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Warriors CEO Cameron George has opened up about why he gave superstar Reece Walsh an early release to join the Broncos, where the fullback has set the competition alight as one of the most talented players in the world.
Walsh, who is currently preparing for his second NRL grand final, burst onto the scene as an 18-year-old in 2021 when he was signed by the New Zealand Warriors.
His opening games for the Warriors were so impressive that he was selected to make his Origin debut, and eventually played 38 games for the Kiwi side over the next two seasons.
The footy star was supposed to remain at the Warriors for the 2023 season, but George gave him a release back to Brisbane.
'What I had in front of me was a young kid who had become a father. I could either stand in his way from being a dad or let him come back to Brisbane to be a father,' George told News Corp.
Walsh welcomed daughter Leila in March 2021 when he was just 18, which was a deciding factor in his return to the Broncos.
Warriors CEO Cameron George has revealed why he gave superstar Reece Walsh (pictured) an early release to join the Broncos
Walsh welcomed daughter Leila (pictured) in March 2021 when he was just 18, which was a big reason why George let Walsh return to Brisbane
The fullback asked to meet with the Warriors boss in a Brisbane pub following the 2022 season.
'For me, at that point in time, I had a decision about making him a footballer or the best dad he could be,' George said.
'I could either stand in his way from being a dad, and take on that responsibility, and make him live in Auckland for another 12 months or we could do the right thing by the person, consider it on its merits, and let him come back to Brisbane to be a father. That is what makes Reece Walsh tick.
'You need your players to be happy off the field and I saw it in Reece's eyes – the world to him was being with his daughter in Brisbane, not in Auckland, and that has helped him become the person and player he is today.
'What I had in front of me was a young kid who had become a father. There was a lot happening in his world. Reece is a superstar but if he's unhappy, how good is he going to be for you?
'You could see the authenticity in his desire. It was genuine and I dare say that where he is today is attributed to the fact he has family support and is beside his daughter every day. That's the person first, not the player.
'I knew it would make Reece Walsh become a better person, rather than having him in Auckland away from his daughter and being very unhappy. At the end of the day, when your football is done, you're going to be a father and that's the most important thing.
Walsh split from his longtime girlfriend and mother of his daughter, Freda Puru, in 2023, but the couple continue to co-parent their daughter
The 23-year-old Brisbane fullback is preparing for his second NRL grand final
'Of course it would have been great to have Reece but a happy Reece is much better than an unhappy Reece. That doesn't help anyone.
'It was the best decision for everyone. Reece has become the person and player he is today because his daughter means the world to him.'
Walsh has recently hit back at critics of the Broncos who have labelled them 'show ponies', insisting the term is unfair.
'I'm really enjoying what we're building here at the club, new coach, new coaching staff, driving standards, driving those small, little things, everyone's buying into the culture and everyone wants to get better,' Walsh said.
'There's a lot of talk around the Broncs that we're 'show ponies' and we don't want to work hard, all this and that, but it's until you're in these four walls that you see how hard we work, how much sacrifice we make for each other, for this club, because we all do genuinely care and we all want to do well, so it's really good to be a part of at the moment.'
