Broncos coach Michael Maguire says there’s much more to Reece Walsh than being an NRL pin-up boy

He might be the NRL’s pin-up boy, but Michael Maguire is much more interested in the quality Reece Walsh brings to the Broncos backline than his heartthrob status.

Broncos coach Michael Maguire has declared Reece Walsh in “outstanding” shape and says Brisbane’s superstar fullback is ready to show the NRL world he has the substance to match his style.

Brisbane’s “Ferrari” is coming out of the Red Hill garage with whizkid Walsh to launch his 2025 campaign in Saturday night’s final pre-season trial against the Bulldogs at Kayo Stadium.

Rested for Brisbane’s opening two trials, Walsh is back in the No. 1 jumper after recovering from wrist surgery and primed to fire alongside fellow big guns Payne Haas, Adam Reynolds, Pat Carrigan and Ben Hunt against Canterbury.

Walsh endured a nightmare 2024 campaign. Aside from wrist and facial injuries and a shocking concussion suffered in Origin I, the Maroons maestro’s work ethic came under the microscope amid claims he and Broncos teammates were acting like “rockstars”.

Michael Maguire says Reece Walsh is primed for 2025. Picture: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

But under new coach Maguire, Walsh has submitted a brilliant summer. His skin folds are down, while also adding some muscle, with his pre-season application convincing Maguire that Walsh has the desire to live up to his potential as Brisbane’s once-in-a-generation talent.

“I can’t be happier with Reece,” Maguire said.

“He really has been excellent.

“He is in outstanding shape.

“He trains as hard as anyone here and I’m looking forward to seeing how Reece and all the guys go against the Bulldogs.”

It’s been 197 days since Walsh was last seen in Broncos colours, with the flying fullback suffering a premature end to his 2024 season when he injured his wrist in Brisbane’s 42-18 win over the Cowboys last August.

Walsh was a nervous spectator in last week’s 50-12 thumping of the Titans and such is his love for the game and competitive drive, the Queensland Origin star will look to play the entire 80 minutes against the Bulldogs.

It is understood most of Brisbane’s big guns will play the first 40 minutes at Redcliffe before being given a second-half spell, but Maguire is open-minded about unleashing ‘Reece Lightning’ for the full game.

“There’s no set game time for Reece,” he said.

“If he’s going well out there and feels fine I will just let him go.”

Reece Walsh celebrates a try last season.

The Bulldogs clash will also mark the early return of star halfback Adam Reynolds (neck) and NSW Origin prop Payne Haas (ankle), who were expected to miss the trials due to recent surgeries.

Maguire is wary of easing his big guns into the action, with Reynolds and Haas expected to have a 40-minute hitout.

“They were always planning to play but you have to be aware of their injuries,” he said.

“They have done all the testing and are ready to go.

“We’ll give them a go and get all our combinations going. There are a lot of combinations there that I am looking at and it is important they all go out and perform because in a couple of weeks we are into round one.”

Reynolds and Hunt will team together for the first time at the Broncos scrumbase. The duo go into round 1 as the oldest halves pairing in the NRL, but Maguire dismissed concerns the 34-year-olds are in danger of breaking down.

Asked if the pair can defy Father Time, Maguire said: “Definitely.

“I can’t think when ‘Hunty’ has missed a game and with ‘Reyno’, everyone seems to talk about it (his injury record).

“He had a few challenges last year (with bicep and neck surgeries) but the prior years he had a big influence on the organisation of the team at a really high level.

“Reyno has given himself a really good pre-season. He had a challenge with his neck, but in the background, the amount of work he has done to get himself ready to go, I am really confident how those two guys will come together.”

Originally published as Broncos coach Michael Maguire says there’s much more to Reece Walsh than being an NRL pin-up boy