‘Let it go’: Broncos want Walsh to forget errors in win over Cowboys

It was a night of two gritty, scrappy contests and you’d have to say the better team won both games.

The Broncos, Cowboys, Warriors and Roosters all have a lot of improvement in them, but this early in the season you can forgive a little disjointedness.

Mick Doyle will be your NRL guide from 3pm AEDT tomorrow, with the Sharks and Rabbitohs kicking off the Saturday action before the Dolphins face the Tigers, and the Titans face Kalyn Ponga and the Knights.

Please join us then!

Broncos coach Michael Maguire says the team was “clunky” but he was impressed by their “character”.

“I was really pleased with how they fought,” he says.

Maguire is adamant Reece Walsh will work his way out of his current rut.

“Reece will be right. I’ve had plenty of players in situations like that. Every now and then a player goes through it,” he says.

“[He needs to] keep at it. I’ve had players that are like Reece. It helps define who you are. He’ll be better for it when he keeps working his way through it.”

Both Maguire and captain Adam Reynolds credit Walsh with organising the defence and being a key reason they kept repelling the Cowboys on their line.

Coach Todd Payten says the errors in that game suggest “a side that’s low on confidence”.

“We’re in a tough spot and there’s no magic bullet, no pill we can take. It’s hard work and graft,” he says.

“It’ll turn we’ve just got to make it turn. I’m seeing them work really hard at the moment.”

Payten jokes he has concerns for his “sanity” and the club is feeling the pressure, but seems to be trying to shift focus off his own job security.

He reveals Viliami Vailea has gone to hospital after getting that nasty scratch on the eye early in the game.

Brisbane fullback Reece Walsh has had a rough couple of weeks and has been visibly upset by his performances.

Two games in a row he’s been well below his best, although he did have a lovely highlight with a long ball for a Jesse Arthars try in the second half.

Ben Hunt was seen trying to console him during the game and tells ABC Sport they need to help him focus on nailing the simple stuff.

“We know the magic Reece can do,” Hunt says.

“He’s working extremely hard. We encourage him to let it go and focus on his defence.

“He can get pretty down on himself.”

NRL.com accredited five errors to him tonight. That number seems a little high, but he was far more like last week’s Reece Walsh than he was 2023 Reece Walsh.

Brisbane rediscover their composure to hold off the Cowboys 26-16.

The Broncos will be happy to get the win, but they were let off the hook more than a few times by their distant northern neighbours, who move to 0-3 for the season.

Deine Mariner drops the ball cold as the Broncos attack down the right and Jaxon Purdue swoops, immediately getting into his stride and outpacing Reece Walsh and the rest of the Broncos to go 90 metres and score.

Scott Drinkwater hits the post and that miss means they have to score two more tries, rather than a try and a long-range field goal or penalty goal to tie the game.

Adam Reynolds grubbers into the in-goal and Reece Walsh seems to have it at his mercy, but he pulls out of the contest as Scott Drinkwater arrives. He appeals for taken out off the ball, but he wasn’t.

Regardless, the Broncos get a repeat set as Jeremiah Nanai is taken dead in goal.

It’s men against boys out there whenever Payne Haas gets the ball, albeit aided by some miserable defence.

He gets it 30 metres out one off the ruck and he just skips between Reuben Cotter and Jordan McLean, swerves around Scott Drinkwater and dives in.

The way Michael Maguire is using him — giving him a break in the middle of the game like a more traditional prop rather than playing 65 minutes straight — is really maximising his impact.

He jumps down the short side and tries a chip and chase on the last, but kicks out on the full.

I know it doesn’t matter much in this context because they haven’t lost many metres, but it just feels like the opposite of what he needs mentally at this point.

Reece Walsh falls into a Reece Robson tackle and is collected high, giving Adam Reynolds a shot at a penalty goal.

He pots it for a 20-12 lead and moves from 2,374 points to 2,376, taking him past Jarrod Croker into third spot on the points tally, behind Cameron Smith (2,786) and Hazem El Masri (2,418).

Sam McIntyre comes in for a yardage run from centre and knocks it on in the tackle. The Cowboys are immediately back under the pump.

The Broncos retake the lead as they just strip the Cowboys for numbers far too easily and Reece Walsh launches a long ball over the top to Jesse Arthars to score.

It wasn’t a particularly slick play, but attacking the side with the manufactured defensive structure after the loss of Viliami Vailea, it didn’t need to be perfect.

That came on the back of a run of set restarts too. The Cowboys looked gassed and were frankly lucky not to have anyone sin-binned.

And hopefully landing that pass will give Walsh a little confidence boost.

Selwyn Cobbo has looked pretty slow and generally not great tonight, but he’s just ignited the Broncos with a massive charge, launching Griffin Neame out of the way.

Pat Carrigan keeps the momentum going, and Adam Reynolds grubbers into the in-goal for a repeat set.

After chance upon chance upon chance, the Cowboys finally put it through the hands and get the ball out to Murray Taulagi. He outpaces Selwyn Cobbo and dives in on the left.

Scott Drinkwater has a chance to level the scores from the sideline and nails it!

Scott Drinkwater grubbers in behind Selwyn Cobbo and Murray Taulagi has the line at his mercy. But he stands over the ball as it trickles towards the tryline and knocks it on.

Reece Walsh flies across to try to break it up and collides with Taulagi, but he’s penalised for a shoulder charge.

Gee, I think that’s tough.

The high kick into the corner is spilled again by the Broncos, this time it’s Walsh, and the visitors are on the attack from 10 metres out.

Broncos look exhausted and Walsh is looking more like he did last week, which isn’t good news for Brisbane.

A set restart, and back-to-back penalties for the Cowboys right in front of the posts.

The first, on Xavier Willison for lying in the ruck, was fair enough, but Cory Paix is pinged for a strip hat is very harsh for mine.

The Broncos fullback digs into the line off the scrum and knocks on in the tackle from Jake Clifford. Then, in his frustration, gives away a penalty in the ensuing tackle. Although I think that’s a harsh call from Todd Smith.

Walsh is bashing himself in the head and berating himself as Ben Hunt puts an arm around him and tries to snap him out of it.

The first set after points is so important, and Griffin Neame has dropped it cold 20 metres out on the third tackle. My word.