Dylan Walker: "I like the confrontation, there's not too much of it these days." Credit:AAP "I can't shy away from being one of those cheeky fellas. If I'm going to give it, I have to be able to take it. "I've done my fair share of taking." Walker riled the Panthers with a series of expletive-laden taunts during last weekend's clash. If the intention was to put them off their game, it clearly worked. The former NSW and Australian centre talked the talk but also backed it up with a powerhouse performance, getting under the skin of his opponents in the process. Penrith have to wait only a week to exact revenge, in an elimination final, no less. While Panthers players complained about the verbals, Walker reckons he got as good as he gave.

Chirpy: Dylan Walker and Canberra's Josh Hodgson go at it. Credit:Rohan Thomson "There was a couple of people that it was directed at. They had a couple of words to say and thought I could get back at them," he said. "They can look at it as a motivational thing for them, most teams would. "For me, I felt like I gave them a fair chance to get back at me at one stage. I didn't shy away from the challenge, I carted the ball out of my own end and bluffed enough to get a penalty. "I thought I put my hand up first. If I'm going to give, I've got to give them an opportunity to give it. I gave them an opportunity and it sort of favoured me."

The NRL is becoming increasingly sanitised. The game has never been cleaner on the field, but there are fewer genuine characters on it. Walker, however, is a throwback. "That's competitive sport. I like the confrontation, there's not too much of it these days," he said. "You're going out there and everyone likes to say the cliched stuff about the teams. For me, it's about playing well for the boys and if it comes up, it comes up." Walker's reputation proceeds him. Against Canberra in April, he was engaged in a running verbal battle with the Raiders. With the game on the line, he backed up the talk with a pressure, match-winning goal to ensure he had the last word. "If you give it, you've got to learn how to take it," Walker said.

"I thought I did that on the weekend. I don't think I started anything. It was more those guys said little things to me when I ran the ball last time. "When they did something I got into them ... it was just little things, so small and I took it to the next step. In the heat of the moment, these things happen. "It escalated pretty quick." The advent of Sports Ears and referee microphones have brought viewers closer to the action. It has also made players more reticent to give their opponents a gobful for fear of the comments being broadcast. There are some notable exceptions. Walker is one of them. "When you look at all sporting codes, it's always different how people handle things," he said.

"Cam Smith is the perfect example of being the ultimate professional. Then you have got someone like Mick Ennis – clearly he was a professional, but he liked to do his own thing. I admire people like that – they add a bit of colour to the game, a bit of theatre. That's what people come to see, fans love that. Josh Reynolds is one who wears his heart on his sleeve and fans love that. Loading "Have a look at him, he's getting chaired off of Belmore and Bulldogs fans are going to miss him. "That's what you want to do, you want fans to enjoy having you at their club."