Billy Slater made a bold decision when he selected Reece Walsh, a mere 20 years old, for the State of Origin in 2023.
That season, Walsh and the young Broncos were incredibly close to clinching a premiership, narrowly losing out to Nathan Cleary's extraordinary performance.
The following year saw the team's struggles lead to coach Kevin Walters being let go, just five days shy of the anniversary of that match.
A year later, Walsh arguably delivered a more impressive grand final performance than Cleary, leading Brisbane to an unexpected premiership victory.
He continued his momentum by dominating the Ashes series, showcasing a confident Walsh who emerged as the top player in rugby league… for a time.
Given his trajectory, it seems surprising that Walsh was left out of the State of Origin for 2025.
Despite missing the beginning of the series due to a knee injury, Walsh was fit to return when Kalyn Ponga became unavailable for Game III.
Nonetheless, Slater opted for Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow in the crucial decider, a choice that proved wise with a stunning 24-12 victory in Sydney and understandable even without hindsight.
Check out the full teams for this year's men's Origin series opener.