Star fullback Reece Walsh is reportedly extremely close to agreeing on a new deal to remain with the Brisbane Broncos ahead of round one of the new season.
After announcing the extensions of halves Ezra Mam and Adam Reynolds, all the attention has now been put on extending the tenure of Walsh, who is off-contract at the end of the 2025 season and is free to negotiate with rival clubs from November 1
Having no intention of letting him become a free agent, News Corp has previously reported that the Broncos are prepared to table a club-record deal worth $1.1 million, hoping that the speedster can see the potential of a Brisbane premiership on the horizon.
However, as they get set to take on the Sydney Roosters on Sunday afternoon, his new contract is reportedly very close to being announced.
“What a lot of people don't understand is that when they got him back from the Warriors, he was only on $450,000, which is all the Broncos had in the cap,” The Daily Telegraph's journalist Phil Rothfield said on NRL 360.
“He agreed to that because he wanted to stay in Brisbane where his daughter is and it's special he wanted it for that reason.
“He hasn't trebled his value from 450k but he's a million dollar player now. They are very, very close to announcing a long-term extension, which is wonderful news for the Broncos.”
An outstanding player in his first season back with the Broncos after a two-year stint with the New Zealand Warriors, Walsh helped turn the club into a premiership contender and guided them to the 2023 Grand Final.
Teammate Payne Haas previously urged the fullback to prioritise staying with the Broncos over more lucrative offers from rival clubs.
The prop and Dally M contender recently agreed to a $3.5 million extension with the club, despite reports stating that rival clubs offered him more to lure him away from Red Hill.
"I want to keep Reece here, but at the end of the day, that's his decision, and I'm not going to tell him what to do. I'm confident he won't leave," he said.