Brisbane Broncos star Reece Walsh has been somewhat underwhelming in 2025, producing a season of rocks and diamonds.
His inconsistency has been well documented by analysts and fans alike, with many concerned that his new coach, Michael Maguire, is unable to get the best out of the young fullback.
Despite unpredictable form thus far this season, he produced one of the best performances of his career in last week’s win over the Dolphins, producing 18 points and 249 run metres.
Speaking on Nine’s 100% Footy, Maguire was asked by Phil Gould if he had any idea what was to expect of Walsh moving forward, to which the Broncos coach answered confidently.
“Believe it or not, Gus, I actually do,” he said.
“A lot of people look into his game and have a lot of opinions, but if you saw the practice Reece does in the background to create the things he does, there’s reasons why he comes up with the brilliant plays, and I’m fortunate to see that quite often at training.”
While Walsh hasn’t been at his dynamic best over the last 12 months, his coach’s sentiment isn’t far off, either; the young star is constantly working to produce match-winning plays at every turn.
Maguire revealed that Walsh has been working hard in the background, admitting it doesn’t always translate to winning football.
“That’s what he’s practising, and sometimes it doesn’t come off, but because he’s so quick, over the last few weeks we probably had a couple of forward passes because blokes on the edges are trying to chase him and start a little bit ahead rather than being with Reece,” Maguire reviewed.
“He is electric and he’s great to coach and the players appreciate him and back him up when things don’t quite go so well.”
Maguire will be hoping Walsh can replicate last week’s performance for the rest of the season, with stars like Adam Reynolds, Ezra Mam, and Selwyn Cobbo all sitting on the sidelines with injuries.
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