Walsh in Kangaroos frame if he can play No.13: Meninga

The versatility and form of Reece Walsh has the Brisbane fullback in Kangaroos contention. (Scott Radford-Chisholm/AAP PHOTOS)

Reece Walsh's versatility has the Brisbane fullback in the frame for Australia’s squad for the upcoming Pacific Championships, with coach Mal Meninga saying being prepared to “play 13” will help the Bronco's cause.

Kangaroos mentor Meninga said Australia’s World Cup-winning captain James Tedesco is likely to retain his position at No.1 for the end-of-season Tests against New Zealand and Samoa. 

But Meninga is a big fan of Walsh and what the 21-year-old can bring to the table.

Newcastle fullback Kalyn Ponga came off the bench and played in the middle of the park as a roving lock in his Queensland debut in 2018, while Melbourne custodian Ryan Papenhuyzen filled a similar role for the Storm early in his NRL career.

“Versatility is really key for picking squads for the Kangaroos,” Meninga said at Wednesday's launch of the Pacific Championships in Brisbane.

"Reece can play fullback and I know he can play in the halves as well. It will be interesting to see whether he can put his head in the scrum and play 13, because that is what you need.

“You need a player who plays 14, or a player who sits on your reserves (bench) who can play a number of positions.

“That will be spoken about at the selectors' meeting, but (Walsh) is certainly putting pressure on being in the team itself. So is Dylan Edwards and Kalyn Ponga … and Ryan Papenhuyzen is coming back. 

"There are plenty of fullbacks around who can play a number of positions.”

Queensland No.1 Walsh outplayed his NSW counterpart Tedesco in this year’s State of Origin series and has had a bigger influence in club football this year than the Sydney Roosters skipper.

Meninga said he admired the level Walsh’s game had gone to but backed Tedesco to remain first-choice fullback for the Kangaroos.

“Teddy is the incumbent. He is the captain of the Kangaroos,” Meninga said.

“He led the team to a successful World Cup last year. He has been going well all year. His effort levels are great. 

"We have got a couple of other selectors but in my mind he is the number one fullback at the moment and out of loyalty he should be selected."

Meninga said form, loyalty and performances at representative level would all be taken into account when picking his side to play Samoa in Townsville on October 14 for the Pacific Championships opener.

“I don’t believe that playing right through the finals series puts you in a better place than if you get knocked out in the bottom nine,’ Meninga said.

“The rest could do some people good. If you are talking (about) Teddy … if he gets to have a bit of a spell for a number of weeks he will come back a better player and more refreshed and looking forward to playing in the green and gold jersey.”

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store