Crash Craddock: Maroons superstar Reece Walsh must find the right balance of calm and aggressive for State of Origin

Reece Walsh will walk a tightrope in the first State of Origin match, with his coach having to decide how much he’ll direct him to unleash but avoid a repeat of last year’s headbutting incident, writes ROBERT CRADDOCK.

Reece Walsh and the Queensland Origin team enjoy their last training run in Queensland before heading to Sydney for Game 1 of this years State of Origin series. Pics Adam Head

Kevin Walters believes it’s time for Reece Walsh to swallow a chill pill but Billy Slater is happy for him to be rugby league’s version of the boy who swallowed the universe.

Without even chewing.

No one knows where Walsh will land in Wednesday’s State of Origin match but perhaps his sweet spot is somewhere between Kev’s caution, Billy’s bravado and captain Daly Cherry-Evans’ decision to just let Reece be Reece.

Last year’s State of Origin series had a sweet and sour note for Walsh when Queensland won the series with a landslide 32-6 win over the Blues in Brisbane and Walsh was sent off following a headbutt exchange with the provocative Jarome Luai.

It was a reminder to him that, emotional showman that he is, Walsh still has to find a way to keep a lid on his saucepan when the adrenaline bubbles are running hot.

Walsh’s headbutt suspension cost him an appearance in the third game last season. As Queensland had won the series it did not matter that much but it was still a setback worth learning from.

Reece Walsh can be a lightning bolt on the loose. Picture: Adam Head

That said, Walsh has to be Walsh. He has gifts few players in the game possess.

It’s been speculated in Sydney NSW will send defenders shooting out of the line at him like the Titans did when they scored an upset win against the Broncos last week.

It worked well for the Titans but Walsh has been to that rodeo before. If the defender gets his claws on Walsh and puts him down it’s happy days.

But if Walsh gets past the first man – and he can be as slippery as a mud-coated eel – you are one man down in the defensive line and rugby league’s version of a lightning bolt on the loose. That’s a nightmare.

It will be interesting to see what imprint new coach Michael Maguire leaves on the Blues. He has been impressively forensic in his preparation and there has been an impressive earthiness about his work.

Former Blues coach Craig Bellamy, a phenomenally successful club coach who won just two of nine games with NSW, said he made the mistake of coaching the Blues like a club team so that is one trapdoor Maguire would be keen to avoid.

Queensland coach Billy Slater faces an intriguing challenge because the Maroons are in the almost unprecedented position of being favourites for a game in Sydney where so much of Queensland’s in-built motivation is built on being the underdog.

Slater might have to switch into amateur psychologist mode to get that manic, desperate 10 per cent of scrap and grit that often makes the difference.

In grand old days there was always a blue to get angry at, whether it be a coach like Phil Gould or Ricky Stuart or a pot-stirring player like.

But Blues captain Jake Trbojevic has altar boy charm that disarms all that.

Queensland are at their best when they have a special cause to fight for or they feel aggrieved or disrespected.

Originally published as Crash Craddock: Maroons superstar Reece Walsh must find the right balance of calm and aggressive for State of Origin