One of the Melbourne Storm’s rapidly rising stars is talented fullback Billy Slater. At this point in his career, the promising 27-year-old has drawn comparisons to Ruby League legends like Dally Messenger. He is a force to be reckoned with in the National Rugby League (NRL) and his fan base not only includes rugby fans from NSW to Queensland, but extends to the rest of the rugby loving world. League insiders are impressed by his maneuvering on the pitch, as well as the titles he has garnered throughout his time in Melbourne, to which he too is loyal. Billy Slater is such a coveted Melbourne Storm asset that an out-of-contract Slater creates a bidding frenzy among rival clubs waiting to pry him out of the club and into their fold.
Billy showed his interest in the sport at the young age of 4 playing for the Innisfail Brothers Club in Queensland. His hometown is so proud of its famous football hero that last year the local sports oval at Callendar Park was named after the Billy Slater Oval. It’s an honor no other 26-year-old in league history has achieved. Among Slater’s other achievements, setting the Storm’s try record with 115 and being voted the best player in the world by winning the Rugby League International Football (RLIF) and Golden Boot Awards, both in 2008, are also milestones. his career.
For those unfamiliar with the league and its roster of superstars, the up-and-coming Storm legend just signed a new contract with the team and it looks like he’s staying with them. Billy Slater is a formidable powerhouse who takes a game by the horns but also knows how to be a team player. Although he was responsible for a sloppy pass that led to the Kiwis’ victory in the 2008 World Cup final, Slater is by no means invulnerable to mistakes, but he is the kind of athlete who doesn’t let an obstacle define or ruin your game or the rest of your career. He has his share of critics and naysayers from other clubs, but this only reinforces the fact that he is certainly a lethal figure when it comes to separating the winners from the losers.
Slater has come a long way from brash Innisfail youth soccer player to parade-worthy rugby league great. From ‘Billy the Pest’, his exceptional skills and distinctive chip-and-chase technique earned him the title ‘Billy the Kid’ and the admiration of veteran Channel 9 commentator Ray Warren while the rest of the rugby league watched as he dominated the captivating rookie. the arena and followed his burgeoning career in awe. Today, Slater is considered a poster boy for the NRL and his choice to stay until 2014 with Storm is an inspiration not only to the rest of the club’s players, but also to the raw new talent that wants to break into the game. team and play alongside this phenomenal athlete. .
