Reece Walsh took to Instagram to throw a cheeky dig at claims that a rift has developed between himself and his team-mate, Kotoni Staggs, after the pair were involved in an explosive confrontation during the Broncos’ 26-14 victory against the Titans on Sunday.
The pair were later seen making up and shaking hands following the heated altercation.
Adam Reynolds and Michael Maguire later explained they were not bothered by fiery feud, adding it shows the desire of two competitors wanting to win at all costs.
The frosty words came after Walsh had thrown a bullet pass out wide to his centre, that could have set him up for a try with just 30 seconds to go before half-time.
Staggs dropped the ball and Walsh’s anguish was immediately evident. The full-back gave the former New South Wales star a chiding over the dropped catch, with Staggs responding by raising his hand to calm Walsh.
The Queensland full-back continued to berate his team-mate, staring him down and pointing at him as he voiced his grievances.
Staggs, a member of the Brisbane leadership group, didn’t let him off the hook, appearing to fire a few choice words back at Walsh.
Kotoni Staggs (left) and Reece Walsh (right) exchanged in a heated clash during the Broncos victory against the Titans on Sunday
Despite tensions rising, the pair would put their differences aside, with Staggs (right) setting up Walsh (left) for a try in the second half
Both players enjoyed standout performances on Sunday afternoon, with Staggs being handed the Player of the Match award, making 236m with the ball in hand and 15 tackles.
Walsh, meanwhile, set up Jack Gosiewski for a try before the break, to give Brisbane a 14-2 lead heading into the sheds.
But the pair quickly put the feud behind them. After half-time, Walsh released Staggs out wide, before the centre offloaded the ball back to his team-mate, setting him up for a superb 65m try.
But after the match, Walsh took to social media appearing to rubbish claims of a rivalry between himself and Staggs.
Brisbane had published an image of Staggs on their Instagram account, lauding his stats from the game. They captioned the post: ‘The numbers from our POTM.’
The Broncos full-back reposted to his own story and ironically added two ‘yawning emojis’, implying this was a standard day at the office for his 26-year-old team-mate.
Despite the pair appearing to put their differences aside on the pitch, Fox Footy’s cameras caught Walsh fumin again inside the dressing room at half-time.
Staggs (pictured) enjoyed a stand-out performance for the Broncos and was crowned the Player of the Match
Walsh took to Instagram to poke a cheeky dig at those who have suggested a ‘rivalry’ exists between the Brisbane duo
The Herald Sun reports Walsh’s frustrations arose because Brisbane’s game plan had been to find space, ship the ball wide early and utilise Staggs’ ability to break tackles. But after the move didn’t come off, Walsh was left seething.
‘We are trying to be perfect out there,’ Adam Reynolds said when asked about the heated moment.
‘It won’t always go to plan.
‘But we are adults, we talk about the situation when it happens
‘And sure enough, they [Walsh and Staggs] fixed it up and scored a long-range try.
‘They are working hard. It’s good to have that feedback on the field.’
Broncos boss Maguire also had no problem with the outburst.
‘Reecey loves his footy and is continually striving to be the best like all the boys,’ Maguire said.
Walsh also enjoyed an excellent performance, scoring one try while setting up Jack Gosiewski for another befroe half-time
Broncos boss Michael Maguire (pictured) had no issue with his two players remonstrating with each other on the field, explaining it shows their desire to win
‘That’s the perfection we’re chasing.
‘Whether or not it’s trying to get the ball early to Kotoni or not, Reecey does wear his heart on his sleeve and that’s why we love him.
‘At times he will execute something and at other times he will be working out how he gets it done.
‘As long as Reece keeps competing, the boys love playing with him.’
