To understand why Brisbane coach Michael Maguire has got the best out of Reece Walsh look no further than the sheds after last year's grand final.
The yin and yang, odd couple of the Broncos shared a moment that casts light on why larrikin fullback Walsh is thriving and growing as a player under disciplinarian Maguire ahead of his 100th NRL match.
The 23-year-old has the Clive Churchill Medal around his neck and the pair share a drink from Walsh's custom made "toilet bowl cup", a reference to the "drink" he had from a pristine, unused toilet bowl that he'd had installed in his home.
He posted pictures to social media, most people laughed and then Walsh went on to carve the NRL to shreds and inspire Brisbane to grand final glory.
"Madge" Maguire had a grin from ear to ear when celebrating with Walsh and it showed how he has given him space to be his charismatic self and the guidance and discipline to play his best football.
The coach is also aware that Walsh is a wonderful young father to daughter Leila.
"We have plenty of conversations, like I do with all players, but when you see a player like Reece wanting to get better you enjoy working with him," Maguire said.
"He is good fun to work with. He has a bit of a joke and we like to have characters in the game.
"Sometimes you have to be judging how far you go with that but I think he has a really good balance at the moment. You watch him with his daughter and it is bloody great."
Maguire said Walsh's 100-game milestone, which he will notch against Gold Coast on Saturday night, was "a huge achievement".
"I think there is a heap more in him too. At the back-end of our last game, if you kept your eye on Reece, in the last set he worked extremely hard," Maguire said.
"He ended up making two try-saving tackles and we got the ball and scored down the other end. Now he is at 100 he is chasing to get better as a player.
"There are plenty of great fullbacks and he is aspiring to one day be talked about like that ... It is up to him to keep working the way he is and there is no reason he can't do great things in the game for a long period of time."
Broncos great Peter Ryan said the post-grand final photo of the pair told a story.
"When Walsh is doing his thing, and when he does his thing really well, Madge just lets him go for it," Ryan told AAP.
"That is what they are enjoying the most.
"Then again, Walsh probably needs a good kick in the arse every now and then and is getting that discipline from Madge."
