Cooper Cronk warns Broncos coach Michael Maguire against massive Reece Walsh mistake
Reynolds could be back in time for the finals, but Billy Walters and Ben Hunt will fill the void in the halves in the meantime. It means fullback Walsh will be tasked with playing a bigger role in attack, and it could make or break the Broncos' season.
Walsh has been hot-and-cold in 2025, and has been guilty of trying to overplay his hand at times. He's made a number of mistakes in recent weeks while trying to produce a big play, and many believe he needs to try and scale things back.
But legendary half Cronk believes Walsh's high-octane play might be just what the doctor ordered for Michael Maguire's side. Cronk reckons the Broncos should go all-out with Walsh in an attempt to take down the Dolphins in the Brisbane derby on Saturday.
'He is the key,' Cronk said on Fox League on Tuesday night. 'I'm looking forward to seeing how Reece Walsh goes this week. There is a narrative that says he has to tone down his performances, but that was when everyone was fit and in the team.
"It's like, 'OK Reece, you have been trying to get your best football'. This team needs you to get it right, right now, so go for it and go out there and play like you are the dominant player.
'Because if he starts missing the mark and goes completely 'AWOL', the Broncos are no chance. But I feel like if Reece catches fire for a month, you are thinking, yes the Broncos have something.'
Cronk highlighted the double-edged sword of Walsh's game. If he fails to fire, the Broncos are in serious danger of missing the NRL finals. But if he can take control and produce his best over the next month, Brisbane will be a serious force when they get some key troops back.
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Denan Kemp's pointed message to Reece Walsh
Speaking on SEN radio this week, former Broncos player Denan Kemp said Walsh needs to make a decision about what kind of player he wants to be. "He's got to make a decision as a player, what he wants to be," Kemp said. "If he was on $600,000, that's fine, he can be up and down and have your big moments.
"But you can't build a club around a guy that is so up and down. And it's not just on the field. I think even off the field, mentally, he needs to find a way to calm his mind. He needs to take a step back and get level. Otherwise you are not going to be able to build a club around him and he is just going to get more and more frustrated and it's going to get worse and worse."
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