LATEST UPDATE: Broncos called out over brutal Reece Walsh mistake as detail about his daughter comes to light

Broncos icon Corey Parker has raised questions about how the club ever allowed Reece Walsh to leave for the Warriors, especially after the young star signed a $5 million contract extension with Brisbane this week. The Broncos confirmed that Walsh will remain with the club for another four years, ending months of speculation regarding the 22-year-old’s future.

In discussing his decision, Walsh expressed his deep affection for the club, emphasizing that he never intended to leave. “I’ve wanted to play for the Broncos since I was a kid, so I’m just really excited to be here and looking forward to starting pre-season,” he said. “I want to be known as someone who works hard, brings success, and helps deliver premierships to this great club. But first and foremost, I need to be a good person off the field.”

Walsh came through the Broncos’ academy system, but the club lost him to the New Zealand Warriors in 2021 due to a major retention error. The fullback joined the Warriors and made his NRL debut there, playing for the Auckland club in 2021 and 2022.

Former coach Kevin Walters has expressed regret over letting Walsh go and promised not to make the same mistake again. Fortunately for Broncos fans, Walsh is now committed to the club until at least the end of 2029.

However, Parker has called the Broncos’ return of Walsh from the Warriors a “stroke of luck” and questioned how the club could have let him slip away in the first place. During Walsh’s time at the Warriors in 2021 and 2022, the Broncos finished 14th and 9th on the NRL ladder, respectively.

Reece Walsh came back to Broncos to be closer to daughter

As soon as the Broncos brought Walsh back in 2023, they made it all the way to the grand final. However, the main reason he returned was to be closer to his daughter, Leila, and the Warriors granted him a release on compassionate grounds.

“It was lucky,” Parker said on SEN radio on Friday, reflecting on the Broncos’ earlier retention mistake. “I’ve known Reece since he was 13, and all he’s ever wanted to do is play for the Broncos. Even when he made the top-30 squad, he still wasn’t signed long-term.”

“It was unbelievable to think that this kid, who had so much potential—he wasn’t someone who just suddenly burst onto the scene; he was always destined to be a star—wasn’t signed by Brisbane. That’s why he left for the Warriors in the first place.

“It was only because he had a child back in Queensland while he was playing for New Zealand that he made the move. But if he didn’t love the Broncos as much as he does, they might not have been able to get him back.”