Walsh and Mam's close bond creating a new dynamic duo

Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam have only played one game of NRL together but the pair have already developed a combination on the field that has Broncos fans looking forward to the years to come.

Playing at fullback, Walsh produced a player of the match performance in his long-awaited club debut, setting up two tries and scoring one of his own, as well as proving an electric force across the Suncorp Stadium field.

Young five-eighth Mam also had a great game, showing his skills in the halves, crossing for two tries in the 28-16 win against the Norths Queensland Cowboys.

Both have been around each other’s game in the junior ranks in various camps and representative set-ups and are good friends off the field, helping to develop a fruitful combination on the field.

“Obviously, I grew up with him (at the Brisbane Broncos Academy) coming through the ranks, so to finally play with him, one of my good mates, was really good,” Mam told assembled media after the game.

“I think being good mates, we have built that connection, so wherever he pops up, I just know he's there, I can just count on him being there … he’ll just pull out a rabbit out of the hat, whenever he wants to.

“I think just giving him the ball to play just makes everyone's job easier, just giving the ball to do him to do something special. 

“(Walsh) takes a lot of pressure off myself with the strike weapon he is and Reyno (halfback Adam Reynolds) on the other side, it just allows me to play football and focus on my defence throughout the other game, so it's easier with those two right there.”

Despite his outstanding debut in Brisbane colours, Walsh – who said “the face felt good out there tonight” in his return from a facial fracture which kept him out of Round 1 – praised his team mate Mam, saying there was plenty he could learn from him.

“He's awesome; you watch Ez close and every time there's a shift or something, he's pushing around the ball so if I can take something out of his book, hopefully I can become a better player,” Walsh said in the sheds to media after the match.

“Every time Ez touches the ball. You know he's a spark, so I want to try and push around if we want combine as much as we can and if we do that, we're a chance of winning footy games.”

While it is early days in their careers together, the way Walsh and Mam clicked drew comparisons to the exciting football which was created by the unspoken understanding held by another dynamic duo in Johnathan Thurston and Matt Bowen, ironically at the Cowboys.

For Mam, who was a fan of both Thurston and Bowen as a youngster and admitted to watching highlights of Bowen and former Bronco Karmichael Hunt before every game, said they were an inspiration.

“They were my idols when I was growing up and obviously, I've watched them a lot,” Mam said.

“I've watched a lot of games that they've played and if me and Walshy can form that sort connection over the years that we're here, hopefully we can lift that trophy.

“(I still watch highlights before a game) that's just a bit of a routine that I do. Obviously, being a big idol of mine, how he plays, Matty Bowen … so yeah, a bit of video of him before the game.”