Charlie Walker interview: Does the Premiership's middle tier still exist?
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 Charlie Morgan, rugby reporter
19 DECEMBER 2019 • 11:32AM
 

A year ago, Charlie Walker received an evening phone call from Paul Gustard.

Harlequins’ head of rugby was ringing around a large chunk of his senior squad, informing players that they could begin looking for employment elsewhere.

“A bit of panic spread around the club,” admits Walker, who finished up with a prolific record of 27 tries from 60 Premiership appearances, and 44 in 96 across all competitions, for Harlequins.

“I had a couple of nibbles from other Premiership teams and clubs over in France, but nothing was set in stone.”

Still just 26, Walker began drifting towards the end of his eighth and final season at Harlequins. He started a personal training course alongside centre Henry Cheeseman, a teammate who had also been released.

“On Fridays, when the first-team are doing a team run, your session is the hardest of the week,” explains Walker. “Quite frankly, when there are 17 of you who are not there next year, it is not a lot of fun.

“You have coaches trying to big you up and saying you might play, but you know there is no real reason to play you because you are not there next year.

“You’re aware it’s a business but thinking ‘I’m not wanted here anymore’ puts you in a pretty difficult place, especially without anything coming up.

“You have to do all the Saturday duties at games and eat your words when fans tell you that you should stick around next year. You play some pretty dark A League games.”

As winter turned to spring, Conor O’Shea contacted Walker. Italy’s boss, a friendly face from happier times at Harlequins, asked about future plans.


O’Shea connected Walker with Michael Bradley, Zebre’s head coach. There was space for a “one plus one” contract – one year with an option to stay with the Parma-based Pro 14 outfit for a second season.

The deal meant a pay-cut for Walker, a pacey, intelligent ball-player. While these are becoming more common as the middle of English rugby is squeezed, it must have been a challenge for his self-esteem.

“It’s a hard one,” he says. “I wanted my value to be the same as it was at Quins but, ultimately, I had played three or four games in my last year there.

“It was a completely different time to when I was re-signing before under John Kingston. I’d been one of his first signings [of the year], so you know you have a bit more leverage.

“They will put a decent price on the table if they come to you that early. At the end of the year, you are not in the driving seat.

“Zebre came to me with a considerably smaller amount of money than I was on at Quins. But it was also a lot better than zero, which was where my other offers were at that point.

“Being in that position for the first time, I wanted security. I had a mortgage to pay in London.”

A pair of compatriots, lock Dave Sisi and ex-Northampton Saints wing Jamie Elliott, an England age-group colleague back in 2012, helped Walker settle. He is enjoying himself at a “relaxed, welcoming” club while making progress with a new language.

Zebre continue to struggle in the Pro 14, although a 39-12 victory over Dragons at Rodney Parade this month, in which right wing Walker scored a powerful try, was uplifting.

“I didn’t realise but it was something like the third ever away win that club has had. All the foreigners were relieved and happy. All of the Italians were celebrating like they’d won the treble.

“That’s when you realise where you’re coming from. Some of these players [at Zebre] have gone through their careers losing 70 per cent of their games. You’ve got to enjoy wins.

“The infrastructure and the finances here might never be what they are for other teams in the competition but we can make the most of what we’ve got.”

The process of squad-building in the Premiership under a salary cap makes it straightforward for anyone to scan Harlequins’ teamsheets and make an educated guess as to how Walker’s wages have been redistributed.

South African Travis Ismaiel has arrived at the Twickenham Stoop. A pair of young wings, Gabriel Ibitoye and Cadan Murley, are getting a decent amount of game-time. It must be difficult to ward off resentment when you are undoubtedly more experienced. Walker shrugs.

“Three or four years ago I might have looked at someone getting re-signed and think: ‘Why’s that? He’s no better than me’. The main difference was that I knew I was on a good contract.

“Gussy told me the reason they were not re-signing me was that I was too expensive for what they wanted to pay me. Clubs have the option of keeping younger, cheaper guys as squad players or keep middle-tier guys and push them through.

“But that doesn’t seem to be the way it’s going at the moment. The gap’s getting bigger between the top players and the squad players.”

Walker has seen peers join National One teams: “It must be an appealing league for guys who think ‘well, actually, I’ve been mugged off once in rugby, why don’t I try a different avenue and play for the fun?’” And the Championship is a viable option for him if he fancies coming home.

Potential suitors from the Premiership have shown interest in the latter part of 2019. However, with admirable honesty, Walker accepts that he would have to alter his horizons, at least initially, on a second spell in England.

“I know I won’t get the same wage back in the Premiership as I did at Quins,” he says.

“As much as I would want to be first-choice, most back-three players in the Premiership are internationals now.

“Having no offers last year to some this year is a nice place to be, but I would have to be in a different mind-set.”

I always really rated Charlie. He offered something different and had a good strike rate. His defence was ok for someone his size too, mainly as his pace allowed him to get himself out of trouble and chase back.

There were always rumours that he wasn't the greatest trainer and maybe didn't have the best attitude - obviously I have no idea if that's true or not.

If he was on a decent salary then I can see why we'd spend it elsewhere, though I'd really hope that Ismael cost considerably less than Charlie

It seems to me that we have several wingers in the squad who aren't as good as Charlie was and probably won't ever be so I remain disappointed he has gone.

However finances are obviously an issue - unless you have been cheating everyone else in the league for years and years of course.

It seems to me that we have several wingers in the squad who aren't as good as Charlie was and probably won't ever be so I remain disappointed he has gone.

However finances are obviously an issue - unless you have been cheating everyone else in the league for years and years of course.

...who would do that? who could possibly keep everyone and sign a load more internationals and keep within the cap...? ah yes, the Salary Cheats...nearly forgot.

I like Charlie. He has raw pace and a great step. I wish we'd been able to shore up his defence, but it seems like it was purely a financial decision. That strike rate though...

We used to say 'Charlie starts, Charlie scores' and as often as not he did.

If Charlie hadn’t had any interest from other clubs could he have agreed a lower salary to stay. I think he is better than any of his replacements. That’s if Gussie wanted him at all.

I think Murley is a better all round player, although not as quick as Walker.

I really don’t understand why would we would sign Ismaiel and Goneva who both must be on a good whack but hardly play (and not setting the world alight when they do) when we could have kept Walker on a reduced wage? He always gave 100% and was one of the best finishers we had.

Most likely as an injury replacement for Earle. 
I doubt that Ismaiel and Goneva are on that good a whack.  Goneva is towards the end of his career and was playing in a team that was demoted and probably had to trim a few players to save money.