How NRL coaches solved the Reece riddle

Has video killed the rugby league star?

In Reece Walsh’s case, temporarily at least, yes it has.

Walsh was untouchable in his breakout 2023 season. His raw brilliance at fullback drove the Broncos to the brink of the premiership.

He was so dominant Maroons’ coach Billy Slater dumped Kalyn Ponga for him at fullback.

Slater bristled at the pre-match press conference before Origin I when a journalist asked: “Billy, why is Reece Walsh ready for Origin?”

Slater paused for what seemed like an eternity, then answered: “Um… have you seen Reece Walsh play?”

Yes we had. The kid was untouchable and on fire, and 100 per cent ready for Origin. In a flash, he became the most marketable player in the competition, with a legion of social media fans.

Fast-forward to season 2025, and Walsh isn’t close to being on fire. He isn’t even smouldering.

There’s no denying the fire began to extinguish in Origin I last year.

In the seventh minute, Maroons five-eighth Tom Dearden took the ball at first receiver and back-rower Jaydn Su’A acted as a decoy while Walsh positioned himself behind. He took the ball at trademark speed and, as he’s inclined to do, drifted across field.

If you go back and watch it, you’ll see Blues centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii rocket out of the line as soon as he saw Su’A was just a decoy.

Suaalii knew it was going to Walsh, even though his view was obscured. He just knew it. And he didn’t rush out, he exploded out and cleaned him up in a flash.

Joseph Suaalii flattens Reece Walsh in Origin I last year

Yes, the tackle went wrong, it was high. Walsh was knocked out of the match, Suaalii sent off.

But the key point here is Suaalii knew what Walsh was going to do behind the decoy – take the ball at speed, while drifting left.

To use horse racing parlance, Walsh’s form was exposed by then.

In 2023, when Walsh was bedazzling everyone, defences had no idea what he would do. By last season, teams had done endless video and studied him – how he moved, where he moved.

As one senior coach said to me: “We’ve all got two, three guys doing video. They see everything that moves and miss nothing.”

Walsh’s struggles have continued into this season. In fact, they’ve worsened – he’s a million miles from the most exciting player in the NRL.

Against the Raiders in round two, he was awarded three out of 10 in a newspaper’s player ratings. It was a generous mark for a match where he chalked up four howling errors.

He was dreadful again in round three against Cowboys, to the point you felt sorry for him. This time five howlers – dropped balls, passes to no-one, passes over the sideline, he was crabbing across field, getting picked off … you name it, he did it.

Broncos fullback Reece Walsh is struggling to rediscover his 2023 mojo.Credit: NRL Photos

In round four against the Dolphins he only ran for 87 metres off 13 runs for no line breaks. He was credited with a try assist.

On Saturday night in a 46-24 Broncos try-fest over the Wests Tigers, it was just 76 metres off 12 runs, four missed tackles, two errors. There were two small flashes of old – a cut-out pass for a try assist for Jesse Arthars and one run where he beat a few and made about 12 metres.

He’s lost confidence and the question is why?

Did the Broncos’ poor form last season drag him down?

Has it been since he was knocked out a couple of times, including in the infamous Suaalii Origin hit?

Is it the video analysis exposing his secrets?

The truth is probably a combination of all three, with video analysis the main factor, as it helped cause the other two.

The Broncos camp is well aware of his struggles.

Walsh’s passing game has been hit and miss this season.Credit: Getty Images

Privately they say they’re delighted with the improvements he’s made with his own personal defence and as a defensive co-ordinator from fullback, although evidence of that was hard to find against the Tigers.

But they concede his attack has been picked apart in video sessions by rivals, and it’s up to them as a collective to help Walsh “beat the system”, restore his confidence and play like the elite player he is.

Coaching staff have encouraged Walsh to speak about his game with influential figures outside the club and have facilitated these discussions.

Walsh isn’t Robinson Crusoe when it comes to video analysis on his game.

Champions find a way to overcome it by subtly modifying their game. In the current crop, Nathan Cleary, Cam Munster, Ponga and James Tedesco are a few that come to mind.

Walsh’s challenge is to find the balance between reining it in and going for it, because rugby league gets busted open by those who bust open systems and structures.

Which is what he did in 2023, but the structures have caught up with him.

Maybe he should have a look at what Tom Trbojevic did in his amazing 2021 State of Origin series when he roamed the field and tore Queensland to pieces with unstructured attack, bobbing up in unlikely places.

As it stands, Slater couldn’t possibly pick Walsh over Kalyn Ponga as Queensland’s fullback.

And when he’s asked why Walsh was left out, he’ll have an easy answer: “Have you seen Reece Walsh play?”

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