After committing to moving to Auckland next year, Reece Walsh is focused on making more of an impact for the Warriors and not a potential Origin debut for Queensland in just under five weeks.
Walsh said he had publicly committed to moving to Auckland earlier this week to take a weight off not only his own shoulders, but also those of his teammates and coaches.
“Heaps of people are talking I feel like it wasn’t so much stressing them out, but a red flag was getting put up there,” Walsh said.
“If it’s not coming from my mouth, don’t believe it.”
With new Maroons coach Billy Slater keeping a keen eye on Walsh and a last-minute injury ruling him out of Origin III last year, the possibility of an interstate debut in Sydney on June 8 was not on the 19-year-old’s mind.
“Last year was a bit unfortunate, that’s footy sometimes and injuries do happen,” Walsh said.
“I feel like I’ve got to keep working on myself and if that opportunity does come it comes but for now I’m just worried about doing my best for the Warriors.”
“If that [Origin] does come I’ll make sure I’m ready and firing all cylinders.”
Getting to that point meant a focus on simply getting the ball in his hands more.
Walsh is down on touches from his breakout rookie season in 2021 where he averaged 34.3 touches a game over 16 matches, compared with 29.6 in seven games so far this season.
In addition, Walsh only has three try assists and no tries this year, compared with 11 and nine respectively last year.
“I haven’t made as much of an impact as I can, I feel like I’ve got to keep putting myself in good positions and I’ve got to have a talk to my halves,” he said.
“If I’ve got an opportunity there to talk to them I probably haven’t been speaking to them as much lately. That comes back on to myself, demanding the ball and wanting the ball.”
The first opportunity for Walsh to exert more of an influence comes against the fourth-placed Sharks, which the 19-year-old said would give the Warriors a gauge on where they were.
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