Warriors halfback and senior leader Chad Townsend has revealed the heartfelt message he had for a "devastated" Reece Walsh, after their agonising 24-22 defeat to the Broncos.
When the final whistle went at Suncorp Stadium last Sunday, Townsend made a beeline for Walsh. He had just watched his young teammatemiss an audacious 45m field goal attempt which would have sent the game to golden point.
Minutes earlier, Walsh had hooked a difficult conversion, one of four attempts the 19-year-old put wide.
The former Bronco was crestfallen at the hooter, struggling to hold back the tears, and Townsend knew the rookie needed assurance and perspective.
Reece Walsh of the Warriors is consoled by Chad Townsend at full-time. Photo / Photosport
"He was one of the first guys I saw after the siren," said Townsend. "He was devastated and couldn't really talk, speechless.
"I got him to make eye contact with me and I said, 'mate, you have a long career ahead, you are not going to get every single opportunity. You are going to make mistakes. You are going to make errors. You are going to win the game for us sometimes and you are going to lose the game for us sometimes. What's important is that you learn from it and be better next time'."
In his 11th season, the 30-year-old premiership winner knows the vagaries of first grade.
"An NRL career isn't all rosy; it's a deadset rollercoaster, there's ups and downs ... it's like life," said Townsend. "You have to learn from it. He will take a great lesson out of that loss and be better for it."
An accomplished goalkicker himself, Townsend never considered taking over the tee on Sunday, saying the team backed Walsh.
But the Broncos clash highlighted the amount of responsibility on Walsh's shoulders, as goal kicker, defensive organiser, and fullback, a main playmaker and attacking spark, and one of the kickers in general play.
Chad Townsend on the attack against the Broncos. Photo / Photosport
"It is a lot," said Townsend. "People need to appreciate what he is doing at such a young age. He has handled it extremely well. He wants to learn, he wants to be a great player. It's important we support him in what he has been doing but also find a way to take a bit of pressure off him."
For his part, Townsend was happy with his return to first grade after three weeks out. His injured shoulder still needs managing but is good enough to "play confidently".
He is still bitter about the injury, which came from a cynical, cheap shot by Dragons back rower Tariq Sims in the first minute of his first game in this Warriors stint.
"I've watched my incident back time and time again," said Townsend. "I was hit late, hit in the air and landed straight on my shoulder. We didn't get a penalty, didn't get anything. It has hurt me a fair bit [but] just have to deal with it and move on."
Reece Walsh of the Warriors reacts after the final whistle. Photo / AAP
Townsend's right shoulder was "almost cracked in half" while he almost ruptured his AC joint.
The Warriors need to beat the Raiders on Friday (8pm NZT) to keep their slim NRL finals hopes alive, though they are solely focused on a strong performance.
"We can't worry about other results," said Townsend. "We just want to stick to what we can control."
Matt Lodge, Kodi Nikorima and Sean O'Sullivan have all been recalled for the game in Mackay.
Lodge returns from suspension, while Nikorima comes back after a hectic week, with his partner giving birth to their second child. O'Sullivan replaces Chanel Harris-Tavita.
