Australian · Innisfail, Australia · Born 16 July 1988Australian rugby league fullback widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, known for his speed, agility and attacking flair.
Born in Nambour, Queensland, on July 16, 1983, William "Billy" Slater grew up in the small town of Innisfail in far north Queensland. The son of a sugarcane farmer, Slater initially showed promise in athletics and Australian rules football before focusing on rugby league. His exceptional speed and natural ball-handling skills caught the attention of scouts, leading to his recruitment by Melbourne Storm as a teenager. Slater made his NRL debut with Melbourne Storm in 2003 and quickly established himself as the competition's premier fullback. His career coincided with one of the most successful periods in Storm's history, winning premierships in 2007, 2009, and 2012. Known for his acrobatic finishing ability, lightning pace, and fearless defensive work under the high ball, Slater revolutionized the fullback position by becoming deeply involved in his team's attacking structure. His combination with halfback Cooper Cronk and five-eighth Cameron Smith formed one of rugby league's most potent spine combinations. At representative level, Slater's achievements were equally impressive. He played 31 State of Origin matches for Queensland between 2004 and 2017, winning nine series and scoring 18 tries. His international career spanned 30 Test matches for Australia from 2003 to 2017, during which he scored 18 tries and was part of successful World Cup campaigns in 2013 and 2017. Slater won the Dally M Medal as the NRL's best player three times (2009, 2011, 2018) and was inducted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame. Slater retired in 2018 after 319 NRL games and 190 tries, having transformed the fullback position from primarily defensive to a dynamic attacking role. His influence extended beyond statistics through his professionalism and innovative playing style, inspiring a generation of fullbacks to adopt a more expansive approach to the position.
Being one of the greatest rugby league fullbacks of all time
How They Played
Electric pace, exceptional footwork, outstanding support play, and ability to create and finish tries from fullback
Lasting Impact
Revolutionized the fullback position with his attacking play and is considered one of rugby league's greatest ever players
Career Honours
- NRL Premiership 2007 (Melbourne Storm)
- NRL Premiership 2009 (Melbourne Storm)
- NRL Premiership 2012 (Melbourne Storm)
- NRL Premiership 2017 (Melbourne Storm)
- NRL Premiership 2018 (Melbourne Storm)
- State of Origin 2006 (Queensland Maroons)
- State of Origin 2007 (Queensland Maroons)
- State of Origin 2008 (Queensland Maroons)
- State of Origin 2009 (Queensland Maroons)
- State of Origin 2010 (Queensland Maroons)
- State of Origin 2011 (Queensland Maroons)
- State of Origin 2012 (Queensland Maroons)
- State of Origin 2015 (Queensland Maroons)
- State of Origin 2016 (Queensland Maroons)
- Rugby League World Cup 2008 (Australia Kangaroos)
- Rugby League World Cup 2017 (Australia Kangaroos)
- Clive Churchill Medal 2018 (NRL Grand Final Player of the Tournament)
- Dally M Fullback of the Year 2012
- Dally M Fullback of the Year 2015
- Dally M Fullback of the Year 2016
- Dally M Fullback of the Year 2017
- RLIF Player of the Year 2016
| Club | Period | Apps | Tries | Shirt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne Storm | 2003–2017 | 319 | 10 | #1 |
 Australia | — | 31 | — | — |
Australian Athletes