NRL 2023: Broncos star Reece Walsh flaunts $4500 Louis Vuitton bag | What’s the Buzz
It’s lucky Broncos superstar Reece Walsh is on a handsome contract at Red Hill juding by his latest purchases. It’s all in What’s the Buzz.
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There’s no question Broncos young gun fullback Reece Walsh has become the most marketable player in the NRL.
The 21-year-old not only has film star looks and a huge social media following … but an eye for the latest fashion trends, albeit expensive ones.
It’s probably lucky the superstar fullback is on the big-money contract north of the border.
The Louis Vuitton cross-body bag he’s wearing in this photo with Adam Reynolds is worth $4500.
Then there’s the Italian Balenciaga sneakers that set you back $1450.
Not to mention the flash gold earring he wore recently to a judiciary hearing that looked super expensive.
Walsh has more than 320,000 followers on Instagram and nearly 200,000 followers on TikTok.
STORM DEFENDS RECRUITMENT TACTICS
Melbourne Storm chairman Matt Tripp has fired back at critics of his recruitment tactics in offering players the opportunity to buy shares in his betting company.
Tripp, who is also the boss of bookmaking firm Betr, created controversy last year when several off-contract Storm stars were offered – and then purchased – shares in the agency.
The Storm arrangement has again been questioned this week after revelations the Laundy family, who sponsor the Bulldogs, was to offer Titans forward Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and others investment options in their billion-dollar chain of hotels.
The NRL is currently liaising with the Bulldogs over the issue.
In Storm’s case Tripp gained approval from NRL salary cap auditors last year when Cameron Munster, Harry Grant, Jahrome Hughes and Justin Olam were among others in contract negotiations.
Several purchased shares.
Storm is now interested in Fa’asuamaleaui, who played for Melbourne before joining Gold Coast.
Tripp insists it’s all above board.
“With what the Storm has been through, the last thing I wanted was any grief,” Tripp said. “We needed to be squeaky clean. We gave the NRL a detailed proposition and got their permission. It was a start-up business where you could win, lose or break square.
“Everyone went in with eyes wide open. There were no guaranteed returns of 10 or 12 percent. No money-back offers.
“I said to anyone thinking of investing, don’t think this is a slam dunk.”
Tripp refuses to reveal which players bought into Betr because of contract confidentiality.
“A few players took it up as did other staff members,” he said. “They all did so with the knowledge that there was a risk involved like with any investment in a start-up.
“The business is holding its own. It’s not easy out there but it’s a long-term play.”
Interestingly there is talk the Laundy family will be involved in Canterbury’s bid to sign Payne Haas.
It is unusual in that Haas is a devout Muslim who is against drinking and gambling.
GOWER: I DON’T REGRET LOSING DALLY M
The last time NRL players took major industrial action it cost Kangaroos and NSW Blues star Craig Gower the Dally M Medal.
And 20 years later, he still doesn’t regret it.
Back in 2003, former RLPA boss Tony Butterfield orchestrated a boycott of the game’s most prestigious awards night which cost the Panthers half the game’s highest honour.
Twenty years on and Gower has spoken of the current dispute and the personal pain after a failed campaign to have the medal retrospectively awarded to him.
“We fought hard for better conditions,” he said.
“Tony Butterfield came to me and said this is the action we want to take.
“I don’t regret it because at the end of the day we got a better result from the stand we took.
“We didn’t know where all the money was going. They wouldn’t disclose it.
“Look I’d love to have the Dally M medal but as a group of players we thought it was important enough to make a stand. And I abided by it. It was an important fight to win.”
It is why Gower is now so passionate about backing the current players, although he is frustrated by the lack of progress after almost two years of painstaking negotiations.
“It’s a shame they can’t all get into a room and sort it out,” Gower said.
“It’s hard to resolve when they can’t even get in a room together. It’s frustrating for fans over the lack of transparency. No-one knows why they can’t reach an agreement.
“The clubs have done well. Their salary caps are covered and they get money on top of that. Now the players want a voice, which is fair enough.
“My message is to keep fighting for what you believe in – just like we did.”
Meanwhile, there has been some drama with Origin hero Bradman Best and the RLPA. On Thursday morning he was stopped to do an interview with TV crews outside the Blues hotel, despite the media ban.
RLPA officials were straight on the phone to question him.
“Given how he was ambushed I would appreciate it if it wasn’t made into a big deal,” said RLPA boss Clint Newton.
NRL BEATS AFL ON TV
The NRL will never match the AFL for club memberships and weekly attendances.
However, rugby league gets far better TV numbers on Fox Sports and Channel 9.
The latest figures from the footyindustry.com website show an average of 646,000 fans have watched NRL matches this year –compared with the AFL’s 547,000.
These figures do not include Kayo numbers or other streaming services.
WATCHING POP CALL THE FOOTY
Ray Hadley has called 96 State of Origin games over 32 years, but none of those calls have been as special as Wednesday night’s.
The veteran commentator had four of his grandchildren – Ava, Noah, Ella and Lola – with him in the 2GB broadcast box at Accor Stadium as the Blues rolled the Maroons.
His youngest grandson Tommy was home suffering from the flu.
“It was the most beautiful night,” Hadley said. “Of all my moments calling sport, I’ve never felt as proud.”
TRIPLE M CLOSES IN
The 2GB Continuous Call team has again won the latest round of rugby league radio ratings, but their numbers are nowhere near what they used to be in the halcyon days of Ray Hadley, Bob Fulton and Peter Frilingos.
The network won on Friday nights and all weekend but Triple M continues to close the gap on Sunday afternoons with Gorden Tallis, Ben Dobbin, James Graham and James Hooper. On Sunday, 2GB rated 6.9 per cent to Triple M’s 6.4 per cent.
Saturday was a complete disaster for poor old SEN. They rated an asterisk.
MEDIA BUZZ
JOEL CAINE (44) SEN Radio
First Job: High voltage electrical fitter with Transgrid. I did an apprenticeship there. Got my first job in the media doing around-the-grounds for Ray Hadley and it’s kicked on since then. I started at Sportsbet on April Fools’ Day 2009 then SEN when the network launched in Sydney.
Sporting Heroes: I spent hours and hours at the park as a kid practising Ricky Stuart’s spiral kicks and passes. Ironically my first touch in the NRL was on the back of a Ricky Stuart spiral kick. Off the field I couldn’t hear enough of commentators like Ian Craig, Greg Miles and Ray Hadley.
Team I follow: I’m committed to the Wests Tigers. Sorry kids, but you have no choice and don’t just blame me, blame Pop! Wayne Smith (my father in-law) is the fifth-most capped Magpie of all time.
What sports did you play?: Like many of my vintage, it was a pretty simple formula back then; rugby league in the winter, cricket in the summer. (Joel played six seasons of NRL at St George, Balmain and then Wests Tigers between 1998 and 2003. He also had two seasons in the UK Super League).
Career highlights: Definitely winning the Dally M top points-scorer in 2000 at the Tigers. Off the field, it was Steve Crawley giving me my first NRL game to call for Fox Sports, and then later Simon Fordham, who gave me my first call for Channel 9.
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