How the next ‘Alfie’ embraces the pressure, and plans to address fatal flaw
Sam Walker, a debutant for the Queensland Maroons, embraces comparisons to legendary halfback Allan Langer as he prepares for the State of Origin series. Despite concerns about his defensive skills, Walker remains confident in his abilities and is determined to prove himself. He acknowledges the pressure but views it as an honor to be compared to Langer, aiming to build on his skills ahead of the game.
- ▪Sam Walker has been compared to Queensland great Allan Langer as he prepares for his debut.
- ▪Concerns about Walker's defensive capabilities have arisen, but he insists he will not be a liability.
- ▪Walker has been favored to take the No.7 jumper after Tom Dearden's injury.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","dateModified":"2026-05-22T05:50:00Z","datePublished":"2026-05-22T05:50:00Z","description":"As he prepares to achieve what his father could not, Maroons debutant Sam Walker has refused to shy away from being compared to the legendary Allan Langer.","headline":"How the next ‘Alfie’ embraces the pressure, and plans to address fatal flaw","keywords":"State of Origin, Queensland Maroons, NRL 2026, NRL 2026","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Nick Wright","jobTitle":"Sport…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Sydney Morning Herald.