Brisbane’s injury troubles have deepened as star fullback Reece Walsh is set to be sidelined due to a facial fracture revealed by scans following a heavy blow in the game against Penrith.
Despite Panthers centre Taylan May avoiding any charges for the head clash with Walsh that forced him out of the game in just the fourth minute, the news was less favorable for the Brisbane team.
Following the 34-12 loss, Walsh underwent scans on Thursday night, which confirmed the facial fracture. “As a result, he cannot fly home and is being driven back up to Brisbane today [on a bus] by our staff,” said Broncos high-performance boss Dave Ballard.
‘We will assess the extent of Reece’s absence once the injury settles down and after consulting with a specialist in the coming days.’
Walsh’s injury adds to Brisbane’s woes as they are now without their three most influential players ahead of their next clash with North Queensland.
Halfback Adam Reynolds is expected to return no earlier than round five against Melbourne, while prop Payne Haas is sidelined for the next month due to a knee problem.
Following Walsh’s injury, coach Walters acknowledged the need to reassess the team’s interchange bench, as the Broncos were left vulnerable on the edges. Second-rower Brendan Piakura had to defend at left centre, prop Fletcher Baker played on the edge, and Selwyn Cobbo filled in at fullback for Walsh. This allowed the premiers to exploit the Broncos’ defence, resulting in three first-half tries down that side.
Walters mentioned that Tristan Sailor, who was the 18th man against the Panthers, is likely to replace Walsh as Brisbane’s fullback. He also emphasized the importance of having specialists on the bench to cover for potential injuries to outside backs.
Regarding the head clash between Walsh and May, Walters believed it was an unfortunate incident. May was placed on report for the incident but was later cleared by the match review committee. Penrith coach Ivan Cleary also viewed the collision as accidental, noting that May appeared to be trying to pull out of the tackle and avoid contact with Walsh.
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