The premiership-winning Roosters halfback is set to line up in the green and gold for the first time as part of a new-look halves pairing with Tom Dearden. Cameron Munster has been named on the bench, and Mitchell Moses' World Cup campaign is over due to a leg injury.
Walker will become one of the hottest properties on the open market if he hasn't signed an extension with the Roosters by the November 1 free agency deadline. The 24-year-old has said he hopes to sign a new deal before then, with his camp reportedly seeking close to $1.7 million a season over four years from 2028, while the Roosters are reportedly prepared to offer around $1.5 million a season.
Now with an NRL premiership and three Maroons caps to his name, Walker is poised to become one of the highest-paid players in the game, but he is determined not to let his contract situation distract him.
“There's no looking at that at the moment,” Walker said on Tuesday. “My goal is completely on Sunday, and once that all happens I'll be able to sit down and have a good look about it. But at the moment, my goal is to represent Australia and get that jersey done first.”
Walker and Dearden came through the Broncos' academy together but have not played alongside each other at the scrum base. Walker replaced an injured Dearden (syndesmosis) for this year's State of Origin series, in which he starred in game one and claimed man of the match honours in game two.
Munster is expected to come straight back into the No.6 jumper after being given a rest against Fiji, but Walker was not viewing the battle in Brisbane as a shootout between him and Dearden for the right to join Munster in the halves.
“We've almost grown up with each other, our families have known each other for a very long time, and Tommy and I have been mates for a long time,” Walker said. “There's no talk about that [a shootout]. Whatever is best for the Australian side – we're really clear on that. Our focus at the moment is Sunday, and putting our best foot forward for our country.”
Walker, born in Leeds, joked that his family “would've killed me if I represented anyone other than Australia”.
He overcame a syndesmosis injury suffered in round 26 that could have ended his season, but he was cleared to return for the Roosters' preliminary final against the Dolphins barely a month later, putting himself in the frame to succeed the injured Nathan Cleary and Moses.
“I had to work really hard there for about a month and sacrificed a lot. I had to work really hard at my rehab and make sure I could put myself back in the best position for the Roosters,” Walker said. “I'm really proud of the team at the Roosters for getting into a position where I could allow myself to come back because we had a couple of weeks there where it was knockout footy.”
Walker will feature in a new-look spine against Fiji, with he and Dearden joined by fullback James Tedesco (replacing Reece Walsh) and hooker Blayke Brailey, who makes his own Test debut with Harry Grant rested.
Brailey established himself as one of the more creative dummy-halves in the NRL this season, earning his maiden NSW call-up in the process and managing 15 try assists and 14 linebreak assists in Cronulla's run to the semi-finals. The 28-year-old said his style would not clash with Walker's.
“I know he plays ad-lib, he likes to be off the cuff, he likes to be all-out attack – so hopefully that complements my game well,” Brailey said. “I think the way he moves and the way he plays [suits me]. I was a half myself, and I kind of know where he's going to be and how he's going to play, so hopefully we do link up and really connect.”