Walker predicts Souths to make 04 finals
November 11, 2003
CALL him crazy but former Manly five-eighth Ben Walker today made a bold prediction - South Sydney to make the top eight in the National Rugby League next year.
The Rabbitohs were the whipping boys of the competition this year, winning just three games on their way to collecting the wooden spoon.
But Walker, whose brother Shane plays for Souths, believes the Rabbitohs will be competitive in 2004 following the signings of veterans Terry Hill and Adam MacDougall.
"I reckon they'll make the eight," said Walker today from his family's pub in Crows Nest, near Toowoomba, in Queensland.
"It's a bold prediction but they were pretty competitive last year without winning games. I wouldn't be surprised if they made the eight, that's for sure."
Souths have also recruited Shane Marteene, Glenn Hall and Todd Polglase from the Bulldogs and former Wests Tigers forward Willie Manu.
They have signed former Cronulla five-eighth Mitch Healey as one of two assistant coaches under Paul Langmack.
Walker was cut from the final year of his contract with the Sea Eagles following news in August he would need a knee reconstruction.
The former Brisbane player, on the long road to recovery, said today he was in no hurry to find a new NRL club.
"I've just had the operation and I'll have nine to ten months off, kick back and be a publican for that amount of time," said the 27-year-old.
"If a club approaches me I'd be more than happy to sit down and have a chat about it but at this stage I won't be fishing for any contracts.
"I'll get my rehab done and do my training to keep fit .... but I'm not going to go out and openly look for a club."
Walker said he harboured no bitterness towards Manly for dumping him from the club, which finished above only Souths on the NRL table.
"You can't really blame them because I certainly wasn't going to be right for the start of the season and maybe halfway through I would've been 100 per cent but they weren't to know that.
"They were just looking at the chance I wouldn't be right for the start of the season and better to let me go."
The Sea Eagles, under new coach Des Hasler, have signed Jye Mullane from Cronulla and former Canberra utility Michael Monaghan to cover the five-eighth position vacated by Walker.
