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But with the extra responsibility, Reece has thrived and taken his team to another level. He’s willed Brisbane to wins, never more so than against the Raiders in one of the greatest finals games you’ll ever see, bringing them back from 16 points down.
And against the Panthers he laid on the last try when they needed the big play.
The scary thing is he was actually pretty quiet and well contained by Penrith’s defence in the preliminary final. That’s a worry for Melbourne, and maybe Brisbane too, because Walsh will be ready to explode.
Reece plays like his personality: he’s loud, a risk-taker, an entertainer and an extrovert.
But his numbers across the past three seasons do show a maturing as well: he has upped his involvement significantly to 41 touches a game, yet is making fewer errors than when he took Brisbane to the grand final in 2023.
I was stunned when he handed the kicking tee back to Adam Reynolds for the final, crucial goal kick against Penrith – which of course Reynolds absolutely drained. But again, that shows the extra thought he’s putting into his footy, and how it is paying off.
How does Reece get even better?
Pat Carrigan coming back from suspension as a linking 13 in the middle is a big bonus for Reece, because that extra set of ball-playing hands really frees up the Broncos No.1.
Particularly around halfway where opposition wingers and centres can sit back on their heels anticipating kicks. That’s the half a second Walsh doesn’t even need given he’s so quick and elusive over a short distance.
Where I’d love to see Reece improve is his support play, especially around Payne Haas. The last thing a defensive line wants to see is Walsh looming up, the later the better, when Payne has hit the line, because he has the skills to get a great offload away.
Steve Roach: The authority on late offloads.Credit: Fairfax Media
Steve Roach’s philosophy on offloading that he’d always tell Tim Brasher – his fullback for Balmain and NSW – regarding following him and looking for a late pass was: “Don’t turn up Tuesday, come on Friday.”
I’d love to see Walsh get his trick shots going around the dummy half and ruck as well, working with Ben Hunt when he goes to hooker and really looking to stretch Melbourne’s markers – because that’s where the Storm are so good at dominating a contest.
And how do the Storm stop him?
Put simply, I don’t think you can stop Reece Walsh for a full 80 minutes. But I have no doubt the Storm will go after Haas and look to get three and four defenders in every tackle on him. Because if you can stop Haas and keep him quiet, you go a long way to locking up Reece Walsh as well.
The Storm need to sort out their left-side defence as well, where Shawn Blore, Cameron Munster and Jack Howarth work together. The gap between Munster and Howarth has been a worry of late, and was an even bigger concern before Howarth came back from injury.
Cronulla scored two tries to Sione Katoa down that edge last Friday, and in round 27 – admittedly when the Storm lost Jahrome Hughes to his broken wrist – Reece Walsh made a beeline for that edge.
Reece Walsh’s runs against Melbourne in round 27.Credit: Champion Data
The heat map of his runs that night at Suncorp Stadium show exactly how often Reece went after Munster and co, and his try in the 41st minute was a deserved reward.
To beat the Storm you need to move the ball around and play unpredictable footy, which has always been the Broncos’ DNA since they came into the competition in 1988.
The competing styles in this grand final are so fascinating given the Storm have added flair from their own big guns in the spine to their traditional structure. And the Broncos’ goal-line defence that kept them alive against Penrith – that was all Michael Maguire and the Melbourne roots Craig Bellamy taught him years and years ago.
If Brisbane’s passes stick, the Broncos can win and win well.
But if the nerves get to them or the Storm’s defence swarm Brisbane into error, Melbourne will suffocate them out of the contest.
And when you’ve got a player like Reece Walsh it’s a fine line between the risk and reward of how he approaches the game. You have to accept, like how Sam Walker plays his footy, that sometimes the madness won’t pay off.
Rugby league is lucky to have Reece Walsh, so come Sunday it’s a case of sitting back and enjoying whatever he brings. It could make for an absolute classic, or a horror movie.
Top of the props: Payne will be the greatest of all
Glenn Lazarus is the best front-rower I’ve ever seen. Lazarus won five grand finals at three different clubs and was integral to that success wherever he went.
He was, and is, a massive human, with a massive motor, agility and skills he shouldn’t have considering how big he was – and Lazo had 80 minutes in him in plenty of games, too.
I never thought I’d see another like him, but Payne Haas is on the verge of surpassing Lazarus for me. He’s not there yet mind you, but his performance against Penrith, and the numbers Payne produced, were just incredible.
Haas ran for 182 metres, with around 130 of those coming in the second half, and no other starting Broncos forward could crack triple figures because of all the defence they had to get through.
Payne still made 46 tackles too, and when Nathan Cleary lined up a last-ditch field goal attempt to save the game, it was Haas again as the first man there applying kick pressure. Just incredible.
Payne Haas with Broncos fans on Wednesday.Credit: Getty Images
Stefano Utoikamanu called the Broncos out and I can’t wait to see how Payne responds come the kick-off. And, just quietly, once again when these two big boys collide for Samoa and Tonga in the Pacific Championships.
The grand final verdict
I’ve tipped Melbourne all year and I can’t change now, even with all of Brisbane’s speed and skill.
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All season the Storm have had the NRL’s best playmaking spine with big-game experience in Ryan Papenhuyzen, Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes and Grant.
The Broncos have the brilliance to beat them. But I think Melbourne’s precision and consistency wins – either way, it will be a grand final for the ages.
Joey’s tip: Storm by four.
First try-scorer: Will Warbrick.
Clive Churchill medallist: Harry Grant.
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