Slater backs banned Walsh to learn important lesson

Joel Gould | July 3, 2023

Queensland coach Billy Slater says suspended fullback Reece Walsh will cop his punishment on the chin and emerge a better player and man in the future.

The Maroons coach spoke at length on Monday about Walsh before flying with the team to two days of fan engagement in Cairns ahead of game three of the State of Origin series in Sydney on July 12.

The 20-year-old Walsh will miss the match after he was rubbed out of the game for three weeks for contrary conduct after a running battle with referee Chris Butler in Brisbane’s 18-12 loss to the Gold Coast.

Walsh’s foul-mouthed spray at the end of the match, that he said was aimed at teammate Pat Carrigan, received plenty of media attention but Slater said the tyro would learn from the entire experience.

“That is a development area that Reece will focus on. He will be better at this in the future. He won’t play the victim. He will go out there and cop it on the chin,” Slater said.

“I actually believe his side of the story that he was directing his comments to Pat Carrigan but he needs to own that and he needs to be better at that.

“He will be better at this area of his game and he will get to play for Queensland again.”

Slater has taken a great deal of interest in Walsh’s career, as a fellow fullback. 

He also experienced adulation beyond the average as a young Queensland No.1 when he was coming through as a rare talent and he called for a measure of understanding.

“I am very honest with Reece, and all the players. Let’s not forget Reece is 20 years old,” Slater said.

“Take yourself back to when you were 20 and how many mistakes you made and how imperfect you were.

“I don’t like thinking about it because I was making mistakes when I was 30 and I am still making them.

“Sometimes we forget that when young players come into the game.

“They play to such a high standard that we forget how young they are and they still have got development left in them.”

Slater said he was in dialogue with Walsh before and after his appearance before the NRL judiciary.

“It is disappointing for Reece,” he said.

“He has worked really hard to be in the position he’s in right now but he’s unfortunately not going to get the opportunity to play for Queensland in this third game.”

Slater said was looking forward to working with Walsh’s replacement AJ Brimson in game three.

“I am really excited for him,” Slater said.

“He has earned this opportunity to play in his preferred position and we will build a game to try and bring AJ in the best way we can,” he said.