‘One of the greats’: Michael Maguire dispels widely believed Reece Walsh fallacy

Reece Walsh has always been criticised for one major thing but Michael Maguire has now blown that claim out of the water.

Michael Maguire has dismissed claims Reece Walsh cares more about his image than his performances on the footy field, stating the boom fullback has his sights set on being “one of the greats” and is putting in the work to ensure it happens.

Walsh left Brisbane in search of a first grade chance in 2020 at when it came at New Zealand he took it with both hands.

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He burst onto the scene on Anzac Day in 2021, debuting for the Warriors at fullback and went on to produce an incredible rookie season, which included nine tries, 11 try assists and 53 tackle breaks.

Therefore, it was no surprise the Broncos, who were searching for a new fullback, moved quickly to bring the youngster back to the club.

Since re-joining Brisbane, Walsh’s lightning-fast acceleration, enigmatic play style and general swagger have made him arguably rugby league’s most recognisable star.

However, the end product isn’t always there and the Broncos No. 1 was seen consistently out of position and struggling with his fitness at the back end of games last season.

Walsh also simply makes too many mistakes, as highlighted by his 81 errors in just 36 games in Broncos colours.

And many feel the 21-year-old just doesn’t put in the work to improve his overall game.

Reece Walsh is putting in the hard yards at pre-season training. Image: Adam Head/Getty

But fresh off signing a lucrative contract extension with the Broncos to the end of 2029, the club has put its faith in Walsh, despite concerns over his work ethic.

In December Channel 10’s Ted Roker reported Walsh finished near the rear of a fitness test at Broncos training.

And that report further played into the notion that Walsh is more concerned about ‘looking cool’ by wearing bright nail polish and flashy accessories than with his end product on the footy field.

This notion was only further confirmed when Walsh rocked up to the NRL grand final in Versace sunglasses, which he proceeded to wear in the dressing room as he prepared for the biggest game of his life.

Reece Walsh wore his sunglasses almost non stop in the leadup to the 2023 NRL grand final. Image: AAP

Reece Walsh, Brisbane Broncos training, Red Hill. Picture: Liam Kidston

However, the claim Walsh doesn’t put in the work to be one of the game’s best players is a myth that Maguire has been quick to shut down.

The notoriously hard-nosed coach said the fullback has ambitions of being “one of the greats” of the sport and is putting in the hard yards to make it happen.

“Reece is our Ferrari. I’m loving working with Reece. He is a special talent, but what I like is that he has the work ethic to get better,” Maguire told Code Sports.

“He is a huge footy head. I reckon he watches more footy than anyone else here, so I like the fact I can have lengthy discussions with him and I’d like to think he is learning a lot at the moment too.

“I think he can take his footy to another level. It’s exciting from my point of view where I feel we can take his game. I actually tried to get him to play for the Kiwis, but I think he wanted to go through the Origin pathway and potentially play for Australia.

“Reece had a tough year last year but I am confident he will bounce back. I love that Reece is in the Origin system because the best players learn even more at that level. There’s no doubt Reece is very talented and wants to be one of the greats of the game. To do that, you have to turn up consistently over periods of time, year after year, whether it’s Reece or whoever.”

And Maguire is far from the only person to commend the 21-year-old’s mindset, despite his hard work behind the scenes last year flying under the radar.

After being knocked out by Joseph Suaalii just eight minutes into State of Origin Game I in 2024, Walsh left no stone unturned ahead of returning to the field.

In a brutal session ahead of Game 2, Walsh was spotted staying behind to continue training and working on his game as the majority of the squad reached for the refreshments and headed for the showers.

Michael Maguire says Reece Walsh has his sights set on being one of the greats of the game.

Leading Queensland NRL journalist Peter Badel said only a handful of players remained after an intense two-hour session at their Sanctuary Cove camp.

But as the group slowly weened, with the likes of Slater and captain Daly Cherry-Evans long gone, Walsh continued on alone on the field in an attempt to finetune his game.

After doing more fitness, the fullback was said to have been practising his goalkicking before drilling his passing by throwing balls at the goalposts before calling it a day some 30-odd minutes after the second last player had left.

Even his Queensland teammate and notorious workhorse Reuben Cotter said Walsh’s work ethic was second to none.

“He just has the work ethic,” Cotter said at the time.

“He is a great player and one of the best this game has seen.

“He’s a real worker. I love the way he competes, he is always wanting to make his teammates and those around him want to be better. He is very competitive.”

It was a sentiment Queensland and Cowboys five-eighth Tom Dearden echoed.

“It shows how hard he works on his game. The stuff he does on the weekend is miraculous, but it shows it’s not just a fluke,” Dearden said.

“He is always out here working hard on his game and that’s why he plays so well on the weekends and in games. He obviously has lightning speed, but just at training and even in games, he always wants to be in the game. That’s what makes him so special.”