Shannon Walker (rugby League) - Career - Before The NRL & Queensland Cup Success

Before The NRL & Queensland Cup Success

Shannon Walker grew up in the rural country town of Kyogle in a large family as one of eight children. Walker spent most of his adolescence growing up in his home town, with a move to Bundaberg, Queensland attending primary school at East Bundaberg SPS and representing the Bundaberg Primary Schoolboys Rep teams. Walker developed a passion for rugby league with the Kyogle Turkeys, playing for the club from the age of 5 and eventually playing first grade for the side at the age of 16. In 2006, a year after representing Kyogle in first grade, Walker moved north to the Gold Coast to further his professional league career. He enrolled with the renowned rugby league nursery Palm Beach Currumbin High School and in his first year with the college was selected for the 2006 Queensland Schoolboys team and 2006 Australian Schoolboys Tour of Britain and France, where in the Australians first match against Wales Walker was named man-of-the-match.

The following year in 2007 Walker began playing Colts rugby for the Gold Coast Titans feeder club, the Tweed Heads Seagulls, where he shone at junior level and quickly elevated into playing in the Queensland Cup senior side. The Seagulls and Walker had a brilliant season as the club reached the Queensland Cup Grand-Final, where they defeated 2006 Premiers Redcliffe Dolphins 28-18 giving Walker an early taste of Premiership success. His performance through the season was duly recognized as he was awarded the 'Courier Mail Queensland Cup Player-of-the-Year Award' and Gold Coast Titans 'Young Player-of-the-Year'.