{"id":434961,"date":"2026-05-19T12:05:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T12:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/434961\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T12:05:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T12:05:16","slug":"sam-walker-queensland-maroons-state-of-origin-game-one-allan-langer-nrl-season-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/434961\/","title":{"rendered":"Sam Walker, Queensland Maroons, State of Origin, Game One, Allan Langer, NRL season 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sam Walker\u2019s selection to make his State of Origin debut at halfback is both a look to the future from coach Billy Slater and a nod to Queensland\u2019s past.<\/p>\n

With the Walker family name etched in Maroons history, the elevation of the unconventional playmaker to the Maroons number seven jersey harkens back to time of another cheeky halfback from Ipswich to make his mark in the Origin arena.<\/p>\n

Like Allan \u2018Alfie\u2019 Langer, Walker played junior rugby league at Norths Tigers, developing an instinctive and \u2013 according to Maroons fullback Kalyn Ponga \u2013 \u201cnot very systematic\u201d style of football.<\/p>\n


\n
\n
\n \"Sam
\n
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\n Sam Walker and former Maroons halfback Daly Cherry Evans pairing up in the halves at the Roosters.
\n \u00a9NRL Images
\n
\n <\/p>\n

However, with his father Ben and uncles Shane and Chris having all played NRL \u2013 with Chris donning the maroon jersey on six occasions \u2013 rugby league was always in the blood.<\/p>\n

Ben played at the Broncos with Langer and while keen to be his own man, Walker said it was “an honour\u201d to be likened to one of Queensland\u2019s greatest ever players from quintessential Queensland regional rugby league heartland.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am really proud of where I am from,\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIpswich is such a passionate place for rugby league fans and to represent them and everything they have done for me as well, all of my junior clubs and the school I went to in Ipswich is something they are proud of as well.<\/p>\n


\n
\n
\n \"Allan
\n
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\n Allan Langer playing for Queensland in 2002.
\n \u00a9NRL Images
\n
\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI guess I was probably moulded (by the way Langer plays).<\/p>\n

\u201cDad loved watching him play and I guess my game often gets comparisons with the similar way I play.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is such an honour to be compared to someone like him. It is an honour to be compared to someone like that and exciting as well. I spent a lot of time working on the little crafts in my game and I will continue to build them as I go.\u201d<\/p>\n

With incumbent halfback Tom Dearden ruled out with injury, Slater had a number of options to replace last year’s Wally Lewis Medal winner, including experimenting with Kalyn Ponga in the role, but for him, Walker was the right fit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t think you’d be doing your due diligence and respecting your position as the coach if you didn’t look at all options, but we do really feel confident about Sam Walker being the best option to play halfback for Queensland,” Slater said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI know how much he loves this state.<\/p>\n

“Growing up in Ipswich, just west of Brisbane, I can just imagine him in the backyard dreaming of playing for Queensland with the number seven on his back.<\/p>\n


\n
\n
\n \"Billy
\n
\n
\n Billy Slater with Sam Walker in Queensland Maroons camp in 2022 where he was part of the extended squad.
\n \u00a9Erick Lucero \/ NRL Images
\n
\n <\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives me chills thinking about it. Can’t wait to see him in camp.<\/p>\n

“He’s an infectious little lad and looking forward to helping him get his game on.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know he’ll unlock plenty of the players around him as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a few really good phone calls, a couple of tough ones, but some really good phone calls. Sam was one.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could imagine how he felt when he received the news that he was going to play for Queensland for the first time. Like I said before, I’m sure he’s dreamt of that moment.”<\/p>\n

Seen as a bit of a risk taker on the field, his pairing with Maroons captain and five-eighth Cameron Munster has many wondering what to expect, with both players known for their off-the-cuff play.<\/p>\n

When asked if he would continue to \u201cthrow caution to the wind\u201d if the situation arises, Walker said he felt comfortable playing his natural game.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor sure, I think that\u2019s why I am here,\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will play my game \u2013 but also adapt to everyone else around me and get an understanding of\u00a0how Queensland play as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am sure I will have that home base and add my football on top of that.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m really excited (to be pairing up with Munster).<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’ll be a lot of work this week to get used to each other’s games \u2026 (but) I’m really excited to see his philosophies and how he wants to play and how I can add mine on top of that as well.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sam Walker\u2019s selection to make his State of Origin debut at halfback is both a look to the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":434962,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[111,139,69,213],"class_list":["post-434961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=434961"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434961\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/434962"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=434961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=434961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=434961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}