Kangaroos halfback Nathan Cleary has showered Reece Walsh with praise having claimed the 23-year-old is showcasing a level the game has rarely seen after watching him tear up the NRL grand final and England. Walsh was player-of-the-match against England at Wembley having scored two tries in his side’s dominant 26-6 victory.
While the fullback was electric in attack, it was the repeat of his NRL grand final heroics that had fans stunned after he made two try-saving efforts in defence. Viewers could hear the murmur of the English crowd whenever he received the ball with excitement building every time he got going.
Nathan Cleary (pictured right) has showered Reece Walsh (pictured left) with praise having claimed the 23-year-old has reached a level the game of rugby league has rarely seen. (Images: Getty Images)
And Walsh didn’t disappoint on the biggest stage with the fullback cementing himself as the biggest attraction in rugby league. While Cleary has often carried this mantle for the Kangaroos, all eyes are on Walsh heading into the Liverpool clash.
And the Penrith Panthers halfback has claimed he doesn’t recall playing with a fullback that is on the same trajectory as Walsh in 2025. “Not that I’ve played alongside. He just has pure X-factor, and when it feels like nothing’s happening, he just can have his imprint on the game, and not many people can do what he does,” Cleary said.
“Through history, I reckon. It’s pretty special what he’s doing. Sometimes, he’s carved me up, so it was nice to have him on my side this time. There’s not many players in the history of our game who can just break the game open like he does – and he did it multiple times. I really enjoyed playing alongside him.”
Nathan Cleary praises Reece Walsh’s defence
And Walsh’s defensive efforts were not lost on Cleary. Walsh has come under scrutiny for his defensive efforts across the last couple of years. However, Broncos coach Michael Maguire pointed out Walsh was working hard to improve this side of his game in 2025.
And it paid dividends in the grand final against the Melbourne Storm. The fullback made a try-saving tackle on Ryan Papenhuyzen in the final stages of the game, which secured the win for the Broncos.
Reece Walsh (pictured) was the star of the show against England in the first Ashes game.
And he repeated his defensive efforts against England at Wembley. The fullback made two correct calls to smother the pass when England made linebreaks with both efforts stopping a try. When asked about whether it was his two tries or his two try-saving efforts he was most proud of he added: “Yeah, probably the two I stopped – it went a long way to us winning.”
Cleary also noticed these special efforts and praised Walsh for improving the defensive side of the game. “He’s certainly improved defensively, and worked at it. I think he’s realised just how important defence is, particularly in big games,” Cleary said.
“That’s why my respect for him has gone through the roof; we all know about his attack, but his defence has improved so much. He’s working on his communication. He was talking to me a fair bit, saying a lot of things and he’s pretty excited to always be in the game, which is his strength.
“But sometimes you’ve just got to calm him down a little bit. But it is his strength, so you’ve got to sort of release him and let him do his thing. He’s definitely not too shy on the big stage – Origin, grand finals, now at Test level. It’s no surprise that he performed the way he did. It’s no surprise what he’s doing.”
Dylan Edwards facing uphill battle for jersey
Walsh’s standout performance for the Kangaroos leaves Dylan Edwards with an uphill battle to win back the No.1 jersey. Coach Kevin Walters opted to overlook the four-time premiership winner for Walsh at fullback for Australia’s opening Ashes Test against England in a disappointing blow for the NSW Blues star.
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And Edwards is set to remain as the backup on the Ashes tour after the Broncos superstar was comfortably the most dangerous player on the field. Walsh ran for 175 metres, created two line break assists and scored two tries.
Cameron Munster also reserved some special praise for Walsh after his epic performance. “I’m very lucky to play with him. He broke my heart a couple of weeks ago,” Munster said in reference to Walsh’s grand final masterclass. “He’s a special talent, and he’s only going to get better, and that’s great to see.”
Nathan Cleary showered Reece Walsh (pictured) with praise after his NRL grand final and Ashes performances.