Billy Slater

Hailing from Innesfail in rugged far north Queensland, Billy Slater’s rugby league days began in the tough local Foley Shield competition, where his father and uncles had played before him. The struggle Billy endured to pursue the game, from his modest roots and remote locale, is symptomatic of the strength of character and physicality that saw him go on to play for the Melbourne Storm and eventually be voted the best footballer in the world. Now John Ellicott presents a finely crafted portrait of the star fullback: from his Spanish background and his family’s beginnings up north, to the great rivalries of the Queensland towns who battled it out for the Foley Shield, through the eyes of former coaches and players who knew him. He has had a successful career: at Melbourne he set the club record for most ever tries and NRL record for most ever tries by a fullback. Slater also won three grand finals, the Clive Churchill Medal and the Dally M Medal with the Storm. With the Kangaroos he was the 2008 World Cup's top try-scorer and player of the tournament and won the 2008 Golden Boot Award as the World player of the year. Slater was also the winner of the television game show Australia's Greatest Athlete in 2009 and 2010. In 2012 he was the highest scoring fullback try scorer in the NRL. He scored the first try in Melbourne's 2013 World Club Challenge win over Leeds, he played at fullback for Australia in the 2013 ANZAC Test victory against New Zealand. He scored a hat-trick (3 Tries) against the Brisbane Broncos. Slater played all three games of the 2013 State of Origin series in which Queensland extended their record for consecutive series victories to eight. During 2013 Slater also became the 8th player in history of the League to score 150 tries. He was selected in Australia's 24-man squad for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, which Australia won. The trials and tribulations, blood, sweat and tears that went into what became a victorious lifetime in Rugby League, are revealed and celebrated in this riveting biography.