How it felt inside Brisbane's coaches' box a split second before Reece Walsh premiership-saver

If you're wondering what the feeling in Brisbane's coaches' box was like when Ryan Papenhuyzen loomed up in support of Eliesa Katoa with 20-odd seconds left on the grand final clock, consider this frank admission from Trent Barrett.

"We thought we were gone. We thought, 'She's all over'," the Broncos assistant told Wide World of Sports.

Barrett, recalling that moment over a can of XXXX Gold in the Broncos sheds, was talking on behalf of himself, Michael Maguire and Matt Ballin — but the former Manly and Canterbury clipboard holder could well have been talking for millions.

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"It was an edgy moment," Ballin said with a chuckle.

"Papenhuyzen went through [in support]," recalled Maguire, "and I reckon everyone held their breath."

Katoa, it seemed, would ice his destruction of Brisbane's left-edge defence with an inside ball to Papenhuyzen, and the Melbourne fullback, whose blistering pace is matched by few players in the league, would rollick into open pastures and dive under the posts to level the scores at 26 points apiece.

Nick Meaney converts.

Melbourne wins 28-26.

Brisbane hearts are shattered.

Watch a full replay of the 2025 NRL grand final on 9Now.

But sinking Brisbane hearts did not become shattered hearts — and in a grand final packed with breathtaking Reece Walsh moments, it was perhaps the play that denied Papenhuyzen and the grandstand finish that proved the most breathtaking of all.

With a violent step off his left, another push off his right, a thumping shoulder to the ribcage, and a strangling of the legs, by which point Walsh was airborne like Superman, the Broncos megastar gunned down his opposite number.

"Papenhuyzen scores for all money there," Barrett said. "And Reece read it ... Just an unbelievable play."

Maguire was shaking his head in amazement as he ran over in his mind the premiership-saving play produced by Walsh, who, inevitably, was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal.

"He was able to come up with a play that determined the fate of the game," Maguire said after the 26-22 triumph.

"That was special," added Ballin.

"That's a big play.

"He loves those big moments, and he came to the fore today when we needed him."

Broncos back-rower Jordan Riki described the play as "truly massive".

Gehamat Shibasaki?

"Mate," said the Brisbane centre, shaking his head and pausing for a moment, "that was freaky stuff."

So, too, was the crunching hit Walsh put on Melbourne front-rower Stefano Utoikamanu to force the ball loose with four minutes remaining.

And the effort he salvaged early in the second half to deny another Melbourne prop, Tui Kamikamica, when the big Storm forward was over the try line.

If Kamikamica scored and the try was converted, Melbourne would have led 28-12 with 37 minutes to play.

"Reece's defensive efforts in that second half probably outweighed what he did with the ball in the game," Barrett said.

Which, considering an attacking highlights reel headlined by a rampaging try 30 minutes into the contest, is saying something.

"He saved three tries with unbelievable defensive efforts, [which is] something that he's not noted for," added Barrett.

"And he can hang his hat on that for the rest of his life."