Apparently, Reece Walsh is a true student of the game and watches every minute of every NRL round. That being the case it would be interesting to know what went through his mind during the second half of the Knights-Titans match on Sunday. In the space of a few seconds Walsh would have seen Kalyn Ponga snatch the Queensland number one jumper from his grasp.
The Maroons fullback spot has been the most discussed and tightest fought selection battle in the lead-up to this year’s Origin series, with Walsh seeming to have his nose in front coming into last weekend’s round. His scintillating form in the first ten games of the season was a major factor in the Broncos leading the competition as they headed to Melbourne to take on the Storm.
Meanwhile, down in Newcastle, Maroons incumbent Ponga was having a nightmare start to the season, with a series of concussions necessitating a trip to Canada for assessment and his second comeback match against the Eels being what could only be described as a shocker.
Queensland selectors have always stuck with the players who have done the job for them in the past but Ponga, man of the match in last year’s sensational series-clinching Game III win at Suncorp Stadium, was making it hard for them as they prepared to choose the side for the series opener in Adelaide on May 31 - and so was Walsh.
As Fox commentator Greg Alexander said, ‘every time Walsh gets involved in the play you know something is about to happen.’ Which, for the most part has been a good thing, but not always. What makes Walsh so exciting to watch is his attacking mindset and blinding speed. Everything he does, he does at full throttle and more often than not it comes off – as his place at the top of the NRL try assists table attests. His exuberant, high-risk, style of play has been responsible for some of the Broncos’ best moments this season, but with it comes a higher margin of error. We have seen it early in a couple of matches this season when he has been slightly off with his timing before finding his rhythm and passes have gone astray or catches been put down. Most crucially, as Origin selection comes down to the wire, we saw it in the dying stages of Thursday night’s thriller in Melbourne. As the Broncos desperately tried to pull off an against-the-odds win, Walsh twice handed the ball back to the Storm.
Of course, no-one would blame him for the loss – his overall game was brilliant as always – but with Origin jerseys on the line, everything is under the microscope. Walsh opened the door just a crack on Thursday night, and Ponga charged through it on Sunday afternoon. The way he laid on a try for Bradman Best midway through the second half, and then bamboozled the Titans defense to score his own four minutes later turned what had been the Queensland selectors toughest decision into the easiest.
Barring injury or illness, Kalyn Ponga will be Maroons fullback for Game I, and Reece Walsh will be watching on TV. Or will he? Last week I heard Mal Meninga, a man who has pulled off a few Origin selection surprises in his time, make the suggestion that Walsh should be picked on the bench ahead of last year’s Game III hero Ben Hunt.
As Mal put it, you want to pick your best 17 players and Walsh could play hooker if he had to.
Sure it sounds crazy, but weird things happen at this time of year. Remember what they said down south when Queensland picked a little blonde halfback from Ipswich named Allan Langer? And what about Adam Mogg – or Adam Who? as they called him. They both worked out pretty well, didn’t they.
Argh, Origin. Don’t you just love it?