Reece Walsh was phenomenal, but this was the greatest performance of 2025

It has been a very long NRL season full of highs and lows, scandals and stars. Here are my awards for 2025.

Man of the year

Reece Walsh owned the game of the year, but it’s difficult to go past Cameron Munster for the performance of the year when he somehow mustered up the courage to lead Queensland to an incredible victory in the State of Origin decider just days after his father’s passing.

A report on NSW’s failed 2025 Origin campaign was completed recently, and central to the conclusions were the reasons they failed to fire in game three in Sydney.

It has been whispered to me that a key reason for that performance was the Blues did not handle the tragic passing of Munster’s father, Steven, in the days leading up to the match.

NSW came out flat and off the pace in game three, which they lost 24-12, and it was clear they were emotionally spent. Whether that makes it into the report remains to be seen. However, sources in the Blues set-up with knowledge of the report’s findings say that is what happened.

Amazingly, Munster handled the situation far better than the Blues.

On his return, he was even making jokes about his dad’s passing. When he saw his mum hugging Queensland great Wally Lewis at the team’s captain’s run he quipped: “It’s only been three days, Mum.”

The Blues were left in no man’s land.

Stephen Crichton said all the right things when he was asked respectfully by Ten reporter Trent Simpson about going after Munster in game three. His view was that Munster was fair game, and that it would be a way of showing respect.

The words were well meant and well delivered, but they were not followed by actions.

Their mindset was clouded by one of their rivals’ personal issues, and NSW failed to deliver. It’s not a criticism of the Blues, but an explanation.

I spoke to Munster at length about his dad in the lead up to the grand final.

“I have memories of my dad all the time, and I’m leaning on them sometimes, and it’s good to go back and celebrate his life,” he said. “And at the end of the day, in 30 to 40 years time, my kids will hopefully bury me. I know it sounds sad, but that’s life. As long as I can take some traits out of my old man and instil them into my kids, and if I’ve done my job and made them hard-working people that have empathy and have that hard-working edge, I feel like I’ve done my job.

“My dad was hard-working, humble, probably not as loud as I am, and a bit of a larrikin ... he always saw the good in people. And I see that, and I feel like I want to instil that in my kids.

“I know there are people thinking I’m a grub on the field, and that’s fine. I’m a competitive person. I’ll do whatever it takes to win for our team. But off the field, I’ll give people the shirt off my back and help anyone that either needs or wants to have a chat to me. And I’m more than happy to have a chat to anyone that wants to have a chat, regardless of who they are.

“So I think that’s the childhood I was brought up with by my old man.”

Munster was able to put everything to one side and beat the Blues. It didn’t work out against the Broncos in the grand final, though. He knew he could not rely on the spirit of his dad to get him home.

“You can obviously drive into that emotional side of things sometimes to get you over the line, but it’s not going to get me over the line if I don’t play the way I want to play.”

Must see moment(s)

Everything that Reece Walsh did against the Storm in the grand final.

His ricocheting, sidestepping, power-laden run through the heart of the Storm defence to score a try under the posts will live in the memory forever. No words can do it justice.

His defence on Ryan Papenhuyzen in the dying minutes may get forgotten in time, but it shouldn’t.

Walsh turned in a grand final display that brought back memories of the brilliance of Benji Marshall in 2005 or Nathan Cleary in 2023. And it may have been even better.

Marshall was the must-watch player of his generation. He set the standard for the current crop of superstars, who grew up wanting to be him in the backyard. Walsh has picked up that ball and run with it, to the point where if he can maintain his brilliance over the next three to five years, he will be thought of at least in the class of Marshall – an attacking player who changed the game.

When I spoke to Walsh about his try after the match, he was lost for words, but said his mind simply went back to battles in the backyard as a kid.

Redemption moment

In the moments after full-time in Sunday’s grand final, I asked Ben Hunt to leave his Brisbane teammates for a couple of minutes and to reflect on what just happened. I dragged him 30m away from the spot where he was celebrating with teammates to place him very near to the position on the field where the ball slipped through his fingers in the 2015 decider. Johnathan Thurston kicked the game-winning field goal moments later to give the Cowboys their first premiership.

At first, Hunt hesitated, only because he said, “I haven’t seen my family yet”.

“I just think about all the people who stood by me in that time and over the years,” he said. “There were some dark times. I just don’t know how to feel, to be honest with you. But I know who to think of, and who I owe to be at this point.”

Biggest story

Unquestionably, it was Lachlan Galvin.

This masthead first revealed he told the Tigers he was not interested in their $5.5 million offer, and he later explained his list of grievances. What followed was pure rugby league drama: Galvin was dropped from the Tigers’ first-grade side; he was excluded by the club; teammates posted critical Instagram posts about him; then he moved to the Bulldogs; and the media hated him, rated him and then hated him again.

Galvin is a star on the rise and is seen by Canterbury as a long-term acquisition, yet the brutal attacks on him by some senior people in the game were nothing short of staggering. Putting up polls about a 19-year-old and inviting social media pile-ons was as low as it gets, and a reflection of the people doing that rather than the young man.

Galvin’s decision-making process was flawed, but he is where he wanted to be. He’ll be one to watch again next year.

Second-biggest story

Daly Cherry-Evans was a very 2025 story. The Manly skipper confirmed a story broken by Channel Nine news and The Sydney Morning Herald with a TV appearance on 100% Footy, then there was a scramble to offer him a deal on live TV.

It was a good example of how not to treat a club veteran. The fallout and Manly’s bungled approach towards re-signing Tom Trbojevic late in the season made the club a laughing stock.

Coach of the year

At times, it was Cameron Ciraldo (Bulldogs), Trent Robinson (Roosters), Ricky Stuart (Raiders) and Ivan Cleary (Panthers). In the end, it had to be Michael Maguire (Broncos). From 12th to first is quite the achievement.

Player of the year

The absolute standout was James Tedesco. His value to the Roosters in a rebuilding year was incredible. “I think 2019 was my best year,” was his reply when I asked him if he has played better. As for the future? “I don’t see why I can’t go another two or three seasons,” he said.

Class act

The way Nathan Cleary handled himself after the State of Origin decider in Sydney when the critics were coming after him was impressive. He fronted up and owned up. What a player and what a person.

Failed agendas

The flawed stories about Michael Maguire having lost the players in Brisbane because he trained them too hard.

The other was the push for Toby Sexton to be the starting halfback and main man at the Bulldogs. Unfortunately when he got the chance at the end of the season he was not up to the job.

Biggest calls

A near thing between two of Billy Slater’s Origin selections. Take your pick of Robert Toia or Gehamat Shibasaki. Both were bolters, but for me, “Bobby Muscles”, as his Roosters teammates refer to him, was the one.

Comeback of the year

Phil “Gus” Gould having a monitor placed in his chest during grand final week, then fronting up on Sunday to be part of Channel Nine’s coverage. Gus is one tough cookie.

A special mention goes to Jahrome Hughes, who returned for the finals just 22 days after breaking his arm. Amazing.

Best event

The Fremont Street experience in Las Vegas. Again, the NRL nailed it.

The Shaggy ‘it wasn’t me’ moment

The Rabbitohs and their signing of Englishman Lewis Dodd. No one is owning that one.

Jury’s out

The “short eight-ball scandal” involving Brandon Smith and Victor Radley. The allegation that Smith provided information to a drug dealer about football selections is more concerning than anything Radley did or did not do.

Batter up

The baseball bat brawlers, Raiders teammates Hudson Young and Morgan Smithies, got the season going with their scuffle at Resorts World in Las Vegas. In fairness, the hopeless hotel management failed to have their rooms ready hours after the official check in.

Best media newcomers

Danika Mason for her new role on the Today show. Shaun Johnson was a breath of fresh air on the tired Fox Sports league coverage. He also lifted an otherwise clunky Dally M Medal presentation, which was saved in part by good showings from Jake Duke and Lara Pitt, and brilliant speeches from the players. An honourable mention for new No.2 sports reader at Channel Nine, Zac Bailey.