Reece Walsh’s special talent was on full display Saturday night. He indeed led the Brisbane Broncos to an unforgettable 38-30 win over the North Queensland Cowboys. The game was held at Townsville’s Queensland Country Bank Stadium which is home to the NRL Cowboys. It was a personal-best milestone for the Broncos, catapulting the team into fourth place on the NRL ladder. Walsh’s all-around performance proved critical as he stepped up in place of injured captain Adam Reynolds. He truly stepped up, taking on the role vacated from five-eighth Ezra Mam.
In doing so, Walsh showcased his playmaking ability throughout the game, highlighted by five line break assists and two try assists. His vision and creativity to make plays for his teammates was on full display as he produced play after play in crucial moments. Late in the second quarter, he exploded the game open. He played a looped ball that preceded a mouthwatering 75-meter team long-range strike — one that he initiated and concluded himself.
Walsh’s pairing with Gehamat Shibasaki turned out to be the difference in the win. He produced an outrageous no-look pass that set up Shibasaki’s opening try. Moments later, he created Shibasaki a chance to react to a Cowboys try, earning him his second score. This dynamic duo provided crucial support for Billy Walters, who capitalized on Walsh’s creativity to score.
Though Walsh’s performance was historic and set a new level of domination, his game left room for improvement. He called five errors in the course of the game. One major example of this was Braidon Burns being sin-binned for making contact with Walsh’s legs as he kicked in the first half. Despite these things, Walsh held up remarkably well, helping the Broncos’ side play much better than their overall record would suggest.
After the match, Walsh spoke about controlling his execution and the team’s fight.
“I have just got to execute,” – Reece Walsh
He acknowledged the intensity of the match, stating, “I’m glad we got the win. We knew the Cowboys were going to come out firing.”
This win proved the Broncos had arrived. It demonstrated their emerging talent just as they prepare to enter what hopes to be a fruitful 2023 campaign.
“It is always an awesome challenge going up against them in Townsville,” – Reece Walsh
