Walsh sends Slater a message after star Broncos return
Joel Gould |
Brisbane fullback Reece Walsh has turned his seven-week injury absence into a silver lining, returning to action on fire and reminding Queensland coach Billy Slater of his prodigious talents.
Walsh set up the first try in the 44-14 win over Gold Coast on Saturday night with a 25m spiral pass and scored two late tries that showcased his footwork, power and support play.
The 22-year-old missed six weeks with a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury which ruled him out of game one of the State of Origin series, lost 18-6 by the Maroons.
Walsh was the incumbent fullback from last year but his spot in the series opener was taken by Kalyn Ponga. While his Broncos return was likely too late to be catapulted into game two in Perth he still wants to play a part in this year’s series.
“When you are a Queenslander, that’s all you want to do,” Walsh said.
“If Billy needs me in the squad for anything, I’ll be there and ready to go. If he doesn’t, I’ll still be cheering the boys and backing them at home.”
Walsh had time on his break to assess where his footy was heading and make the necessary adjustments. He picked his marks well against the Titans and was a lot more composed than at the start of the year.
“It is good to be back,” Walsh said.
“I had time off where I could get away from footy and rejuvenate myself.
“I worked a lot on my skills and my craft and I felt pretty natural out there.
“I know I have got a lot to work on and I’m a work in progress, so I have just got to keep myself honest.
“I had a lot of time to reflect on the start of my year.
“I had a really good pre-season and I obviously didn’t start the year too well. That’s just one game (against the Titans) and I’ve just got to keep keep reviewing my game and getting better where I can.”
Brisbane captain and half Adam Reynolds said Walsh was “a big part of our team”.
“We all know he is an X-factor and it is not only what he does with the ball but without it that is just as important. It certainly makes the team a lot better.”
Reynolds celebrated his 300th NRL match against the Titans and Walsh was never going to miss the game.
“No way. I was trying to get back last week and I kept telling the coaches to shut up and let me get in there,” he said.
“I had a bit of a mishap at training, but I was never going to miss it.”
Walsh did take a nasty knock to the knee against Gold Coast but not enough to get him off the park.
“I just jarred it up. I think it’s pretty common with a PCL,” Walsh said.
“I got caught in an awkward position but it is still strong and stable. I think I handled it really well.
“Lucky we’re going into a bye and I can look after it a little bit more.”
AAP
