Alex Walmsley has turned into one of the greatest Super League players in the history of the competition.
With the ability to take three or four men with him in every tackle, the giant front-rower strikes fear into the heart of his opponents.
But, his move to St Helens may never have come about had a Super League rival got there first.
Walmsley was playing at Leeds Metropolitan University (now Leeds Beckett) in 2011 when he caught the eyes of his coaches.
Paul Fletcher, Walmsley’s old coach, told Super League Stories: “I first met him at the freshers fair- that’s when we sign all the players on for the following season.
“He actually said to me, can I get a scholarship out of you? I said, mate you might not even get in my first-team. After he played the trial game, I looked at my assistant coach Paul Cook, and said how has he slipped through the net?
“He blew me away – I couldn’t believe he hadn’t been signed professionally by somebody.
“Paul Cook, who was the assistant coach at Huddersfield, brought Nathan Brown here as well and both Nathan and John Kear were watching him play.
“However, the cap had been filled at Huddersfield, so they couldn’t sign him.
As a result, John jumped at the chance to sign him.”
From Batley, Walmsley piqued the interest of St Helens. And, the rest they say, is history.
