Reece Walsh will be hungry for redemption against North Queensland after playing one of the worst games of his short NRL career. That was the word from Broncos teammates after nothing went right for the 22-year-old in the 32-22 loss to Canberra. Walsh made four errors, missed four tackles and cut a frustrated figure all night against a Raiders side unrelenting with their pressure.
This week, Walsh has been working on his defensive positioning and has been encouraged by the Broncos brains trust to get his running game going rather than look for the miracle play with a pass. At his best, Walsh is a match-winner, but the Broncos want him to focus on contributing rather than being the sole playmaker on Friday night at Suncorp Stadium.
Walsh was clearly upset with himself during the Raiders clash and is willing to assess his form honestly. “I am sure he will be pushing to play one of hisbetter games. I fully back him,” said Broncos winger Jesse Arthars. “I will be there to support him. We got some good reps in at training and hopefully, it translates to the game.”
Arthars added, “Reecey is very hard on himself. He holds himself to a high standard. When we are at training, he is always looking at what he can work on.” Broncos prop Pat Carrigan echoed the sentiment of support. “We just need Reece to be Reece,” Carrigan said. “It’s one bad game, so it’s all good. We know what he is capable of, and we will have his back.”
The Broncos were out-muscled by the Raiders, and Carrigan noted it was clearly a wake-up call on several fronts. “Madge (Maguire) has been good at calling it out. There were areas with our ball control where we were off,” he stated. “If we were to sneak home and get the win, we wouldn’t have been happy with the result.”
Brisbane centre Kotoni Staggs trained with the reserves as he nears returning from a quad injury but did not join the main squad before the final full session before Thursday.
After playing the NRL season opener in Las Vegas, Raiders forward Corey Horsburgh's new diet was put to the test by American food. “I don’t really like the American food, to be honest. It was upsetting my stomach, I don’t know why,” Horsburgh said. He added, “I was happy to get back to my own bed, be with my dogs, and get back to routine.”
The 27-year-old had struggled last season, playing just five NRL matches, and recognized the need for lifestyle change after falling out of favour with coach Ricky Stuart. “I got off the drink, had a diet, and I’m feeling good and happy. That’s probably the secret, being happy,” Horsburgh mentioned. “I just knew if I wanted to play rep footy, I had to get myself right and get my weight down.”
With captain Joseph Tapine suspended, and the Raiders facing the formidable front row of Brisbane's Payne Haas and Carrigan, Horsburgh stepped up convincingly at prop last weekend. “I love playing with Papa (Josh Papali’i). He is a legend of the game, and I love playing with him.”
Following his 2023 Origin debut, Horsburgh aims for another opportunity this season. He shared, “That is obviously my goal, but I am pretty relaxed and just like to play footy.”
Meanwhile, Matty Nicholson created headlines by stepping up for Tapine and scoring two tries on his NRL debut against the Broncos. It was déjà vu for the Englishman, as he scored two tries during his Super League debut as well. “I’ve got a little bit of a trend going on with my debuts,” Nicholson said.
“I think the English fans are really good and loud, but probably nowhere near as many as 18,000,” he noted of the atmosphere at GIO Stadium during the match. Fellow rookie Savelio Tamale also celebrated his first NRL try playing at home for the Raiders.
“To play with this club with such great history is really such an honour, and I am grateful for it every day,” Tamale stated. Both players contributed to the team's energy.
The Raiders have another challenge looming as they prepare for their upcoming match against Manly. Both Horsburgh and Walsh's performances will be pivotal not only for their respective teams but also for their personal aspirations this season. Will they shine brightly under the pressure, or will the weight of expectation take its toll? Only time will tell.
