Reece Walsh swaps NRL training for girl dad duties as proud father watches daughter Leila make her footy debut: ‘like father, like daughter’
Brisbane Broncos star Reece Walsh has taken a back step from his normal role on the rugby league field, and witnessed his daughter Leila make her junior footy debut.
Walsh, one of the NRL’s most notable names, watched on as Leila played for the Coomera Cutters in the Gold Coast competition in Queensland.
The 23-year-old father has since made an Instagram post which features photos of Leila on the field, captioned ‘Number 1 fans’.
Walsh’s child was snapped running the ball, with other family members in attendance for her debut.
The post made by the NRL poster boy has now received several messages of congratulations for little youngster.
‘Lei the future of the Walsh stars. The worlds your oyster little angel,’ one person said.
Reece Walsh (pictured with daughter Leila) has seen his little girl make her rugby league debut
Leila (pictured left) was seen performing well in her first game for the Coomera Cutters
She may only be five years old, but Leila still showed flashes of her father’s brilliance in her first game
‘So awesome she’s following in her dad’s footsteps,’ another claimed.
‘Champion dad and champion daughter,’ one more wrote.
It comes in the same week Walsh celebrated his daughter’s fifth birthday, adding a bank of photos from previous years to his Instagram.
‘Five years of love I never knew existed, HB TWIN,’ he posted.
The post was liked by a range of past and present Broncos players including Kotoni Staggs and Alex Glenn, along with plenty of other NRL players.
‘You two are the cutest daddy daughter duo,’ one follower posted.
The Broncos fullback is a major supporter of junior football, and is a proud product of the Nerang Roosters.
Walsh is currently enduring a stint on the sidelines, after suffering an injury during his 100th NRL game against the Gold Coast Titans.
The proud girl dad also celebrated Leila’s fifth birthday this week, sharing photos from their journey so far together
If Leila can make the NRLW later in life, the Walsh’s could be the first NRL/NRLW father-daughter duo
The NRL has played host to several parent/child combinations.
Ivan and Nathan Cleary’s is one of the most successful.
There’s also the relationship legendary NRLW coach John Strange shares with his son Ethan, and daughter Jasmine – who are both first grade stars.
Deborah Wilson and daughter Bronte made history in 2024 when they became the first mother and daughter to play in the same team together, representing Italy.
Kiana Takairangi made her NRLW debut in 2025, following in the footsteps of not only her father and former Eels star Louis Takairangi, but her brother and Parramatta great Brad Takairangi as well.
Papua New Guinea legend Tuksy Karu and his daughter, Martha Molowia, created history as the first father and daughter to both represent PNG in rugby league in 2022.
But to date, the NRL/NRLW has never seen a father/daughter combination at the top level at the same time, so the Walsh’s could be the first of their kind down the track.
