NRL 2024: Reece Walsh vows to step up for Brisbane Broncos and lead finals charge alongside Adam Reynolds
Superstar fullback Reece Walsh admits he feels he has let the Broncos down after a turbulent campaign, vowing to repay the club by igniting their finals charge alongside the returning Adam Reynolds.
Superstar fullback Reece Walsh says he has let the Broncos down and has vowed to repay the club by teaming with his “calming” agent Adam Reynolds to ignite Brisbane’s premiership charge.
Walsh produced his best game of the season in Brisbane’s 30-14 rout of the Knights on Saturday night and revealed how the ice-cool Reynolds is the key to him not imploding in the heat of battle.
Reynolds returned from an 11-week lay-off following biceps surgery and the champion skipper slipped straight into the groove to unlock the brilliance of Walsh as the dynamic duo carved up the Knights.
Brisbane (8-10) will finish the weekend 11th and must win five of their final six games to make the finals, including this Saturday’s crucial clash against the in-form Bulldogs at Suncorp Stadium.
It’s been a turbulent campaign for Walsh, who has played 11 of a possible 18 matches this season due to a facial fracture and the sickening Origin I concussion that saw him miss three games for the Broncos amid the representative grind.
But with State of Origin in the rear-view mirror, and Reynolds back to call the shots, Walsh is primed to hit top gear to propel the Broncos to a second consecutive grand-final appearance.
“I wanted to take some steps in the right direction,” Walsh said on Fox following his Knights masterclass in which he scored a solo try and set up two others.
“Off the back of last year as well, through that Origin period, I felt like I let the team down.
“I am glad I have awesome players like ‘Reyno’, Patty (Carrigan) and Billy Walters who back me and give me that confidence.
“It was good to see Adam’s old legs going again.
“It’s great having him out there, he keeps us calm.
“It’s good to have our skipper back doing his thing.”
Reynolds’ comeback had an immediate impact on the Broncos.
Not only is he one of the code’s best game managers, but it’s no coincidence that Walsh rediscovered his lethal touch with the 34-year-old Reynolds at the nerve centre to drive Brisbane’s offence.
Walsh revealed last year he began seeing a sports psychologist to help him “calm down and slow my brain”.
For all his blistering speed, Walsh has been guilty of forcing the issue and overplaying his hand this season, but the return of Reynolds gives him a guiding force on the field under pressure.
“Adam and Reece have got a really unique combination that only those two know,” Broncos coach Kevin Walters said.
“They are good together. Adam with his style of play really suits Reece and his style of play.
“Together they are really dynamic.”
Despite heavy strapping around his left biceps, Reynolds got through the 80 minutes without a problem and is relishing the prospect of combining with Walsh to kickstart Brisbane’s finals assault.
“Reece is a competitor,” Reynolds said. “He loves playing football. He studies, he is a unique type of fella and it is my job to keep a calming influence on Reece.
“He is hard to calm down at times, he sees a lot of things and tries to play a lot which is great, you would rather have those players in your team than not, but it’s a combination we will keep working on at training.
“I keep it steady out there.
“When things go wrong, I pull the boys back into line and play the long game. Over the last couple of weeks, we have been impatient at times and tried to score off every play. We look good in patches when we build our game.
“This (beating Newcastle) is a step in the right direction. We need to build on this performance and get ready for next week.”
Australia coach and Fox analyst Mal Meninga says Reynolds extracts the best of Walsh.
“Adam gives Reece Walsh that composure,” he said. “Whenever he (Walsh) plays erratically or up-tempo, Reyno settles the team down, stays composed and gets to their kicking game.”
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