Last of the ‘Big Four’ calls time on rep career

ANOTHER retirement has rocked Queensland rugby league, with Billy Slater announcing he will walk away from representative football after this year’s State of Origin series.

But the 34-year-old fullback has shut down talk of the underdog Maroons “doing it for Billy” this year, saying: “It’s their time now.”

The off-contract Melbourne star admitted he had not decided his NRL future but confirmed his 15th year in the Queensland side would be his last ahead of June 6’s series opener at the MCG.

It marks the end of an era with Slater — a 29 Origin game veteran — following fellow Queensland greats Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk and former skipper Cameron Smith into representative retirement.

The Maroons were only just getting their heads around 42 Origin veteran hooker Smith’s shock call to end his rep days only weeks ago.

But Slater said he had not been influenced by decisions of the rest of the “Big Four”.

“I just feel it is time. It’s been a great ride,” he told a packed press conference yesterday flanked by Queensland coach Kevin Walters. “It’s been on my mind for a while. I always thought this was going to be my last series — the decision was made probably last week.”

Slater was considered for the Maroons captaincy after Smith’s retirement but Walters went with 30 Origin veteran centre Greg Inglis.

Slater, who made his State of Origin debut in 2004, still looked forward to playing a huge leadership role in a newlook Maroons side down 150 games of Origin experience.

“I am excited about playing alongside the younger guys coming through and being part of that plan.”

But Slater baulked when asked if the Maroons will be “doing it for Billy”. “I want them to do it for Queensland and for themselves,” he said. “There are some young guys in there. It’s their time now.”

AUSTRALIAN Nathan Walker’s first NHL Stanley Cup game did not go so well.

The 24-year-old from Sydney was a late scratching from the game and then watched from the bench as his Washington Capitals let two late goals in to fall 6-4 to the Las Vegas Knights in yesterday’s opener.

The game was played in front of a raucous crowd inside Las Vegas’s T-Mobile Arena and the Capitals will face the same fury with Game 2 returning to the venue tomorrow.

The Capitals, who blew a 4-3 lead in the final period, are expecting to rebound.

“I’m confident we have another level and that’s exciting,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said after the game.

Trotz could only take 20 players into the game so Walker and six others on the Capitals’ squad were announced as scratchings minutes before the game.

Walker, who started playing ice hockey as a sixyear-old in Sydney and as a 13year-old convinced his parents to allow him to move to the Czech Republic to seek better competition, said before the game he was willing to take whatever role the Capitals needed in the best-of-seven series.

“I’m there for my teammates,” Walker said. “You have to be a team guy and be team first.”