Source : ABC NEWS
– AAP
Reece Walsh has been given the green light by coach Michael Maguire to run the ball “any time he likes” as the dazzling No.1 aims to regain his best form.
Walsh will play against St George Illawarra this afternoon aiming to help ignite the Broncos as they target breaking a three-game losing streak.
A recall to the Queensland side is a carrot also dangling in front of him.
Maroons coach Billy Slater was a master fullback on both sides of the ball and is a big admirer of Walsh, who was so pivotal in the 2023 Origin series win by Queensland.
Kalyn Ponga was superb at 1 in the 22-20 loss to NSW in Sydney in the Origin series opener on Wednesday night until he was sent off in the 57th minute.
Ponga, so long as he stays fit and healthy, will almost certainly be fullback for game two in Melbourne, but Walsh is a chance to be named in the squad if he can string two superb games together for the Broncos against the Dragons and Gold Coast in the next fortnight.
Walsh has averaged just 101 metres in his last three games since returning from a facial fracture, lower than the 148m he managed on average last year.
“He’ll run the ball, and when he runs it’s pretty exciting,” Maguire said when asked if he would like Walsh to up the ante in that regard.
“He can run any time he likes.”
Walsh’s defence has been great this year with his 87.76 per cent tackle efficiency the best of his career.
The effort is there but there have been concerns over whether he is lacking confidence since returning from the fracture.
Maguire said Walsh’s commitment could not be questioned.
“You grow from what you have to go through and it’s just another part of his career that he’s going through,” Maguire said.
“The way I’ve seen him go about his training I’ve been really impressed actually.
“Reecey knows his game, he knows what his best game looks like, and if he keeps producing that consistently then the opportunities will come off the back of that.”
Maguire said a player’s career was “never a straight line” and Walsh was on the right track.
“You’re going to get challenged at times, the old saying is how you respond, and he’s been excellent the last couple of weeks,” Maguire said.
“He’s ripped into training, he’s been really good around the organisation, and he knows if you play your good footy you get recognised for that and the opportunities may come off the back of that.”
