Reece Walsh facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Full name | Reece Walsh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 10 July 2002 Southport, Queensland, Australia |
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| Height | 177 cm (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 88 kg (13 st 12 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information
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| Position | Fullback | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 17 May 2026
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Reece Walsh (born 10 July 2002) is an Australian professional rugby league player. He plays as a fullback for the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL. Reece has also proudly represented Queensland in the exciting State of Origin series. In 2025, he played for Australia during the 2025 Kangaroo tour of England.
Contents
Reece Walsh's Early Life and Background
Reece Walsh was born in Southport, a town on the beautiful Gold Coast, Queensland. His father is an Indigenous Australian, and his mother is from the Māori community in Hastings, New Zealand. Reece grew up in Nerang with his father and stepmother. He started playing junior rugby league for the Nerang Roosters. During his high school years, he attended Keebra Park State High School. After school, he joined the Brisbane Broncos.
Reece Walsh's Rugby League Journey
Starting His Rugby League Career
In 2018, Reece showed his talent by playing for the Queensland Murri under-16 team. He also played for the Queensland under-16 side. The next year, in 2019, he was part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls teams that won the National Under-18 Title and the Mal Meninga Cup. He also trained with the Brisbane Broncos NRL squad that year. Reece scored a try for Queensland under-18 in their win against New South Wales in June 2019. Later that year, he scored another try for the Australian Schoolboys against the Junior Kiwis.
Joining the NRL: 2021 Season
Reece Walsh joined the Brisbane Broncos NRL squad in 2021. He started the season playing for the Norths Devils in the Queensland Cup. In March, he signed a contract with the New Zealand Warriors to start in 2022. However, he was released early from his Brisbane contract in April. This allowed him to join the Warriors right away.
On April 25, Reece made his first-grade debut for the Warriors. This was during round 7 of the 2021 NRL season against Melbourne. In May, Reece confirmed he would represent Queensland and Australia. He was selected to play fullback for the Queensland Maroons in the second game of the State of Origin series. At 18, he would have been the youngest player since 1995. Unfortunately, an injury prevented him from playing. Later in the season, the Warriors had a tough game against Brisbane. They lost 24-22, which ended their chances of reaching the finals.
Moving Back to Brisbane: 2022 Season
In June 2022, Reece was part of the extended Queensland Maroons squad for State of Origin Game 2. He did not play in the match. In July, Reece was allowed to leave his New Zealand contract early. He decided to return to his former club, Brisbane, starting in 2023. He made this decision for personal reasons. He signed a three-year deal with the Brisbane Broncos.
Big Moments and Challenges: 2023 Season
In January 2023, Reece was involved in an incident with another player. Security staff had to separate them. During a pre-season game, Reece suffered a facial injury. This kept him out of play for some time.
In round 2 of the 2023 NRL season, Reece made his club debut for Brisbane. He scored a try in their 28–16 win against the North Queensland. The next week, he scored two more tries in a big win over St. George Illawarra. After many strong performances, Reece was chosen to play for Queensland in Game One of the 2023 State of Origin series. He replaced the previous fullback, Kalyn Ponga.
In Game Two of the State of Origin series, Reece was involved in an on-field clash with New South Wales player Jarome Luai. Both players were sent off. Queensland won the game 32–6, securing the series victory. In June 2023, Reece was suspended for three matches. This was for using inappropriate language towards a match official during a game. As a result, he missed the third State of Origin match.
Reece played 22 games for Brisbane in the 2023 NRL season. He played in Brisbane's close 26-24 loss to Penrith in the 2023 NRL Grand Final.
Injuries and Achievements: 2024 Season
In round 3 of the 2024 NRL season, Reece left the field after a collision during a game against Penrith. He was later ruled out for about six weeks with a facial fracture. In March, Reece signed a new five-year contract with Brisbane. This deal made him the highest-paid player in the club's history. In round 8, he scored two tries for Brisbane in their win over the Wests Tigers.
Reece was again selected for Queensland in Game One of the 2024 State of Origin series. Early in the match, he was knocked unconscious by a high hit from New South Wales player Joseph Sua'li'i. Sua'li'i was sent off, and Reece was immediately taken off the field for a head injury assessment. Reece missed three games for Brisbane after this incident. He then played in the second and third Origin matches, which Queensland lost. Reece faced challenges in these later games.
He played 14 games for Brisbane in the 2024 NRL season. The club finished 12th and missed the finals. In October, Reece was investigated by the NRL after an incident during his time off in Bali. He re-signed with the club on a four-year deal on October 31.
Grand Final Glory: 2025 Season
In May 2025, a video Reece posted online caused some discussion. The Brisbane club investigated the matter. Reece later deleted the video and explained on Instagram that it was a joke with a friend. In round 14 of the 2025 NRL season, Reece scored two tries for Brisbane in their big win over the Gold Coast.
In September, another video Reece shared privately gained attention. The Brisbane club released a statement clarifying that it was a poor attempt at humor. The video became widely discussed on social media. Despite this, Reece scored two tries for Brisbane in their 30-14 victory over Melbourne in round 27. He even celebrated one try in a way that referenced the video.
During Brisbane's Finals Week 1 game against the Canberra Raiders, Reece was sent to the sin-bin for an on-field clash. After returning to the field, Reece played a huge role in a comeback. He helped the Broncos win the match 29-28 in extra time. Reece was fined by the NRL for his actions during the game. However, he was not suspended, so he played in Brisbane's preliminary final win against the Penrith Panthers. He then played in the 2025 NRL Grand Final.
Reece played in Brisbane's 26-22 victory against Melbourne in the 2025 NRL Grand Final. He won the Clive Churchill Medal for being the best player in the match. In his speech, Reece again referenced the earlier video incident in a humorous way.
Soon after the Grand Final, Reece was chosen to represent Australia. He joined the 2025 Kangaroo tour of England. Reece was named the starting fullback for the series. He made his debut in the first test against England. He scored two tries and was named Man-of-the-Match.
Current Season: 2026
On February 19, Reece played in Brisbane's World Club Challenge loss against Hull Kingston Rovers. In round 5 of the 2026 NRL season, Reece suffered a suspected fractured cheekbone. This happened during Brisbane's win over the Gold Coast. He was later ruled out of play for at least six weeks.
Reece Walsh's Career Statistics
Club Performance
| † | Denotes seasons in which Walsh won an NRL Premiership |
| Season | Team | Matches | T | G | GK % | F/G | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 |  New Zealand |
16 | 9 | 21 | 70.00% | 0 | 78 |
| 2022 | 22 | 2 | 48 | 78.69% | 0 | 104 | |
| 2023 |  Brisbane |
22 | 9 | 3 | 60.00% | 1 | 43 |
| 2024 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 90.00% | 0 | 92 | |
| 2025† | 21 | 14 | 34 | 75.56% | 0 | 124 | |
| 2026 | |||||||
| Career totals | 95 | 48 | 124 | 77.02% | 1 | 441 | |
Reece Walsh's Awards and Honours
Individual Awards
- Warriors Rookie of the Year: 2021
- RLPA Rookie of the Year: 2021
- Warriors' People's Choice Award: 2022
- Brisbane Broncos Best Back: 2023, 2025
- RLPA Dream Team Fullback: 2023
- GQ Breakthrough Sportsman of the Year: 2023
- Battle Medal: 2025
- Clive Churchill Medal: 2025
Team Achievements
- NRL Grand Finalist: 2023, 2025
- NRL Premiership: 2025
Representative Honours
- State of Origin Series Winner: 2023, 2025*
* Didn't officially play, named 18th man in origin decider
Reece Walsh's Personal Life
In March 2026, Reece Walsh appeared on the reality TV show Rivals: Sport vs. Sport. He represented "Team Rugby League" alongside other great players like Jaime Chapman, Ali Brigginshaw, and Josh Addo-Carr.
