Walsh’s KO blow: Truth about ‘pretty boy’ megastar hidden in forgotten finals savagery

The fullback with painted fingernails made two carries in Brisbane’s first set of six in a heated preliminary final. One knocked out a 100kg Test forward.

So slap any label you want on Reece Walsh — but give him his dues.

“Reece Walsh. Pretty boy, yes. Bit of lair in him, yes. Tough, YES. Tough,” premiership winner Matty Johns said on Matty and Cronk.

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Walsh took the first kick return against reigning four-time premiers Penrith and there was minimal fancy stuff. He charged into Kangaroos prop Lindsay Smith and New Zealand backrower Scott Sorensen, bending the line before Blaize Talagi helped push him back.

He came back for more just three tackles later, a bona fide hit-up that an 88kg, 177cm fullback had no business making.

And it hurt the Panthers. Sorensen knocked heads with Talagi and his game was over, inside 90 seconds.

It was an accident — but Walsh made it happen.

“He was the reason Scott Sorensen didn’t come back. Not because he made contact, because of how aggressively he ran and broke through Sorensen’s tackle, basically,” champion halfback Cooper Cronk said.

Johns continued: “Testing the toughness of the opposition. If you and I are defending here and Reece Walsh sprints in between us, it’s testing our ability to put our heads there.

“Because like we saw with Scotty Sorensen, there’s a fair chance that if you don’t get it right, you’re going to get concussed. You’re going to clash heads.”

Cronk concluded: “The old rule: if you run harder than they’re willing to tackle you, you’re every chance of getting through the other side.”

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How many times has Walsh broken through to the other side this season?

Thirteen times, in terms of scoring tries. But he has broken brains with his chaotic on-field genius — averaging two errors per game, sure as the run rises, to offset a century of tackle busts — paired with his wild off-field antics. We still don’t know if the plumber christened that new toilet, but Walsh’s form has only improved since the infamous porcelain swig.

Apart from delivering the Sorenson KO, Walsh made a rugged play for Deine Mariner’s match-tying 75th minute try. Four Panthers defenders couldn’t contain him.

“You talk about getting through tackles in between defenders: he did that for the Mariner try, that gave Adam Reynolds the opportunity (to kick the game-winning goal),” said Cronk, who during match commentary yelled out: “Reece Walsh, you are a freak!”

“Go watch it back. Reece Walsh just shot out of a gun, just try and stop me, all the Panthers defenders sort of latched on to him and fell over, and he had enough strength to get the ball over the top.”

Walsh’s primary attribute is the simplest but most precious of all: he makes things happen. He isn’t claiming to have had a blinder against Penrith but he made plays that mattered; thanks to things he isn’t greatly credited for, namely preparation and effort.

Ultra-professional coach Michael Maguire was stunned upon arriving at the Broncos by how much football Walsh watched. Contrary to many modern players, he watches most games and is a proper footy nerd. He has been lethal on the left edge of the Brisbane attack all season — yet for the Mariner try, switched to the right edge, sniffing an opportunity.

It was a victory for video work, long before the relentless hard running kicked in.

“That game was probably one of those games where I didn’t really do too much, but I was trying to be in position as much as I can off-the-ball … it’s probably something you wouldn’t see or wouldn’t know, but we know in these four walls, (it’s about) those little efforts,” Walsh said.

“I do a lot of video on other people where I can exploit their weakness, and my weakness was and probably still is those small, little effort areas.”

If the Broncos are to beat Melbourne in Sunday’s grand final, Walsh’s gamebreaking gift must come to the fore.

It didn’t when he played the 2023 decider against Penrith, recording a quiet game after entering the GF on a hot streak. He was also one o the Broncos tacklers who missed Nathan Cleary as the Panthers halfback scored his famous solo try in an astonishing comeback.

The failure still burns Walsh, who admits he wasn’t adequately prepared for his first decider.

“It’s always tough losing a game when you’re a part of that play – it definitely haunts on you for some time,” he said.

“I’ve moved past that moment. I’m just trying to be really present in what we’re doing now, and I’m just really grateful to be in this position, and I’m looking forward to a good week.

“It’s what you play for, really. You go through those tough pre-seasons, you work your butt off to get to a grand final, and it’s extremely hard to get here.

“That’s something that I probably took for granted last time around, not soaking up the week enough, probably not preparing my best. I’m just really grateful to be back in this arena, and I definitely know how hard it is.”

Walsh is still just 23. He’s set to be picked as a potential Test debutant for the Kangaroos’ upcoming Ashes tour and he’s arguably already the NRL’s biggest star, at its biggest club.

The drama that follows him off-field is part of the package, but it’s a better-rounded package than many give him credit for and with a decade of football still ahead of him, a mighty career threatens.

“I’m really enjoying what we’re building here at the club, new coach, new coaching staff, driving standards, driving those small, little things, everyone’s buying in to the culture and everyone wants to get better,” Walsh said.

“There’s a lot of talk around the Broncs that we’re ‘show ponies’ and we don’t want to work hard, all this and that, but it’s until you’re in these four walls that you see how hard we work, how much sacrifice we make for each other, for this club, because we all do genuinely care and we all want to do well, so it’s really good to be a part of at the moment.”

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