There will likely be no lingering demons with Queensland fullback Reece Walsh from his State of Origin I concussion when he takes to the MCG on Wednesday night time, in response to Maroons coach Billy Slater.
The 21-year-old has not performed a sport since he was knocked out in the seventh minute of the Maroons’ 38-10 win in the June 5 series opener by a excessive shot from NSW centre Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i, which have been his solely minutes in the previous month, relationship again to his final full match in spherical 12 on May 26.
Walsh has been energetic at coaching and has vowed to not be gun-shy in the best way he assaults his sport in Melbourne.
Slater was having none of any suggestion that Walsh would carry demons into the match when he spoke at Melbourne’s Fed Square in a pre-game press convention.
“That’s the first time I have thought about demons and Reece Walsh. He has been incredible all week, he was incredible in his preparation for Game I and he started well in Game I and I expect no different,” Slater stated.
“I love the way that he plays, I love the attributes he has in his game and I love the way he works hard to go after it. It’s been a pleasure to help him do that this week and get his game on.”
Walsh was the final man off the coaching area on Thursday in Maroons camp at Sanctuary Cove. He was fine-tuning his kicking and doing extras on features of his working sport.
“Everyone sees the bright and shiny stuff that Reece brings to a footy field and people gravitate to our game for that, but he is a really hard worker and wants to be as good as he possibly can,” Slater stated.
“He wants to play our game and how good is that? I have a lot of time for him and [am] really looking forward to him playing his part in our team.”
Slater was requested whether or not he suspected the Blues would make use of the identical techniques as they did in Game I with Walsh the place he was tackled in the air whereas catching a bomb and roughed up after kicking, on each events by NSW ahead Liam Martin, earlier than being knocked out chilly by Sua’ali’i.
“That’s not a question for me I don’t think,” he quipped.
NSW coach Michael Maguire was quizzed straight about whether or not the Blues would go after Walsh once more as they did in Game I.
It was clearly a query that he knew was coming.
“We have put a lot of focus on all of their players. It is not any individual,” Maguire stated.
Sports content material to make you assume… or permit you to not. A publication delivered every Saturday.
AAP