He might be turning 37 at the start of next year, but Cody Walker looks more than capable of playing another season in the NRL with South Sydney.
Walker bagged a double and helped inspire Souths to a 32-12 win over Parramatta on Thursday night, which also ruined Mitchell Moses’ 250th milestone.
Moses remains in the box seat to retain the NSW jersey for Origin III, but will no doubt feel a little uneasy about his starting spot should Ethan Strange come out and have a blinder for Canberra on Sunday afternoon.
Walker does not have a deal for next year, but has not missed a game for the Bunnies, and is kicking and leading the team as well as ever.
To prove Walker is still at the top of his game, there is no other five-eighth at the club that looks like pinching his No. 6 jersey any time soon.
If the Broncos had enough faith in this week backing Ben Hunt, also 36, to play on, Walker is more than a safe bet for Souths.
“I think he’d like to play on if he could, and we’d like him to play on if he can – right now, it’s looking good for him,” Souths coach Wayne Bennett said about Walker.
“He’s got things you can’t coach, he’s a great competitor. Let’s get through this year, then we can make better decisions when we look at what we’ve done.”
Walker waited until the end of last season to ink a one-year extension, and looks on track to do the same thing again this year.
He is earning around $400,000 this year, and will command similar money if he pushes on to what would be a 12th season in the top flight.
For Souths, they would love him to continue and help mentor young playmakers Taj Alvarez and Matt Humphries, who are still 18 months to two years away from being ready for the NRL.
There have been whispers North Queensland’s Tom Dearden is bound for Heffron Park, especially after his pregnant partner liked an Instagram post linking him to the club, but that will simply not happen.
Walker said he was genuinely undecided about his playing future, and the only thing he was confident about was one day playing a game of country football with his sons, including Kian, who turns 15 at the end of the year.
“I think I can [play on], and for me, I’m enjoying my footy again,” Walker said.
“I’ve had a few lean years with injuries – two years ago I was running on one leg with my knee, and last year was really disappointing with all the soft-tissue injuries when I played 11 games.
“I’m in no real rush. I’ve loved the game since I was three or four years old, and I’ll continue to love it – you’ll have to get me out of the game in a wheelchair because I’ll continue playing the game in some form.
“I don’t want to put an end date on it. I’m enjoying being out there at the moment.”
Souths march on to next Friday where they could meet Penrith without Isaah Yeo, Nathan Cleary, Brian To’o and Liam Martin because of Origin duty. Souths will be missing Murray, who copped a decent knock to the ribs late in the game against Parramatta, but was fine.
Who knows if Moses’ name will be read out by NSW coach Laurie Daley late Sunday, but to drop him on one performance would be tough.
He had plenty of teammates who were worse, none more so than Kelma Tuilagi, who had a howler in attack and defence on Moses’ right edge.
“I don’t have the vocabulary to articulate how I actually feel; disappointing is one way to put it,” said Jason Ryles, who destroyed a walkie-talkie in anger when he pegged it against a desk in the coaches’ box early in the game.
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
