‘I was close to going’: Why Danny Walker chose Warrington Wolves over NRL

SAM BURGESS thought he had lost Danny Walker to the NRL, before the hometown hooker penned a new deal to stay at Warrington.

Walker, 25, had been set to sign for Canberra Raiders, but decided to keep his young family in the UK and aim to be part of the team that finally ends Warrington’s wait for a league title.

Burgess said: “I thought he had gone. I would have been happy for him in some capacity, but I think we’ve got to keep our home-grown talent and it’s a great sign for us as a club because he’s an exciting player with a lot going for him.

“It’s harder to keep your good homegrown players, because you’re under so much pressure from the NRL offering three or four times as much money and you’re constantly under that threat.

“I think there needs to be a bit more protection from a central point of view for Super League clubs to keep our English assets here, and keep the best players in the competition. Whether that’s central contracts or a dispensation for homegrown marquees I don’t know.”

For Walker, the prospect of the Wolves kicking on from an encouraging 2024 campaign in the next few seasons and getting the elusive Super League title was one he didn’t want to miss out on.

He enters his seventh season at Warrington in 2025, having broken into the England national team set-up over the past 18 months and will be a contender for the Ashes series at the end of the year.

“It took a fair bit of time, but now I’m just glad to know that for the next four or five years I’m here,” said Walker.

“I was close to going. My mind was changing probably every other day. When the season ended, I had a proper sit down and spoke to my family and had a good think about what I wanted out of my career. It’s a decision that I’m absolutely made up with and I’m really excited about the future.

“I think any player would be stupid not to listen to offers (from the NRL). But the one thing that swayed me in wanting to stay here is I could never forgive myself if I wasn’t part of the Warrington team that went on to win the Super League title and I’m really confident that we’ve got the squad that can do it.”