Corey Parker has warned rugby league may struggle to keep Reece Walsh, fearing the global nature of rugby union could one day appeal to the Brisbane superstar. Fresh off one of the greatest grand-final performances in history, Walsh’s star has risen further after a spellbinding Test debut in Australia’s series-opening Ashes win.
Walsh enters the second Test in Everton as the most talked about rugby league player in England after scoring two tries, breaking five tackles and running 243 metres in last week’s win at Wembley. The 23-year-old could cap off one of the finest seasons in recent memory if he secures a series win in the match that begins at 1.30am AEDT on Sunday.
Walsh has long been one of the most marketable men in rugby league, with celebrity status rivalling Benji Marshall and Sonny Bill Williams at their peak. The Queensland superstar already has the most social media followers in rugby league on both Instagram and TikTok, with close to 1.1 million on the two platforms combined. While Parker isn’t worried about the Kangaroos No.1’s ability to handle the hype, he does fear it could one day lead to Walsh being lured into bigger pastures.
“My concern is that because he is of such a status and has such a cult following that he tries to go worldwide and bigger,” Parker said. “In rugby league, it’s just harnessed here in Australia and in the north of England. If you look at rugby union for example, that is worldwide. I’ve never seen anyone with that kind of following in it in my time. So it’s whether he stays in the game for his whole entire career ... I hope he does.”
This week, Melbourne Storm superstar Ryan Papenhuyzen was released from the final year of his NRL contract to “consider his future”, with strong speculation that he is set to join rebel rugby competition R360. The fears of the Broncos legend come after a bold declaration from New Zealand rugby league icon Graham Lowe, who urged the All Blacks to make a play for Walsh by offering him $5 million a year.
Walsh only signed a new five-season deal with the Broncos at the end of last year, keeping him with Brisbane until the end of 2029 on close to $1 million a season. “I actually can’t even forecast how big he is going to get,” Parker said. “If you’re just looking purely on his talent, it’s pretty obvious. But the status and the following and everything that goes with it is on a whole new level.”
