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Ben Hunt’s pursuit of redemption, after his ill-timed knock-on a decade ago that handed the Cowboys their one and only NRL premiership, was one of Sunday’s many grand final storylines. So when the 35-year-old stood up from an awkward tackle and staggered late in the match, just as the Melbourne Storm were laying siege to the Broncos’ line, another tragedy beckoned.
But there was Reece Walsh. The Broncos fullback had spotted his unsteady teammate from 30 metres away, and as the veteran five-eighth – who had kicked the match-winning field goal against Canberra three weeks ago – veered towards the sideline in a vain search for his balance, Walsh met and steadied him with a gentle embrace. The fullback cradled Hunt’s head with his hand, nails painted black, and whispered calm.
The contrast was stark. Three minutes before, Walsh had stood over Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen menacingly, having run him down and forced a Melbourne pass inside that went to ground. Walsh appeared unhinged, taunting the slight Storm No 1 as he lay on the turf while play continued on the other side of the field.
This was a night of maximum Walsh, all colours of the rugby league rainbow flashing neon to any and all passersby. The stats distilled his contribution to 176 metres run, 14 tackles broken, one try and three try assists. Those fail to recognise his two genuine try-saving tackles, in addition to that rundown of Papenhuyzen.
The first was when he managed to knock Storm forward Tui Kamikamica with enough force to dislodge the ball before he grounded it at the start of the second half. There could hardly have been a greater impact from a single act in an NRL match, given the Broncos immediately marched down the other end to score and flip the grand final’s momentum.
But it turned out there was. After all the drama of the previous 79 minutes and 35 seconds, Walsh’s masterpiece just needed a final signature. When he faced a two-on-one and gambled successfully on tackling Papenhuyzen, the Broncos’ first premiership in 19 years was secured.
“I wanted to try and cover the fastest guy out there and let the other boys get the slower one, but yeah, it’s just moments in the game where you put yourself in the right position,” Walsh said. “A good mate of mine said if you buy enough tickets in the raffle, you’re bound to win something.”
Walsh had walked into the post-match press conference talking on loudspeaker to what sounded like either a female member of his family or a love interest, and spent much of the next 20 minutes fiddling with his premiership ring and shifting around in his seat. “He’s a livewire, we all know that,” coach Michael Maguire said, seated next to him. “He’s a character. Now it’s nice to actually see the character come out of him.”
When the final whistle blew, Walsh dropped to his haunches. He seemed tempted to celebrate, but an overpowering sense of disbelief left him wide-eyed and confused. That mood passed quickly, as his teammates got him to his feet. By the time he was on stage to receive the Clive Churchill medal, the larrikin had returned. “Plumber out,” he said before he walked off, referencing a viral social media post from earlier in the season in which he drank water from a newly installed toilet. In the dressing rooms not long after, he sipped beer out of a toilet-shaped mug.
Commentators and journalists agreed after the match it had been the greatest individual grand final performance they had seen. Better than Sam Burgess in 2014, who won it for the Rabbitohs with a fractured cheekbone. Better than Nathan Cleary in 2023, who swept the Panthers past the Broncos with his indomitable will.
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From the moment Walsh ran out, with legs glistening from the pre-match rub down, the fullback looked primed for a big performance. His first job was to seek out his daughter Leila in the stands, and when he found her made a heart sign with his hands.
Then he took care of other business. Two minutes into the match, he had broken the line for the Broncos’ first four-pointer. His own try was classic Walsh, all power and panache straight through the Storm’s heart. And the second half saw him do damage on both flanks, while juggling his defensive heroics.
Walsh has emerged as the NRL’s brightest star just as Penrith’s dynasty, built in the image of no-nonsense coach Ivan Cleary and steady-handed son Nathan, has fallen. Some will find Walsh’s antics immature, and his pursuit of social media views as unbecoming for a player of such stature. Some might even think he’s a show pony. But Sunday’s display proved a powerful response.
The 23-year-old was offered by a journalist the chance to have the final word to Stefano Utoikamanu, the Storm prop who had described the Broncos as “stuck up” earlier in the week. Walsh responded as a diplomat, praising Utoikamanu and the Storm, and calling for rugby league to adopt more of an open mind. “Without characters in the game, there’s not bum on seats,” he said. “I feel we can embrace it.”
Minutes beforehand, celebrating in the dressing room with his teammates, Walsh had adopted a more authentic approach. “Stefano’s stuck,” he said, leading the team’s victory celebrations. “We’re fucking up baby.”
