INFLUENCE FELT ON AND OFF THE FIELD
LEGACY WILL BE LEFT FOR GEN NEXT:
SLAYTER McGrath is purple proud.
The seven-year-old loves his footy, his Edmonton Storm junior rugby league team and his soon-to-retire idol Billy Slater.
The Queensland and Australia fullback yesterday confirmed he would retire from rugby league at the end of the NRL season.
Slater, 35, played 30 tests for Australia, 31 State of Origin matches for Queensland – including eight series wins – and won two NRL premierships with the Melbourne Storm during a 16-year professional career.
“My wife Sarah is a massive Billy Slater fan – she had tears in her eyes all day today,” Slayter’s dad Michael McGrath, of Little Mulgrave said.
“She’d marry him if she had the chance.”
The McGrath kids — Brock, 13, Addisyn, 10, Slayter, 7, and Braxtyn, 4 – are all diehard Slater fans.
“They are big fans,” Mr McGrath said.
“They are all nut cases – they play footy in the loungeroom.”
The Edmonton Under 13s coach said Slater set a great example for his young players.
“He showed what hard work and dedication can do,” Mr McGrath said.
“Seeing him get over injury teaches the young fellas to never give up; he was always setting that sort of example in public.”
He said the Melbourne Storm star had showed the value of persistence.
“He was always small — he and Jonathan Thurston were always told they would be too small for footy,” Mr McGrath said.
“I tell the kids don’t ever give up on your dreams because someone said you can’t do something.”
Slater’s record speaks for itself.
He was the NRL Player of the Year in 2011 and twice won the Clive Churchill Medal as player of the match in the NRL grand final.
Edmonton under 12s coach Neville Reys said more than one of the juniors wanted to emulate the Far Northern legend.
“He played in a dynamic position,” Mr Reys said.
“He really has flair and speed.
“One of the main things I try to push with the players is that without a healthy body life is a lot harder.
“Billy is a prime example of having a positive, healthy lifestyle.”