A young, talented hooker in Kiama’s under 18’s rugby league squad was honoured with the Kevin Walsh Scholarship to cap off a rewarding season.
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Kade Roberts, 16, was a standout among Group Seven candidates aged 15-16 who were judged on character, presentation, academic achievement, sporting achievement, community work and knowledge and history of Kevin Walsh.
“It’s a pretty big honour to win, not many people from Kiama have won it lately,” Roberts said.
“It’s important to acknowledge the great life of Kevin Walsh (scroll to bottom of article for Walsh’s bio), he’s been influential in the Group Seven community.”
The lean Kiama Knights hooker relies on power and a technique passed onto him from his dad, Glenn ‘Gummy’ Roberts.
“It’s all about power, speed and committing to tackles,” Roberts said.
“You have to commit to them, if you don’t go hard into them, you’re just going to get hurt.
“I tackle low, it’s what dad’s told me from the start and I’ve just gone with it.
“Most people tackle high these days, I’ve stuck with the old-style tackle, it’s gotten me through.”
Roberts joins the ranks of 10 Kiama Knights players to win the scholarship, which gives him a chance to train with the St George Illawarra Dragons and $500 towards schooling.
The Dragons supporter is eager to meet Tyson Frizell and Cameron McInnes.
“My ultimate dream is to play for the Dragons, it’s an honour to be able to train with them, I’m looking forward to it,” Roberts said.
At the start of the 2018 season, Roberts was forced to make a tough call – stick with his home club and contend with players up to two years older than himself in the seniors competition, or leave the club and finish his junior career elsewhere.
Roberts accepted the challenge to play in the senior’s competition, and hasn’t looked back.
“It’s a massive step there, they’re a lot bigger and a lot stronger,” he said.
“I sort of got used to it after a few games and I got into the grind of it all.”
Roberts was spurred on by several man of the match awards early in the season.
“They were massive for the confidence,” he said.
Roberts has been an asset to the under 18’s with his positive talk, ability to guide fellow players and defensive play.
In 2019, Roberts aspires to captain the Knights’ under 18’s team.
“Captain is what I’m going for,” he said.
“I will try and get the local players back that left last year to play in under 16’s sides, and captain them.”
Wherever his career takes him, Roberts is certain his three greatest supporters, “Mum, Dad and Nan,” will be watching on from the sidelines, as they have from day dot.
Background on Kevin Walsh
Source: Group Seven
Kevin Walsh was much more than just a Jamberoo dairy farmer – he gave a lifetime of service to the community, and in particularly to rugby league.
Kevin was a long-time player with the Jamberoo club and was noted as a fierce competitor and played in what was a very competitive Jamberoo pack which had many epic battles with keen local rivals Kiama and Gerringong.
After his retirement he got heavily involved in administration, becoming a life member of the Jamberoo club and Group 7 juniors in 1962 and the senior body four years later in 1966. Kevin was also the foundation president of the Group 7 (now Kiama) Leagues Club where he worked tirelessly to make sure the club was well established and it has now become the focal point of rugby league activities in the Group, with the league’s office and most meetings held there. However it was as an Australian selector that Kevin probably became most famous, with this keen eye for talent meaning many country footballers were recognised when they would have perhaps been overlooked, and he was credited for discovering a young centre from Gerringong who became a household name – Michael Cronin. He was an Australian selector for 15 years, country selector for 19 years and Group 7 selector for 23 years.
Tragically, Kevin lost his battle with cancer in March 1975 at the age of only 58, and Kiama Municipal Council honoured his memory with the naming of Jamberoo’s main sporting field as Kevin Walsh Oval – fitting tribute to a man who contributed so much to rugby league not only in Jamberoo but also in the South Coast Group 7 area.