South Sydney champion Bob McCarthy defends Cody Walker after NRL Grand Final loss
South Sydney Grand Final intercept hero Bob McCarthy says “s*** happens” and has urged supporters not to blame Cody Walker for the club’s loss to Penrith.
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The South Sydney legend who scored the most famous grand final intercept try of all time has a stern message for Cody Walker’s detractors: “Get off his back - shit happens.”
Former Rabbitohs champion Bob McCarthy has spoken about the heartbreaking moment Walker threw an intercept pass which cruelled his side’s chance of victory in Sunday’s gripping grand final against Penrith.
With the scores locked 8-all in the 64th minute, Walker elected to pass long, the lofted ball seized upon by Crichton who ran 45 metres untouched to score and give his side a pivotal 12-8 lead.
McCarthy watched on, feeling gutted for Walker.
In the 1967 grand final at the SCG, with Canterbury ahead 8-5, McCarthy swooped on a looping pass from Berries hooker Col Brown – intended for fullback Les Johns - to run 72 metres and score a famous try. It ultimately gave Souths a 12-10 win.
The Daily Telegraph found Brown living on the NSW north coast but he did not want to discuss the pass. His family claimed the intercept was still a “touchy issue.”
Asked for his advice to Walker, McCarthy said: “Keep your chin up and don’t change. Get off his back - shit happens. He shouldn’t change his style – just keep doing what he’s been doing. That’s the way Cody plays.
“He’s instinctive, like Mark Ella. You couldn’t coach him. No-one knew what he was doing. No one should knock Cody because if we had won, he would have been man-of-the-match. It’s just unfortunate it happened in a grand final.
“He set up a lot of tries for us – these things happen. Had he put it through the hands, I’m pretty sure we were a chance of scoring. But look at the good things he did for us this year. He scored 15, 16 tries and set up about 400.”
McCarthy remembered his ’67 intercept try with clarity and joy and knows Brown was left shattered by that one moment.
“It just shows you how much it hurts,” McCarthy said. “I threw a couple of interceptions in my day and you do put your head down between your legs.
“I’ve never met him (Brown). I knew what he looked like back then but I wouldn’t know what he looks like now. I can’t remember whether we shook hands after the game. Every grand final it gets brought up so I feel sorry for him each time that happens.
“If I missed that intercept and Canterbury scored, I’m pretty sure (wife) Judy and I would be living somewhere on the river in a caravan out west of NSW, hiding from all the Souths supporters.
“I remember moving up in defence and saw them moving the ball back to my side. I feel sorry for Col because he was stuck in the backline and heard Les Johns, who was the Australian fullback at the time, and who was a brilliant attacking player, was calling for the ball.
“Col threw it to Les’ voice and didn’t check out where the defence was. He threw it willy-nilly. It was a long pass and I thought: ‘I might be able to get hold of this’. As it turned out, I was able to get to the tryline and the rest is history. That try sort of nailed it (the result).”
McCarthy remained upbeat despite Sunday’s loss, saying his Bunnies had enjoyed a wonderful season which exceeded expectations.
“I was downhearted but they exceeded my expectations. They ran second, I thought they’d finish third. I’m happy,” he said.
“We couldn’t get out of our half but I was happy at 8-6 at halftime. I thought Penrith might have died in the bum in that last ten minutes but their youth and adrenaline meant they hung on.
“If ‘Reyno’ (Adam Reynolds) nails that kick, who knows what would have happened in extra time, who would have wanted it more? They have their three (titles) – we still have our 21.”
Asked about Walker in his post-match media conference, Souths coach Wayne Bennett said: “He knows I won’t blame him. There’s no blame on him whatsoever.
“He’s a grown man and sometimes it’s a bitter pill to swallow but you’ve just got to handle it. There’s no soft landing with this stuff. If you try to make a soft landing, it just doesn’t work.
“He’s done so many wonderful things for us so for one moment in one game this year…I can live with that, he will live with it. He will still be a wonderful player next year.”
SOUTHS CEO’S MASSIVE WALKER CONTRACT CALL
Paul Crawley
South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly has revealed contract negotiations with heartbroken star Cody Walker will kick off this week and the club’s desire is to keep Walker “for as long as he wants to keep playing”.
A shattered Walker was on Monday left to deal with the raw emotions of not only losing a grand final but the added fallout associated with throwing the intercept pass that led to Stephen Crichton’s match clinching try.
But there was certainly no blame game going on within the club itself as Solly outlined why Walker remained key to life beyond Wayne Bennett and Adam Reynolds.
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The 31-year-old is currently contracted until the end of next season but is free to start negotiating with rivals come November 1.
Losing Walker on the back of Reynolds’ exit to the Broncos would be a disaster for the Bunnies.
But the delicate issue Souths will have to deal with is how many years they offer Walker given the situation that led to Reynolds’ departure.
Walker and Reynolds are the same age and because of that you can guarantee there will be some questions as to why the Rabbitohs are now planning to keep Walker long term when Reynolds was allowed to walk.
But Solly reiterated that the club never wanted to lose Reynolds either.
“We would have liked to have kept Adam forever as well but Adam craved that longer term security which was absolutely fair in terms of what he wanted,” Solly said.
“We will sat down with Cody and sort of map out what he wants.
“In some ways we will be guided by Cody, his expectations, and desire.”
Yet there is no ignoring that, despite his age, a player of Walker’s class and standing among his peers will make him a leading target for the new Brisbane franchise that is expected to get the green light for 2023.
The NRL has scheduled talks with existing NRL clubs this Thursday to give an update on those expansion plans.
And given Bennett is a near certainty to get that head coaching gig, what that does is up the immediacy to try and get a deal sorted with Walker sooner rather than later.
Walker is the raging hot favourite to take out the George Piggins Medal that is scheduled to take place on the Gold Coast on Thursday.
“As soon as that is over and done with we will start talking to Cody’s management,” Solly said.
“We will sit down and talk to Wok (agent Warwick Wright) and Cody and find out what they want.
“The short answer is we want Cody here for as long as he wants to keep playing.
“And beyond that we see him as not only a wonderful footballer on the field but a really smart football brain off it.
“There is no doubt there is a coach in the making in there as well when he decides to retire and we want him here for as long as we can keep him here.”
Meanwhile, Solly said young gun Blake Taaffe would also be looking at an extension next year.
“He has got such a big future,” Solly said.
NRL GRAND FINAL PLAYER RATINGS: PANTHERS V RABBITOHS
“We locked him away for two years at the start of this year so he is with us until the end of 2023.
“And at some stage during next year we will be talking to him about extending for longer as well.”
Taaffe is one of three contenders to join Walker in the halves next season with recruit Anthony Milford and fellow rookie Lachlan Ilias the other option.
“Adam is going to leave a huge hole on the field and off it,” Solly said.
“He is a wonderful character.
“But at least we have some really strong options there with guys that have shown that they are first graders this year.”
Ugly taunt that ignited grand final epic
- Dean Ritchie
They didn’t deserve that.
And they shouldn’t be remembered for it either. Geez, rugby league can be a cruel game.
South Sydney star halves Cody Walker and Adam Reynolds endured painful and gut wrenching moments during Penrith’s dramatic, intense and history-making grand final win on Sunday night.
It meant Reynolds, a Rabbitohs legend, leaves Redfern for Brisbane without the victorious glory he was seeking and craved.
“It’s sad for him to go out that way,” said Souths teammate, Cam Murray.
Walker threw an intercept pass for a try while Reynolds missed a clutch, match-equalling conversion in the Panthers’ gripping 14-12 win at Suncorp Stadium.
The Bunnies were brave but Penrith roared back from the devastation from last year’s loss to claim a famous victory in one of greatest grand finals of the modern era.
Walker, playing his first decider, went from a diamond, to a rock, to diamond and back to rock.
He scored one of the great solo tries, threw an intercept for a Stephen Crichton try, set up a late try before throwing the ball over the sideline in the final seconds.
“Walker is one of the best in the league but I played eyes-up footy – I was in the right place at the right time,” Crichton said.
Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary – who later claimed the Clive Churchill Medal – taunted Walker after the pass.
In the first half, with Penrith backing off defensively, Walker cut, sliced and stepped past four defenders on a stunning 33 metre charge to the tryline.
Walker ran straight at Cleary, who missed the tackle, perhaps protecting his crook shoulder. Walker also wrong footed Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards, who played with injections due to a foot injury.
It was one of the finest individual grand final tries ever seen.
“Just one defensive lapse, from me, that let them back in the game,” Cleary said at halftime.
Walker gave the try back 13 minutes from full-time when he threw the pass which led to the intercept.
He could have played short to send Dane Gagai away but threw long – a mistake which will haunt Walker forever.
It will be an infamous moment for Souths.
“It would be terrible to think this game could be decided on that one pass,” said former premiership-winning coach Phil Gould on 9.
Fellow commentator Andrew Johns said: “Cody would want the ball in his hands.”
Walker refused to surrender.
Seconds later Walker fired a pass to Gagai who then sent Alex Johnston over to set up a thrilling finish.
Reynolds, Souths’ greatest point scorer, had the chance to level the scores at 14-all with a sideline conversion on his preferred right side. This was a fairytale unfolding.
“You dream of these moments as a goal kicker,” Johns said.
“Kicking a goal from the sideline in a grand final.”
Reynolds, carrying a groin injury, though missed to the right. It was a heartbreaking moment for Reynolds, who cursed and swore at the miss.
“If he hits it, it was going to be the greatest kick of all
time,” said NSW Origin coach, Brad Fittler.
The little Souths halfback attempted a 42 metre two point field goal inside the final minute but it fell short.
“We had a chance at the end but didn’t come up with the result – (I’d be) expected to nail them,” Reynolds said. “We kept fighting and fighting.
“It’s been one hell of a journey. Sorry we couldn’t get the result tonight.”
Cleary was brilliant again. His kicking was perfection and he terrorised South Sydney’s back three.
Panthers five-eighth Jarome Luai also looked dangerous on that left side with that swerving acceleration.
Right at the death, Walker’s inconsistent game continued when, with his side deep in attack, he threw a ball over the sideline. He claimed the ball had been touched by Penrith but referee Gerard Sutton disagreed.
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