See the powerful moment Reece Walsh reunites with his ex at the NRL grand final after they had a baby when he was just 18

Reece Walsh was reunited with his ex-partner Freda Puru in heartwarming scenes with their daughter after he spearheaded the Broncos' remarkable comeback win in the NRL grand final.

Shortly after the fullback won the Clive Churchill Medal as the best player on the ground, the former couple were pictured embracing their daughter Leila in a photo Puru posted on her Instagram.

The Daily Mail exclusively broke the news of their split in May 2023, revealing Walsh had unfollowed her and wiped all photos of her from his account.

It's possible they had split up to a year before our story, with Puru becoming noticeably absent from Walsh's family events and posts following their daughter's first birthday.

She still doesn't feature on his Instagram, but she and Walsh were all smiles after he triumphed in the biggest match of his life.

Shortly before kickoff in the grand final, Walsh's father Rodney opened up about how his son broke the news that he and Puru were expecting a baby when he was just 18 years old.

Rodney - who also detailed how the NRL superstar rose above the trauma of his mum's drug addiction - recalled how nervous Reece Walsh when he made the big reveal.

'He was a bit worried to tell us he was having a kid,' Rodney told News Corp. 

'The way I reacted, I was calm.

'He said, "Far out, Dad, I thought you would be way worse than that."

'But I had kids when I was young, too, there's not a lot you can do about it.

'But once it's done, it's done, you just move on and give her the best life we can.'

Reece Walsh is well-known for doting on Leila, who is a regular at his games and Broncos training sessions.

He brought her up on stage with him when he collected his premiership ring after the 26-22 win over the Broncos on Sunday night, then placed his diamond-encrusted memento on Leila’s index finger as the pair sat down in a pile of confetti and soaked up the atmosphere.

After the match, Walsh said his desire to be tough for his Brisbane 'brothers' helped inspire one of the greatest grand final performances in the game's history. 

While Walsh spent his time drinking out of toilet bowl-shaped cups and live-streaming Brisbane's festivities, critics were weighing up where his extraordinary performance ranked among the great grand final efforts by an individual. 

Nathan Cleary's famous 2023 performance to sink the Broncos is widely regarded as the finest Clive Churchill Medal effort, with Walsh on the losing end that time.

Luke Priddis' masterclass in 2003, Cooper Cronk's showing in 2012 and Billy Slater's blitz in 2017 regularly rank among the other top ones.

But while recency bias can be a factor, the likes of Johnathan Thurston, Darren Lockyer and Phil Gould have all ranked Walsh's effort on Sunday night as No.1.

Always known as an electric attacking player, Walsh's epic 30-metre try when he beat five men was an instant grand final classic in the first half.

He also set up three tries, but it was the three try-saving plays he made in the second half that ultimately proved just as vital.

'I am not known for the tough stuff but I did all of that for them tonight,' Walsh said.

'They are my brothers. I play for them and I will do anything for them. I have so much respect for all of them and I will do whatever it takes.

'I am blessed to be part of the team.

'As a four-year-old kid all I wanted to do was play for the club.

'When I think about all the greats, I feel honoured.

'I feel like this is a bit of redemption for the 2015 and 2023 teams and for every single person that lives and bleeds for this club. We did it for them.

'It's been 19 years and we've just etched our names in history.'