Billy Slater - Billy Slater

Billy Slater has been called the best fullback ever to have played the game by rugby league greats and fans alike. With a glittering collection of personal and club honours, including four grand final wins, five Dally M awards and two Clive Churchill Medals, he has delighted fans of the Melbourne Storm, Queensland State of Origin and the Australian Kangaroos for sixteen years.

More than just a decorated player, however, Slater is a widely regarded and respected figure in the sport. A young country recruit with superb natural talent, he debuted for the Storm after only one pre-season in Melbourne and sent shockwaves through State of Origin in just his second season. But Slater capitalised on his talent with a fierce competitive drive and a relentless work ethic, which he learned from his parents and honed working in the racing industry before hitting the NRL stage.

As well as many celebrated victories, Slaters career has seen him confront the Melbourne Storm salary cap scandal, heartbreaking losses and a devastating shoulder injury that made him fear that he would never hold his children again, let alone compete in a brutal sport like rugby league. Through it all Slater has emerged not merely as a great of the game, but as an even more resilient character, an ambassador for his sport, and a devoted husband and father.

Featuring contributions from rugby league legends like Cooper Cronk, Craig Bellamy, Darren Lockyer and Cameron Smith, and from the Slater family, this edition is updated to include Billys final season in the NRL before farewelling the game.

Billy and I were both born on 18 June 1983, about one hundred kilometres apart. He was born in Nambour, on the Sunshine Coast, and I was born in Brisbane. While now it sometimes seems like we were separated at birth, I didnt meet Billy until he arrived at Brisbane Norths to play an under-19s trial game just before the start of the 2001 NRL season. Cooper Cronk and I were already on the Storms books, and Bill was a kid from North Queensland looking for an opportunity.

This guy from Innisfail was a skinny-looking fella, but it didnt take long for me to realise he was blessed with some serious speed and that he had an instinct for the game. Bill could read the play just that little bit quicker than most; he knew where the footy was going to be and he knew how to find the tryline.

Billy had a phenomenal first season at Brisbane Norths, scoring thirty-four tries. He and Cooper Cronk formed an amazing partnership that would continue on and off the field for years to come. But it was Bills work ethic that was most impressive to me. We trained four days a week back then. For eighteen-year-olds that was a big load. Billy worked several jobs to pay his rent before training. To save some cash he would eat rice with barbecue sauce for dinner. He wanted to make a career of football, and if that meant working all day, training hard and living on the bare minimum, so be it.

Later, people would see some of the amazing things Billy could do on a football field and think he was one of the lucky ones. And, sure, he had natural talent. But what I will always remember is how hard he worked to make the most of that ability and to earn an opportunity.

That was evident again when he came to Melbourne and was one of twelve young players fighting for two spots on the Storm roster in the 2003 pre-season. On pure try-scoring ability Billy would have been one of the first picked. But Craig Bellamy was all about work ethic and mental strength. He wanted to know what a player would be like when things got tough. Not only did Bill convince Craig he had those attributes, he has shone when faced with tough situations ever since. Over seventeen years Ive rarely seen Billy fail when he sets his mind on something he wants to achieve.

Early in his career I dont think Bill thought too much about the consequences of making a mistake. He had so much self-belief that he thought everything he tried would come off good. Plenty of times it did. In his very first NRL match, against Cronulla, he scored a try from virtually nothing that sparked an amazing comeback win. His famous chip and chase try in his second State of Origin game in 2004 not only made him an instant star, but the way he sliced his way through the New South Wales defence was pure Billy.

But Bill wasnt satisfied just to be on the highlights reel. He gradually added consistency to his game and minimised mistakes. To do that he couldnt just flick a switch he had to work hard to improve his passing and kicking, and to bring different elements to his game rather than just relying on his natural skill and pace. People talk about how Billy changed the role of the modern fullback. He did that by adding those different components, and that came from repetition on the training track and his fierce desire to be the very best he could be.

Billy is not just about being the best he can be as an individual. He is all about making the players around him better. He will happily spend hours with the other backs, talking about how they can improve as a group and coming up with different strategies. He enjoys helping young players improve and thrive.

Since coming to Melbourne we have shared a lot of similar experiences. We both married here and had children around the same time. My wife Barb and Bills wife Nicole are close friends, and our interests away from football are similar. But we are more than just close friends; we are family. Which is the part of Billy Slater the public does not see. He is a family man and a wonderful husband to Nicole and father to his two beautiful children. For some time to Bill, like myself, football was everything. Dont get me wrong, Bill is rugby league to the core, but his family comes first these days.

Serious shoulder injuries that kept him off the park meant the 2015 and 2016 seasons were probably the most difficult of Bills career. To put in so much work in rehabilitation in 2015 only to injure the shoulder again was particularly heartbreaking; more so when the Storm moved towards another grand final in 2016.

As the season went on it was increasingly frustrating for Billy to sit back and watch as we progressed through the year, climbing the premiership ladder. It was difficult as a friend to see Bill suffering in that way. But to his credit he did a lot of wonderful things for our team, working with the coaches throughout the season and helping his replacement at fullback, Cameron Munster, fulfil his potential. That Bill put on such a brave face during grand final week in 2016 is just another indication of his character.

To me, Billy is the greatest fullback of our time. He has been able to do so many things on the field that others have tried but couldnt pull off. When people think of fullbacks they think of the running game and scoring tries. So much of what Bill does on the field goes unnoticed. The direction he provides others around him, the guidance he gives to our defensive line. The Melbourne Storm have been the best defensive team in the competition most years Ive played with them, and he has played a significant role in that.

More than that, as a player and especially as a mate, you know Billy Slater will never let you down.