Warriors reluctant to let Turner go
‘Miscommunication’ threatens to get in way of player trade
Warriors coach Nathan Brown is still eyeing boom Bronco Reece Walsh as a halves backup after “miscommunication” round Paul Turner’s release put a proposed player swap in jeopardy.
The highly-rated Walsh had Brisbane’s blessing to make his move to Warriors camp this week, farewelling Broncos team-mates in Sydney to start his three-year deal with the Kiwi club early.
Turner was also set to join Brisbane until it emerged that he would only be offered a development deal for this season, which would be a step down from the top 30 spot he currently holds at the Warriors.
Broncos sources have made clear that Walsh will only be released if the club is offered a player in return.
Brown said he was hopeful of acquiring Walsh while hanging on to Turner for 2021, but concedes he won’t stand in Turner’s way should he request another release.
“We signed him as a development player from Brisbane, we were always going to ask if Reece could come early,” Brown said.
“At first Brisbane said they weren’t so keen on that, which is fair enough.
“Then Paulie’s manager asked if we’d let Paulie go. I wasn’t keen on that, he’s a talented player and we’d like to keep him if we could.
“That was a few weeks ago and then the most I knew next of it was Reece had been given permission to leave, he was in camp, said goodbye to the Brisbane players and left the bubble they were in.
“Then maybe there was a bit of miscommunication from some of [the] others’ ends, I’m not 100 per cent privy to that.
“Hopefully whatever happens in an ideal world, Reece will be here in the next few days and Paulie stays with us. But if Paulie chooses that there’s a better opportunity for him at Brisbane, that might unfold too.
“Paulie’s in our squad of 21 this week and he’s very close to playing for us as well.”
Walsh, 18, was signed by the Warriors last month with a view to replacing rugby union-bound skipper Roger Tuivasa-sheck at fullback next season.
Tuivasa-sheck was part of the Warriors’ recruitment bid to lure Walsh to the club, with Brown stressing his early release is being pursued so the youngster has a chance to learn alongside the Kiwi international.
But asked where Walsh could get game time if a deal can be struck with the Broncos, Brown nominated his scrum base, where Chanel Harristavita has already been ruled out for several months with a foot injury.
Kodi Nikorima and Sean O’sullivan will start in the halves tonight against Manly.
“Reece has not only played fullback but he’s also spent a lot of his [junior] career in the halves as well,” Brown said.
“He spent a lot of time at five-eighth before he moved back to fullback.
“There’s obviously his ability to play fullback there as well and back [up] Roger . . . but he can also play in the halves. We’ve got Chanel on a long-term injury there so he can certainly cover more than fullback.
“But the most important thing is being able to train and play with the boys. We get to learn about him and he gets to learn about us.
“To actually have him here training with his future team-mates and hopefully playing a few games allows his development with our club to be far, far smoother.
“He’s not here to fill Roger’s shoes, he’s here to be Reece Walsh and when he gets to play and the team adapts to him you’ll see a different player.”
As it stands the Broncos have one top 30 spot left in their roster, which has long been linked to Wests Tigers utility Billy Walters, son of coach Kevin.
Warriors back Hayze Perham is understood to have also been offered to the Broncos earlier in the negotiations for Walsh’s release, though Junior Kiwis fullback Turner was their preferred target.