Reece Walsh produces hot and cold Queensland Maroons State of Origin audition
Updated ,first published
If there was one outing that highlighted the rocks-or-diamonds approach Reece Walsh brings to the field, his recent tryout for his State of Origin comeback was just that.
There were moments of brilliance, fear and anger for the Broncos full-backs as they caused disaster in the Magic Round in a 42-12 rout of the Warriors at Suncorp Stadium.
There were ominous signs in Walsh’s first two touches – each powerful lunge directly towards the Warriors’ defense – and his team’s own poor discipline deprived him of the opportunity to strike in the first half.
When he got the chance, his risk-versus-reward approach showed; A rash pass out of trouble gifted Warriors’ Ali Leiataua a try before Phillip Coates’ dangerous bouncing ball created the opportunity for Adam Reynolds to cross for his second of the afternoon.
Walsh then looked confident of scoring a goal through Ben Hunt’s through ball, but lost his footing, allowing the Warriors to scramble to save the game. He then managed a near-miraculous try – unleashing Coates down the wing again, before his midfield shot failed as Josiah Karapani tried to bring the ball down.
He later had to go to HIA and was seen taking off with the coach as he left the field, but was cleared of any trouble. In the final stages after his return he was penalized for dissent after a heated argument with referee Ashley Klein. This performance was as Walsh as they come.
There were suggestions that Newcastle full-back Kalyn Ponga could be brought into the Maroons’ half-back as a replacement for the injured Tom Dearden, and in the Knights’ 36-12 win over the Titans he was seen regularly diving to the first receiver, finishing with 201 rushing metres, and setting up winger Dom Young for his hat-trick.
Such a play was approved by former Queensland assistant coach Josh Hannay, who said: “I would do that too, I think it’s a great idea… I have a feeling the opponents wouldn’t like to see him in that position”.
That would lock up Kangaroos incumbent fullback Walsh in a two-horse race with Dolphins rival Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow for Queensland’s No.1 hurler.
‘The Hammer’ starred at No 1 shooter as Queensland triumphed in the third leg last year, and although his versatility allows him to operate in centers or on the wings, his nose is now forward to hold his ground.
He ran for 171 meters and scored a superb solo try against South Sydney on Friday night in his final Origin statement before Billy Slater announced his team on Monday morning.
“We all know what Reece can do. We’re not giving ourselves the best opportunities to perform… If you put Reecey in an area where we know he can play, it’s pretty scary,” Broncos coach Michael Maguire said.
“If I were choosing the team, I would choose Reece.”
Boyd’s heartbreak amid Broncos implosion
Tanah Boyd’s breakout season may be over after the Warriors suspected he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear at halftime.
This was supposed to be the continuation of Boyd’s tale after leaving Brisbane and the Gold Coast to become the face of New Zealand’s rise to the NRL top two.
There were even suggestions that Dearden was on the State of Origin radar to take over as the No.7 hurler in his absence. The most worrying thing was that the incident occurred without contact.
“It’s a potential ACL; it hasn’t been confirmed yet so we’re not writing it off yet, but early indications are it could happen,” Warriors coach Andrew Webster said. He also confirmed Luke Metcalf could be selected in the 13th round on his return from personal leave to secure his future at the Dragons.
Despite the early loss of their top general, the Warriors bounced back without him and scored shortly after leaving the field with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak’s stylish header into the corner.
Brisbane’s wheels fell off when Erin Clark charged in from close range.
This was as undisciplined as the Broncos were under Michael Maguire; He was awarded 10 penalties in the first half for various offenses – high contact, dropping the hips, illegal stripping, escorts and contact with the kicker’s legs are all involved.
This build-up eventually led to Pat Carrigan being sent to the sin bin after holding the tackle for too long, with tries from Wayde Egan and Kurt Capewell scoring shortly before the break.
“HE [the referee] He warned me and told me to give the team a warning, which I did, and I thought the warning was for repeat violations, but it wasn’t for holding the rock or slowing down in the 10-meter zone, and ultimately that’s what Patty sinned against,” Reynolds said.
“I tried to get some clarity, but that’s it.”
The Broncos never came close to a comeback as Reynolds slotted in a try of her own – the first of two tries – by targeting the wing of sinner Alofiana Khan-Pereira (high throw). Watene-Zelezniak’s intervention proved the final nail in the coffin, sending the defending champions to three straight defeats.
Asked for his opinion on the disproportionate number of penalties, Maguire said: “I’ll definitely have to take a look.”
“When you look at the rocks and the opponent, you look for the consistency of what’s going on. There were some things that made the game difficult to play. I want to make sure it goes both ways.”
Blues calls attract attention
The New South Wales hooker war appeared to be a race between Reece Robson and Blayke Brailey, but reports have emerged that Egan has been asked to pack heavily for the Magic Round trip.
Despite his history of concussions, Egan left the Broncos distraught at times; He scored an early try, leaving the defense open to give Te Maire Martin the lead in the second half.
Jackson Ford, who finished with 111 running meters and 32 tackles without a miss, also has a good chance of joining the NSW camp.
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