Curtis Scott has urged Dylan Walker to try and make amends for the famed NRL brawl where his eye socket was viciously fractured – warning it will be the only thing footy fans remember him for.
Currently exiled from the NRL, Scott is now set to switch sports and make his professional boxing debut on March 13 Australian Pay-Per-View card topped by undefeated world title contender Sam Goodman.
While the 26-year-old remains hopeful of a return to rugby league, his more immediate focus is a debut against former NRL bad boy Joey Leilua – and potential fights against the likes of Matthew Lodge, Tevita Pangai Jnr and Walker.
Six years ago while playing for Melbourne, Scott got into a brawl with then Manly No.6 Walker, belting him so heavily with three right hands it fractured the Sea Eagle’s eye socket and outed him for five weeks.
Scott was sent off for the stink, and suspended for a fortnight, while Walker was given only 10 minutes but then spent more than a month on the sidelines recovering from his injuries.
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Speaking with Fox Sports Australia this week, Scott revealed he would be asking No Limit to pursue a fight with Walker, who is now a utility player with the New Zealand Warriors.
He quickly added that the 29-year-old should be keen to take up the offer given, despite a career where he has represented NSW, Australia and won a premiership with South Sydney, the fight is “the only thing that ever gets brought up about him”.
Quizzed on his memories of their NRL stink, Scott said: “That was a heated game and I was fairly wild when I was younger, didn’t really think about the consequences.
“But I’ve also never been somebody to shy away from a battle, either.
“And he (Walker) asked for it.
“There had been a lot of things said right throughout that game.
“And while I can’t remember all the specifics, I do remember him finally saying to me ‘want to have a go?’
“And I’m thinking, ‘yeah, f***ing oath I do’.
“In my head I’m going, ‘you bewdy, I’ve been f***ing waiting for this all game’.
“And that was it.
“He said ‘do you want to have a go’ and I threw the punches.”
He added that he wants to give Walker, 29, a shot at redemption later this year, when the NRL season is done.
“It’s definitely possible if he wants to try and even the score,” Scott said.
“I mean, the bloke has had a fairly good footy career.
“But the only thing that ever gets brought up about him these days is our fight.
“So I’m sure he wants to get that one back.”
Scott also revealed he has been working with legendary Hall of Fame trainer Johnny Lewis as part of his career switch, is also living and training with fighter Brock Jarvis and has not ruled out an NRL return.
The boxing rookie added that while he was happy to throw down against other NRL names – including Tevita Pangai Jnr and Matt Lodge – he eventually wanted to campaign as a cruiserweight.
“They (No Limit) are giving me some heavy boys as options,” said Scott, who currently tips the scales around 94kg.
“But the footy fights are the money fights and I’ll fight anyone.
“Eventually I’d like to campaign at cruiserweight but whenever these footy fights come up I’m going to take them and put on a show.
“They can all get it.
“Line ‘em up and I’ll knock them down.”
Asked about his new living and training arrangement with Jarvis, Scott said he met the boxer while working on his NRL comeback with highly respected Sydney exercise physiologist Justin Lang.
From there, he partnered up with Jarvis’s trainer Brian Doyle and has also done some work with Lewis, who trained world champions like Jeff Fenech, Kostya Tszyu and Jeff Harding.
“So I’ve got people around me who are well respected,” he said.
“And they wouldn’t be working with me if I was a dud.”
Back in December, Scott was denied an NRL return following his string of off-field issues and court battles, and was subsequently talked up for a switch to the English Super League.
In 2022, the footballer was sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order after being found guilty of three charges against his ex-girlfriend — assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and stalk or intimidate with the intention of causing fear or physical harm.
Scott had also been sacked by the Canberra Raiders in 2021 following a nightclub incident for which he was later cleared in court.
So as for a return to rugby league, and what, if any, stipulations NRL boss Peter V’landys has placed on any potential comeback?
“They haven’t given me a plan or anything,” Scott conceded.
“Once I got sacked, I went out on my own and worked extremely hard on myself so I’m surprised I haven’t been let back in.
“I put a lot of energy into coming back to the game and it drained me emotionally.
“All my time and effort was going into rugby league and I thought I was going to be allowed come back.
“But I’ve shut door on that for now. I’m purely focused on boxing.
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“I’ve found a new journey for myself.
“And once I have this fight, people will see me compete and realise I haven’t been sitting around doing nothing.
“I don’t drink alcohol anymore. Train every single day.
“I just need to continue working hard and continue to be a good person.
“I’ve done a lot of work in the community – things behind closed doors – and I will continue to do that.
“I think when people can see what I’ve done … I think any NRL club would be mad not to ask the question about me returning”.
Asked about now facing Leilua, he added: “We used to mark each other in the NRL.
“There was a game I remember in Melbourne where we went head-to-head and played fairly similar – he’s a big body, aggressive and I never took a backward step against him.
“Never took a backward step in my career.
“And I’m not going to do it in the boxing ring.”
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