Brisbane Broncos great Darius Boyd has backed superstar fullback Reece Walsh to step up to another level in the absence of halfback leader Adam Reynolds.

Reynolds will miss most of the season with a bicep injury.

“I think that’s just a natural progression for young players,” Boyd told SEN.

“I think it’s something you see a lot with Walshy, you get the highest of highs in that sense as he sees a lot and he can do a lot of things that most players can’t do.

“It’s about figuring out when to pass, when to tackle, when to kick, when to do the things we know only Walshy can do and when not to.

“When to just get it to ground and get a good kick away and maybe take the tackle as well.

“That’s something that young players usually struggle with early in their careers and it’s something that Walshy… he’s a student of the game… he works extremely hard on his craft and on his performance and I’m sure he’ll be looking for a really solid and just a grounded performance Friday night.”