NRL 2024: Top 50 players aged 23 and under, why Reece Walsh didn’t come close to No.1

Reece Walsh was poised to take the crown as the NRL’s best player 23 and under in 2024, instead he’s been left in the wake of the likes of Isaiya Katoa and Stephen Crichton. Here’s why.

Reece Walsh’s talent is undeniable, what is less profound in the Brisbane fullback’s game is the ability to deliver week in, week out.

It’s the reason the livewire was ranked so low in my Top-50 NRL players 23 and under.

Last year, I ranked Walsh at No. 2 and he was poised to take the top spot from teammate Payne Haas in 2024.

Instead, Walsh slid down the list to No.9 on the back of his inconsistency in 2024.

In Walsh’s defence, injury has limited the 22-year-old to just 14 games this season.

SEE THE FULL LIST OF THE TOP 50 NRL PLAYERS UNDER THE AGE OF 23 HERE

Reece Walsh’s talent is undeniable. But his ability to deliver week in, week out is less profound. Picture: Getty Images

In round three, Walsh copped an ugly hit from Penrith’s Taylan May, that left him with a fractured cheekbone and then there was the infamous brutal high shot by Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii in Origin I that left the Bronco severely concussed, and arguably gun shy in the back half of the season.

Sure, Walsh has a target on his back but it has led to a tentativeness has left him in the wake of the meteoric rise of Canterbury skipper Stephen Crichton and the marked improvement in Dolphins halfback Isaiya Katoa.

Like Walsh, Katoa hasn’t been perfect this season.

Isaiya Katoa hasn’t been perfect in 2024, but he hasn’t shirked his responsibility every week. Picture: Getty Images

Katoa missed a golden opportunity in Round 20 to sink three-time premiers Penrith when he pulled the wrong rein with the game on the line – he passed when he should have kicked for a field goal.

But where Katoa hasn’t shirked his responsibility each week is in taking on the contest, and now the 20-year-old is on the verge of guiding the Dolphins to the club’s first ever finals berth.

Walsh showed how damaging he can be when he produced one his best performances this year against North Queensland last weekend to help the Broncos mount a second half comeback.

But it would have left Broncos fans wondering where that effort had been all season.

The great players in the game go after the contest. The elite fullbacks, like James Tedesco and Dylan Edwards, do it every week and aren’t afraid to carry a side on their back when the chips are down.

SEE THE FULL LIST OF THE TOP 50 NRL PLAYERS UNDER THE AGE OF 23 HERE

If Walsh can deliver consistently he’d be one of the most feared players in the game. But right now teams know how he can be nullified. Picture: Getty Images

If Walsh can deliver consistently, he’ll transform into one of the most feared players in the game. It’ll also give the Broncos a fighting chance of a victory every week.

But right now, opposition sides know if they can target Walsh his impact on the outcome can be nullified.

Originally published as NRL 2024: Top 50 players aged 23 and under, why Reece Walsh didn’t come close to No.1