"Sam has been copping it and I just don't think it is fair," his uncle Chris, a long-time NRL star, told Wide World of Sports.\n<\/p>\n
"He was a bit surprised by all the fuss – we're in the middle of a pandemic and you would think people would have more important things to worry about.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
"But I reminded him of a chat I once had with Wayne Bennett about fans and critics when I was going through a hard time.\n<\/p>\n
"Wayne said to me, 'If you listen to the people in the crowd, it won't be long before you are out of the game and sitting next to them'.\n<\/p>\n
"And he is 100 per cent right – you've got to play your own game, listen to those in the know like your coach and teammates, and shut out those outside voices."\n<\/p>\n
Walker blamed FOX commentator Andrew Voss for much of the vitriol aimed at the teenage halfback following the incident.\n<\/p>\n
"Vossy is a good bloke but I thought he incited things when he said that (Bulldog Lachlan) Lewis (who was chasing Walker) should go up and smash him," he said.\n<\/p>\n
"That set off the lunatics and it all snowballed.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
"But look, I've spoken to Sam this morning and he is fine.\n<\/p>\n
"He is not a mug and didn't mean any disrespect to the Bulldogs.\n<\/p>\n
"It was a smart play with 20 seconds left on the clock – if he kicked the ball, it could have rebounded straight to a Bulldog who could have ran the length – you never know.\n<\/p>\n
"I've seen Benji Marshall do the same, I've seen Tony Iro do it – but there wasn't any of this uproar because Sam is a bright young kid and people are looking to take him down."<\/p>\n
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