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Opinion
Bering an Origin player is more than just being big, fast, and strong. There is a certain look to an Origin player.
A look of a player who genuinely wants the ball in his hands in big moments, a player who doesn’t just look tough but is tough and a player who knows what is required of him to influence the team in a positive manner.
You know it when you see it.
Enter Brisbane Broncos fullback Reece Walsh. A superstar and an Origin player in waiting. Queenslanders, they have seen it. The cat is well and truly out of the bag.
They know he’s built for the Origin arena, the fastest, toughest rugby league there is. And yet, they didn’t pick him last year.
They deemed him “too young”, “not ready” they said. Yet picked the kid the year earlier.
In 2023, he is now ready just like Darren Lockyer, Fittler, Daley, Johns, Inglis, Meninga who all debuted at a young age.
All generational talents whose footballing ability matured far earlier than the average NRL footballer. That’s why they were, and in Walsh’s case are ‘generational talents.’
The trait that Walsh shares with all the others mentioned above is he does not fear failure. He craves the big moment. It’s his attitude and enthusiasm towards the game that will have coach Billy excited at the prospect.
Only recently Walsh has received high praise from the doyen of Rugby League and albeit former NSW Coach Phil Gould who went on to say on Channel 9 “he’s your Origin fullback”, “he’s the real deal”.
Reece Walsh celebrates scoring a try. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
This was the same Gus who blasted Queensland selectors in 2021 for selecting Walsh and throwing him in the deep end at age 18 to debut for his state, “I think it’s a disgraceful decision by the Queensland selectors to be asking an 18-year-old to solve this problem is not fair on the kid.”
Walsh will scare NSW defenses and supporters alike just due to his pure speed out the back of shape and in and around the ruck with tiring forwards and tiring defenses.
Kalyn Ponga has been known to skin short sides with his goose step of the four in defender and tie in the half on that edge. Circa 2022 Game 1 where he noticed the slower Haas found himself defending three in or the half channel and Cleary two in, in the center channel both bit at the bait for Valentine Holmes to score.
Walsh, however, does not beat defenders with his goose step but his incredible turn of speed and acceleration. He foams at the mouth whenever a defender is on their heels.
The way Penrith structure there defence is by passively defending there half and allowing the center to jam in. Both Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai defending this way too in Origin. Through Ponga, Queensland could see this as an area where they could exploit in last years series. Take the half on the outside and allow the center to jam and throw the ball wide to his winger.
There is little difference in Ponga and Walsh’s game both respectively freakish. However, Ponga’s fitness is a huge question mark heading into the series, fear not though because there is no doubt that Walsh is ready made for Origin.
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