Is daytime Walsh biggest threat to Cleary's six-year reign? A sport science expert weighs in

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A theory emerged from Reece Walsh's emphatic performance against the Raiders - put the Broncos fullback under a warm sun, and his best comes to the fore.

But an exercise and sport science expert has dispelled suggestions Brisbane's afternoon preliminary final showdown with the Panthers will influence the star No.1's exploits.

Walsh will undoubtedly be pivotal if the Broncos are to end Penrith superstar Nathan Cleary's unbeaten six-year reign in daytime rugby league, but professor David Martin of the University of Queensland believes the conditions will not be what determines his output.

According to Martin, whose career spans decades with the Australian Institute of Sport and the NBA, body temperatures tend to peak in the late afternoon - rising from roughly 37 to 37.4 degrees.