Joey Walsh Stays Grounded as He Navigates His Path at Manly
Joey Walsh, a young talent within the Manly Sea Eagles, has chosen to remain grounded by offering haircuts to his teammates. This humble approach reflects his character and dedication to the team, even though he is not in a rush to take on a major role in the halves despite growing fan support for him to step up.
At just 20 years old, Walsh is currently in no hurry to replace Luke Brooks or Jamal Fogarty in the halfback position. His performance against the Panthers on Sunday, where he made his first NRL start, showcased his potential. However, the game ended with Penrith securing a 18-16 victory, marking a loss for interim Manly coach Kieran Foran.
Fogarty, who missed the match due to a groin injury, is expected to return for the upcoming clash against the Broncos. This means Walsh might be sent back to the NSW Cup unless Foran decides to include him on the six-man bench, which would not guarantee him playing time.
“For now, our starting halves are Jamal and ‘Brooksy,’ and they’ve been playing really well,” Foran said. “With a guy like Joey, if we can see value in a bench spot for him moving forward, there’s a six-man bench that we could use him on to give us great cover and some spark when needed.”
Walsh’s performance was praised by Foran, who highlighted his calm demeanor and defensive efforts. “He was outstanding defensively. He put his body in front time and time again. He came up with some really nice plays at certain times of the game and he’ll only get better. He’s a real future player for us.”
Despite making 30 tackles and missing one on Blaize Talagi, which led to a try, Walsh remained focused. His performance reminded many of Nathan Cleary’s debut a decade ago, where he made 36 tackles in a losing effort. Penrith coach Ivan Cleary also commended Walsh after the game, acknowledging the pressure he faced.
“I think Joey will go through that process where everyone says how good he is, and then in two years’ time, everyone will be telling him how bad he is,” Ivan Cleary said. “He’s got a current coach who knows that story, so I’m sure he’ll help him along.”
Walsh is seen as the long-term future of the club, but he is not in a rush to unseat the current halves. Despite calls from fans for more opportunities, Walsh prefers to gain experience in the NSW Cup, especially if the new six-man bench limits his chances.
“It’s been sweet,” Walsh said. “I don’t hear too much about it away from footy, and the club has got some really good resources that look after me, so it’s all good. I’m in no rush to be out there. It’s good getting reps in Cup, so that’s definitely helped me get out there today, but there was definitely no rush.”
This year, Walsh is focused on gaining as much game time as possible. “I’m still getting used to the code, so whatever is best for the team,” he added.
Although Walsh didn’t do much kicking due to being on his non-preferred side of the field, he still managed to produce a highlight play of the night. He fooled Penrith’s defense with a head fake and short ball to set up Haumole Olakau’atu for a crucial try in the second half.
Walsh had the chance to be the hero with a two-point field goal at the death, which landed short. “When you have someone big like Haumole outside, you might as well just give him early ball. Building a combination throughout the week with him helped big time. It was just good to get it out there on the field today.”
