Returning Walsh told to keep it simple

At a glance

Warriors coach Stacey Jones hopes Reece Walsh has learnt an important lesson after being dropped to the bench last week.

The exciting fullback will return to the Warriors starting lineup for tonight’s game against the Melbourne Storm at Mt Smart Stadium after having the first real hiccup of his NRL career.

There’s no doubting the talent of 20-year-old Walsh. However, there are several rough edges to his game, such as his defensive positioning and knowing when to take a safer option on attack.

Jones decided he needed to clip his wings, so for last weekend’s game against the Raiders he dropped him to the interchange bench and played Chanel HarrisTavita at fullback instead.

What: NRL, Warriors v Storm

Where, when: Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland; 8pm tonight

Warriors: Reece Walsh, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Marcelo Montoya, Adam Pompey, Edward Kosi, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Shaun Johnson; Addin Fonua-Blake, Wayde Egan, Tohu Harris, Euan Aitken, Josh Curran, Jazz Tevaga. Interchange: Freddy Lussick, Bunty Afoa, Eliesa Katoa Jackson Frei. Reserves: Tom Ale, Daejarn Asi, Ronald Volkman, Viliame Vailea, Taniela Otukolo.

Storm: Nick Meaney, Dean Ieremia, Marion Seve, Justin Olam, Grant Anderson, Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes; Jesse Bromwich, Harry Grant, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Felise Kaufusi, Kenneath Bromwich, Josh King. Interchange: Tyran Wishart, Tui Kamikamica, Alec MacDonald, Jordan Grant. Reserves: Chris Lewis, Cooper Johns, Young Tonumaipea, Tom Eisenhuth, Sualauvi Faalogo.

However, for the Warriors’ second game in Auckland this season, Walsh is back in the No 1 jersey and Harris-Tavita shifts to five-eighth.

‘‘We felt we needed to get him back in the team somewhere,’’

Jones said of Walsh’s return.

‘‘He had a bit of time out, needed to learn a couple of things. He’s a wonderful player, so we need him on the field.’’

Despite his talent, Walsh has scored only one try this year, compared to the nine he picked up in his rookie season.

This is partly because the Warriors are having a worse campaign than in 2021, but also because he’s not getting as many chances and when he does, he’s not always made the most of them. So Jones has instructed Walsh to keep it simple.

‘‘Reece is a gifted player, a wonderful player and certainly an attacking threat,’’ Jones said.

‘‘He just overplays his hand a little bit and that’s a young player who needs to learn that sometimes simple is better.’’

‘‘Hopefully a stint on the bench might help him, because he doesn’t want to go back there and I don’t want to put him back there,’’ Jones added. ‘‘Sometimes you learn better when you’re not in the team.’’