LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
League legend Wally Lewis has commented on Billy Walters' transition into the halves for the Broncos, viewing it as an opportunity for Walters to prove his critics wrong. Lewis believes Walters won't be intimidated by wearing his father's famous No.6 jersey, which was once worn by Kevin Walters, a revered player in Brisbane's history who achieved five grand final victories.
Billy Walters is preparing to make his mark in this iconic position due to injuries affecting first-choice halves, Ezra Mam and Adam Reynolds. Both players were injured in an unusual sequence of play against the Storm last week, with the Broncos also suffering the loss of Selwyn Cobbo to a hamstring injury, which has significantly impacted their NRL finals aspirations.
While Reynolds may return in time for the finals, Mam and Cobbo's seasons appear to be in jeopardy. Nevertheless, Billy Walters is positioned to fill the gaps alongside veteran Ben Hunt in the upcoming match. He trained in the five-eighth role earlier this week, expressing readiness to step up.
Having played in the halves for both the Storm and Wests Tigers, Walters was originally recruited by Brisbane for that role. In the pre-season, he fluctuated between five-eighth and hooker positions, earlier admitting he felt unprepared to step into the five-eighth slot last season. However, with the current strain on Brisbane's playoff hopes, Walters must deliver in the facing local rivals, the Dolphins, in a critical encounter for both teams' playoff pursuits.
Lewis acknowledged the added pressure associated with comparisons to Billy's father but believes the young player is unfazed by expectations, praising his elevation to five-eighth: "It is selections like this which prove that Billy has forged his own path and done very well and the critics have learnt to shut their mouths. I admire him. He has plenty of skills," Lewis told The Courier Mail. "He has done well. Early in his career he may have lacked a bit of confidence and he would have gone through that period where people would have said, 'Well, his father would not have done that'... (but) Billy doesn't need to be compared to his father. He is a completely different kid."
Walters had previously participated in two trials as a halfback to demonstrate his capability to coach Michael Maguire. With the current injury crisis, the opportunity he has dreaded has finally come, and Walters expressed earlier this year that the effort he invested in pre-season would prepare him well for the challenges ahead.