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A new talent of professional rugby, the young fullback, led the Queensland side to an unlikely title victory on the weekend in the Olympic city, contributing to orchestrate a further 10-point rally in one of the great personal grand final showings that rendered the opposition powerless in a 26-22 shock result.

Outstanding Display by Walsh

Walsh delivered a powerful try, several try assists, key defensive stops – featuring a vital effort in the last seconds – and a constant presence on the night he ascended to the peak of the league. The team suffered injuries to star halves to knocks in the after halftime, but it made no difference, as Walsh and the desperate defensive effort of his teammates earned his club’s initial title in a long wait.

“Incredible, what a bloody ride,” the star said right after the conclusion. “Many critics [wrote] us off throughout the season, but the fans who believed in us. Thank you.”

Decisive Plays

• Reece Walsh evaded a jamming defender to assist the winger for a try at the start.
• During the final minute, Walsh made a decision by hitting the Storm fullback and stopped him with a challenge.
• Brisbane fought back from a significant deficit by the Melbourne midway through the opening period.

Squad Effort

Forward the lock said it was a credit to the full roster. “Traveling, injuring key players, it’s known the narratives of the last two [weeks], so for the team to respond, how good,” he said, adding that coach Michael Maguire gave them confidence in his break talk. “His message was back our D [defence]. Lucky we’ve had similar situations the previous rounds, we knew that if we could get our footy on, we could win.”

Rival Skill

Yet the caliber of their opposition showed itself. There was Hughes, who stepped off his right through the line and to score to reinstate the their comfortable margin right before intermission. He created another with a precise kick, and was a ongoing threat, with his kicking game – to Coates notably – giving Brisbane ongoing grief.

Memorable Contribution

But so spectacular was Reece’s input, erasing a lead once more is not the main reason this match is celebrated. During this high quality grand final, the opponents executed a combined 39 of 42 possessions in the initial 40 minutes. But there was one moment that stood out. A quick Broncos play from the line brought Walsh from the backfield, and he called for a quick pass from hooker. With a mix of power and strength, he swerved and skittled his path to the tryline, leaving multiple opponents behind him.

“Absolute freak,” commented a fellow player, who made amends a ten years after his mistake in the 2015 grand final.

He wasn’t finished. His remarkable contribution continued in the second half, when he created touchdowns to catch up to the Storm then put the Broncos leading. He denied a certain opposing forward four-pointer by contacting the forward’s grip as he was placing the ball, and he chased down Papenhuyzen once more when he escaped.

The team, subsequent to fightbacks against Canberra Raiders and Penrith in the postseason earlier, this was a hard to believe third turnaround of a significant margin, cementing their reputation as resilient champions.