Footy star reveals his young son confronted rival who body-slammed him at halftime in one of the craziest acts the NRL has seen
Back in 2021, Lewis escaped with just a fine after he opted to strangely body slam Canterbury playmaker Walker at half-time during his side's 32-24 defeat by the Bunnies in Round 18.
The half-time buzzer had already gone and players were beginning to leave the pitch, when Lewis approached his opponent from behind, grabbed him and spun him into the ground.
A brawl ensued, with Walker's team-mates flying in to back up their halfback.
Several Canterbury players stood around looking perplexed at Lewis' antics, while Doggies coach Trent Barrett shook his head in disbelief as he watched on from the coaching box.
But in another very funny and bizarre twist to the tale, Walker, 35, revealed on The Unfiltered Show that his young son had confronted Lewis in the team hotel after the match.
'The funny thing, after that, was we were all staying at the same hotel. Bulldogs, Souths, Parra, Warriors and Canberra,' Walker told the podcast.
'And my son, right... he's got no filter. He talks to anyone and he is a maniac. He actually questioned him [Lewis].
'He goes: "Why'd you tackle my dad for?"'
Walker, who was in hysterics, couldn't remember the full exchange but revealed that Lewis had approached him about it afterwards.
'He goes: "Your son actually came up and questioned me..."' Walker said, giggling with laughter.
Walker and his partner Nellie have two sons together, Kian and Kade.
'It just sort of simmered the whole thing down, we just had a bit of a laugh about it,' he added.
'It was quite a funny experience when you think about it,' he added on the body slam. 'It sort of gave us an edge a bit because he got sin-binned after that and then we ran 'em over then.'
'It was strange.'
At the time, Walker was reluctant to reveal what had been said between the pair, but when pressed again on their exchange on the podcast, he revealed their conversation was actually quite mundane.
'I'm not sure if you remember correctly but I made a bit of a break down the sideline to finish the half,' Walker said, recounting the moment.
'I sort of stepped back in and Will Hopoate tackled me and I think Lachlan Lewis was on top.
'Something happened, I can't remember.
'He grabbed me or touched me or something and I was just said: "Don't f***ing touch me!"
'It was when we were all getting off each other and I can't remember what happened. Then he just said: "What did you say?"
Walker then repeated himself, before adding: 'Then he just grabs me!
'That was it. If you hear that story, it wasn't anything in particular.
'I held onto the ball,' he added laughing.
'I tried to grab him and I'm holding onto the ball, I don't know why I'm holding onto the ball.'
At the age of 35, Walker is now one of the oldest players in the NRL, behind Daly Cherry-Evans and Mark Nicholls, and is showing no signs of slowing down.
The Rabbitohs club legend began his professional NRL career with the Bunnies back in 2016 and has since gone on to return 100 tries over 220 games.
Lewis, the nephew of NRL legend Wally Lewis, went on to play 43 times for the Bulldogs between 2018 and 2021 before being delisted by the club.
His contract was torn up by the club after he had attempted to sell a sound speaker on eBay that was gifted to clubs by the NRL during COVID.
No NRL clubs subsequently enquired on his availability, meaning Lewis is not made an appearance in the NRL since.
Despite that, Lewis went viral back in 2022 after sharing a heartwarming clip of himself and his daughter Halli on his TikTok account.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Kym Marsh puts on a leggy display in a floral minidress as she films dramatic scenes for Channel 5 series Imposter in a beachside carpark in Melbourne
Kym Marsh put on a leggy display in a red floral minidress as she filmed dramatic scenes for her new Channel 5 series Imposter on Tuesday. The British actress, put on an animated display as she arrived on set in a beachside carpark in Melbourne, Australia. Kym turned heads in the eye catching number which she teamed with a pair of orange lace up woven wedges and a grey jacket. The former Hear'Say singer was spotted arriving on set in a pair of black UGG boots and was wrapped up in a long black padded coat. Braving the winter weather in Australia, Kym slipped off her cosy shoes for the heeled sandals and was helped into her cropped grey jacket by a crew member. She looked in good spirits as she chatted away to crew members while holding a hot beverage. The former soap star was joined on set by Australian actress Jane Harber, who cut a smart figure in a blue suit which she layered over a shirt and dark waistcoat. Kym and Jame will share the screen with Dani Minogue and Neighbours legend Jackie Woodburne. Imposter is said to be centred around a murder at a seaside resort. Jackie will play matriarch Helen, whose refusal to sell her seaside hotel sparks a dramatic family feud with her three adult children. The series marks Jackie's first non-Neighbours role in more than 30 years. The plot thickens when Amanda, played by Kym, arrives claiming to be Helen's long-lost daughter given up for adoption years ago. As Amanda integrates into the family, doubts arise about her true identity, leading to a gripping tale of deception and betrayal that culminates in murder. It comes after Kym seemingly hit back at a viral 'fat-shaming' clip from her Hear'Say heyday as she flashed her abs in a mirror selfie on Instagram. She looked chilly as a crew member fixed her summery outfit ahead of the scene The former soap star was joined on set by Australian actress Jane Harber, who cut a smart figure in a blue suit which she layered over a shirt and dark waistcoat In the resurfaced 2002 clip, the singer was seen being ordered to ' lose weight ' by judge Nigel Lythgoe - who earned the nickname 'Nasty Nigel' for his scathing behaviour on pioneering ITV talent show Popstars. Now, taking to social media, Kym showed off her sizzling figure as she posed for a new selfie. The star turned heads as she flaunted her toned physique in a black sports bra and leggings. 'Building a better me,' she penned on top of the snap. It comes after her former bandmate Myleene Klass, 47, took to Instagram to lash out at comments made by judge Nigel on the ITV show. During their time on the show, Nigel criticised Kym's looks and instructed her to 'lose some weight' as he quizzed her over her diet and fitness during the formation of Hear'Say, their band which ran from 2001 to 2002. In the clip, Kym asked, 'Do you think I'm fat?', to which Nigel replied, 'I think you've put weight on over Christmas, are you exercising, is the diet right?' Kym replied: 'I've just started it today', prompting Nigel to add, 'You need to lose some weight you're going on show six weeks from now, six weeks.' Myleene has reshared the video to her Instagram Stories and said being fat-shamed was a 'daily' occurrence, while stylists would remove sizes from clothes to hide 'the shame' of having double-digit sizes. She wrote: 'Yes Daily. Stylist often cut the sizes out of some bands outfits to hide the 'shame' of 'double digits'. 'My Hear'say diaries are FULL of this s***. The boys were also shamed. Remember, TFI Friday had scales on set.' Kym has been open about her struggles with self-image in the past, saying she became bulimic after she started comparing herself to smaller girls while at stage school when she was younger.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
‘Anything half-arsed will not be tolerated': a night at the most chaotic, beloved dance battle in regional Australia
Every country town has its explosive Facebook page, and Castlemaine – 90 minutes north-west of Melbourne – is no exception. 'Castlemania' regularly flares up with heated debates: about supermarket monopolies, speed limits and whether or not people should have bought a house near a gun range if they're not keen on loud bangs. On Saturday night at the annual costumed dance battle Hot Moves No Pressure, the arguments take human form. Inspired by the Facebook keyboard warriors, members of the Castlemaniacs dance troupe whip open their suit jackets to reveal the logos of the warring local supermarkets. At the end of their routine, they reveal 'CARSTLEMAINE' spelled across their backs: a nod to the popular local rebuke that 'There's no 'R' in Castlemaine.' (Real locals pronounce it 'Cassle'.) This is the fourth iteration of Hot Moves No Pressure, and its host venue, Boomtown Winery, is heaving. Yet there are no tickets for the public. This year there are 150 dancers across 18 groups – so after each performer gets their plus one, the venue is at capacity. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Some dancers formed groups specifically so they could get a ticket. 'In 2023 I waited in line for two hours to get into this absolute candy land,' says Amy Carmichael of All Fours, a group named after Miranda July's ode to perimenopausal lust, who hump out their womanly frustrations while wearing bankers shirts over nude shapewear. 'There was a big crowd left outside, watching through the window.' After the date is announced, dancers have 12 weeks to sort a backing track, costumes and choreography, with the knowledge that anything half-arsed will not be tolerated. Groups go head-to-head in battle rounds, with the audience deciding the winners in a cheer-off. There's no ultimate finale – by the time proceedings are three hours deep, delirium overpowers decision-making. Personal highlights include The Mainesplainers, who are zipped in blue flight jumpsuits to throw shapes to Charlie xcx's I Love It, then assembling into a human rocket to take off to Enya's Sail Away; the Fisters, who are dressed up demurely for a Regency-era ball, but wind up going gangsta to Doja Cat's Boss Bitch; Super Duper Troupers – a cute-as-hell marching band drilling new life into the Proclaimers' I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles); the Menowhores, who channel Stevie Nicks' white winged doves through their creepy feathery fingers; and crowd favourites Fab Five, who skittle onstage as spooked-looking medical subjects, freshly escaped from a lab. Each troupe is wholly original, but there are some common features: intense facial expressions, lascivious thrusting and multiple costume reveals. That it's hosted each year in such a small town is precisely what makes it special. 'What I love about Hot Moves is you think, 'Oh my god, that's my doctor getting sexy to Prince.' You get to see a totally different side to people,' says Shera Blaise, one of the organisers of the event, wearing a 'DANCE MOM' sash. Blaise was originally a member of Lady Fun Times, a performance collective founded in 2016 by Rosie Annear (now the town's mayor) that swelled to 25 members. When the interest overwhelmed them, it was decided a local event would be more practical. Hot Moves No Pressure is also a close cousin of Castlemaine Idyll, an annual Voice-style sing-off held at arts precinct Lot 19 that attracts big numbers and bigger costumes. Both are reflective of the town's tendency to go above and beyond in the name of art: like that time 100 locals spent three years making a frame-for-frame recreation of Jurassic Park. Castlemaine's community centre often gets involved. This year, Community House connected 'orphans' new to town so they could form a troupe together. That group became the Castlemaniacs. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion 'One of the key reasons I moved from Melbourne was to feel more connected to a community,' says team member Sarah Sorsby. 'Being an introvert, I was readying myself to say 'yes' to things I ordinarily wouldn't. It's difficult to articulate just how important this experience has been. The world can feel very heavy at times and we all need more silliness and kindness in our lives.' Tim Watson, of Panic Attack at the Disco, has taken part every year. 'I still remember the feeling that first year,' he says. 'I was on a natural high for the next week. It was like a primary school fantasy come true. Your town and friends are there cheering you on like crazy, making you feel like that kid in you is the biggest glam rock star in the world.' Sometimes, people get carried away: last year someone opened a vat of wine at the rear of the stage and sprayed the audience with it. Tonight, during a performance from the Nudibranch Crew, the power is fritzed; maybe from one sequin too many being adhered by the hot glue gun backstage. In the dark, the crowd turns the song that was cut short – Nelly's Hot in Herre – into a frenzied a capella, and by the light of someone's phone, the Rural Hot Bitches, dressed in cowhide, lead a hoedown to Dolly Parton's 9-5. It's a testament to the goodwill of everyone involved that by the time power is restored, not one iota of enthusiasm has been lost. 'It's the most fun you can have while wearing pants,' as Emma Shannon of the Crotch Capacitators puts it. 'But pants are optional.'
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Five to watch: the Wallaroos who can shape the Women's Rugby World Cup
Australia begin their Women's Rugby World Cup campaign with a clash against Samoa on 23 August and high hopes of at least matching their best result at the tournament when it was last held in England. The Wallaroos finished third at the global showpiece 15 years ago but if the current No 6-ranked side are to survive their pool, let alone snatch a breakthrough World Cup crown, they must first face down the game's biggest star, the US's Ilona Maher, as well as host England. These are the five players who can help lift the Wallaroos to new heights and lay down a marker before Australia host the World Cup in 2029. At only 163cm, Sydney winger Miller is the Wallaroos' pocket rocket at this World Cup. The former gymnastics prodigy boasts serious pedigree – her aunty Gail won gold in water polo at the 2000 Olympics and an uncle represented Australia as a boxer. Most vitally, the 23-year-old has got speed to burn and evasive skills to light up this tournament. Miller only took up rugby in 2021 when Covid left her itching for more physicality from sport. The core fitness, leg strength and flexibility she had honed on the gymnastics mat made her an instant success and elite striking skills from her football days make her a handy goalkicker. With her arsenal of athletic gifts, Miller inspired the Waratahs to the 2024 Super Rugby title, scoring three tries in the grand final, then rising to the occasion with another four for the Wallaroos against Fiji in July. That explosive power and courage in contact make Miller key to Australia's left-edge attack. The 18-cap flyer has shelved a double degree in psychology and cognitive science to chase her rugby dreams. Yet having scored so often and never celebrated with a pike, sissone or backflip (although she has done the splits in a team photo), there'd be no better place for Miller to dip into her gymnast's bag of tricks than after a match-winner at this World Cup. The larrikin utility back from central Queensland finished the 2024 Test season as the Wallaroos' highest scorer with 81 points. But Cramer arrives at this World Cup with a point to prove, having been displaced from her favoured full-back spot by rookie Caitlyn Halse. Playing the 2021 tournament in New Zealand means Cramer's big-match experience and icy calm attitude under fire across her 30 Tests will be crucial in Australia's quest for a semi-final berth. At 32, Cramer's value on the playing field is matched by her team-bonding qualities in the squad. A proud Indigenous woman from the Yiman people, the self-described 'old chook' has deep life experience, having taught resilience skills as a youth worker in high schools. Then there is her work as a labourer. Cramer's Instagram is full of videos of her wielding jackhammers and cement mixers on the job. Surely there is no truer 'utility' in the game. Cramer has of late put aside a passion for growing cactus to play for Exeter Chiefs in the UK where she is a beloved favourite with fans and teammates on the team bus. That experience in English conditions – and her hybrid skills from touch football, football and rugby sevens – could be crucial in this World Cup tilt, and Cramer's mooted future as a coach. If World Cup experience counts, these Wallaroos need look no further than Marsters. The 2025 tournament will be the 31-year-old flanker's third after featuring in 2014 and 2021, and she goes into rugby's big jamboree as the most-capped Wallaroo with 40 Tests. She's done it with great tenacity and versatility, having played flanker, hooker, tighthead or loosehead prop (once all three in a single Test), even filling in as a centre at the 2014 World Cup. Ever since she ran out for Boroondara juniors as a four-year-old, Marsters has been a ball player, as dextrous with her offloads as she is dynamic in her charges. Little wonder the Western Force poached the longtime Melbourne Rebel as their marquee signing in 2025. And if recent form is an indicator, Marsters has plenty of football left in her. A gatecrashing try against Wales earlier this month showed the hunger and cunning of the Victorian veteran, exactly the sort of ruthlessness the Wallaroos need to smash out of the World Cup pool stages. After the Australian women's sevens side won Olympic gold in Brazil in 2016, a generation of schoolgirls back home started to dream of wearing the gold. Many are now bursting through the ranks as sevens stars and Wallaroos, with gifted flyhalf Hinds leading the new wave of hybrid heroes by debuting at a World Cup. The Maroubra Magic playmaker is a mix of the nation's football codes, having excelled at Australian rules, rugby league and touch football before becoming the youngest member of the sevens squad at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The then teenager kicked on even further in 2022, winning rugby's coveted sevens triple crown – a gold medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, plus titles at the World Cup and world series final. After a second Olympics in Paris and some goal kicking glory in Madrid, Hinds – 'Dolly' to her mates – joined injured sevens star Charlotte Caslick in switching from rugby sevens to the 15-a-side game and made her Test debut in May this year against Fiji. Loving Hinds' spark, coach Jo Yapp went on to blood the young gun in Tests against Canada, New Zealand and Wales. A criminology student away from rugby, Hinds is the Wallaroos' secret weapon at the World Cup. The last 12 months has seen the three youngest debutants in Wallaroos history – Halse (17 years, 242 days), Ruby Anderson (18 years, six days) and Ellis (17 years, 305 days). Of that trio, Ellis is smallest – 160cm and 60kg – but may have the biggest future. 'Baba' has been playing against women twice her size since debuting for the Waratahs aged 16. The trick, Ellis will twinkle, is simply not to get tackled. The Blacktown Scorpion winger rarely is, putting on the jets with such flair during the last 18 months that she won a Test debut against the Black Ferns in July and then blasted her way into this World Cup squad. Another Australian representative gymnast who tore up junior touch football and OzTag before rugby called, Ellis is a tiny dancer set for big things, if not at this tournament then at the 2029 World Cup in Australia. Don't judge Ellis by her size, warns Yapp. 'When you see what she lifts in the gym and how she fronts up physically in training, you know she doesn't play small.'
