It is getting on for five years since an 18-year-old Jack Walker capped a dream debut season at Leeds Rhinos by helping his hometown club to Grand Final glory. Brian McDermott’s team beat Castleford Tigers at Old Trafford in October 2017 and Walker was picked ahead of Ashton Golding in the full-back role. It was some show of faith in a player who started the season in the Rhinos’ academy side.
Walker had announced his arrival onto the first-team scene with a hat-trick on his senior debut against Doncaster in a Challenge Cup tie at Headingley in April of that year. Walker, then 17, was handed his big chance with a number of star names rested. A Leeds lad who played his amateur rugby at Oulton Raiders, Walker’s ability to support the attack was highlighted with three classy finishes during the first half.
Walker’s bow marked the realisation of a dream after he fractured his skull when playing for Oulton in his formative years. Two years later, he signed a professional contract with Leeds. McDermott handed another debut against Doncaster to an 18-year-old Mikolaj Oledzki, who came off the bench in the 50th minute and got on the scoresheet himself.
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But while the Poland-born star has since cemented himself as a first-team regular for the Rhinos, Walker’s progress has been cruelly stunted by several injury setbacks. His lengthy spells on the sidelines, particularly during the past couple of years, have seen Richie Myler become a hugely important presence at full-back for Leeds.
Then Zak Hardaker rejoined the Rhinos earlier this year to make Walker’s challenge of securing regular first-team rugby even more difficult. And so, and with his opportunities at Headingley limited, Walker joined Hull FC on loan last month and enjoyed a man-of-the-match performance on his debut in the Magic Weekend win over Hull KR.
That once again highlighted a talent which has never been in doubt. Once again, though, Walker has suffered another agonising injury.
In Sunday’s 60-6 home defeat against St Helens, Walker opened the scoring with a well-executed try in the right corner, but then hobbled off in the first half. Black and Whites boss Brett Hodgson said: “Jack felt a crack in his ankle. We don't know the extent of that yet, but it doesn't look good.”
This is now the third season in succession that Walker has had his campaign either partially or completely wrecked by injury. So what does the future hold for a player once regarded as arguably the brightest young talent in the British game?
He had impressed in his six games for Hull FC, scoring twice, but with his contract at Leeds running until the end of the 2023 campaign, it will be interesting to see where Walker will be playing his rugby next term.
Could the Rhinos seek to move him on to another club? Will Hardaker, who has been such a steadying presence at full-back for Leeds during their recent renaissance, be awarded a contract for next season? Could Myler revert to full-back with Blake Austin and Aidan Sezer – both contracted at Headingley – the first-choice half-back partnership?
That Walker was allowed to leave Leeds on loan recently confirmed he had dropped down Rohan Smith’s pecking order. Moving him on – perhaps in a permanent switch to Hull FC – would free up considerable salary cap space at Leeds.
Might Walker’s recent track record with injuries could potentially deter rival clubs from taking a punt on him? Hull boss Hodgson is clearly an admirer of a player whose rise to prominence five years ago caught the eye of NRL clubs. But the club's capture of Tex Hoy makes it hard to see where he fits in their plans.
In the 2018 World Club Challenge against Melbourne Storm, Walker made an impressive start to only his 15th first-grade match, but then went off 10 minutes before half-time with a knee injury. His career has followed a frustratingly familiar pattern and Walker will hope for better luck next season.
Walker, now 23 and about to become a father for the first time, certainly deserves some good fortune on a rugby league field in 2023. Quite where he will be playing remains to be seen.
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