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If Reece Walsh was an NRL team all on his own, his five 40-20s this season would rank him third in the league.
Which makes Brisbane’s long-range kicking a potential grand final-winning weapon, when you consider Adam Reynolds’ boot is rated by no less than Immortal Andrew Johns as “good as any I have ever seen”.
The proof lies in Brisbane’s 11 40-20s this season, and the eight tries they’ve scored immediately afterwards.
No team has come close to Brisbane’s 11 game-changing kicks – regaining possession after finding touch in the opposition 20-metre zone, having kicked from their own 40 (hence 40-20) – in one season since the rule was introduced in 1997.
Cronulla’s eight in 2009 (with Todd Carney kicking five) and Manly’s eight in 2017 (when Blake Green booted five and Daly Cherry-Evans kicked three) come next over the past 29 seasons.
Melbourne rank second this season with seven 40-20s from right-footer Jahrome Hughes, Cameron Munster’s underrated long kicking game (left boot) and Harry Grant operating out of dummy half.
But the Broncos rightly prize Walsh’s lethal left boot, which proved pivotal in their 16-point semi-final comeback against Canberra three weeks ago.
“Reece can turn a game with his long kicking game as well; it’s probably underrated, but it’s an important part of our game,” Reynolds said.
“I’ve seen him work on it a lot – he’s a student of the game, and he’s got such a big boot, it’s a real bonus for us. When we’re camped down our own end we can just hit Walsh here and let him get us out of trouble.
“The fact we’ve got a left-foot kicker and a right-foot kicker makes it tough for the [opposing] fullback to hug one side of the field, because they’re giving up a lot of space.
“We’ve got a few trick plays in around dummy half that can try and drag the fullback one way and then we kick the other way … it’s been a strength of ours this year.”
Only Dylan Edwards’ desperate defensive work at Suncorp Stadium in the first half prevented Ben Hunt from adding to Brisbane’s 40-20 tally on Sunday.
Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen is one of the game’s fittest custodians and no slouch in defending long-range kicks, while Walsh freely admits positional play is an area he wants to improve.
Ryan Papenhuyzen will have his hands full defending Brisbane’s long-kicking game on Sunday.Credit: Getty Images
Broncos legend Darren Lockyer has played both sides of the 40-20 equation as one of the modern game’s best fullbacks and five-eighths, and can see Sunday’s grand final swinging on a long-range punt.
“As a fullback, after those first three tackles when you’re organising the defence, both fullbacks will have to be switched on and knowing exactly what those threats on both sides are setting up for,” Lockyer said.
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“For Ryan Papenhuyzen, I’d say Adam Reynolds is where you look first and Hunt too, as the right-footers.
“But obviously Reece is a bit of a wildcard with his left boot as well, and he’s clearly done well with it this season.
“Melbourne’s got some great weapons too with Munny’s [Munster] left boot, Harry and Jahrome too – both sides have some great options there.”
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