300 OF THE BEST
Future Immortal stands tallest among crowded field of our finest league talents
BILLY Slater left Innisfail as a scrawny youngster tossing up a career in rugby league and horse racing but today he stands tall as a man with few peers.
The Storm, Queensland and Kangaroos fullback will play his 300th NRL game tonight against Wests Tigers, further cementing his status as a legend of the game.
In case his previous accolades were not enough, the milestone arguably puts Slater into the realm of greatest Far North Queensland rugby league export of all time.
Former Australian winger Lionel Williamson has seen more players than most and labelled Slater “the complete athlete”. “He is a brilliant player, there’s no doubt about it. He reads the play so well, he’s enthusiastic, he studies the game very well and I’ve got the highest regard for him,” he said.
“Billy’s one of those blokes who is electric whenever he plays. You always expect him to do something. He doesn’t just sit there at fullback and wait for it to happen, he makes it happen and that’s what makes a champion.”
Williamson said it was hard to compare eras putting Alan Gill and Jim Paterson, who were named in the North Queensland Team of the Century in 2008, up there with the best.
CDRL secretary Pat Bailey said Slater was the son every parent wanted and “an absolute gem” for being just as good a player as he is a person. “He just ticks all the boxes,” she said.
Bailey put Slater up on a pedestal as one of the best with the likes of Dallas Johnson, Nate Myles, Justin Hodges and Ty Williams.
“I’ve probably got favourites, but I think it was (Storm coach) Craig Bellamy who said he changed what a fullback should be and that’s obvious when you see some of the other fullbacks running around, but he set the bar and for that he should be proud.”
Bailey said she among with FNQ footy fans would dread the day Slater finally hung up the boots.
“There’s so many people, even in Cairns, that he’s their whole world and you can’t blame them,” she said.
Former Queensland player Ty Williams said Matt Bowen and Lionel Williamson were in the conversation, but said Slater was “close to” our best ever.
“Obviously Bill’s worked his backside off to get where he is but I think the journey within himself and how he got to the NRL is something a lot of people can take on board,” he said.
“He got in a car and went to Brisbane just to get the opportunity and ends up training horses, went to Melbourne ... and what he’s done down there to develop into the player and person he is now I think Melbourne owe a lot to that.
“He’ll move into being an Immortal eventually.”