NRL
2 months ago
Why premiership teammates will be thanking Walsh forever
By SEN
Fletcher: Premiership teammates should be thanking Walsh
On SEN 1170's The Run Home with Joel and Fletch Bryan Fletcher thinks that the Broncos would have been delivered an absolute hiding had it not been for Reece Walsh.
The fullback's influence on the game was felt on both sides of the ball, managing to prevent near-certain tries on defence and assisting and scoring tries on offence.
With that, the 2002 premiership player believes that his teammates will be indebted to Walsh for the remainder of their lives.
“You don’t often say this, it’s a team game, but you always have a superstar in your team that can get you out of trouble,” he explained.
“The rest of those Broncos players should be thanking him for the rest of their lives.
“If he doesn’t play, and we can sometimes say this, but if he doesn’t play, they get absolutely lapped.
“Not even scoring tries and setting up tries, but the saving of the tries.
A heroes' welcome for both teams
The Broncos men's and women's teams have landed back in Brisbane to a heroes welcome, disembarking their plane with both premierships trophies in hand.
Brisbane is now home to the NRL men's, women's and AFL trophies in a huge flex for the state.
Thousands of fans had packed the airport to cheer their teams arrival, with most players looking surprisingly steady on their feet after a late night of partying.
Walsh effect: NRL Grand Final’s monster TV ratings
Is this the impact of a night time grand final?
The NRL’s season ender has eclipsed the AFL’s and recorded some monster ratings to become the No 1 TV show of 2025.
The Broncos came from 10 points down to beat the Storm 26-22 on Sunday night and the game reached a national audience of 6.4 million people with an average of 4.46m. It’s a year-on-year increase of 33 per cent.
It was great news for the NRLW Grand Final – which was played before the men’s – which recorded an audience of 1.03m – more than the Bledisloe on Saturday night and a 36% year on year increase.
It’s a huge coup for the network but also the NRL who have always had to defend their decision to retain a night-time Grand Final.
Grand Final star to miss first two weeks of 2026, Walsh fined
It won't bother him one iota, but Grand Final hero Reece Walsh has been slapped with a $3,000 fine for careless conduct on Xavier Coates.
The NRL judiciary handed out four charges following the season ender which was won by the Broncos in dramatic style on Sunday night with Storm enforcer Trent Loiero set to miss the opening two weeks of the 2026 season for his high tackle on Brendan Piakura.
Jahrome Hughes and Piakura was also hit with $1,000 and $1,500 fines respectively for a high tackle and dangerous contact.
Walsh was the difference in the blockbuster with the star fullback being everywhere to help turn around a 10-point deficit in the second half to see the Broncos claim their first NRL premiership in 19 years.
In his 80-minute performance, Walsh managed to achieve 176 running metres, 14 tackle breaks, four-line break assists, three try assists and a stunning try of his own.
That doesn’t even include his game-saving tackle on Ryan Papenhuyzen within the final minute of the match to prevent a near-certain try or forcing Tui Kamikamica to drop the ball, which overturned a four-point score.
With this incredible display, Walsh was named the Clive Churchill Medallist.
He is also looking likely to be named best on ground for the celebrations.
Scroll down for all the partying pictures.
7am finish, Walsh's brutal sledge: How the Broncos partied
The Broncos partied like rockstars after snapping a 19-year Premiership drought against the Storm on Sunday night and Reece Walsh couldn’t help but take a swipe at Stefano Utoikamanu.
In the lead up to the Grand Final, thew Storm star said there were numerous Broncos players he did not like and that they were “stuck up”.
But his war of the words turned on him with Walsh leading the sledges as Broncos players celebrated their incredible 26-22 victory, lighting cigars and drinking champagne.
“Stefano’s stuck.... we’re f---ing up baby,” Walsh said while surrounded by his teammates. His declaration was met with deafening cheers.
“Someone better take my phone away,” the superstar continued on Instagram, “I’ve got one thing to say, Payne is he the best ever? He’s done everything, he’s got his ring.”
Players celebrated out on the field at Accor Stadium with coach Michael Maguire even drinking out of a (toy) toilet to mimic Walsh’s controversial mid-season incident.
It was a long night for most of the players with the likes of Walsh, Ezra Mam, Brendan Piakura and Payne Haas returning to the team hotel at 7am Monday morning.
They are due on a flight back to Brisbane at 10am.
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"Greatest individual performance"
Seems we are going to run out of superlatives for Reece Walsh after last night's performance which has been dubbed the "greatest in a Grand Final".
"It felt like a case of “here we go again”," Corey Parker said on SENQ.
"The performance by Reece Walsh is the greatest I have ever seen on a Grand Final stage.
"The best individual performance I have seen and there have been some beauties over the year."
Reynolds reveals extent of brutal Grand Final injury
Reynolds also confirmed that he sustained a calf injury, forcing him to leave the field in the 49th minute and not return.
“I tore my calf,” he stated.
“I had it coming in the last week, so I’m glad I could get through.”
Beautiful gesture from Reynolds for injured Bronco
A beautiful moment from Adam Reynolds after the Broncos captain asked Billy Walters to help him in lifting the Provan-Summons Trophy.
Having torn his ACL in the qualifying final against Canberra, Walters was crucial in turning his side's season around.
Knowing he would miss the big dance, Walters was named Chief Motivation Officer ahead of the Grand Final.
”It’s really nice for Madge to let me be a part of this week as much as I can, as much as I’d like to be out there playing, I still feel like I’m part of it sitting on the sidelines,” Walters said in the lead up to the match.
