Sam Walker will reunite with lifelong friend Kurt Capewell in his Queensland Origin debut after forging a career at the Sydney Roosters club he joined due to the foresight of club supremo Nick Politis.
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From Ipswich, where Politis also grew up, new Maroons halfback Walker came through the Broncos system where his father Ben and uncles Shane and Chris all played in their NRL careers.
A photo of Walker as an eight-year-old dressed in Roosters colours showed where his heart and ultimate home would be.
Ben said his son, as a true "home bod", would have been more than happy to sign with Brisbane but the Roosters opportunity was better at the time.
"He was a Broncos Academy player from 12 to 17 and then the Roosters and Nick came knocking … but we gave Brisbane the last opportunity to sign him," Ben said.
"The Roosters were always going to be it for Sam. And it's funny …he was a Roosters supporter the whole way through so he hasn't wavered.
"He used to love watching James Maloney play. More than a Roosters supporter, he's been a Queensland supporter as well. He's so proud to be playing Origin. It's really good."
Really good too that he makes his Origin debut alongside Maroons veteran forward Capewell in Sydney on Wednesday night in the State of Origin series opener.
"Sam is pretty much family. He is like a little brother to me," Capewell said.
Kurt's parents Lyn and Darrel, from Charleville, used to babysit Ben and his three brothers when they visited the Walker family home in Toowoomba.
"Whenever Darrel would come to Toowoomba, he'd give us a public holiday. The 'Capewell public holiday' we used to call it," Ben chuckled.
"We'd play cricket and touch all day in the front yard."
Fast forward and Kurt was a boarder at Ipswich Grammar School, where Sam's parents Ben and Kylie were living, and later lived in a caravan in their backyard.
"Kurt, who was 15 by then, and Sam were playing touch footy in the backyard," Ben recalled.
"I rang Shane and said I had a couple of NRL players playing in the back yard. He said, 'who is at your place?'.
"I said, 'Sam and Kurt' … and they end up playing State of Origin together.
"They've grown up together and to see them live out their dreams together is really special and cool."
This year Sam, now 24, played against Kurt's Warriors in the NRL season opener and was sharing a red wine post-match at his home in Auckland when he rang Ben on Facetime.
"Kurt was laughing because Sam had put a grubber through. Kurt stuck his hand out and regathered it," Ben said.
"Kurt said, 'if it had've been any other player but myself, that would've been a try but I picked up his cue from playing backyard footy'."
Sam also is moved by the connection with his new Maroons teammate.
"To run out with him will be pretty special," Sam said.
"We have been family friends with Kurt for so long and I spent a lot of time with him as a kid.
"I am sure after the game it will be something we can look back on that will be pretty cool."
It is pretty cool too that he is in camp with Maroons legend Allan Langer, Ipswich's most famous product.
Sam's parents took him to play at Norths Tigers in Ipswich as a junior where Langer reigned supreme.
Wayne Bennett and Darren Lockyer have waxed lyrical about similarities between the two halves.
Ben, of course, has been an Alfie fan for a long time.
"I debuted outside Alf when I played at five-eighth at the Broncos and I watched him from a 10-year-old right through," Ben recalled.
Ben, Chris and Shane all got a sprinkle of Langer's magic dust.
"We were fortunate enough to play with him and we just loved Alf's way of playing," Ben said
"A lot of what Sam does now, it's his own style, but very much influenced by what we watched and played with and Alf was a huge part of that.
"I didn't teach him at five years old to be Alf. Sam is Sam."
Langer was much more unorthodox but his effect was pure genius. It is the small stature of both, their ability to create something out of nothing and magical short kicking games that are eerily similar.
"It turns out that he plays pretty similar to the little fella from Ipswich as well," Ben chuckled
Gee whiz they are similar."
Sam has had plenty of clubs and organisations chasing him. He played rugby union at Ipswich Grammar School and Rugby Australia were keen
"Sam did his due diligence … but he's a rugby league player," Ben said.
England's league officials have also made enquiries around the World Cup as Sam was born in Leeds when Ben was playing for the Leeds Rhinos.
"My father (Garry) would disown him. He's the proudest Aussie you've ever come across," Ben grinned.
"He couldn't do it because of Gaz and Sam's allegiance is to Australia. He'd love to play for Australia. He won't play for anyone else."