Kevin Walters' revelation about re-signing Reece Walsh as $1.1m detail comes to light

Kevin Walters reckons there's no way he'll be letting Reece Walsh leave the Broncos a second time, with Brisbane set to make the gun fullback the richest player in club history. Walsh is still without a contract past the 2025 season, but the Broncos are moving towards locking down the 21-year-old star long term.

According to the Courier Mail, the Broncos are set to offer Walsh a contract worth $1.1 million per season - which would be the biggest in club history. A number of Sydney clubs are said to be willing to offer as much as $1.3 per season for the Queensland State of Origin dynamo.

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The Broncos already lost Walsh once when he moved to the New Zealand Warriors in 2021. He returned to the Broncos in 2023 on a three-year deal worth $400,000 per season, but is set for a massive upgrade.

According to coach Walters, the re-signing of Walsh is bound to happen sooner rather than later. With Walsh off contract at the end of next year, the Broncos have until the end of October to lock in the 21-year-old and avoid him going on the open market.

Walsh's contract is the next piece of the puzzle after the Broncos re-signed Ezra Mam, Payne Hass and Patrick Carrigan in recent times. "I've just mortgaged the house to keep him (Walsh) here," Walters joked on Saturday.

"He won't be going anywhere. There are lot of those guys that have come off (contract). Ezra is one of them. We did Payne late last year and Patty (Carrigan). These guys are all long-term players here for the club, and Walshy is no different. We love having him here and I'm sure he enjoys being around the place as well."

Haas said he would happily relinquish the title of biggest contract in Broncos history if it meant Walsh stayed. “I am hopeful he signs,” the prop said. “I want to keep Reece here, but at the end of the day that’s his decision and I’m not going to tell him what to do. We want him here and hopefully he does re-sign. I’m confident he won’t leave.”

Kevin Walters challenges Reece Walsh to go one better in 2024

Walsh was one of the stories of the 2023 season in his first year back at the Broncos, helping his side surge into the NRL grand final and making his State of Origin debut. But Walters has challenged his fullback to take things to the next level in 2024, with his first hit-out for the year coming in a pre-season trial against North Queensland on Sunday.

"Some of the things we've spoken about is with his defence and his organisation in defence," Walters said. "We know he loves to attack, so that's always good for us when he is in that mode.

"But also the unforced errors - not just Walshy, but as a group that's a big focus for us. Those unforced errors hurt us in the grand final last year. We're looking to try and eliminate a few of those if we can, and that starts on Sunday."

with AAP

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