Walsh was a one-man indicator of the gap in quality between the two sides in London last Saturday, particularly in the opening minutes of the second half.
In Australia’s first attack after the interval, Walsh carried the ball 80 metres following a slip by England’s much-vaunted scrum-half Mikey Lewis. While England resisted the initial thrust, the ground gained provided the platform for Australia to score a killer second try of the match.
Walsh had earlier scored the opening try of the series, completing a sweeping team move with a swan dive to elevate the world number one side following a scrappy opening 20 minutes which had given England false hope.
And he added the coup de grace with his second and Australia’s fourth try, sandwiching two scores by Angus Crichton and sealing a victory that brought the hosts down to earth with a sickening thump in front of 60,000 fans at Wembley.
V’landys said: “He’s a champion player, so people want to see those, even if you’ve got no interest in rugby league. You’ll be attracted to someone like Reece Walsh.”
Walsh is not all flashy scores either. His defensive play was essential in providing the platform for Australia to resist England before they went through the gears.
He has been compared to a pop star and certainly is liable to a few unconventional antics. He often takes to the field with painted nails, which he decorates to bond with four-year-old daughter Leila.
He went viral on social media last month over a video showing him drinking water out of a toilet bowl, joking that it helped his muscle recovery after games.
The toilet was newly installed, and had not been used, although his club still had to hurry out a ‘don’t try this at home’ statement.
“I think it comes with the territory,” V’Landys said of Walsh’s off-field activities.
“He’s a young guy. And in reality, they haven’t been that serious. I mean, being a plumber, I guess is a good profession, but he’s like all the rest of us.
“He’s going to make mistakes in life and you have to learn from them.”
