Is Reece Walsh bigger than the Broncos?
It’s the question being asked following the release of Brisbane’s official NRL-licensed club calendar for 2026 that features all of the Broncos’ biggest premiership stars—except for Walsh who is very noticeably absent.
It was later reported the Broncos pin-up boy won’t be getting pinned up by adoring fans next season due to disagreements surrounding royalties and intellectual property concerns raised by Walsh’s management.
According to Code Sports the NRL was informed by the Rugby League Players’ Association that the 23-year-old was not to be used in the Bronco’s 2026 calendar.
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While on the surface a calendar may only appear a trivial matter, the development highlights a potentially significant commercial grey area for NRL clubs as players seek to take greater control over their personal brands and the earning capacity from their intellectual property and likenesses.
Walsh’s stocks have skyrocketed in 2025 with the Brisbane and Australian fullback firmly ensconced as the most marketable player in the game with more than one million combined followers on Instagram and TikTok—comfortably the most social media followers of active NRL players.
In Walsh’s absence, Ben Hunt, Pat Carrigan, Kotoni Staggs and Adam Reynolds appear on the cover of the 2026 Broncos calendar, which retails for $20.