Walker set on making life difficult for Rovers’ opponents

When still just 19 and making his way at Castleford Tigers, he was perhaps best known for a fierce shoulder charge on Luke Burgess that left the Leeds Rhinos front-row with a jaw fractured in two places and missing out on Wembley.

The manner in which Walker – admittedly before knowing the full extent of his opponent’s injury – celebrated the hit showed just how much he relishes the game’s physical aspect.

But, in the intervening years since that 2010 fixture, he has proved to be much more than just a rudimentary wrecking ball.

“I’ve always prided my game on my aggression,” he told the Yorkshire Post, having switched to Hull KR during the off-season.

“That’s how I like to play. I go into games wanting to be aggressive and I won’t change that.”

As it stands, there are a few just like him in this Rovers team, not least twin brother Adam, as they prepare to host unbeaten Castleford this evening.

Anyone who saw Hull KR’s dramatic 24-24 draw at Huddersfield on Sunday will have been well aware of the ferocity of their forwards who seemed intent on niggling, snarling and intimidating their way through a fractious encounter.

Walker, who was at the centre of an incident with former Castleford team-mate Brett Ferres that led to a 26-man brawl, has a real ally in the shape of the notoriously hot-headed Australian prop Justin Poore.

He is banned tonight for punching in that fight – meaning the Walker props could start a Super League game together for the first time – while France second-row Kevin Larroyer is also proving a bit of a nuisance.

It is safe to say few Super League opponents will have anything easy against Rovers this term.

“I don’t know what they give us all at dinner time but it works,” laughed Walker.

“It’s always going to be a physical game against us, just because of the size of our pack.

“We know we had to dominate them to get on top and I thought we did that well.

“That’s what they asked of us and that’s what we wanted to do.

“Now we have to be the same against Cas.”

Rovers seek their first win of the season tonight – they overcame a 12-point deficit in the last two minutes to force that point against Huddersfield – and Walker admits he is loving playing in the same side as his brother again.

“It’s really good,” said the player, who turned 23 last week.

“We don’t stop arguing in training but then when it comes to the field we play together.

“We always played together as kids but then we just went our separate ways; he went to Huddersfield and I went to Cas.

“Victoria Gladiators in Bradford were our team. They were called Victoria Rangers at the time.

“(Huddersfield prop) Craig Kopczak was there and his dad used to help coaching.

“Koppy was older than us and he’d come down sometimes and help too. That shows he’s getting on now.”

Anyone who follows Hull KR players on Twitter will have seen pictures of the twins asleep as they made their daily commute along the M62 to Craven Park, their fondness for a bit of shut-eye apparently bordering on narcolepsy.

“It’s them lot – Keal Carlie, Jamie Langley and our assistant coach Chris Chester – that just send us to sleep with their boring conversations,” he explained.

“We just can’t stay awake and within five minutes of the journey we’re gone. But we’ve moved over to Hull now. We couldn’t put up with them any more.”

It was no surprise Hull KR came knocking for Walker when a move to Hull FC fell through last winter.

With props Mickey Paea, Ryan O’Hara and Evarn Tuimavave all leaving the East Yorkshire club for one reason or another, it was imperative coach Craig Sanderock bolstered his middle.

Walker does just that and, after nearly 50 Super League games with Castleford, feels the timing was right.

“I had a great time there at Cas’ and have nothing against them,” he insisted. “I just can’t wait to play against them and show how I’ve been playing, what I can do and how I’ve moved on now at Hull KR. It’s something I wanted to achieve and to get a win over them would be great.”

Undoubtedly, there will be a fascinating tussle with Craig Huby and Andy Lynch, the veteran prop who arrived from Hull to effectively fill Walker’s void.

“I played with Chubbs (Huby) for a while and know how he plays,” he added. “We need to control him and get aggressive with him and Lynch.

“If we do, we could get the two points and build on last week.”

For all they only secured a draw at last season’s League Leaders, the manner in which they did so – Travis Burns converting Omari Caro’s try after the hooter – left Rovers celebrating like they had actually won.

“Just the feeling at the end was unbelievable,” recalled Walker.

“The atmosphere that the Hull KR fans produced too was really good.

“We knew we could do it even though we were 24-6 down at half-time.

“In the first half we went well, but we just weren’t controlling the ball as much as we’d like and we were giving away silly penalties.

“It just turned against us did the game. We knew we could get to the point and bring it back and that’s what we did.

“I don’t think I’ll hear the end of it from Travis but it’ll be worse from Omari Caro. He’ll be telling me he won the game for us.

“Against a good side like Huddersfield, a point away from home has given us more confidence for this week.

“We’ve got a good side this year and want to prove people wrong.”

With the twin threats of these Walker brothers, they are well set.