Reece Walsh 'weakness' called out as Broncos move to address ugly truth about NRL star
The Broncos think they've figured out a way to cut out their gun fullback's errors.
The Brisbane Broncos' attacking coach has revealed how the club has moved to make Reece Walsh run slower during game so he has more time to make decisions on the fly. Walsh is one of the fastest players in the NRL when in full-flight, but it can often be his downfall when it leads to a rush of blood and an error.
The Broncos fullback led the NRL in errors last season, but the ugly stat often gets overlooked because of the flashy and brilliant things he does on field. Walsh had 53 errors in 2023 (50 of which were handling errors) - a whopping eight more than the next closest player (Dominic Young with 45).
Walsh was at his brilliant best in last week's win over the Raiders, scoring two tries, making three line breaks and running for 199 metres. But he also produced three errors to go along with it.
Speaking this week, Broncos attacking coach Lee Briers told the BBC league podcast how they're trying to cut the errors out. Briers revealed he's actually trying to get Walsh to slow down his running speed so he has more time to make decisions.
"He does everything really quick - that's his strength but it's also his weakness," Briers said. "As we know the older you get, the game slows down on you.
"We're not trying to slow his head down, but slow his feet down a bit so when he's got the ball he can make decisions a little easier. With Reece it's all 100 miles an hour so he has to make those decisions at 100 miles an hour.
"If we can just pull him back a bit then - because his football brain is awesome. He just thinks really quick and wants to move on quicker than anybody else and sometimes you just have to pull him back, pull him back and then let him go on the weekend… he's an absolute superstar."
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Walsh has all-but sealed the Queensland fullback spot after Kalyn Ponga went down with a long-term foot injury last weekend. The 21-year-old was immense for the Maroons in last year's series before missing Game III through suspension.
Coach Billy Slater was facing a tricky decision about how to fit Walsh and Ponga into his 17, but the latter's injury has ended any debate. "Reece has got that explosiveness in him to break a game open," Broncos coach Kevin Walters said after the Raiders match. "He struggled a bit early, but when he decided to run, he ran, and we got some good results on the back of that."
The win over the Raiders saw the Broncos jump into the top eight for the first time this season. As well as the return of Walsh after a facial fracture, they've also seen huge performances from fellow Origin star Patrick Carrigan.
"Pat is amazing," Walters said after the 34-10 win over Canberra. "I think he is playing his best football. He is leading the team how the good leaders do lead. That's not with words, but with actions.
"We spelled him early tonight to get him ready for next week because he has earned that right. We had to drag him because he never wants to come off."
The Broncos will be boosted by the return of Adam Reynolds and Payne Haas this week as they travel to Campbelltown to face the Wests Tigers. But Ezra Mam and Selwyn Cobbo will miss the trip with what are thought to be minor injuries.
with AAP
