Maroons fullback Reece Walsh is under pressure to rectify a horror Origin II performance after he was bullied and targeted by the Blues on Wednesday night.
Walsh – who was returning from concussion after Joseph Suaalii’s hit in game one – was caught out of position on numerous occasions and hit heavily by Latrell Mitchell on numerous occasions.
The 21-year-old came under particular scrutiny when Brian To’o scored his second try after a Mitchell Moses grubber.
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”It was a 30 second play the ball and Mitchell Moses looks up and he sprints from the right hand side of the ruck to the left hand side,” Blues legend Andrew Johns explained on Nine’s coverage.
“He obviously looked up and saw Reece Walsh over on the left side, he sprints to the other side, brings the defence up and gets it in behind. It was too easy.”
Maroons great Cameron Smith described it as a “smart play” before also pinpointing Walsh’s deficiencies.
“It was way too easy, wasn’t it Joey?,” he said.
“It was good recognition from Moses to see Walsh way out on that left hand side of the Maroons.
“He was way out of position. Particularly for a play-the-ball that had taken so long. They had time to get themselves set, the defensive line.
“Usually, if the fullback is out of position where he was, that right hand side for Queensland is aware that there’s no fullback and there was no one covering in behind, they’d usually stick a foot out and play at that ball.”
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To’o’s try put the Blues up 22-0 with the game well and truly over by the 28th minute.
The winger’s second four-pointer came after NSW were gifted attacking territory from Walsh kicking the ball out of the full.
The fullback also felt the full force of Mitchell in the 38th minute when he was pushed over after taking the ball dead from a Jarome Luai grubber.
In a sign that showed how shellshocked the Maroons were, not a single Queenslander appeared to confront Mitchell after the act. It seemed uncharacteristic for a team so hellbent on defending each other. Winger Xavier Coates simply helped Walsh up.
It wasn’t the only time Mitchell picked out his man.
Walsh returned the ball in the 65th minute and found an aggressive Mitchell who didn’t fall for the dummy. He then picked him up, put him in the air before dropping him to the ground.
“There’s a big moment,” Johns said.
“He’s just got presence Latrell Mitchell, the strength of the man, he lifts him up … that could of got nasty.”
Smith went on to commend the Blues centre for doing it safely.
“That’s actually smart play there by Latrell, he could’ve gone on with it. He let him down gently and then finished him off on the ground,” he said.
Just when it appeared Walsh had been through it all, in the 77th minute he tried to get on the outside of Moses. The halfback dumped him into the turf with Walsh staying on the ground after the play the ball.
The Queensland trainer then had to attend to Walsh as he clutched at his back and struggled to stand up straight.
How Walsh responds will be the big question leading into Origin III. One thing’s for sure though, this time he’ll have a big presence of Broncos and Queensland fans on his side.