Slater has weighed in with his thoughts on the fullback and the sacking of the former Brisbane coach.
Queensland Maroons coach Billy Slater has rejected criticism that Reece Walsh is like a “rock star” at the Broncos and says he thinks the sacking of former Brisbane coach Kevin Walters was “harsh”. Slater has helped take Walsh’s game to another level during his time as the Maroons’ State of Origin coach but the superstar fullback is still learning how to cut out some of the errors from his game and play with greater consistency.
Walsh has all the natural ability to blaze a similar path to that of Slater, who was regarded as one of the greatest fullbacks to ever play in the NRL. However, the 22-year-old Broncos fullback has often been criticised for his flashy approach to the game and trying to push passes or make big plays when they’re not really on.
The 22-year-old has also been somewhat of a victim of his own marketability, with Walsh enjoying a huge following on social media and quickly establishing himself as one of the most popular players in the game. It’s also led to some criticising Walsh for being like a rock star at the club, with Walsh probably unfairly singled out when issues around the culture at the Broncos have been brought up.
But Slater says he hasn’t seen any signs of Walsh acting like he’s bigger or better than anyone during their time together at State of Origin level and has praised the youngster’s work ethic and dedication to learn and improve. “He’s a very respectful guy who works bloody hard and he’s got a great want to be as good as he possibly can in our game,” Slater told The Courier Mail. “The best athletes in the world are confident and he’s confident in what he can deliver on a footy field, but he works bloody hard at it too. And I’ve seen that first-hand.”
The Maroons coach also said he thought the decision by the Broncos to sack Walters as coach just 12 months after he guided them to a grand final was “probably a little bit harsh” and suggested the club were too hasty after a poor season in 2024. “You’re so close to holding up a premiership trophy and 11 months later, you are out the door,” Slater added. “If you sacked the players that played in last year’s grand final, would you call it harsh?”
Billy Slater wanted Kevin Walters to use Reece Walsh differently
Slater reportedly butted heads with Walters about the best way to play Walsh, with veteran journalist Robert Craddock revealing details last month about “secret” talks between the pair. Slater and Walters reportedly clashed on where Walsh should position himself in the defensive line, and whether he should be taking more runs from dummy-half. There have been a number of instances in the last few seasons in which Walsh has been caught out of position in defence.
According to Craddock, officials from the Broncos and Queensland Rugby League even organised a meeting between the coaches so they could try and come to an agreement. Whether the Maroons coach will have similar meetings with new Broncos mentor and former State of Origin adversary Michael Maguire remains to be seen, but Walsh has spoken previously about the influence Slater has had on his career.
“His detail around everything is pretty crazy, so it’s awesome just to get things about your body position, the way your shoulder should be, the way your hips should be,” Walsh said before this year’s State of Origin series. “It’s pretty crazy and awesome to get those sorts of things that you don’t think about.
“He is the best at what he does, so for me it’s awesome to be around the best fullback to ever play our game. To get the opportunity to be coached and mentored by him and getting drills at training is a lifetime opportunity, so I’m soaking it up and enjoying the moments together.”
