Walker - and Harbour - can thank his parents

By CHRIS RATTUE

Willie Walker didn't want to leave his home town of Opotiki, even though the bright lights of Auckland rugby had sent him a tempting calling-card.

It was the mid-1990s, and Walker was the big fish in a small pond - the outstanding young athlete in the Bay of Plenty township.

But Walker's parents, Steven and Mandy, held sway. Their talented youngster, one of four children, had been spotted by King's College, who wanted a fullback to replace their national schoolboys star Mat Carrington.

A principal's scholarship was on offer, and the Walkers were not going to let their son waste the opportunity.

"It's the best thing that could have happened for my rugby, but I never wanted to come in the first place," Walker said.

"I didn't want to leave my friends and family behind. Right up until the day I went, I didn't want to go.

"It was the biggest decision of my life then, but my parents made the decision for me."

Walker was hardly an unknown in rugby circles when King's made the approach. He had already made the national under-16 side which included future All Black Doug Howlett.

And it didn't take Walker long to settle in to life as a King's boarder, after he struck up friendships with others who were late starters at the school. It sent his rugby career in the right direction.

In his two years at King's, he made the national secondary schools team, playing alongside the likes of Howlett, Caleb Ralph, Mark Ranby and Carl Hayman in victories over the national under-19 side plus Australian schools in Sydney and Christchurch.

He even made the national under-19 side in his final year at school, although he could never quite crack the Colts, despite playing in a series of trials.

After leaving school, he played for Takapuna, was part of the first national academy intake, and made Peter Thorburn's North Harbour squad, although he had just 20 games over four seasons, many as a substitute.

But Walker holds fond memories, particularly of the welcome he received from the legendary duo of Walter Little and Frank Bunce.

"One minute I was watching them on TV and the next they were sitting next to me, helping with advice and offering you a beer now and then. The spirit in this team has always been great," said Walker, who has become part of Harbour's Ngati Porou East Coast connection that includes Matua Parkinson, Rua Tipoki, Rico Gear and Ron Cribb.

Walker flirted with fullback and the midfield before coaches Wayne Shelford and Allan Pollock steered him towards first five-eighths, even though he plays at fullback for North Shore.

"Willie is an extreme talent," said Pollock, himself a representative back with Wellington and North Harbour. "He was so outstanding as a schoolboy that everyone naturally looked at him to make the NPC team with us, and I suppose that's why he gets tagged as unfulfilled promise.

"It might be fair to say he didn't push himself very hard in the past ... but he's made giant strides this year. He has so much ability and understands the game very well.

"We have some pretty complicated moves that involve all 15 players and if you want to know, for instance, where the lock should go in a particular move, Willie is the one who will always know."

But Walker needed to back himself more, Pollock said.

"If the opposition is getting lazy and rolling off him, he needs to take advantage of that instead of sticking to the planned moves."

Walker has matured into an integral part of North Harbour's superb season, which has taken them to a home semifinal against Otago tonight.

He has generally started the games, with the veteran Frano Botica coming on in the second half.

Botica, a former All Black and Kiwi - in his final season - has often helped his younger team-mate and still does, although their relationship has, according to Walker, become more competitive.

And it is Botica who has won the start at North Harbour Stadium tonight, although Walker seems assured of a decent share of the action.

North Harbour believe that Botica is more willing to take attacking opportunities outside the game plan, and his selection reflects their attitude that a semifinal must be won, not defended. He played the entire final-round match against Southland.

The North Harbour pack was far from convincing in that game, while Otago have four All Blacks in their pack and the likes of Kees Meeuws coming into good form.

So if the home side struggle in the battle up front, there will be even more responsibility on Botica, Walker, Gear and company to break the game open.

"Not getting that opportunity in the last game was a bit disheartening ... " said Walker, the aspiring rugby professional who makes ends meet working the phones for a debt-collecting company.

"It was also another opportunity to show what I can do with the Super 12 selections coming up."

In the opening round Otago inflicted one of the two defeats North Harbour suffered this season. And under Laurie Mains they have discovered some direction and new talent, such as centre Ryan Nicholas, who have made important contributions.

Meeuws is leading the way, giving Otago momentum in the tight, and big No 8 Paul Miller is also starting to deliver on the promise which many believe will carry him into the All Blacks.

They have a definite edge over North Harbour in big-match experience, which should take care of the disadvantage of playing away from home, although Harbour's last NPC defeat at Albany was more than two years ago against Auckland.

Harbour's advantage must lie in the backs, with Gear perhaps the key.

It looks like a very tight battle, with Otago maybe having the edge.