Luke Keary has paid halves partner Sam Walker the ultimate compliment, declaring the 20-year-old has what it takes to be as good as Panthers star Nathan Cleary.
It’s the sort of statement that can be fraught with danger if it comes from the wrong place, but Keary is essentially his bigger brother and has all the confidence in the world that Walker will rise to become one of the game’s great playmakers.
“Definitely,” Keary replied when asked if Walker could reach Cleary’s level.
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“He has all the skill attributes, the mind, he knows footy. He’s got the stuff to be that guy. Obviously, to be that guy it takes a lot of hard work and consistency over a long period of time.
“They are very different players, but they have had similar upbringings. Sammy has spent a lot of time around footy teams, same as Nathan. It definitely helps your progression.
“He’s got a high ceiling. It’s just like Nathan. You come in at that age and you earn a jersey at a club like this, you can go a long, long way. He’s in a similar situation to Nathan.
“Whatever he does with that, we will see in the next four or five years.”
Walker still has a way to go if he wants to be compared to Cleary, who has won a premiership, represented his state and is on track to headline Australia’s World Cup squad all before his 25th birthday.
But the young Rooster is on the right path and heads into the finals full of confidence, with 15 try assists and seven tries, having not missed a game in his second season.
“I’m not trying to emulate my game on anyone else,” Walker said when told of the Cleary comparison.
“I don’t think I play like any other half in the NRL. For me, it’s about executing my plays and playing the best footy I can. My goal at the moment is just to win the grand final in four weeks.”
Young halves who have shown promise in their debut season have often fallen victim to second-year syndrome as they struggle to handle the spotlight from the media as well as the extra attention they receive from rival defensive coaches.
Walker hasn’t shown any dip in talent and has actually improved in areas such as physicality, goalkicking and knowing when to pick his moments in attack.
“I still remember my second year was just hard on the body, but he has dealt with it pretty well,” Keary said.
“He admitted himself, he battled a bit last year with the constant physicality. This year he has been awesome.
“I feel like he has gotten stronger and he is defensively a lot better now than he was 10-12 weeks ago. He has definitely dealt with that side of the game a lot better.
“Some kids you can see them burn off a bit and come back next year, but he has kind of gotten better and better.”
The Roosters will lean heavily on Walker and Keary for Sunday’s elimination final against the Rabbitohs, with superstar centre Joseph Manu not there to provide a moment of magic when required.
It’s a combination that has flourished since Keary moved to five-eighth and Walker took more responsibility at halfback, with the club winning eight of nine games since coach Trent Robinson made the big move.
And in a warning shot to the other seven teams in the finals, Keary says their partnership is still developing.
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“It’s not a finished product,” the three-time premiership winner said.
“It’s probably more natural for Sammy, more natural for myself playing in the six my whole career. Going back to that helps speed up that combination but it’s more than just us.
“The team has clicked into gear which helps everyone. Everyone looks a bit better when the team is going better. We still have a fair bit to go.
“It’s organic. I had those three weeks off and Sammy moved over to the right in the No.7.
“To be honest, Robbo didn’t speak about it that much. He just said, ‘You’re playing No.6’ and it was just, ‘Yep, sweet. Done’. That was it. Robbo had probably put some thought into it but didn’t make it a big deal or anything like that.
“Every team will play six or seven differently. Obviously, I know my role playing five-eighth here pretty well and Sammy is still learning both. He’s never played six and probably played a lot more seven as a kid.
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“With the kicking you are driving that longer game, but with the six you are kind of hands on the ball more, running the attack, which I have done since I got here.”
The pair didn’t get to play together last year because of Keary’s serious knee injury, but it didn’t stop them from working together to lay the foundation for what they’ve produced in 2022.
“Last year when he was out, he was still there coaching me through his role as a starting half,” Walker said.
“This year having him here has been really good. He’s taken a lot of that responsibility on his shoulders and it’s allowed me to continue to play my footy. He’s helped me ever since I came to the club.”
