Brisbane’s heavy injury toll has worsened with Reece Walsh set to be sidelined for at least a month after scans showed a facial fracture from his sickening blow against Penrith.
Panthers centre Taylan May avoided charge for his head clash with Walsh, which ruled the Broncos superstar out of the game in just the fourth minute. But the news was not so good for Brisbane.
Walsh was rushed for scans on Thursday night after the 34-12 loss, and they have since shown a facial fracture.
Kevin Walters took aim at the NRL, questioning how no charges could be forthcoming. “I’m a bit confused about the rules you know, where’s the duty of care for our players?” said the Broncos coach.
“Reece is going to miss four-to-six weeks. There was contact to the head, which is duty of care. If the NRL are serious about concussions and protecting players, where does this sit with that?
“Where does it sit with that, NRL?”
But match review committee chairman Luke Patten said it was evident May had not been careless or reckless.
“In the lead-up to impact, May plants both feet with both arms down by his side in an attempt to make a body tackle,” Patten said. “He does not lead with his shoulder or head unlike other previous incidents.
“Once the ball is passed by player Walsh, both players react to the imminent contact, resulting in both players leaving the ground and accidentally clashing heads. The MRC does not see player May rotate his shoulder or raise his arms in an attempt to go through with the tackle.”
Walters added that there was insufficient incentive for teams not to cause such injuries with the current lack of protection. In the Super League, May would have been at least sin-binned, if not sent off, and certianly banned.
“I’m certainly not a sore loser,” he said.
“But what I am very strong on is the protection of our players. If this is let go, next time Reece Walsh comes back on the field what are they going to do again?
“If this is let to go, the next time Reece Walsh comes back on the field, what are they going to do again, exactly the same thing …(just say) ‘Sorry’.
“It was contact to the head, mate. Something should have happened (to May) shouldn’t it? We now have Reece Walsh gone for six weeks.
“I will speak to the right people (at the NRL) There’s a few things I’m not happy about last night, but we will speak through the right channels and go from there.
“If I speak publicly about it, it looks like I’m a sore loser which I’m certainly not, but what I am strong on is the protection of our players.
“I think our administrators have been really good, but the duty of care must be first and foremost. I have my opinions and the NRL won’t bother too much about what I think, it’s what they think.”
Walsh’s recovery was further compounded by the news that he could not board a plane with his injury, forcing a long bus ride back to Queensland.
“As a result, he cannot fly home and is being driven back up to Brisbane today (on a bus) by our staff,” Broncos high performance boss Dave Ballard said.
“We will be able to determine how much footy Reece will miss once the injury settles down and after we consult a specialist in coming days.”
Walsh’s injury leaves Brisbane without their three most influential players ahead of next Friday’s clash with North Queensland.
Reece Walsh (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
Adam Reynolds will not return until at least round five against Melbourne, while a knee problem has also sidelined Payne Haas for the next month.
Coach Walters also admitted on Thursday night he had to rethink his interchange bench, after Walsh’s injury left the Broncos exposed on the edges.
Second-rower Brendan Piakura was forced to defend at left centre and prop Fletcher Baker on an edge, with Selwyn Cobbo playing fullback in place of Walsh.
That allowed Cleary to pick the visitor’s defence apart with ease, with three first-half tries coming down that side.
“We had Tristan Sailor parked as 18th man, but he couldn’t come into the game. So we won’t be doing that again,” Walters said.
“We have to (have someone like Sailor on the bench), because if you lose some of those outside backs, you need specialists.
“Me, as a coach, I have to pick the right people on our bench to make sure we cover everything. I take a bit of the blame there.”
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary was adamant that the contact was simply accidental, with his view backed up by the match review committee.
“No-one wants to see the best players go off, but I just saw it as an accident,” Cleary said.
“I thought he was trying to pull out of the tackle, he was directly upright, which is not how you tackle.
“If he had of bent down, he probably would have hit him in the head with his shoulder.
“Reece Walsh moves pretty fast, these things happen. I’m not too concerned about that.”
with AAP
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
James Graham's on Sam Burgess on the first tackle of the 2014 GF which fractured Sam's eyesocket. Then 4 more attempts from Graham on 3 different players in the same GF. The last one resulting in a concussion to Dave Tyrrell and he was stretchered from the field. The look at the 1988 GF with Terry Lamb's highshot on Ellery Hanley to leave him concussed and unable to continue.
CW Moss
Roar Rookie
I think you see this sort of stuff all the time, whether in the NRL, Super Rugby, or AFL. It's marginal, but often, the culprit gets away with it. Examples include Reece Walsh, Tom Lynagh, and too many to mention in the AFL.
criag
Roar Rookie
There was an R-rated version, but I didn't want to go there.
Albo
Roar Rookie
That's because, just like with Dale Finucane's weekend splits, Poasa Faamausili is no pin up boy !
Albo
Roar Rookie
Yep ! Gerry " Mad Dog" Sutton ! The meanest dude and noted "bender" in Sydney's West !
Albo
Roar Rookie
Or maybe someone told Kev to harden up and put some pressure on the NRL to get future protection for Reece or other Broncos ?
Albo
Roar Rookie
Scrap the interchange altogether ! And watch the shape of players change even more drastically !
Albo
Roar Rookie
If it was Cleary (once again) on the end of that impact, I would still have called it an unlucky accident. He has been split plenty of times too. The contact was not with the shoulder which might have led to a month suspension. It was an accidental head clash as the MRC rightfully recognised. Just like the two accidental head clashes that opened up Finucane twice on Saturday night at Leichhardt. Yet not a word about duty of care or penalties there? Of course, the Panthers would have sought to close down Walsh ! Which smart team wouldn't ? That doesn't mean they sought to take him off the field.
KenW
Roar Rookie
Didn't see that game so won't comment specifically. Would be surprised if they were quite as clear as this though - one on one, no movement in the attacker, fully upright defender. Regardless, there's always going to be more attention on incidents that cause serious injury, that's just the way it goes. A drunk driver that gets pulled over can lose their license, a drunk driver in a fatal accident can go to prison.
Albo
Roar Rookie
How about the two Tigers players that split Dale Finucane twice last night ? Not a word about duty of care ? No penalties? Is it just because May is a Panther or that Walsh was the unfortunate victim?
Albo
Roar Rookie
So which two Tigers players failed in their “duty of care” and opened up Dale Finucane last night ? Not a mention of duty of care there ? No penalties ? Probably because it was just an another couple of accidental head clashes !!
Rosie
Roar Rookie
I think if you are doing what May is doing, pulling out of the tackle, you probably get a pass. He was going to wipe Walshe out regardless IMO he is going to complete a huge hit, it would have been late. May sees the ball leave Walshe’s hands and begins to pull up on the charge, by this time it’s too late to avoid the collision. If you compare to the hit what Dale Finucane did to Stephen Crichton last year, he went in completely upright the entire time, he was never going to avoid the head collision in that example. That being said, I do think they need to change the interpretation of the rule to avoid any head contact at all. I would love to see the shoulder charge come back in, just no head contact.
wilbas
Roar Rookie
We have laws that go beyond the effect...For instance the DUI laws...no one has been injured if someone had three beers and drove 300 metres home but we enforce it...Where as the US system goes by the rule that if you cause harm then you are penalized.. Both Walsh and May knew they were going to collide and May had every right to stand upright to close in and over the passing hand .Unfortunately he arrived late and BOTH players knew a collision was inevitable.So they both rose at the point of contact to free the face from contact.Unfortunately they failed to abort and May pays with a penalty. I get what you are saying and an illegal act can be punished on the outcomes.This case has no malfeasance of intent to harm or injure and was instead careless on the lessor end of the scale. I believe many who claim he hit high or late or did not wrap arms and the rest have not played enough rugby league to understand what is happening at the momemt in time.May is attempting to close the play down and stop that pass ,hence the reason he is tall in his approach.This tackle is purely accidental as no player ever used his face to maim the opponent.....head yes,,,as in the case of Richard Vallesanti towards Brad Fitler in the warriors vs rooster grand final...That is why Fitler is so vocal on the issue. If we look at the tackle on youtube in minimum speed(1.11 secs.) you can see both players rise to avoid head contact...https://www.youtube.com/watch?...sorry for long response v=TO8OZT3ejiU
NQR
Roar Rookie
I’m interested to understand the current rules? Accelerating forward, jumping into contact, no wrapping of the arms and making contact with the head of an opponent without the ball and no dropping of body height by attacking player before contact? This is a terrible example of new interpretations.
NQR
Roar Rookie
Completely farcical to call that incident accidental. Accelerate forward to shut down a pass and leave the ground contacting the head with force. There was no attempt to pull out other than dropping the shoulder and having the elbow in? That’s borderline shoulder charge material.
BeastieBoy
Roar Rookie
May should have been banned for 8 weeks. no place in the Game for high Shots.
Rosie
Roar Rookie
I didn’t play against him.
PaulC
Roar Rookie
Alb, would you have the same attitude if Nathan Cleary was on the end of that tackle. The hit was late & high. If that contact was with the shoulder the offending player would have at least a month on the sideline. If you watch the replay the Panthers defence seemed planned with May rushing Walsh & Luai covering from behind. When a centre runs up early like May he leave a great gap only Luai was covering the gap. The contact with the head is mostly worse than the shoulder. The Sydney Centric media/press are having a field day with their comments. Many of the press are "Lounge Critics" who wouldn't know how to lace up a boot.
langparker
Roar Rookie
Get a bit sick of the ex-player dinosaurs like Vautin referring to incidents back in the day. I’m from his era & back in the day drunk driving was common, doesn’t make it ok. NRL could just introduce a blanket rule, if you do what May (or Holmes or whoever) did & cause a head injury, you’re guilty & outed without payment from the club for the length of the injured players recovery. The wives & partners would soon police the playing behaviour.
langparker
Roar Rookie
So are you saying the broncos are liable, not May, because they considered sending him back on? They ran a few catching scenario’s & saw reason. Val Holmes got away with one early in 2023, the braying media experts blew up & he got 4 weeks when he committed a second offence. There’s no straightforward justice in the nrl, if there was, clubs like the cowboys would have got a replay after the cronulla 7th tackle try that knocked them out of the finals race as an example. Annesley turns up every week, explains what the officials got right or wrong but never fixes anything. the old saying ‘yesterdays headline is todays fish & chip paper’ applies.