Titans' golden boy loses lustre

[patskE]

Titans' golden boy loses lustre

Luke Turgeon

August 29th, 2008

HE was the Titans golden boy destined to set the rugby league world on fire this season.

But whiz kid Shannon Walker is the first to admit 2008 has been more fizzer than sizzler.

What started as a year filled with so much promise for the shy 20-year-old from the bush, has proved a steep learning curve in what it takes to play NRL footy.

Even he struggles to put a finger on exactly what went wrong.

How he went from being the next big thing to sitting on the bench for the Titans Toyota Cup side against Manly on Monday night.

"The year started off all right and then a few injuries kind of knocked me back a bit," said Walker.
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"Towards the back end of the year it has all kind of dropped, I lost my spirit or something, I don't know. I just wasn't getting into the game.

"Everything has been going really good outside of footy, I have been training well and preparing well for the games.

"But when I go to play the game, one little thing goes wrong and then my head just goes down and stays down. I don't know whether it is a mental thing or what."

To understand Walker's form this season, you must first comprehend the weight of expectation that burdens his 79kg frame.

Walker isn't just another talented young league prospect.

He has that something special.

He has the ability to break a game wide open whether he is 10m out from the opposition try line or buried deep in his own in-goal.

When Walker runs, it brings people to their feet, makes their hearts beat faster, because in the structured and predictable world of today's rugby league he remains a bright spark of spontaneity.

That is the reason why people love him. But it is also the reason people are so quick to criticise.

People now have expectations of Walker.

Sometimes those expectations are unrealistic. At times this year the pressure must have felt as though he was running around with lead-cast shoulder pads.

"I have copped it a fair bit but you have just got to take it on the chin," said Walker.

Twelve months ago, Walker was the toast of Queensland rugby league.

Type 'Shannon Walker' into YouTube and you can still watch his stunning 80m grand final try that took Tweed Heads to the Queensland Cup premiership.

He has proved he can perform in big games.

But to play the way Walker does, to do the things he did in that grand final, you also need confidence.

Unfortunately, his has taken a battering this season.

"At the start of the year I got the three trials in and then I thought I would probably get a good run this year and then that all didn't happen," he said.

"That probably knocked me back a bit as well.

"I will go home after the game and just sit there by myself and think 'what is going on.'

"For some reason it is all just not coming together.

"I have sat down with my missus and a few of my mates and my Mum and Dad to work out what it is, if it is something outside of footy. But there is nothing outside of footy that has affected me.

"I am loving footy and training, everything has been great. I think I just have to get it mentally.

"I am having fun and I train way better than I play.

"I prepare myself as well as I can but then I just get stressed out."

It is not just one thing that has affected Walker's form this season.

If it was a simple as that, you can bet he would have already side-stepped it in a flash. Rather, it is a combination of things.

There is an argument to be made that playing in the Toyota Cup under-20s competition has been detrimental to Walker's development.

Last year he had experienced campaigners like Tweed skipper Brad Davis directing him around the paddock and telling him what to do, giving advice on where to pop up, teaching him the finer points.

This season instead of just being able to focus on his own game, Walker has had the added responsibility of being one of the under-20s senior players.

Instead of simply capitalising on opportunities he has also had to create them.

"In Q Cup last year the boys were all older than me so I tended to get more direction off the older guys," he said.

"It is hard to teach boys when you are still learning. The (under-20s) boys expect more from us, because we are known as first graders to them.

"It has been hard for the few of us boys to come back from first grade to wear it. I have still got a fair way to go."

Heading into the year, everyone knew Walker was a raw talent. He was rough around the edges and still learning his craft.

Yet somehow, as soon as he pulled on a Titans jumper, all that seemed to be forgotten and people started plotting his inevitable rise to NRL superstardom. But the reality is he needs time.

He has the talent, now he just needs to learn how to use it at the elite level.

from courior mail

[patskE]

Walker isn't just another talented young league prospect.

He has that something special.

He has the ability to break a game wide open whether he is 10m out from the opposition try line or buried deep in his own in-goal.

When Walker runs, it brings people to their feet, makes their hearts beat faster, because in the structured and predictable world of today's rugby league he remains a bright spark of spontaneity.

l

that reminds me of campbell soo much

man hopefully he has a good off season, get princey n campbell to work with him. cause tbh when him n campbell wokred 2gether it looked pretty good.
cant wait to see him flying!

[GCT_89]

i would like to think that presto would be a huge influence to him........especially as presto is a senior player on his way out of the league (slowly and in great fashion might i add)

both are dangerous to a structured opposition.........lets hope he learns to control his talents and has a better year next year....................

[craigyd]

unfortunately the big difference is Preston puts in 100% all the time every time.walker on the other hand plays a very lazy game of football and still have heaps to learn,now just have to see if he actually listens

[Paul]

It's true, everyone expects too much of him at the moment.Everytime he gets the ball a try is expected and if he does make a mistake it's noticed alot more than if anybody else in the U/20's does it.

Adam makes a good point,Preston would be the obvious one to learn off (both are fullbacks,both have that something special,both are aboriginal boys and both have that expectation put on them to do something brilliant everytime they touch a football)

I've met him a few times and there isn't any "superstar" big headed attitude,in fact he was so down to earth and friendly it just made me want him to succeed even more,Good luck to the bloke

My message to Shannon would be to keep your head up,you'll make the step up and do a great job when the time is right.

[lonegull]

at least one thing at least walker can admit he has been down on form that shows maturity which i hope can sink in and he can become the player that we all hoped in,

[Chaos]

I think he should get out of the under 20's comp and learn from some senior players....even if it's in the State league.

I'd rather an open second division comp to start combining some combinations before they reach grade.

[Supergoose]

Based on Jeffreys showing tonight, We need to play someone else at fullback - anyone else - if Carty can just get into Walkers ear and just say have-a-crack son do whatever you like - it can't be nearly as bad as Jeffrey was, he was abominable. Either that or play Rogers there and give Rankin a crack a five-eighth or Harrison (although he was probably our 2nd worst player tonight).

[lonegull]

after jefferies performance against manly a cant see why walker cant be given a go , cartwright needs to tell him just play his natural game and have fun, the titans havent got nothing to lose against the tigers

[Paul]

Would be a perfect game to throw him in 1st grade at FB

2 teams with nothing to play for but pride,a home crowd which will be a sell out and have less expectations on the team. Chances are it's going to be an open game with plenty of chances for shannon to weave his magic.

Walker in at FB for the tigers game please Carty

[Coaster]

I would pick Rapana for fullback, to me he has shown a lot more effort and skill then either Jeffieries or Walker this season.

[Steve]

I would pick Rapana for fullback, to me he has shown a lot more effort and skill then either Jeffieries or Walker this season.

Agreed.
The problem with Walker isn't that he's been making mistakes, it's that after he makes a mistake he does his best turtle imitation. Pulls his head in and we don't see him again in the game.

I don't know how many of you saw the under 20s game against the Broncos, but when the ball went stray after a bad pass, he was probably the closest player to it but made no attempt to clean it up, just looked at the ball while slowly jogging back while half a dozen Broncos players charged for the ball.

Rapana is also a great fullback, and doesn't go AWOL after a mistake.

[patskE]

prob see bowen bak in the team i think knowing carty

[Titans334]

walkers been handled wrongly, the few games he has played has been from the bench as an impact player, coming on in games where we are on the back foot and have no go forward, and how jeffrey keeps getting picked over walker in the team is misterious

[Chaos]

Based on Jeffreys showing tonight, We need to play someone else at fullback - anyone else - if Carty can just get into Walkers ear and just say have-a-crack son do whatever you like - it can't be nearly as bad as Jeffrey was, he was abominable. Either that or play Rogers there and give Rankin a crack a five-eighth or Harrison (although he was probably our 2nd worst player tonight).

I agree with you Supergoose, if we were playing to make the top 8, I'd throw Rogers at fullback and Rankin at 5/8
But now that we can't possibly make the semis...lets play Walker at fullback...the fans want to see him play without pressure.