NRL news: How Reece Walsh and Nathan Cleary put England rivals to shame with post

An England rugby league supporter has praised Kangaroos stars Reece Walsh and Nathan Cleary for giving his son a memory he'll never forget after the first Ashes Test at Wembley. The Aussie pair starred in the Kangaroos' big win and showed just as much class after the final siren, as they stuck around to mingle with the crowd, sign autographs and pose for selfies with throngs of supporters.

A huge crowd of more than 60,000 turned out at Wembley to watch the Ashes opener, with Walsh and Cleary undoubtedly two of the biggest draw-cards. And while their on-field exploits dazzled onlookers, it was the classy post-match actions of the Kangaroos players that left the biggest impression on England supporter John Davidson and his little boy Jack.

In a beautiful post on social media, John explained how the Aussie players made it an occasion to savour for his son. He shared a selfie that Walsh took with the father and son - surrounded by other England supporters - and praised the Broncos premiership winner and Cleary for taking the time to interact with the crowd after the match.

John hailed the generosity and warmth the Aussie players showed fans who stuck around after the game. And he said the England team could 'learn' a thing or two from the Kangaroos players, after suggesting their actions put the home side to shame.

The England fan said Cleary and Walsh, in particular, made it a day he and his son will never forget. "The players came over and gave us their time, a signature from Penrith Panthers star Nathan Cleary and a special moment with Brisbane Broncos star Reece Walsh," John wrote alongside the accompanying photo.

"He (Walsh) not only took a picture (below) and signed his top, he also shook his hand and said, 'Nice to meet you little man'. My son left with the biggest smile stating that 'he had a really warm hand when he shook my hand'."

John says his son was 'not going to wash his top' again after having it signed by the players and that the young lad proudly declared that he had signatures of the 'the three best players in the world' (Stephen Crichton, Cleary and Walsh). "Huge thanks to Walsh for not only that but for clarifying how he actually took the drink from the toilet bowl when asked by the man behind me," he also joked.

Reece Walsh's star continues to rise in career-best year

For Walsh, it was a fresh reminder of how high his star has risen in rugby league during an extraordinary 2025. After winning the Clive Churchill Medal in Brisbane's NRL grand final win, he followed it up with a man-of-the-match display on his Test debut for Australia at Wembley.

Throw in the fact that he's arguably the most marketable player in the game and has more followers than any of his rivals, and it's no wonder Matty Johns insisted Walsh had to one of the first Kangaroos picked for the Ashes tour. “Forget about football matters, the game over there is struggling. They (England) desperately need this tour," Johns told SEN radio before the series.

"And I will tell you what else they desperately need is high-profile players like Reece Walsh being there... You think about a guy like Reece, if you want to sell the game, he’s the selling point... the most important thing with this Ashes series isn’t Australia winning, the most important thing is when the players come back, the English game is in better shape.”

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