‘He’s playing with the big boys now’: Fittler turns blowtorch on Walsh over diving

Brad Fittler has turned the blowtorch on Queensland’s teenage whiz kid Reece Walsh before his State of Origin debut, challenging him to abide by his captain Daly Cherry-Evans’ “gentlemen’s agreement” on diving.

In the same month where the NRL has grappled with players staying on the ground to milk penalties after a mid-season crackdown on head contact, NSW coach Fittler lit the fuse before one of the most anticipated Maroons bows in history.

‘Hopefully he’s read DCE’s gentlemen’s agreement’: Brad Fittler and Reece Walsh.Credit:Getty, NRL Photos

Warriors consultant Phil Gould labelled the decision by Maroons selectors to choose the 18-year-old as “disgraceful”, days after the club expressed reservations about him being chosen with so little NRL under his belt.

Coach Nathan Brown later said he spoke to Queensland’s Paul Green and had his concerns eased with the Maroons missing first-choice No.1 Kalyn Ponga.

But the interest in the teenage phenomenon is only going to intensify after Fittler’s remarks as the coach chases his first win as Blues coach at Suncorp Stadium at a fourth attempt.

NSW can create history by sealing the series with two wins in Queensland before they return to Sydney for Origin III.

NSW players have praised Walsh’s rapid rise to stardom, but haven’t shied away from the fact they’ll test him under the high ball at The Cauldron, with halfback Nathan Cleary smiling and replying with “we’ll see” when asked whether Walsh would be peppered with high kicks.

Walsh had a nightmare after Newcastle’s Jake Clifford launched an aerial assault in horrific conditions at McDonald Jones Stadium last week.

And Fittler is keen to keep the pre-match Origin spotlight on the youngster right up until kick-off.

Asked what type of response he expected from Queensland, Fittler told the Herald: “It’s up to them. There will always be a big reaction to a score like that. We didn’t go out there planning to win like that. That’s just the way it unfolded.

“We’ve got to take the same mentality out there and there were 8-1 six-agains against us [in game one] and we have to tidy that part of our game up.”

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