Reece Walsh has joked that he risked the wrath of Michael Maguire after the fullback appeared to pop the ball off to team-mate Kobe Hetherington instead of touching it down for a certain try himself.
The moment came during Brisbane’s 46-12 victory against Newcastle on Sunday, which bumped the Broncos up to fifth in the NRL ladder.
Brisbane took the lead into the sheds at half-time before going on to rattle off another six tries in the second half – a fitting way for Broncos great Ben Hunt to celebrate his landmark 350th NRL game.
Walsh was brilliant throughout the match. He set up two tries, while also scoring one of his own.
But there was a bizarre moment of controversy in the 26th minute of the match after the the 23-year-old released Jaiyden Hunt on the left wing.
The second row broke through the Knights’ defence before palming the ball back off to Walsh, who paced his way across the tryline, unopposed.
Reece Walsh (pictured) has admitted that he may have risked the wrath of Miacheal Maguire
Walsh appeared to cross the tryline in the first half of Brisbane’s victory against Newcastle on Sunday
But Walsh opted to pass the ball to team-mate Kobe Hetherington (right) instead of touching down the ball himself
Turning to face his team-mates, Hetherington – who was celebrating his 100th NRL game – strode towards him, but Walsh selflessly opted not to score the try himself, instead popping the ball off to the lock forward, who had scored just one try this season prior to Sunday’s match.
While it was a very selfless gesture, it was a bizarre moment, with the Broncos going into the half-time break with an eight-point lead.
After the match, Nathan Hindmarsh quizzed Walsh on the decision to put Hetherington in for a try on his 100th game.
Hindmarsh said on Fox Sports: ‘Kobe Hetherington, you put him over for one of the easiest tries I’ve ever seen in NRL history. Was that something that was always going to be planned or you thought: “He’s close enough, good enough”?’
Walsh responded: ‘He [Hetherington] was into me a few weeks ago saying he doesn’t get many tries. I don’t think Madge [Maguire] was too happy when I did that.
‘We’ll leave that one where it was and not talk about it again.’
Walsh’s former coach, Kevin Walters, though, was not impressed by the youngster’s actions.
‘I’m not a fan of that … throwing the ball back in the in-goal,’ Walters said on Fox League.
‘I don’t agree with it.
Hetherington caught the ball and scored the try, however, Walsh said after the match that he
‘What if he (Hetherington) dropped it … he (Walsh) is even more in the headlines then.’
However, Maguire appeared fairly unbothered by the moment after the match.
‘Well, he’s obviously looking after his team-mates,’ the coach said, laughing, when pressed on the incident.
‘We chat about those things. That’s part of what makes the team up and we’ll dissect those moments.
‘I obviously want to applaud Ben Hunt for what he’s been able to do.
‘To play as long as he has and then to come back, you know, he loves the Broncos.
‘To be able to be a part of that is special for all of us.’
Jimmy Smith, speaking on SEN League, was not impressed by Walsh’s action.
Maguire. though, appeared to be fairly unbothered by Walsh’s bizarre act, laughing when pressed on the moment after the match
‘It’s Round 25, you’re building, towards a top four position, you want to win the premiership… Reece, score the try under the black dot. Kick the goal,’ Smith said.
Adam Blair added: ‘I just think that’s a big part of being professional, even when you’re coming up against an opponent who is not playing well, you’ve got to take the points when they’re on offer.’
Smith added: ‘It’s strange. It’s just really strange. It’s a mindset I can only imagine, well forget about what Michael Maguire thinks, what would Craig Bellamy think, if he saw Ryan Papenhuyzen do that?’
Blair responded: ‘I think Madge would be quite similar to Craig Bellamy, and be throwing the F-Bombs: “Just score the try!” It’s crazy we’re still in the first half and they’re thinking about doing those things. You’ve got to kick them while they’re down, the opposition, and don’t give them a sniff.’
Distancing themselves from the logjam of teams in the middle of the competition ladder with Sunday’s victory at McDonald Jones Stadium, the Broncos are now in the shop window for a potential top-four berth heading into the final fortnight of the regular season.
A rocks and diamonds performance from Walsh helped Brisbane kick away late. With the game in the balance at 20-12 into the final 20 minutes, a likely try to Newcastle five-eighth Jake Arthur was butchered and proved the impetus for a flood of Broncos points.
Payne Haas had the ball rolling soon after, before a 70-metre solo effort from Walsh put the game beyond doubt.
On a day that their opposition typically fear playing in, Newcastle’s Old Boys’ Day proved to be forgettable for the Knights with tries to Gehamat Shibasaki, Jordan Riki and a second for Deine Mariner coming in the final 10 minutes.
Walsh enjoyed a great outing for the Broncos, setting up two tries and scoring one of his own
Ben Hunt, meanwhile, played his 350th NRL appearance on Sunday afternoon
Newcastle’s seventh straight loss – and their 10th defeat in their last 11 home games -has ensured they remain in the battle to avoid the dreaded wooden spoon.
In his 350th NRL game – where he joined Canterbury Bulldogs legend Terry Lamb and long-time Queensland Origin teammate Daly Cherry-Evans as the fourth-most capped player in Australian rugby league history – veteran playmaker Ben Hunt orchestrated an early flurry for Brisbane.
Three minutes was all it took for Brisbane to score, with Hunt providing a timely offload for his centre Kotoni Staggs to crash over.
Brisbane doubled down five minutes later when Josiah Karapani iced a long range shift out wide that started from the hands of the milestone man yet again.
Leo Thompson provided Newcastle some solace into the break when he cleaned up a tidy Phoenix Crossland grubber to score his side’s first, but it would ultimately be in vain as the Broncos ran away with the game come the second half.
