Reece Walsh is competing with Kalyn Ponga for the Queensland fullback position. The Newcastle maestro is inspiring the Brisbane No. 1 to elevate his game, with the goal of representing Australia for the first time. While Walsh is currently Queensland's incumbent fullback, Knights' talisman Ponga is breathing down his neck after a red-hot start to the season.
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04-03, 2025"Every time I watch Ponga play, it excites me," Walsh said before Saturday night's home game against the Wests Tigers at Lang Park. "I've been watching him since I was in school growing up, so to be able to be in the conversation with him (for Origin selection) is pretty cool."
Walsh, who has played five Origin games for Queensland, has Indigenous and Maori heritage. Ahead of the NRL's Multicultural Round, he stated that he never considered being eligible to represent New Zealand. "My heart's always been with Australia and Queensland. I grew up here and I've always wanted to represent this team," Walsh said. "I love where my Maori heritage is from and I'm still learning a lot. But playing for Queensland and Australia is something I've wanted to do since I was a kid."
"First and foremost, I've got to keep working hard for the Broncos," Walsh added. The international allegiances of NRL stars have been in the spotlight recently, with Broncos and Blues prop Payne Haas telling media this week he was considering switching to Samoa. Haas has Samoan, Swiss and Filipino heritage.
Last year, Walsh started at fullback in the Origin decider against New South Wales, while Ponga came off the bench. The result didn't go as coach Billy Slater would have hoped, with Queensland losing the game. Over the next six weeks, the two will battle for the Queensland starting fullback role. The Ashes tour will also take place at the end of the year, giving Walsh the opportunity to be selected for the Australian team.
Despite Walsh's relatively quiet attacking output in the first four rounds, his defensive awareness has earned praise from coach Michael Maguire. He is vocal in defense, organizing the defensive line, and putting his body on the line. "I definitely feel like this year, defensively, I'm putting myself in better positions," Walsh said. "My backfield play is getting better each week, which is probably something I haven't had in my game in the past, but I think it comes from a tough pre-season we had. There's a lot of running, a defensive mindset, and I think that's something I'm adding to my game, having that defensive mindset on top of attack."
