The Brisbane Broncos have confirmed the signature of Reece Walsh.
In what has been a chaotic 48 hours on the NRL transfer market, Walsh's personal circumstances are believed to have changed enormously to the point he can no longer commit to moving back to New Zealand with his current club the Warriors, despite the fact he was contracted for the 2023 season to the Auckland-based outfit.
The Warriors confirmed on Wednesday morning that, alongside signing Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad on a deal from the Canberra Raiders where he had been released, that they had given permission to Walsh to negotiate with the Broncos.
While the news that he had been given permission to negotiate with one club only agitated the Dolphins, who are desperate for a marquee signing ahead of their inaugural season in 2023, Walsh is a Broncos' junior and reportedly wants to stay in the city for family reasons.
The Broncos confirmed on Thursday afternoon that Walsh's deal is done, and he will remain with the Broncos for at least three seasons, or until the end of 2025.
Included in Queensland's squad for Game 2 this year, he was due to make an Origin debut last year until injury crueled him.
He has 30 NRL appearances to his name having been in the Broncos' academy since the age of 13, with Kevin Walters saying Walsh "belongs" in Brisbane.
"Reece's return is great news for everyone at the Broncos and for all our supporters and members - we'll get him back home next year," Walters said.
"He's a terrific young footballer and someone who has always belonged in Brisbane so it's fantastic that he is coming back to where he belongs.
"Reece came through the Broncos system from a young age and the club has always considered him to be one of our most promising talents.
"He returns to us with some great NRL experience under his belt and rejoins the club at a time when we are forging something special.
"A number of other emerging players who've come through the Broncos system have also committed long-term to the club in recent times and it's great that Reece has chosen to do the same."
The Broncos were reportedly set to have to give up Te Maire Martin in a player swap to secure Walsh, however, that hasn't yet been confirmed by either the Broncos or Warriors.
Martin has been playing in the number one role with Tesi Niu out injured recently, and now Walsh's signature will add a layer of complexity to team selections for the Broncos in 2023 as Walsh, Niu and potentially Martin battle for minutes, while Selwyn Cobbo's future position also remains unclear.
