to ensure his eldest son was born in NSW — not Queensland.
This is the irrefutable proof Cody Walker is a True Blue.
The South Sydney star, closing in on NSW State of Origin honours, has revealed the cheeky decision he made to ensure his eldest son was born in NSW — not Queensland.
Walker was playing for Easts Brisbane in 2012 when partner, Nellie, fell pregnant. Yet rather than have Kian born in Queensland, proud Blue Walker arranged for Nellie to give birth over the border at Lismore Hospital.
Has there been a more passionate New South Welshmen?
Kian, now 7, is now a staunch Blue. Walker’s other son, Kade, now 4, was also born in NSW — at Camperdown Hospital — when dad was playing with Melbourne Storm.
Walker, 29, grew up watching State of Origin and cheering for NSW and is now pushing hard for his own Blues jumper.
“I probably couldn’t live with myself if I had a baby born in Queensland,” said a lighthearted Walker, the NRL’s leading tryscorer with nine.
“Nellie is a pretty staunch Queenslander supporter. A big Greg Inglis fan, she loved Greggy growing up. She followed him in State of Origin.
“She said I didn’t want her to have the baby in Brisbane because he would have been a Queenslander. So roughly two weeks before the due date I had her stay with my parents in Casino.
“I couldn’t take the risk of having a baby in Queensland. My missus would have rammed home that the baby was a Queenslander.
“I also made a deal with her. I said you pick what sex you think the baby will be and that will save any confusion or fighting. If it’s that sex then you can have a Queensland supporter.
“But if it’s the opposite then the baby will be a NSW supporter. She picked the sex to be a girl.
“It came to the time when you find out what the baby was going to be and we were sitting in the ultrasound place and they said it was a boy. I was in the corner fist-pumping to myself and not trying to celebrate too much.
“Being parents for the first time, it didn’t matter what sex the baby would be but when I found out it was a boy and New South Welshmen, I was very, very happy. When she was pregnant with Kade, we were living in Melbourne but Nellie was homesick so she moved back to Sydney and had Kade.”
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Born in Nowra, Walker moved to Casino when young. During 2012, Walker played Queensland Cup but he was always a Blue.
“Growing up in Casino, I was a stanch New South Welshmen,” Walker said. “I still remember the times back in 1990s when NSW were in front when there’d be a Tonie Carroll or Darren Lockyer try which would spark a comeback.
“When Queensland would come back and win the game, me and my three older brothers would be in tears.”
Asked about his chance of representing NSW this season, Walker said: “It would be a dream come true. Everyone wants to be there in that arena. But you don’t get there on individual performance, you get there on team performance and doing your job for the team.
“I am just very grateful and honoured at being spoken about in those rep teams but I’ve just got to keep doing my job for South Sydney.”
Walker has enjoyed a stellar season in a Wayne Bennett side running equal first with the Sydney Roosters.
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