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Fullback on fire: Walsh stars as Broncos win GF
Scott Bailey, AAP • October 5th, 2025 11:43 pm
Brisbane have been crowned NRL premiers in Sydney off the back of a magic Reece Walsh display | Photo: Mark Evans/AAP
Reece Walsh has conjured up one of the greatest grand-final performances of all time to break Brisbane's premiership drought with a 26-22 win over Melbourne.
In a decider for the ages at Accor Stadium, the Broncos came from 22-12 down at halftime to stun the Storm and claim their first premiership since 2006.
Brisbane completed the comeback without Adam Reynolds who limped off in the second half, before halves partner Ben Hunt also suffered a concussion with eight minutes left.
Brisbane had to make their comeback without halfback Adam Reynolds after his hamstring injury | Photo: Mark Evans/AAP
Ezra Mam stepped up for the Broncos with a try assist and a big defensive play swinging the match, after a year where he has dominated headlines.
But ultimately it was Walsh who was the hero, with his electric attack and never-say-die defence outdoing a superb first half from Melbourne's all-star big four.
The Brisbane star beat five men to score a superb first-half try, set up three others and produced three try-saving plays to take the Broncos to their seventh premiership.
"Oh my God, what a bloody ride," Walsh said.
"A lot of people wrote us off this year, the only people who believed was us.
"It hasn't sunk in yet. I'm just so bloody happy for our boys. The culture from sitting in those bushes in an army camp, to riding the wave. Oh baby!"
The fullback's outing was a fitting end to a finals series he has dominated, saving Brisbane against both Canberra and Penrith.
But as good as Walsh's finish was in the 94-minute epic against the Raiders earlier this month, Sunday night was something special.
With Brisbane trailing by 10 at the break, Walsh kept the Broncos in the match when he first scrambled to stop Tui Kamikamica getting a ball down.
From the next set Mam stood up, sending Gehamat Shibasaki over on the left edge and breathing life back into the game.
Reece Walsh's desperate try-saving tackle on Tui Kamikamica was a game-changing moment | Photo: Mark Evans/AAP
Walsh then unleashed three minutes of attacking brilliance, with his quick hands first sending Deine Mariner over with a cut-out ball to make it a two-point game.
Brisbane then had the lead with 23 minutes to play when Walsh got the ball, accelerated and threw another cut-out ball for Shibasaki to grab his second.
And with Melbourne fighting to take back the lead, Walsh produced two more try-saving plays to keep the Broncos on top.
The fullback first chased down opposite number Ryan Papenhuyzen when he broke from a scrum, before another last-line-of-defence tackle on the Storm No.1 in the dying minutes.
Brisbane's efforts to hold on came after they capitulated in similar circumstances two years ago against Penrith, as well as back in 2015 at the death against North Queensland.
But they were a different team on Sunday night, holding on until the siren and amid more drama with Melbourne lock Trent Loiero sin-binned late for a shoulder charge.
Earlier, Walsh was the shining light for Brisbane in a first half dominated by Melbourne.
The No.1 laid on the fastest grand-final try of the NRL era when he burst onto a ball in the fourth minute, bust through Jack Howarth and sent a cut-out ball Mariner's way.
Deine Mariner opens the scoring for Brisbane inside two minutes at Accor Stadium | Photo: Mark Evans/AAP
But the next 15 minutes were all Melbourne, as the Storm shot to a 16-6 lead off the back of Harry Grant, Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes and Papenhuyzen.
The quartet all combined to send Nick Meaney over for Melbourne's first, before Hughes grubber-kicked for Eliesa Katoa to get their second.
Katoa then turned provider for the Storm's next, with a long cut-out ball for winger Will Warbrick to score, before Walsh's superb six-pointer made it 16-12.
Nick Meaney dives over for Melbourne's first try of the grand final | Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
But when Hughes stepped off his right twice to beat Brisbane's defence and score just before the break, Melbourne led 22-12 and appeared premiers in waiting.
"We defended for too long at the back end of that game. We just gave them too much ball," Munster said.
"It was a great game of footy ... But it's pretty disappointing."
