Warriors young gun Reece Walsh. Photo / Photosport
Warriors young gun Reece Walsh. Photo / Photosport
Warriors coach Stacey Jones has backed Reece Walsh to rebound quickly from his surprise demotion, saying it will be beneficial for his long term development.
Jones made one of the biggest calls of his interim tenure on Tuesday, dropping Walsh to the interchange bench for Saturday's match against the Raiders(5pm NZT).
Chanel Harris-Tevita has been selected at fullback, after his man of the match display there in the homecoming win over the Tigers, with Daejarn Asi in the halves beside Shaun Johnson.
Walsh had a sweet and sour display in the 28-18 defeat to the Eels last Friday, with a couple of erratic moments, though he wasn't the only Warrior to have a mixed night.
But Jones wants a "more consistent performance" at the back and believes Harris-Tavita can improve the defensive organisation while also adding his trademark effort.
The news would have been a shock to Walsh, who is one of the most high profile Warriors and has been fast tracked to stardom since he was selected for Queensland's State of Origin team as an 18-year-old last year, but he has taken it well.
"[He was] very receptive" said Jones. "That's a good thing about Reece - he takes things on board. And he said, 'look, if I get my opportunity on the field, I'm gonna give it my all'. Things have happened so fast for him but he'll bounce back from this - he was very good."
It's a brave move from Jones, given Walsh's attacking potential. But it also illustrates Jones is prepared to make big decisions for the benefit of the squad – something that former coach Nathan Brown seemed reluctant to do – and also sends a message to the team.
"It was a tough decision to make on a kid that gives his all but he's got stuff in his game that he needs to learn," said Jones. "He's not the first player at a young age to be dropped or put back to the bench and he is not going to be the last.
"I said to Reece this can go two ways, 'you can kick stones and go in a different direction or you can get on board, accept it and move on', and he's done the latter."
Warriors coach Stacey Jones. Photo / Photosport
Captain Tohu Harris echoed those sentiments, saying there had been a positive response from the youngster in training.
"I'm hoping it's having the intended effect that Stace was aiming for," said Harris. "To tell him he's not quite there and he's still got lots and lots to learn."
There had been prolonged deliberations among the coaching staff, but the discussion had taken shape after the Tigers game, when Harris-Tavita announced himself as a fullback option.
"That started things going [around] how else we could use Reece," said Jones. "Putting him in the halves has always been a topic because you know how dangerous he is with the ball.
"Unfortunately for Reece, he hasn't had a lot of time defending in that position, which is a tough position and you get a lot of traffic."
Jones has a plan for Walsh on Saturday but declined to reveal specifics, though it seems likely he will be used as a roving playmaker in the halves, depending on the match situation.
"He's gonna play a role but that plan is between me and Reece," said Jones.
Jones added that Asi got the nod ahead of Ronald Volkman at five eighth after consistent performances for Redcliffe in the Queensland Cup.
Asi hasn't been seen in first grade since the end of May, but his superior defensive ability pushed him ahead of the teenager Volkman, who was left out last week after illness.
Jones didn't want to look too far ahead, focussing on achieving a positive performance on Saturday to boost morale and interest ahead of the second home match with the Melbourne Storm on July 29.
"We've got to play well this weekend and get a good result - that will get people coming back to Mount Smart," said Jones.
