Rugby league legend Brad Fittler says prodigious halfback Sam Walker would be getting "hammered" at the Broncos and says he's lucky to be at the Roosters because of the quality personnel around him.
Walker was an Ipswich Jets junior and a member of the Broncos' development system, but Brisbane botched their recruitment of the young star and the Tricolours snapped him up midway through 2019.
The 18-year-old has since shone on the NRL stage, firing ever since getting his chance in round four through injuries to Luke Keary and Lachlan Lam.
Fittler said the quality men at Walker's side - the likes of coach Trent Robinson and senior cattle Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Jake Friend and the Morris brothers - had been critical to the rising No.7's success.
"Everything is about where you start - without a doubt," Fittler said on Wide World of Sports' Freddy and The Eighth.
"When I started, not only did you have Greg Alexander, who was running the show, but Royce Simmons, Peter Kelly - these men that would guide you through.
"If you got too cocky they'd give you a clip under the ear and then they'd also really encourage you to be young, because that's what they loved about what you did - just coming in with a heap of energy.
"So everything is about coming and having the right people around you and the coaches obviously, as well."
The Broncos have lost a long list of highly talented troops in recent years. Not only have they coughed up, either from their NRL squad of 30 or their junior system, precocious youngsters like Walker, David Fifita, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, Kalyn Ponga and Reece Walsh, but calming influences like Andrew McCullough, Josh McGuire and Kodi Nikorima.
"If you put Sam Walker right now in that Brisbane team he'd get hammered," Fittler said."
Johns is baffled that the Broncos let a young player of Walker's calibre sign with another club.
"You watch him playing against blokes of his own age for the last three or four years - I've seen YouTube clips," Johns said.
"He looks like he's on another planet, he's that good.
"They've got so many players in their catchment, similarly to Newcastle. You've got to identify those ones that are special and coach them up and keep them there."
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from WWOS https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/news-2021-sydney-roosters-brisbane-broncos-roster-sam-walker-andrew-johns-brad-fittler/b58a824d-3db3-4f97-a00e-01e43eb9eef2
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