WALKER’S UNLIKELY RISE STILL ONE TO SAVOUR

RUGBY league loves a fairytale story.

Whether it’s the battler who rises to glory or the unlikely mob who string together a finals charge, there’s nothing better than reading about those who weren’t meant to make it.

Cody Walker, from league stronghold Casino in northern NSW, wasn’t meant to be a star.

A good Intrust Super Cup player? Sure.

He dominated for Easts for years, piloting the Tigers to the 2014 grand final.

When it came to the NRL, though, Walker was 26 when handed an opportunity by South Sydney in 2016.

Call it a title hangover caused by a salary cap squeeze, or simply good talent spotting, the Bunnies opted for a player who seemed more solid rock than polished diamond.

Yet 44 games and an enhanced reputation later, and Walker hits 2018 as one of the go-to men in a Rabbitohs line-up buoyed by Greg Inglis’ return and armed with genuine hope of resurfacing from that 2015 title malaise.

Walker has shuffled between fullback and the halves in recent seasons – to his own detriment – but with more stability thanks to Inglis’ return, he looks set to finally make a spot his own.