NRL: Warriors coach Stacey Jones' message to returning Reece Walsh ahead of Storm clash

Reece Walsh returns to the starting lineup after getting dropped to the bench last week. Photo / Photosport

Warriors coach Stacey Jones has a simple message for Reece Walsh ahead of Friday's NRL clash with the Melbourne Storm.

Walsh is back in the team - after being dropped to the bench for last week's game against the Canberra Raiders – and Jones hopes to see a more measured approach from the 20-year-old.

"Just keep it simple," said Jones, when asked what he wants to see. "Reece is a gifted, wonderful player and he's certainly an attacking threat. He just overplays his hand a little bit and that's a young player that needs to learn that sometimes simple is better."

Walsh is the Warriors' best attacking weapon, with his elusiveness, pace and acceleration.

But he also likes to chance his arm, with some low-percentage plays.

Finding the right balance is difficult and Jones doesn't want to discourage his natural flair.

He's confident the demotion for the Canberra game has had the desired effect.

"He doesn't want to go back there [to the bench] and I don't want to put him back there," said Jones. "Sometimes you learn better when you're not on the team."

Warriors head coach Stacey Jones during a training session. Photo / Photosport

Walsh has trained well this week – buzzing around with his typical zip and dash – and will be a key focus on Friday, in his first appearance at Mt Smart, after 32 NRL games for the Warriors.

With the short turnaround, the Warriors have only had one full training session this week, with the focus mainly on the issues that came out of the second-half fade in Canberra.

There will be no shortage of motivation, with another big home crowd expected and the chance to take on a Storm team on a rare four-match losing run, though it's inevitable they will click back into gear soon.

"They are certainly a benchmark team," said Jones. "They'll be aggressive, come out firing and they always play big against the Warriors."

The Storm haven't lost to the Auckland team since 2015, a 12-match streak.

Coach Craig Bellamy insisted they were focused on improving their process and effort areas, rather than being fixated on results given their recent woes.

"I always tried to be a bit balanced," said Bellamy. "We don't want to panic; that is not going to get us anywhere."