Maroons fullback Reece Walsh has declared he hopes to remain a Brisbane Bronco for life, but will hold fire on his contract negotiations until he has conquered the State of Origin arena.
Walsh missed Game 3 last year after receiving a three-game suspension for a foul-mouthed tirade during Brisbane’s loss to the Titans, having also been sin-binned in Game 2 for an altercation with Blues five-eighth Jarome Luai.
But having sought the support of a psychologist, while being left on tenterhooks to see if his replacement AJ Brimson would make reclaiming his jersey a tall order, the 21-year-old was adamant he would not repeat his past mistakes.
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“It was pretty tough [missing out on Game 3], obviously when you get the opportunity to play for Queensland that’s all you want to do, and it sucks to be sitting there watching,” Walsh said.
“It was tough for me … it takes someone one opportunity for you to lose your spot potentially, I’m just very grateful to be back in this position here and pull on the jersey again, so I want to do everything right.
“I think I learnt some good lessons at the back end of last year. I feel like I’ve matured a little bit more as a player.”