Ricky Walford on his bush inspiration and the phone call that changed everything

Chimes is joined by Dragons legend Ricky Walford to discuss his extraordinary rise from humble beginnings to rugby league stardom. Walford opens up about his journey from a mission in Western New South Wales to the bright lights of Sydney, detailing the challenges he overcame to become one of the game's most respected wingers.

Life on the mission

The conversation began with Walford’s early years in Walgett, where he was raised in conditions far removed from the professional sporting world. He described the simplicity of his childhood and the importance of those roots. "It’s a shack... a tin humpy you pretty much call it. I can remember going down to the river getting a bucket of water with my grandmother and grandfather and then bringing it back, putting it in the copper with the fire underneath... to boil the clothes to wash the clothes."

The Bob Fulton phone call

A defining moment in Walford's career occurred while he was working at a local service station. Chimes and Walford revisited the day a call from rugby league immortal Bob Fulton changed the trajectory of his life. "The boss of the servo... poked his head out the door he says 'Rick there's a phone call for you. Bloke by the name of Bob Fulton.' And I'm filling the thing up and next minute the diesel's coming all over me, just flowing over the bloody bowser... washed my hands and there was Boza. He said, 'Mate, where are you? You got to be here.'"

Joining the Dragons and Roy Masters

After stints at Eastern Suburbs and North Sydney, Walford found his place at St George under the tutelage of Roy Masters. He shared the details of his contract negotiations and the step up to a top-tier club. "My cousin says, 'Why don't we do this... tell them if they up it to 25,000 we'll sign.' I thought, 'Oh geez, you might be pressing it,' but we went to the phone booth... and they said 'Done.' I was just about to punch him in the ribs... get that 20 grand cuz I could get a new car!"

The importance of bush footy

Walford remains a passionate advocate for regional rugby league, emphasizing that the "bush" is the lifeblood of the sport. He expressed his desire to see more support for country communities. "You still got to foster the game at a community level... to get the love for the game still going. It's hard... a lot of the communities don't have Junior League anymore, which is sad for me. You need to have that constant contact and communication with the communities to ensure that you keep the game alive in the country areas."

Leaving a legacy

Now a bush inspiration for many young players, Walford reflects on the honors bestowed upon him in his hometown, including the Ricky Walford Shield. "I think it’s a bit uneasy for me at times... there’s a lot of great people that came from here that probably deserve just as much recognition. But you can put it in the positive to say, 'Well okay, you worked hard, you took the opportunities... and you're still putting something back into the community.'"

Watch the full episode on Fanatics TV.