Reece Walsh detail comes to light as Peter V'landys voices bold Wayne Bennett coaching desire
V'landys says Walsh requires personal security escorts to and from his car at Broncos training session.
Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) boss Peter V'landys has lifted the lid on the extent of 'Reece-Mania', revealing Brisbane star Reece Walsh requires personal security just to go to and from training. In a recent intervuew, V'landys described the Broncos fullback as the most marketable figure in rugby league, with numbers backing up that claim.
The dynamic fullback is the most popular NRL player on social media with 534,000 followers on Instagram, some 100,000 more than Penrith champion Nathan Cleary and Walsh is constantly mobbed in public or at fan events. But V'landys says such is the extent of Walsh's fame, that he requires personal security escorts to and from his car at Broncos training sessions.
As a direct result of 'Reece-Mania', Brisbane even built a new steel fence at the back of the club's training facilities this year and employed security guards to keep overzealous fans at bay who are prepared to wait hours after any given training session to get a glimpse of the team's stars, in particular Walsh. And while V'landys says Walsh is a marketer's dream he is under no illusions about what that level of pandemonium and scrutiny can do to the Broncos star's mental health. "Reece Walsh is any administrator’s dream in regards to the marketing of the game," he told News Corp.
"He is bringing in demographics that we never dreamt of getting... In terms of a single player, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone as popular as Reece. And one of his great attributes is how he looks after his young daughter (Leila) as a father. That shows the character of the man. (But) There's a lot of pressure on Reece, so we have to make sure we don’t put more pressure on him. He is a young man with enormous expectation and we have to understand that as a game."
V'landys says he personally understands the toll scrutiny and pressure can have on an individual, noting he himself is inundated with abuse from strangers and can only imagine what the likes of Walsh deal with day in and day out. "In any job with a high profile, you will be attacked, no matter who you are. There are people attacking me who I have never met, don’t know who they are. The hate that they have for me is extraordinary," he continued.
"Like Latrell Mitchell (Souths superstar) and Reece Walsh, we’re all human at the end of the day. I have the same emotions."
Alex Glenn says Reece Walsh's fame is unmatched in NRL
V'landys comments come after former Broncos captain Alex Glenn said the level of support and adoration surrounding Walsh is on another level to anything he has ever seen in rugby league. "His status has been miles above anyone that's ever been in rugby league," Glenn told Sporting News' Ebbs and Flows podcast last month.
"There's times where the club have to get his own security for places because he's like Sonny Bill (Williams). I think this is the first sign our club's had someone (with that status) with Reece Walsh coming into the game. The club has had to learn a lot in the last two years.
"Reecey didn't ask for it, but when you get a good-looking fellow like him - tan skin, green eyes - and he's killing it." It (Walsh's style of play) is entertaining, and our sport is an entertainer sport, so what he does for the game is amazing."
And Glenn noted the level of expectation on the young fullback is immense and he was full of praise for how he has handled himself in the last two seasons. "I know he's still a young man, I've got to commend his resilience in terms of how he keeps picking himself up every single day," Glenn said. "Because that (the constant attention) can drain your energy systems."
Peter V'landys hopes Wayne Bennett will coach new PNG side
Meanwhile, while Wayne Bennett is just weeks away from formally taking the lead at the Rabbitohs, V'landys has voiced his desire to see him as the inaugural coach of the PNG side - slated to enter the NRL premiership as the code's 19th club in 2028. Bennett is preparing for his second stint at South Sydney as he looks to bring the famed NRL powerhouse success once again.
Bennett has a three-year deal at Redfern, leaving him currently available to take charge of PNG in 2028. When the Dolphins were added to the NRL last year, a key condition of winning a licence was appointing Queensland legend Bennett as their foundation coach.
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And while it remains to be seen whether Bennett would be prepared to move offshore to coach a PNG or a proposed second New Zealand club, V'landys believes it is crucial to get the 74-year-old involved in any new venture if at all possible.
"I’d love to see Wayne part of another new franchise," V'landys said. "There is no one better in the game in my eyes than Wayne Bennett.
"He proved that with the success of the Dolphins, it had a lot to do with Wayne Bennett and that’s why we wanted him involved with an expansion club. Wayne’s knowledge of the game is the best I’ve seen, he is a rare commodity, to say the least. He would be an asset for any new club.”
