A viral clip from the Brisbane Broncos locker room celebrations has sparked concern among fans about the mental wellbeing of superstar fullback Reece Walsh.
Following their 26-16 derby victory over the North Queensland Cowboys, the Broncos players celebrated jubilantly, even playfully spinning Xavier Willison’s freshly trimmed mullet, which he had cut before the match.
Yet amid the lively celebrations, Walsh stood noticeably quiet, his arms crossed, visibly subdued after his performance.
Fans quickly noticed Walsh’s downcast demeanour and rallied around the Queensland Maroons fullback who has been under pressure in recent weeks.
‘Walshy looks disappointed with his efforts tonight bless him, can’t always be on top form brother! Chin up,’ one fan commented.
Another wrote, ‘Head up Walshy! The comeback is always better than the setback! The boys have got you & so do all of we.’
Reece Walsh cut a subdued figure in the Brisbane Broncos sheds after the match while his teammates celebrated their win over the North Queensland Cowboys
Walsh has been struggling with confidence and had plenty of errors to go along with some brilliant moments against the Cowboys
‘Let’s be patient with Reece. He will come out as a better player from this experience, and his confidence will back,’ added another.
Walsh’s subdued reaction is believed to be linked to his recent form slump, which intensified during the match against the Cowboys, where he committed five errors.
His struggles included multiple risky passes to the wingers and difficulties asserting himself into the game, clearly indicating a lack of confidence.
This performance followed another challenging game against Canberra the previous week, arguably one of the worst in his professional career.
Despite the noticeable issues, Walsh still delivered some impressive moments in Friday night’s game.
He executed a stunning 65-metre 40/20 kick, crucially shifting the momentum after a scoreless opening 20 minutes.
Walsh also provided a pinpoint pass that enabled Jesse Arthars to score a try, highlighting his undeniable talent despite ongoing struggles.
Brisbane coach Michael Maguire defended Walsh’s performance, particularly praising his defensive efforts.
Walsh has represented Queensland but faces pressure to keep his spot with Newcastle fullback Kalyn Ponga hitting top gear
Brisbane Broncos coach Michael Maguire has backed his under-fire fullback to return to his best form
‘We had a strong defensive line and that comes from what Reece does out the back,’ Maguire said.
‘Defence is 50 percent of the game, and I thought Reece was excellent defensively.’
However Maguire also stressed the importance of supporting Walsh, describing his current form as part of a growth phase.
‘I have had players like Reece who go through little periods in their careers, and it helps define who you are,’ Maguire said.
‘He probably doesn’t feel that at the moment, but one thing I do know is that he will be better for it when he keeps working his way through it.’
Teammates have also rallied around Walsh, with veteran Ben Hunt saying Walsh doesn’t let errors affect his overall approach to the game.
‘That’s one of the best things about Reece. If he makes an error, he doesn’t take it with him,’ Hunt said.
‘We will just encourage him to keep playing his footy.’
Broncos skipper Adam Reynolds also backed Walsh, praising his resilience and overall contribution.
‘He ran the ball strongly into the line, organised the defence, and scrambled across to save tries,’ Reynolds said.
‘We nitpick the little mistakes he makes, but there are a lot of great things he is doing as well.’
