MACKAY, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 27: Reece Walsh of the Warriors looks on before the start of the round 24 NRL match between the New Zealand Warriors and the Canberra Raiders at BB Print Stadium, on August 27, 2021, in Mackay, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Reece Walsh has confirmed a switch to the Brisbane Broncos for the 2023 season, but it has now been revealed exactly how desperate the Dolphins were to land his signature.
The Dolphins’ recruitment for their inaugural season in 2023 has been nothing short of disastrous, with the club trying and failing on multiple occasions to sign marquee players.
Walsh was just the latest blow, with the Broncos confirming the fullback’s return to his junior club on a deal which will keep him at Red Hill until at least the end of the 2025 season.
It was reported shortly after his signature that the Warriors, while releasing Walsh on compassionate grounds so he could remain in Australia, never allowed the Dolphins to negotiate.
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It is now reported by The Daily Telegraph that the Dolphins were so desperate to sign Walsh that they were willing to pay a transfer fee of between $50,000 and $100,000.
That was despite the fact the Warriors have already signed a replacement for Walsh in former fullback and current Raider Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, who sought out a release from the nation’s capital to return to New Zealand where his own family are based.
Reported bad blood between the two clubs – denied by the Warriors – was believed to be behind the decision for Walsh to only be able to negotiate a new deal with the Broncos.
The Warriors publically stated they didn’t want Walsh’s departure to remain in Brisbane and remain closer to family to become a circus, but it still made little sense given the Dolphins’ Redcliffe base could have allowed Walsh to remain close to family in Brisbane.
The money on offer from the Dolphins could have gone directly to the Warriors, who have struggled financially over the last two years given they have been forced to play all their home games in Redcliffe, although significant NRL support has softened the blow.
Source:: ZeroTackle
