Broncos reject 'inaccurate' claims Reece Walsh wasn't given permission to skip Dolphins game
The young fullback wasn't in attendance as Brisbane's season was officially ended last weekend.
The Brisbane Broncos have told Yahoo Sport Australia that claims from cricket legend Ian Healy that Reece Walsh wasn't given permission to skip the team's clash with the Dolphins last weekend are false. Walsh has been out for the last month after fracturing his hand, and wasn't in attendance at all when the Broncos took on the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium last Saturday night.
The 22-year-old is usually in attendance at Broncos games when he's injured, but on Saturday night he wasn't. The Broncos' season was officially ended in a 40-6 thrashing, and they can no longer make the finals.
On Wednesday morning, Healy made staggering claims on SEN radio in Queensland that the Broncos' coaching staff weren't aware that Walsh wouldn't be attending and didn't know his whereabouts. "I heard some bad news yesterday," the Australian cricket great and Broncos fan said.
"Reece Walsh didn't go to the game and it was quite unknown to the coaches where he was. So I'm not sure he was given permission not to attend. That would be a breach if that was me (in charge). He's normally a fully engaged character who does go to the games, but not last weekend."
Broncos deny Ian Healy's claims about Reece Walsh
The Broncos have since confirmed that Walsh wasn't at the game, but told Yahoo Sport Australia he was given permission not to attend by coach Kevin Walters. Describing the claims from Healy as "very inaccurate", a club spokesperson said: "Kevvie and Reece both agreed it was best for him to stay home and continue his recovery and be with his family. We were all aware of his whereabouts."
Healy moved to clarify his comments later on Thursday, saying: “I can correct something about Reece Walsh. He was approved not to go to the game last weekend. But the communication might not have got all the way through the troops. I found out a few weren’t happy that he wasn’t there, but the Broncos contacted me and said it had been approved.”
There had been hopes that Walsh would be able to make his return against the Melbourne Storm on Thursday night, and he was named in the initial 20-man squad by the Broncos on Tuesday. But with Brisbane's season officially extinguished, the club have decided there's no point risking him against the Storm.
It brings a close to a tumultuous season for the young fullback. After a breakout year in 2023, he was hampered by multiple injuries in 2024 and couldn't recapture his brilliant form from 12 months ago. He suffered a facial fracture in the early part of the season, before copping a heavy concussion in State of Origin 1. He also missed time due to a knee issue before fracturing his hand against the Cowboys.
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Payne Haas set to miss Kangaroos Tests after having surgery
Walters also revealed on Wednesday that Payne Haas has been booked in for surgery on his foot, which will likely rule him out of the Pacific Championship Test matches at the end of the season. The front-rower missed four games with the Lisfranc injury, but made his return recently to try and help the Broncos keep their season alive.
The injury was clearly hampering him against the Dolphins, and he'll miss the final game of the regular season to get surgery. "Payne will have surgery on his foot on Tuesday and Reece is just not ready to play, so there is no point in risking him," Walters told reporters.
"(Haas) will be probably be eliminated from the internationals at the end of the year and that is not good for Payne but I really commend him for his efforts to get back on the field. He showed what a true Bronco is, putting his body on the line for the club. That just shows the kind of player Payne is and the type of person he is."
Haas was taken from the field against the Dolphins but was desperate to get back on. "It shows great faith in what we are doing here," Walters. "We tried to give him a rest and he wasn't too happy. He is a winner and we are very happy to have him as part of our club."
