Billy Slater is a talented and decorated former rugby league football player who played his entire club career in the National Rugby League (NRL) for the Melbourne Storm and represented the Queensland State of Origin team, as as team captain.
The 5ft 10in (178cm) tall, 89kg (196lbs) heavyweight athlete who played the Fullback position, has the Storms club record for most tries and the NRL record for most tries by a fullback. Read on to learn more about his accomplishments, as well as the people in his personal life.
the biography
Slater was born William Slater to Judy and RonSlater on June 18, 1983 in Nambour, Queensland, Australia. From an early age, Slater was reportedly a huge fan of rugby league football and thoroughbred racing. As soon as he came of age, he started playing contact sport for the Brothers club in Innisfail, Queensland. He then attended Innisfail State High School, graduating in 1999 at the age of 16.
After high school, Billy Slater took a job as an assistant to racehorse trainer, Gai Waterhouse. He held the position for about 6 months before returning to pursue a professional career in his favorite sport. In 2003, Slater made his rugby league debut for the Melbourne Storm. He played in different positions at the start of the season, before finally settling in a full-back position. His debut campaign proved to be brilliant and earned him the Dally M Rookie of the Year award as he was also his team’s top scorer.
Billy Slater continued his performances in the years to come, winning personal accolades like the 2007 Storms Back of the Year Award, the Rugby League World Golden Boot Award, the International Rugby Union Federation International Player of the Year award and a place for Fullback in the Melbourne Storm team of the Melbourne Decade, among many others, as he was a major contributor to his side’s NRL Premier League wins in 2007 and 2009. However, those championships were stripped of the team after it was found that they had gained an unfair advantage by breaking the salary cap.
Despite the disappointment of losing the titles, Slater and his team still managed to clinch the NRL Premiership title in 2012 and 2017. The team also made an appearance at the 2018 NRL Grand Final which they lost to the Sydney Roosters. After the game, Fullback announced his retirement from the game. He has since moved on to take on a leadership role with Australian Football League (AFL) club St. Kilda.
Billy Slater net worth
With him being arguably one of the best defenders of his generation, Billy Slater has, for most of his career, been consistently the highest paid player on his team. In 2012, the Melbourne Storm player was reported to earn an average annual salary of AUD$900,000. In 2018, just before his retirement, this figure would have reached around 1,000,000 USD per year. Slater, whose star status has attracted a number of sponsorship offers from companies like Australia Suzuki, is said to have earned an additional $1 million a year since 2011 from sponsors. With all that income, it’s no surprise that he has a net worth of around $18m (£13.8m).
According to reports, Slater has invested a good amount of money in real estate. He previously reportedly owned a Byron Bay outback retreat which he bought for $1.105 million and later sold for around $1.375 million. He is said to be currently building a brand new home which would come with a stable on a property outside Melbourne.
Family Facts – Wife
Billy Slater is married to Nicole Slater (née Rose). It’s unclear exactly when the pair met or how long they dated before exchanging vows in November 2009 in Cairns, Australia. Together, the couple welcomed two children; daughter Tyla Rose and son Jake.
In 2017, after Slater was awarded the CliveChurchill Medal as the NRL Grand Final’s MVP, tears came to his mind as he thanked his life partner for the role she had. played in his life. He thanked her for putting her life on hold to support him through his various injuries and raising the children when he was not around.