Courageous Reece Walsh moment shows Broncos are bound for a top-four fightback under Michael Maguire

It was the frightening Reece Walsh moment that stopped Brisbane’s training session in its tracks. What happened next, writes PETER BADEL, is reason enough for Broncos fans to start dreaming of premiership No.7.

Reece Walsh digs into the line at training. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Reece Walsh flew into mid-air to defuse a high kick and smashed into a Broncos teammate with a ferocity that stopped Brisbane’s training session in its tracks.

For a few seconds, there was dead silence.

Had Brisbane’s $1 million wonder boy just been wiped out for the season?

Within seconds, Walsh dusted himself off and was on his feet. He high-fived Broncos colleagues to signal he was OK.

All good, boys. Play on. Back to business.

Welcome to life at the Broncos in 2025 under new coach Michael Maguire, where pre-season training sessions have featured high-octane collisions as intense and brutal as a bona fide premiership game.

Brisbane launch their pre-season trials this Saturday night with a hitout against Burleigh and very soon, Maguire’s methods will be put under the microscope in the furnace of the 2025 NRL premiership.

Here are five reasons why the Broncos are bound for a top-four fightback this season.

1. MAN ON A MISSION

The previous Broncos regime under Kevin Walters was all about harmony. Walters pledged to unify a strife-torn club and he deserves accolades for achieving just that. Within 24 months, he had the basketcase Broncos under Anthony Seibold humming all the way to the 2023 grand final.

Another four clinical minutes, and Walters would have held the NRL trophy aloft and delivered Brisbane’s first premiership since 2006.

History shows Penrith broke Brisbane’s heart and the Sliding Doors moment ultimately paved the path for Maguire to be appointed as the successor to finally finish what Walters had started.

Brisbane’s 2025 pre-season has had more edge. It’s crackled with intensity.

The Broncos are crackling with intensity under Michael Maguire. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Champion halfback Adam Reynolds has now completed 14 pre-seasons of NRL. The skipper says this was one of the toughest yet - and, remember, he was coached by Maguire at the Rabbitohs for five seasons between 2012-17.

There was a time when Brisbane needed a softer hand to soothe broken spirits, but the Maguire era promises to be tough, unforgiving and relentless. Maguire is cut from Craig Bellamy’s Melbourne cloth where hard work beats talent every time. The premiership coach is testing the character of Brisbane players and he makes no apologies for that. The knock on Maguire is that he burns clubs and players out, but if breaks Brisbane’s 19-year premiership drought, the toil will be worth it.

2. STRICTLY BUSINESS

Brisbane’s training runs under Maguire have a more military feel. Walters’ sessions were by no means a walk in the park but it wasn’t unusual to see Broncos players skylarking and joking with shirts off, placing bets over who would knock over goals from the sideline. His assistant coach Allan Langer, the greatest Bronco and the greatest larrikin, had a comedic touch to lift the spirits of a struggling player.

Maguire is a man of clinical efficiency. He watches every play like an army drill sergeant. Maybe it’s just early days, but the players seem keen to impress Maguire. Opposed sessions have featured heavy contact. There’s a sharpness to backline moves, as if players are taking part in an NRL game, knowing there’s no scope for a stuff-up.

Maguire’s new assistants Ben Te’o and Trent Barrett are hands-on. Pat Carrigan has already enjoyed Barrett’s knowledge. A Test and Origin playmaker during a glittering career, Barrett is working on Brisbane’s offence and has impressed Broncos players with his genuine style. Te’o was a back-row hitman during Maguire’s 2014 premiership epoch at Souths. On Wednesday, he was seen talking intensely to Brisbane’s forwards. Often, he is right behind the line, driving defensive standards.

3. REECE FRIGHTENING

Critics of Reece Walsh who believe he is lazy should stop into a Broncos training session. Brisbane’s “Ferrari” is in sublime shape, his skin folds have improved and, if his pre-season is any indication, Walsh is going to carve up the NRL in 2025.

Given his tender years - Walsh turned 22 in July - it’s understandable if there are gaps in his game. His off-the-ball efforts last year needed improvement and he probably lacks the game fitness of the NRL’s consistently elite fullbacks such as Dylan Edwards and James Tedesco.

Reece Walsh is in supreme condition heading into the season. Picture: Tara Croser.

But in the searing Brisbane heat, Walsh has been having a red-hot crack. Last Friday, he was well ahead of the pack in shuttle runs, throwing himself to the ground, before rising and sprinting again. Over and over.

Critically, there is no carry-on from Walsh. There’s no mucking around, no bling in his ears. Walsh’s training intensity has been high-octane and when Maguire calls for another rep, the fullback is straight back to business.

4. HOOKING GOOD

Competition is king at every NRL club and a key narrative of Brisbane’s 2025 pre-season is the battle for the hooking spot. It’s arguably the most hotly-contested position at Red Hill.

Billy Walters deserves to retain the No.9 jumper but Cory Paix has had a ripping summer and he is suddenly right in the mix for a dummy-half spot, turning up the heat on grand-final rake Tyson Smoothy and young gun Blake Mozer.

Maguire has been privately impressed with Paix’s application and leadership. Suddenly, his Broncos career is alive after a nightmare 2024 in which he languished in the Hostplus Cup and was given permission to leave by Brisbane bosses.

Paix dug his heels in and is up for the fight. Mozer is a two-time Queensland under-19s hooker and is rated one of the state’s most promising rakes since Cameron Smith. At 20, this is Mozer’s time to dethrone Walters and show why he is the king of hookers at Red Hill.

5. THE ENGINE ROOM

Maguire is considering moving Carrigan to prop and it sets up a superb three-man midfield alongside marquee prop Payne Haas and No.13 contender Kobe Hetherington.

Hetherington was on the verge of quitting to join the Wests Tigers last season when a meeting with Maguire convinced him to stay and the Broncos mentor loves the rugged, hard-hitting style of the son of Queensland Origin legend Jason.

There are whispers Carrigan would prefer to remain at lock but he is open to a move into the engine room for the betterment of the team. A Carrigan-Haas alliance would give Brisbane one of the best front rows in the league and allow the ultra-reliable Corey Jensen to play a supporting role off interchange.

Will Maguire be the premiership talisman or another failed Broncos coach who pushes players to breaking point? Time will tell, but this is a stacked roster that, if fit, will make the top four this season and give the 2025 title a monster shake.

Originally published as Courageous Reece Walsh moment shows Broncos are bound for a top-four fightback under Michael Maguire