Warriors’ Reece Walsh ‘brilliance’ sticks boot in Broncos

The Warriors 18-year-old wunderkind has taken the NRL by storm but his coach has been quick to pour water on the hype train.

Don’t worry Tigers, you aren’t the first and won’t be the last team Reece Walsh tears apart.

The New Zealand Warriors’ Reece Walsh has put in another stunning performance as the 18-year-old continues to enhance his reputation as Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s heir apparent.

But how different could it have been had he seen a future at the Brisbane Broncos?

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Having come through the ranks in Brisbane, the Warriors snuck in under the Broncos radar and snagged the 18-year-old, blooding him as the heir apparent to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

He’s not the only one with the Roosters’ 18-year-old wunderkind Sam Walker also plucked from the Broncos system.

Immediately Tuivasa-Sheck, who is changing codes to rugby union next season, offered to move to the wing.

While Walsh debuted at fullback, he also played five-eighth and the last two games off the bench before being handed the fullback role against the Wests Tigers, and it paid off in the first half.

Although Walsh butchered his first kick clean up, he bounced back with two try assists in the first half as well as wrapping the half up with a try of his own.

He caught the ball as the Tigers line opened up in front of him, as he accelerated through the gap and swandived into the corner.

Scorpion dive? Swan dive? It’s a damn good try.

“Reece Walsh, here is a flash of brilliance,” Matt Russell said. “Forget hard work, he’s all class.

“What a special, rare talent we are seeing emerge.”

Michael Ennis added: “My gosh, what a player we’ve got on our hands here.

“The balance, the speed, the athleticism, the tongue out — this kid is a freak. He’s a freak.

“How did they let him go Brisbane? How did they let him go? Boy oh boy, this kid is just an absolute pearler.”

Ennis said his matches against the Storm, Sea Eagles and Eels have been brilliant.

“An 18-year-old kid teaching NRL veterans a lesson,” Ennis said. “How good is he to watch? He is so good.”

Ennis wasn’t done however, continuing to heap praise on Walsh.

“The kid’s a star,” he added.

“He’s tested Tommy Talau with that ball three times in the last two sets. Got him the first time, didn’t execute the pass, went back there the next time, almost an intercept.

“This kid is playing without any fear of failure. Goes back there again … the kid is a superstar. What a weapon.”

At halftime, Greg Alexander called Walsh “a great athlete with a football brain”.

Walsh then came up big in the second half, finishing the match with another try assist with a brilliant cut out pass to Marcelo Montoya.

Reece Walsh has made waves, but his coach is trying to keep it under wraps.

But Warriors coach Nathan Brown was quick to not let it go to the 18-year-old’s head, saying he wasn’t even the best player on the field.

“Tohu Harris was our best player tonight. Reece was outstanding but Tohu Harris was our best player,” Brown said.

“Reece has got a skillset that a lot of other 18-year-olds don’t really have. Young (Sam) Walker has been doing it, Reece did it for us tonight, the young (Daine) Laurie for (the Tigers) is doing it.”

He then rebuked the hype train following the youngster, saying he has plenty more to work on going forward.

“You blokes only highlight all the good parts, but he’s got some parts he needs to work on, too, as 18-year-olds should.

“He is working hard and he’s a good learner and good listener.

“He’s an 18-year-old kid, isn’t he? When Andrew Johns was 18 or 19 it took Joey about four or five years before he was capable to take the Knights to a premiership, and he is one of our most influential players ever.

“Just game experience and learning, but the defensive work at fullback these days, there’s a lot of pressure on them. From Reece’s first game to now, he has improved out of sight. He is working hard at that part of his game.

“Things like knowing what type of kick to do, because he kicks the ball well but what type of kick in the game situation, those are things he will learn from experience.”

The kid does it all.

Even better for the Warriors, they went from 18-10 up at halftime to be down 20-18, before scoring two tries with players in the sin bin set up the 30-26 win as the Tigers bounced back.

But while Walsh continued to increase his stock in the game, the NRL world once again pondered what Brisbane were thinking letting him go.

Can someone pls remind me why the Broncos let Reece Walsh walk?#NRLWarriorsTigers

— Sam Phillips (@samphillips06) May 21, 2021

Man #broncos let #walsh go and now trying to buy a fullback? pic.twitter.com/6mq2bu50Df

— Jamie Soward (@sowwowofficial6) May 21, 2021

This bloke is 18 years old and is playing like he's been there for years. Wondering what the Broncos are thinking now.... #NRLWarriorsTigers

— Guy Heveldt (@GuyHeveldt) May 21, 2021

Bro this Walsh kid is off his head. Absolute freak 🔥👏

— Shaun Johnson (@Shaun_Johnson90) May 21, 2021

My man just done the scorpion dive
Reece Walsh we see you boy ✊🏽

— issac luke (@issacluke_14) May 21, 2021

The Broncos have been linked to a shot at Storm player Nicho Hynes.

Walsh finished the game with 14 runs for 133m, four line break assists, three try assists and plenty of praise from the NRL world.

With Tuivasa-Sheck also running 272m from the wing, the Warriors definitely have the strike power at the back.