Corey Parker calls out Reece Walsh in truth bomb for Brisbane Broncos gun

Maroons and Broncos great Corey Parker has warned Reece Walsh he needs to tighten up his game after a season that saw him catapulted to superstardom in 2023. Walsh was sensational for the Broncos last year, which involved him becoming the Maroons fullback in State of Origin and guiding his team to the NRL grand final in a close loss to the Panthers.

Walsh scored nine tries, provided 26 try assists and 21 line breaks as he became arguably the best fullback in the NRL. However, the 21-year-old has come under criticism in the past for a number of mistakes in his game.

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While Walsh is electric with the ball in hand, the youngster has been accused of making mistakes during the game with his attacking game making up for the errors. And Broncos great Parker has claimed Walsh won't have it as easy as last year and could be targeted going forward.

"I've had a lot to do with him since he was 15 and always knew he was a special talent," Parker told the Wide World of Sports. "But really, he is still a kid and now has a huge target on his back.

"He's got a Harry Styles-like following, but to me he still hasn't done anything yet compared to what he is capable of." Halfback Adam Reynolds was also on hand to claim there was plenty more to come from the fullback this year. However, he was quick to quell comparisons to legends of the game, such as Greg Inglis, so early on in Walsh's career.

"He's totally different to Greg Inglis. So I don't want to compare him to G.I., he was a terrific player with other skill sets that Reece will never have. But Reece is definitely special...the sky is the limit for him," Reynolds said over in the US.

While Parker has warned rivals that there is more to come from the fullback, Walsh is also ready to fire in 2024 having re-watched the NRL grand final loss and admitted he could have done better in the defining moments.

Reece Walsh reflects on NRL grand final loss

Walsh came under fire after the NRL grand final when Nathan Cleary went over to score right where the fullback could have been covering. Speaking in commentary for Channel 9, Johnathan Thurston highlighted how Walsh didn't "fill the space", and he also copped plenty of backlash from fans over the lapse.

Speaking on Monday, ahead of the Broncos' opening round clash against the Roosters in the US, Walsh has since admitted his mistake, and on Monday he revealed he wasn't happy about his impact with ball in hand either. The Broncos re-watched the game as a team and pin-pointed a number of areas that cost them.

"Just to take the moments when they come and get more involved," he said. "I felt in that game I probably wasn't involved as much as I wanted to be and that was credit to Penrith and their defence.

"It is always going to be tough looking back on (the grand final) and seeing how close we were. The good thing about footy is that we are back this year and even more motivated. I feel like (the loss) has brought us tighter as a group. The scars are still hurting but we are using that for the season ahead. We are keeping that wound open." The Broncos are opening as favourites in the clash against the Roosters having just resigned Reynolds till the end of 2025.

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