Broncos superstar Reece Walsh has revealed the Mad Monday phone call he shared with Adam Reynolds and the pledge he gave to skipper to deliver a premiership to Red Hill.<\/p>\n
Reynolds made the switch to Brisbane ahead of the 2022 season, with Kevin Walters\u2019 side finishing in ninth after a late season slide to drop out of finals contention.<\/p>\n
Walsh, meanwhile, was establishing himself as an NRL star at the Warriors before he secured a return to his boyhood club ahead of the 2023 season.<\/p>\n
Watch LIVE coverage of the 2025 Betfred Super League season on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer<\/a><\/p>\n WHAT’S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.<\/p>\n While farewelling his New Zealand teammates, the 23-year-old got on the phone and called his new skipper to plan for the future \u2014 with a premiership in the pair\u2019s sights.<\/p>\n The duo helped break a 19-year title drought for the Broncos on Sunday night, with Walsh delivering on his promise with a fullback masterclass.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember when \u2018Reyno\u2019 first came to the club, invited me over for the first time. The only time since then,\u201d Walsh said in a subtle jab to his teammate in the post-match press conference.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I asked to have a look at his ring, I was just a young kid coming back to Brissy (Brisbane). I remember calling him on Mad Monday for the Warriors.<\/p>\n \u201cSaying \u2018I am bloody going to come back and help you win a comp\u2019. Just to be here right now, from day one dodging Madge\u2019s calls, I was too scared to talk to him.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we were in the trenches together, we were running through the bush together. The culture we have built, the belief. No one gave us a chance, the only ones that believed were the ones in that room.<\/p>\n Late Sin Bin & Melee IGNITE Accor | 00:29<\/p>\n \u201cOur backs were against the wall and we could have shied away… I am just so honoured and grateful to be apart of this team. It\u2019s been 19 years and we have just etched our names in history.<\/p>\n \u201cI am extremely honoured.\u201d<\/p>\n Walsh has been the NRL\u2019s in-form player to close out the season, but he credits his late surge to a mid-season injury which gave him a new perspective on life and football.<\/p>\n However, he couldn\u2019t help but deliver a hilarious quip when quizzed on how he turned his season around.<\/p>\n \u201cDrinking out of the toilet,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no. Mate to be honest, when I got injured I got a lot of time away from the game, away from the boys and that was from Madge.<\/p>\n \u201cTelling me, when I am at home, be at home and enjoy those moments. I think at the start of the year I was so heavily invested in footy. Which is obviously a good thing.<\/p>\n \u201cBut sometimes it gets a little bit too much, you\u2019re sitting up at night watching film at home and my little one is there playing and I\u2019m on my phone looking at clips.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be honest I felt like it got a little bit too much for me. When I got that injury I reset, I let myself be the footy player at work.<\/p>\n The moment Broncos became Premiers! | 00:39<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I was at home I just enjoyed being dad, being a son to my old man. We got on the tools together, we were enjoying those moments.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I came back I sort of had the mentality of when I am in the building work hard, when I am out enjoy my time… that was probably it.\u201d<\/p>\n Alongside Walsh, Ezra Mam also delivered a strong performance off the bench after a turbulent year which saw him serve a nine-game ban.<\/p>\n He was handed the suspension after being caught drug driving while unlicensed, crashing into an oncoming car in October last year.<\/p>\n Broncos coach Maguire heaped praise on his playmaker for \u201cworking hard\u201d through a \u201ctough\u201d period.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, it\u2019s a credit to Ezra. I mean, obviously, I met Ez to start with when I first arrived at the club in pretty tough circumstances and he\u2019s obviously working hard through that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd he still is, he still works very hard on that and working on himself about how he wants to improve and be better.<\/p>\n “PLUMBER OUT” Walsh wins Clive Churchill | 00:30<\/p>\n MORE GRAND FINAL NEWS<\/p>\n \u2018ABSOLUTE FREAK\u2019: Walsh explodes as Broncos stun Storm to end title drought<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018TACKLE HIM\u2019: Bellamy\u2019s Walsh admission as Storm fail to learn in GF heartbreaker<\/a><\/p>\n