Making sense of Reece Walsh's State of Origin omission
Reece Walsh was omitted from the Queensland Maroons team for State of Origin I, despite his impressive performances in previous seasons. Coach Billy Slater opted for Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow instead, a decision that proved successful in the decider. Walsh's inconsistent form and high error rate contributed to his exclusion from the squad.
- ▪Reece Walsh was a standout player in the 2023 season, helping the Broncos reach the grand final.
- ▪In 2025, Walsh struggled with injuries and errors, leading to his omission from the State of Origin team.
- ▪Despite his talent, Walsh's performance has been inconsistent, with a high number of errors impacting his selection.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Fri, 15 May3816→Fri, 15 May1032→Sat, 16 May1846→Sat, 16 May1218→Sat, 16 May834→Sun, 17 May1236→Sun, 17 May4212→Sun, 17 May286→Thu, 21 May19:50--→Fri, 22 May20:00--→Sat, 23 May17:30--→Sat, 23 May19:35--→Sun, 24 May16:05--→ NRL Score Centre analysisState of Origin: Why did Billy Slater leave Reece Walsh out of his Game I Queensland Maroons team?JBy Jon HealyTopic:State of OriginMon 18 May 2026 at 2:42pmMon 18 May 2026 at 2:42pmMon 18 May 2026 at 2:42pmBilly Slater overlooked Reece Walsh for Game III last year.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ABC News (Australia).