Key family move in Reece Walsh's $5 million deal emerges as Broncos end Kevin Walters doubt

Reece Walsh has put to bed speculation Kevin Walters' shock exit had changed his mind on signing his $5 million Broncos contract with his daughter's appearance at the signing presentation a key detail in the deal. For months, Walsh was reported to be signing an even bigger deal to remain in Brisbane under Walters.

However, the Broncos hierarchy made the shock decision to axe Walters having failed to reach the NRL finals with the talented squad. Noise around Walsh's mega-deal started to fade with Broncos fans waiting to see if Walters' exit had an impact on the deal.

Walsh could have been waiting for stability at the club with Michael Maguire appointed as the new coach as question marks remained over whether the duo would gel. Broncos players admitted shock at Walters exit with uncertainty surrounding the environment in Brisbane.

But Walsh's early return to training and the announcement he has signed a $5 million contract - which will make him the highest paid Broncos player ever - has put to bed any doubt surrounding his mindset after Walters' exit.

But even more telling for Walsh was the inclusion of his daughter, Leila, at the signing of the contract. The Broncos released a video of the moment Walsh had extended his stay in Brisbane. Last month, reports emerged Walsh would be signing a $5 million deal, not the initially speculated $6 million contract, to stay at the club.

This move raised eyebrows with many feeling Walsh is worth more than $1.2 million a season. However, Queensland coach Billy Slater suggested he was not chasing more money on the NRL market because he wanted stability in his life with his daughter settled in Brisbane.

“I think it’s a great deal for the Broncos,” Slater said on Channel Nine back in September when details around his $5 million contract was reported. “I think it’s really good for Reece too. He’s close to his family. He’s settled in Brisbane. He could have got another $200k to 300k a year somewhere else, but he wants to play for the Broncos. I think it’s a great deal all round for everyone.”

And the comments are telling with Walsh pictured with his daughter at the record-breaking signing for the club. Walsh has already shown he is willing to buy into Maguire's ethic of hard work having returned early to training ahead of pre-season.

Reece Walsh praises teammates at Broncos

Walsh's comments surrounding the club culture and his bond with the players have also been a strong factor behind the new deal. Walsh claimed he wanted to help build the foundations of the club to mirror the likes of the Penrith Panthers and Melbourne Storm.

"This is an exciting time for the Broncos and I wanted to be a part of it," Walsh said. "It was a bit of a process, contracts take time, but I never wanted to leave... I wanted to stay because of the group here.

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"We have a pretty young group. Some of those boys who were there in the tough times are now coming through to be senior players. As long as we keep working hard and keep building really good habits, if we stick together and have the same goal of winning a premiership, we can do it.

"You look at teams like Melbourne and Penrith, they have stuck by each other as a group and gone on to do really good things. I know the boys are hungry and I’m looking forward to working hard and having a good pre-season. I think we have the group here to win a premiership."