Churchill’s wife a Billy fan

THE footy- loving widow of Immortal Clive Churchill has compared Melbourne’s superstar fullback Billy Slater with her late husband, declaring: “When I go and see Billy play, I think it’s Clive.”

The much- loved Joyce Churchill said she relished watching the Storm custodian, who scored two tries in Melbourne’s 30- 0 preliminary final win over Brisbane.

Slater’s double took his career tally to 182 tries — second in Australian rugby league history behind the great Ken Irvine, who scored 212 times.

Slater is $ 8 in the betting to win the Clive Churchill Medal for man- of- the- match honours on grand final day.

Mrs Churchill, now 91, still watches a lot of rugby league and marvels at Slater, much like she did her beloved Clive.

“Billy is the second Clive Churchill, for sure. He is Clive all over again,” she said.

“He makes tries, he scores tries. I think, ‘ Well, that’s Clive’. Billy comes into the game like Clive did. He passes the ball the same.

“He knows that I think he reminds me of Clive.”

Both players revolutionised the attacking role of fullbacks with their ball movement and ability to get involved in the play.

There are also the physical similarities. At 178cm, Slater is slightly taller than Churchill, who was 175cm.

“I find that watching Billy is like watching Clive all over again,” she said.