NRL trial Broncos v Wynnum Manly: Reece Walsh impresses but work to be done

The Brisbane Broncos first trial of the 2021 season has left new coach Kevin Walters with more questions than answers.

Reece Walsh (left) showed his class in the Broncos’ trial against Wynnum Manly. Picture: NCA NewsWire

The Broncos were patchy in their 22-all draw with Wynnum Manly in their first hitout of the pre-season on Friday night. Here are the high and lows for the Broncos from the clash at Kitchener Park ahead of their round-one clash against the Eels.

MISS: TESI NIU – Coach Kevin Walters is keen to use Niu in the centres this season and the 19-year-old got a tough initiation against the Seagulls. He missed a number of tackles out wide and was largely well-contained by the Wynnum defence when he got a chance to showcase his running game. Niu will need to work on his defensive reads as the Broncos sweat on the return of their injured No. 1 centre Kotoni Staggs.

Matt Lodge made some damaging runs for the Broncos in the trial. Picture: Jim O’Reilly

HIT : MATT LODGE – This is a make-or-break season for Lodge but he made a statement against the Seagulls. There are question marks over Lodge’s ability to handle the speed of the NRL under the six-again rule with his hulking 118kg frame, but Lodge wasn’t helped last season by two serious knee injuries. Now fully fit again, Lodge was busy from the opening seconds and came off the back fence with some ferocious charges into the teeth of the Wynnum defence. Lodge looks primed for a bumper season.

HIT: TEVITA PANGAI JNR – Like Lodge, TPJ is under the microscope at Red Hill following his off-field dramas last season, but he showed he means business this year. Pangai Jnr was only supposed to play 20 minutes but he urged coach Kevin Walters to put him back on the field when the game was tight. Pangai Jnr ran into the line with vigour and while he can play back row, he looks better suited to the middle where he can use his 114kg frame to punch through the line.

Reece Walsh was a star for the Broncos. Picture: Jim O'Reilly

HIT: REECE WALSH – The Broncos have unearthed a future NRL superstar. At just 18, Walsh has all the natural tools to be an NRL player and Jamayne Isaako is entitled to be nervously looking over his shoulder to retain the No. 1 jumper. The Australian Schoolboys star threw a magnificent cut-out pass to set up Brisbane’s opening try in the sixth minute for Dale Copley and whenever he touches the ball, Walsh looks a cut above. He has speed, skill, vision, goalkicking ability and a lethal left-foot step. Whiz-kid Walsh ghosts across the ground like Queensland Origin star Kalyn Ponga.

MISS: ALBERT KELLY – An off-season recruit, the former Titan is no longer NRL standard. Kelly was a surprise choice as captain for this trial, but he is no serious threat to boom halfback Tom Dearden. Kelly was pedestrian in attack and he raced out of the line in the lead-up to one Seagulls try. Kelly lacks the training ethic to fire in the big league. At 29, the Intrust Super Cup is now his level.

TRIAL EXPOSES WORRYING SIGNS FOR BRONCOS

Kevin Walters has failed to win his first game as Broncos coach after feeder-club Wynnum Manly stunned the NRL’s richest club to steal a 22-all draw in a hard-fought trial on Friday night.

The Broncos are under pressure to hit back after last year’s wooden-spoon debacle under Anthony Seibold but Brisbane’s performance at Kitchener Park suggests Walters has work to do to clear the Red Hill rust.

The Broncos looked to have saluted the new Walters regime in style with props Matt Lodge and Tevita Pangai Jr and classy teenage fullback Reece Walsh impressing as Brisbane bolted to a 16-4 lead inside 26 minutes.

Ethan Bullemor scored a try with a bullocking run. Jim O'Reilly

But Walters’ Broncos lacked resilience in defence, with the plucky Seagulls fighting back twice, levelling scores at 16-all when Mathew Lyons crossed in the corner in the 64th minute.

The Broncos seemed safe when Ethan Bullemor crashed over eight minutes from time, but Wynnum again refused to concede, centre Delouise Hoeter swooping on a loose grubber kick in the 78th minute to clinch a draw.

Professional NRL clubs should realistically always beat their amateur feeder-clubs but Walters was philosophical about Brisbane’s stalemate despite some soft defensive efforts.

“I’m not disappointed at all,” Walters said.

“There are areas to work on certainly, but Wynnum were quite impressive, they had a real dig.

“We had some lean periods during the game, but we worked on combinations and we didn’t have any injuries which is always good in pre-season.”

Amid the usual trial cobwebs and fumbles, it was hard to miss the brilliance of 18-year-old Broncos fullback Walsh.

The indigenous ace set-up the opening try with a sublime sixth-minute cut-out pass for Dale Copley and while still young, it seems only a matter of time before Walsh graduates to the NRL.

Action from the Broncos V Seagulls Trial. Picture: Jim O'Reilly

Walsh played about 65 minutes and constantly tormented the Seagulls with the speed, skill, game sense and lethal left-foot step that catapulted him into the Australian Schoolboys side two years ago.

While Jamayne Isaako is the first-choice No. 1, Walters has every reason to be excited by the speedy Walsh, who will become a serious threat as he matures over the next 12 to 18 months.

“There is something special about him,” Walters said.

“Reece has good footwork and loves playing the game. Some of the things he did was backyard footy stuff.

“I’ve only seen him play once, so he has a long way to go, but what he is doing at training is very impressive.

“He is on a pathway to the NRL but we need to help him learn his game. I can’t wait to see a full season from him.”

Lodge was the best player on the park in the opening 25 minutes with some powerful runs, while Pangai Jr was busy in his first game back after his off-field dramas last season.

“Lodgey was very good, he’s a good middle forward and he was probably the best player on the field,” Walters said.

The Broncos could not put the game away against the Seagulls. Picture: Jim O'Reilly

It took just six minutes for Walsh to demonstrate his class.

Attacking the Seagulls line, the Queensland under-18s custodian chimed into the backline and threw a superb three-man cut-out for Dale Copley, who crossed in the corner to give Brisbane a 4-0 lead.

The Broncos didn’t take long to extend their advantage, Warriors recruit Leivaha Pulu crashing over from close range after a barnstorming charge in the lead-up by lock Bullemor.

Brisbane’s defence was the worst in the league last season and Walters wouldn’t have been pleased with some of the Broncos’ efforts without the ball against a committed Wynnum side.

The Seagulls’ opening try in the 13th minute to Selwyn Cobbo, who sliced through from fullback, was relatively soft.

And their second try to Harrison Graham, which cut Brisbane’s halftime lead to 16-10, was a by-product of some sloppy midfield misses from halfback Albert Kelly, Pulu and Bullemor.

While the Broncos were erratic, the trial was a solid hitout for Lodge and Pangai Jnr, who will form the cornerstone of Brisbane’s engine room this season.