Wayne Bennett re-ignites Broncos feud ahead of Brisbane derby with savage swipe at Reece Walsh
The fuse has been lit for another fierce Brisbane derby between the Broncos and new NRL club the Dolphins, with Wayne Bennett lashing out at suspended fullback Reece Walsh.
Broncos coach Kevin Walters insists Reece Walsh has no problem with the way he behaves around officials after the fullback was suspended for three games for name-calling referee Chris Butler in last week’s loss to the Titans.
Court counsel Patrick Knowles showed several incidents leading up to the foul-mouthed tirade in which Walsh approached Butler to contest decisions, with the referee even warning Broncos captain Adam Reynolds about it at halftime.
Walsh will miss Saturday’s derby against the Dolphins, but Walters is confident this won’t be a problem going forward.
Bennett has questioned whether Walsh has learned from his suspension for berating a referee to add spice to the Dolphins v Brisbane NRL derby
Walsh was banned for three games for insulting an official during the club’s loss to the Gold Coast Titans last week
The Queensland Maroons halfback argued he was speaking to a teammate, not the referee, but the tribunal found him guilty and he will now miss Origin III
“It’s not a big deal for Reece. He is very passionate about his game,” he said.
“We handled it and we will do it internally as well. We’re getting some support around Reece.
“He’s good and that’s all done and dusted off now. I feel like it’s been handled the right way and Reece has admitted his wrongdoing and we’re going to get on with life.”
Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett, meanwhile, said Walsh deserved the three-game suspension and even questioned whether he would learn from the incident.
‘Absolute. The referee needs to be protected and the game is doing them a great disservice if we don’t,” said Bennett when asked if the suspension was justified.
“To the credit of the game, they always stood up for referees, whether I was a coach or a player. So they should.
“Sometimes people learn and sometimes they never learn.
“That remains to be seen what he learns from it.”
Brisbane Broncos coach Kevin Walters doesn’t think the incident was a big deal but said Walsh would be handled internally
Walsh also clashed with the State of Origin umpires, sent off for headbutting NSW half Jahrome Luai
With Walsh out, Tristan Sailor gets another stellar fullback after impressing on his club debut against the Warriors as the Broncos lacked their Origin stars.
“I’m also very excited for Tristan. Tristan Sailor gets his second game with the Broncos, and he gets a few games with Reece’s suspension,” Walters said.
“He showed great skill [against the Warriors]. He’s a football player, just like Reece. He lives and breathes to play footy so it’s great for him to get a chance here in Brisbane in front of his home crowd.’
The Broncos enter the derby level with the Panthers and Storm on 24 league points and in a strong position to finish the year inside the top four.
But the ghosts of 2022 linger in the background after their shock defeat to the Titans, with the club desperately trying to avoid a repeat of last year’s capitulation when they lost five of their last six games to miss out on the top eight.
“I don’t want to give too much air to that,” Walters said.
“This is a different era, a different team. Where we are in the league now is very exciting and we need to start playing well tomorrow night.”
Patrick Carrigan missed most of those games late last year due to suspension, and the representative slot is now preparing to shift to a lead as the Broncos face a back row crisis after losing starters Kurt Capewell and Jordan Ricky.
The Broncos will have to lift after suffering a shock loss to fellow Queensland rivals Gold Coast last week
Patrick Carrigan is about to move to the second row to help cover injuries in the Broncos ranks ahead of their derby against the Dolphins
“You have to make good decisions on the edge and we think Patty is the best guy to do that at the start of the game,” said Walters.
Carrigan will probably move to the center during the game, but he will have to get used to playing on the edge. Walters expects Riki to miss six to eight weeks, while prop Tom Flegler will be out for six weeks.
“It’s a bit of an extended period for both of them, but we’re lucky to have some byes and some rest periods in the coming weeks so they won’t miss as many games as we thought,” said the coach.
“The young guys get a good chance to present their case while on the team.”