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Reece Walsh suffers new blow at hands of Dylan Edwards after brutal loss in State of Origin

Edwards has overtaken Walsh in the race to win the Kangaroos fullback role.

sam goodwin
Sports Editor
·4-min read

Reece Walsh came into the State of Origin series with a red-hot chance to stake his claim to take over from James Tedesco as the fullback of the Kangaroos. But he's now firmly behind Dylan Edwards after the NSW player's heroics in the second and third games.

Edwards has usurped Tedesco as the Blues fullback and must now be the odds-on chance to be Australia's Test No.1 at the end of the year. Edwards was brilliant on debut for NSW in Game 2 and scored a try at the MCG.

On Wednesday night he was even better, winning man of the match as the Blues won the series and scored their first victory in a decider at Suncorp Stadium since 2005. As for Walsh, the 21-year-old endured a tough Origin series and failed to fire a single shot.

Reece Walsh.
Reece Walsh is a long shot to win the Kangaroos fullback role. Image: Getty/AAP

He was knocked out in the early stages of Game 1, and wasn't presented with many opportunities in the second and third games behind a smaller and outmatched forward pack. Walsh made a number of costly mistakes in Games 2 and 3, including failing to get a hand on Mitchell Moses as the NSW halfback scored the match and series-sealing try.

Unless he can bounce back quickly and lead the Broncos to an unlikely finals berth, it's hard to see how Edwards won't be the Kangaroos fullback. The Panthers No.1 is set to miss the next 2-4 weeks with a knee injury, but we doubt it will slow him down.

Dylan Edwards, pictured here after winning the State of Origin series.
Dylan Edwards celebrates with his daughters after winning the State of Origin series. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga has been extremely loyal to his fullback and captain Tedesco, but Australia's loss in last year's Test Championship final will likely be the catalyst for change. Last month, Meninga said he believes Edwards has "earned the right (to play State of Origin)", but his Australian side will be picked on loyalty and NRL form.

"It doesn’t mean too much at all to be honest with you (the Blues team selection). We will be picking on form and loyalty and not so much on the future," Meninga said. "That’s how I think representative teams should be picked. It’s not about the future – it’s about the here and now."

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But just a few weeks later he admitted: "If a couple of players start to poke their head up, play to the best of their ability and make a difference at this [State of Origin] level, you're worthy of being considered for the Australian job. Reece was [in conversations] last year…but he was at the back end of a pretty tough year, we felt, and Kalyn Ponga, as well.

“After what happened last year, we've got to look at where we're heading with the Kangaroos and I have to place a fair bit of importance this year on rep footy. Laurie (Dale) is a selector as well, and we sat down, we had a look at where we were heading with the Kangaroos.

"Tedesco was the incumbent, and he hasn't let his team, his state or his country down before. We've got so many great fullbacks and some of our great players are fullbacks in this day and age and when you get to the elite level, then sometimes you’ve just got to find a spot for them.”

Edwards played on the wing for Australia at the end of last year. And while Kalyn Ponga looms as an option if he can lead the Knights to the finals, fans were firmly convinced it should be Edwards after Wednesday night's Origin decider.