Truth about Reece Walsh as Roosters hit by massive blow in title quest: Good, bad, ugly of NRL Round 20

😃 The good: Reece Walsh's bounce-back after State of Origin loss

😔 The bad: Roosters hit by premiership truth bomb after Storm loss

😡 The ugly: NSW players create awkward scenario for Kangaroos games

Reece Walsh back with a bang after brutal scenes in Origin

Reece Walsh has overtaken Latrell Mitchell as the favoured punching bag of NRL fans. Those south of the Tweed have been piling into the Brisbane and Queensland superstar over the past few months, starting from the moment Walsh was laid out by Jospeh Suaalii in Origin 1.

Some suggested the Maroons No.1 milked the incident, obviously missing the fact his eyes were spinning like the Queen of the Nile in your local leagues club pokie den. Walsh had a shocker in Game 2 and came under fire in Game 3 for leading with his foot and collecting Stephen Crichton in the head as the NSW centre attempted to put the ball down for a try. Blues fans were enraged and doubled down the following day when Walsh wasn't charged.

Believe me, I get fan rivalry - especially when it comes to Origin. But Walsh is so good for rugby league that it’s hard to understand the hate for him. He's a showman in blue overalls. His brilliance with the ball is obvious but he matches it with courage under fire.

If Walsh was kicking stones after a disappointing Origin campaign, he didn't show it in his return to club footy on Saturday night. His performance in the Broncos' drought-breaking win over Newcastle was one of the great individual performances of the year.

This was a game Brisbane simply had to win if they had any designs on a top eight spot. And their biggest star – aided and abetted by Adam Reynolds' return - stood up when it was most needed. Walsh scored a try, set up two others, made two line breaks and ran for 122m.

"He's a tough kid. He's not all glitz and glamour," Queensland coach Billy Slater said after watching Walsh's game. "He's got his passing attributes but he's fast and electric and willing to take the line on. It's so good to watch." It sure is.

Storm loss sparks questions over Roosters' credentials

Look away now if you're a Roosters fans. Unless both Melbourne and Penrith disappear in the finals, the Chooks' chances of taking out this year's crown look slim.

According to recent history, that is. Fox Sports flashed up an incredible stat during the Roosters' loss to Melbourne on Saturday night, spelling out the dominance both Storm and Panthers have over the Tricolours.

Coming into the game, the Roosters had won just one of their last 19 games against those two clubs. By full-time it was one from 20.

Against other teams over the same period, the boys from Bondi enjoy a 70-27 win-loss advantage. It's the Storm's hold over them that really makes for incredible reading – 10 wins in their past 11 matches.

"It's just a stat but if the stat starts denting confidence and their ability to believe that they can beat Melbourne Storm or Penrith, then it becomes an issue," four-time premiership winner Cooper Cronk said. "They just haven’t been able to dominate for long periods of time against those good teams. There's little parts to their game that when they fight against Storm or Penrith, they're just not getting it together."

Will NSW players have to apologise to Queensland rivals?

About a decade ago or so ago, there were genuine fears over whether NSW and Queensland players would be able to put their interstate hatred behind them and bond under the Australian banner. It all started after the Kangaroos won a Test in Townsville and the Queenslanders in the team started singing the Maroons' victory song – 'Aye aye yippee yippee aye' – at the trophy presentation.

Queensland and Australia skipper Cameron Smith wrote in his book: "I can understand why people were upset about what had happened, but the reaction in NSW was completely over the top. We were called arrogant Queenslanders, trying to stir up the Blues. It wasn't intentional. It was clumsy. It came across poorly and I accept that."

Smith claims it didn't create a rift in the national team but did ring teammate and NSW captain Paul Gallen to apologise if any offence had been taken. There might be a few phone calls of a similar nature when an Australian team is picked later this year. And this time it might be the Blues picking up the phone.

The Maroons camp is saying little publicly but they have taken note of a number of provocative gestures following NSW's series win. There's Jarome Luai's flex outside the Caxton Hotel and the new victory song that takes aim at the Queenslanders for starters.

And NSW players have been quick to point out the pile-on of Queenslanders players on a defenceless Brian To'o and Luai during the now infamous sideline brawl. Man-of-the-series Angus Crichton took to social media to illustrate the point, posting a photo of the incident below the abbreviation 'fmd'.

The hatred between the two sides is intense. It may leave Australia coach Mal Meninga with a few wounds to heal when the Kangaroos first come into camp.

Check back in every Monday throughout the NRL season for Adam Lucius' 'Good, Bad and Ugly' column.

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