NRL: Broncos coach predicts Walsh bounce-back in 2025

Brisbane Broncos coach Michael Maguire is predicting Reece Walsh to bounce back strong in the 2025 NRL season.

The star fullback had a quiet season in 2024, playing just 14 matches for the Broncos due to face, hand and wrist injuries.

But Maguire is expecting big things from Walsh this year, even going as far as labelling him as the club’s “Ferrari”.

“Reece had a tough year last year but I am confident he will bounce back,” Maguire said on Monday.

“I think he can take his footy to another level.

“It’s exciting from my point of view where I feel we can take his game.

“He’s our Ferrari.”

Maguire took over from Kevin Walters as the Broncos’ head coach late last year after the side failed to live up to the expectations of NRL bookmakers, finishing 12th in 2024.

The new coach likes what he is seeing from Walsh in pre-season training and has been particularly impressed by the 22-year-old’s work ethic and knowledge of the game.

“I’m loving working with Reece,” Maguire said.

“I’ve found that Reece genuinely loves the game.

“He could talk football all day. He wants to get better. He is a huge footy head.

“I reckon he watches more footy than anyone else here.

“I like the fact I can have lengthy discussions with him and I’d like to think he is learning a lot at the moment too.

“He is a special talent, but what I like is that he has the work ethic to get better.

“There’s no doubt Reece is very talented and wants to be one of the greats of the game.

“To do that, you have to turn up consistently over periods of time, year after year, whether it’s Reece or whoever.”

Despite Brisbane’s failure to make the NRL finals in 2024, top online bookies are still rating their title chances this year.

Picklebet has the club on the third line of premiership betting at $8, behind just the Melbourne Storm ($3.75) and Penrith Panthers ($4.33).

The Broncos’ first opportunity to impress on the field comes on Thursday, March 6, when they take on the Sydney Roosters to get their 2025 NRL campaign underway.

Rugby league betting sites have Brisbane as $1.78 favourites to prevail, with the Tricolours paying $2.05 to salute at Allianz Stadium.

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