Billy Slater

Billy Slater is a retired player most recently playing for Melbourne Storm.

Billy Slater (born 18 June 1983 in Nambour, Queensland) is an Australian professional rugby league player for the Melbourne Storm of the National Rugby League (NRL). An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative fullback, he has played his whole NRL career to date at Melbourne, with whom 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.

Slater began playing rugby league for the Brothers club in Innisfail, Queensland at only fourteen years old. A North Queensland Cowboys fan growing up, he continued to make the Innisfail representative side every season until his final year with the club. At sixteen years of age, Slater left Year 12 at Innisfail State High School and decided to follow his personal passion for thoroughbred racing, working initially in Sydney as a roustabout for the racehorse trainer, Gai Waterhouse.

Slater commenced playing for the Melbourne Storm in 2003. A stellar début season saw him crowned Dally M Rookie of the Year (although the awards that year were cancelled in protest).