The Brisbane Broncos have confirmed that Reece Walsh has suffered a facial fracture, compounding their woes after a 34-12 loss to the Penrith Panthers in Thursday night’s Round 3 opener.
Walsh was injured early in the game following a head clash and despite initially passing his HIA, he experienced vision issues in one eye. Although he seemed poised to return to play, he remained on the bench with one eye nearly shut, raising concerns about a facial fracture.
The Broncos’ head of performance, Dave Ballard, confirmed the fracture in a statement, noting that Walsh cannot fly back to Brisbane and is being driven home by club staff. The timeline for his return is unclear, pending further evaluation after consulting with a specialist.
Coach Kevin Walters expressed concern for Walsh’s condition, indicating that he was not feeling well in the change rooms. With Walsh likely sidelined for several weeks, Tristan Sailor is expected to replace him at fullback.
Sailor has previous first-grade experience, filling in for Walsh last season during Origin duties, injuries, or suspensions.
Walters admitted to an oversight in not having a specialist back on the bench to replace Walsh and pledged to rectify this moving forward. This could potentially create an opportunity for Corey Oates to make his return to the team.
