NRL star Cody Walker reveals why he flattened a street brawler with a fly kick as he breaks his silence on $20k blackmail threat over fight footage
- NRL star Cody Walker went to police with claims he was being blackmailed
- The NRL playmaker has now revealed why he was filmed kicking another man
- Said he was emotional and grieving at the time of the incident
- 'I was trying to protect a family member after the loss of one of my first cousins'
South Sydney star Cody Walker says he was emotional and grieving when he was filmed kicking a man in the chest in an altercation last year.
Shocking footage of a brawl involving Walker emerged hours after he claimed he was being blackmailed for $20,000 over the clip, shot in the NSW town of Casino.
In an interview with Channel Nine, Walker said he was going through an emotional period after the suicide of his cousin, and seeing her brother in a fight made him want to intervene to protect him.
'I was trying to protect a family member after the loss of one of my first cousins who we lost through suicide,' Walker said.
NRL star Cody Walker (pictured) has revealed he was mourning the death of a close family member when he was filmed kicking another man in the chest during a street fight in 2019
'She was 24 years of age and we were grieving her. Seeing her brother, who is my first cousin, seeing him fight, the first thing that popped into my head was I just need to stop it.
'It was a very emotional time for myself and the family leading into that week and again it was not a true reflection of what my character and who I am as a person.'
The South Sydney playmaker went to police on the weekend claiming he was asked to pay $20,000 to stop the video going public.
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The incident unfolded in Walker's home town - the northern New South Wales town of Casino - last October.
Unable to use his arms due to a football-related shoulder injury, Walker rushes in to break up the melee by kicking one of the men in the chest.
The man was sent flying to other side of the road as he struggled to stay on his feet.
Onlookers tried to defuse the situation to prevent Walker from intervening further.
Two men were fighting in the middle of the street (left) before a shirtless Cody Walker (pictured) sent a man flying with a kick to the chest (right)
Then the man who was kicked later challenged the Origin star to a one on one melee.
'I wanna fight you one on one Cody,' the man could be heard saying in the footage.
On Sunday night, the Rabbitohs acknowledged the incident involving Walker in a statement, saying the NRL integrity unit had been advised.
'The South Sydney Rabbitohs are aware of an incident involving player Cody Walker which took place in northern New South Wales in October 2019,' the club statement read.
'The NRL's integrity unit have been informed.
Footage of October's incident emerged after NRL star Cody Walker (pictured with his fiancee Nellie Bell) claimed to police on the weekend that he was being blackmailed
NRL Integrity Unit is investigating an off-field incident involving star Cody Walker (pictured in action for South Sydney in last year's NRL preliminary final)
'At no stage has Cody Walker been the subject of a police inquiry in relation to this incident.'
Walker's manager Matt Rose confirmed the shirtless man in the video was the star five-eighth, telling the Sydney Morning Herald he had spoken to police.
The Rabbitohs said the inquiry had been instigated by Walker.
The club said it would not be making any more comment regarding the alleged incident.
Walker was expected to meet with the NRL's integrity unit on Monday to discuss the incident.
He said he would no appeal against whatever punishment the NRL and the South Sydney Rabbitohs choose to impose on him.
The Rabbitohs and NSW Blues playmaker (left) proposed to his partner and the mother of his two children Nellie Bell (right) in December
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