It was a tough season for the Brisbane Broncos - last year's runners-up failed to even qualify for the top eight, after a campaign riddled with injury and poor play.
For their star young fullback Reece Walsh, 2024 presented a mixed bag; he was named in all three State of Origin games for Queensland, but was the subject of some brutal hits, including a high shot that would see Joseph Sua'ali'i suspended for multiple weeks.
As the year draws to a close however, Walsh's peers have decided that he was not among the league's top fullbacks, missing out on a nomination for the Top 3 fullbacks at the RLPA awards.
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Reece Walsh snubbed in RLPA honours
Despite playing all three games of the 2024 State of Origin series at fullback for Queensland, Walsh was not selected as one of the top three at his position for the RLPA awards.
Instead, the players voted Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Dylan Edwards, and James Tedesco as the games three best number ones, with the winner and entrant into the RLPA Dream Team officially announced Monday.
The top 3 Fullbacks from the 2024 NRL season, as voted by the players!
— RLPA | Rugby League Players Association (@RLPlayers) September 18, 2024
Only 1 will make the final Players’ Dream Team, find out who it will be on Monday on NRL on Nine. 💭
Who do you think will win it? pic.twitter.com/3KPWlyCw2p
Unlike the Dally M awards, the RLPA awards are selected and voted for by the NRL's playing group; each team nominates three players, before a panel of former and current players adds a fourth from each team for nominantion.
This group of 68 total players are then voted on using a 3-2-1 system by the current NRL playing body, with the resulting final 13 named as the 'Dream Team', as well as a player of the year being officially recognised.
