The Brisbane Broncos have officially broken their silence after star footy player Reece Walsh posted a video on his TikTok account, appearing to punch another individual, believed to be a close friend, while wearing a boxing glove.
The video was posted on his social media accounts on Tuesday, with the club said to be ‘privately furious’ over the matter.
It is understood that the star fullback, 22, had meant the video as a joke but has since admitted that he should have ‘chosen his actions a lot better’, adding that he and the Broncos did not condone violence.
The footy club have since concluded their investigation into the matter.
They say that Walsh is due to make a donation to the Black Dog Institute, a not-for-profit mental health research organisation.
Walsh is due to face no further disciplinary action from the club.
Reece Walsh (right) was seen in a video posted on his Instagram account, appearing to punch another man in the head while wearing a boxing glove
The Brisbane Broncos star (left) was seen connecting with the side of the mans head, sending him flying backwards
The man, who is believed to be one of Walsh’s best friends fell backwards clutching his head
‘Walsh today met with the club management about the matter and apologised for his lack of judgement.
‘He has also offered to make a donation to the Black Dog Institute.
‘The Black Dog Institute has partnered with the Brisbane Broncos for a Mental Health awareness campaign, which will see the NRL squad play in a Black Jersey on June 7 in a dedicated Mental Health Round, to shine a light on an important issue in our community.’
The footy star also issued a comment on the video, explaining what had happened before admitting that he had taken things too far.
‘I feel like I could choose them (actions) a lot better I guess,’ he said.
‘I feel like just having a laugh with my mate and putting it on social media, stuff like that, it’s really important to try and keep those things away (from social media). We don’t support violence.
‘(I was) just having a laugh with my mate, obviously. You know we don’t support violence and stuff like that, but obviously, it’s not a good look for myself and that was all me trying to have a laugh and a good time with friends.
‘There’s a really cool jersey coming out that we should be talking about and not letting this overshadow it.’
Walsh later took to Instagram to explain, ‘No one was harmed, boys being boys’ following the incident, which is understood to have taken place in recent days
The friend Walsh was filmed punching also backed up his version of events
In the clip, the man appears to lean on a sofa, which is situated on the edge of a terrace.
Walsh, wearing the boxing glove, winds up a punch and catches the other man in the side of the head with some force.
The man falls to the ground and appears dazed, while holding his head in his hands.
Another camera angle showed several other individuals filming the moment, which is understood to have taken place in recent days.
Walsh has now deleted the clip with some individuals screen grabbing the moment before it was taken down.
The Daily Telegraph reported on Tuesday that the Broncos are ‘privately furious that Walsh acted so stupidly to not only punch the man but then post the video on social media.’
Walsh had also taken to social media to address the video yesterday evening.
‘Just to add context to the video recently posted – it was a joke with me (sic) best mate,’ he wrote.
The Broncos are understood to have been left fuming by the matter (pictured: coach Michael Maguire)
‘No one was harmed, boys being boys.’
Walsh is considered one of the Broncos and NRL’s most popular and talented rising stars.
The 22-year-old flying star had previously left some NRL greats concerned after setting up a new YouTube channel that is set to give fans a behind-the-scenes look into his life.
He has amassed 4,820 subscribers after having published seven videos on the site.
Brisbane had locked him down on a four-year $5million contract extension to the end of the 2029 season at the end of last year.
But former footy great James Graham was left scratching his head over how or why Michael Maguire gave the move the green light.
‘Where it (Reece Walsh TV) can become a problem is if you’ve set your environment in stone around what’s acceptable and what’s not and had all the players pull back, and then one player made the decision to do this. I don’t know if he had any consultation with the head coach, but that’s when it becomes a problem,’ Graham said on the Sunday Sin Bin.
‘Reece isn’t in the team at the moment, but that’s where things can bubble away underneath the surface and it’s like well, why are we allowing this and we’re not allowing other things?
Walsh (left) has been ruled out with a knee-ligament injury since the Broncos’ round seven defeat by the Warriors
‘I think like with Maguire, if he’s been brought in to bring that hard edge, it’s not happening yet.’
It comes after the new Broncos boss is looking to get his side back to firing form following the departure of former boss Kevin Walters.
The club has floundered in recent years, dropping to 12th last year and Maguire has implemented a no-nonsense approach.
Brisbane are now 5-6 at the start of the 2025 season, with Walsh having appeared in seven games this season.
He has been ruled out since their round seven defeat by the New Zealand Warriors after sustaining a posterior cruciate ligament injury.
He’ll now be absent for next Wednesday’s state of Origin opener but is remaining optimistic that he could return in the coming weeks.
‘No, probably not the first Origin, but you never know how (the knee is) feeling,’ Walsh said, speaking on his hopes of returning to play.
‘It’s holding up pretty well at the moment but hopefully I can get through the rehab and see how we go.
‘It might be a couple more weeks. Injuries are frustrating.
‘That’s what comes with playing our game, it’s tough and physical and I have to keep rolling with the punches.’
Walsh is expected to return for the Broncos next clash against Manly on May 31.
