A FAIRYTALE finish looms for Melbourne Storm fullback Billy Slater in Sunday’s NRL grand final against Sydney Roosters and Port Sharks centre Luke Ackroyd will be there.
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But not only will he be at ANZ Stadium, he’ll have the privilege of witnessing Slater’s last-ever match with Slater-mad six-year-old son Bailey.
On the other side of the equation will be four-year-old son Flynn who won’t be in the crowd – he’ll be watching the match with his grandmother and mother.
“Flynn was a Storm fan until all it took from his grandmother was to say cock-a-doodle-do with a hand signal and that was it, it was the Roosters ever since,” Ackroyd said.
“He’s had everything bought by her, he’s got a Roosters teddy, he’s got a Rooster dressed up in Roosters gear, he’s got Roosters bed sheets, so I clearly lost that one.”
Unfortunately there can only be one winner.
Ackroyd said supporting the tricolours meant the youngest of the two simply “didn’t deserve to go the grand final”.
“He doesn’t deserve to go when he goes for the Roosters, so he’ll go to his nan’s place and commiserate down there with her,” he laughed.
“Bailey chose the Storm all by himself with absolutely no influence from me."
Twelve months ago, the Sharks lost the Group 3 reserve grade grand final before the Storm claimed the Telstra Premiership.
Ackroyd will hope history repeats after the Sharks reggies again fell at the final hurdle in 2018.
He was looking forward to witnessing Slater’s final game; one he thought was unlikely before the fullback was cleared at the judiciary on Tuesday night.
“I was hugely surprised he got off,” he said.
“I was thinking there was no way he would so I was ready for Jarome Hughes to play, so for Billy to play it’s an unexpected bonus.
“There’s one last game for the greatest-ever fullback to play and I get to see it with my boy, so it’s very exciting.”
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