Broncos star Reece Walsh has filmed himself helping a group of blokes push-start their car despite being hospitalised with a broken cheekbone after Brisbane’s controversial 26-12 derby triumph over Gold Coast on Saturday night.
Walsh, playing his 100th NRL match, was taken to hospital after the match with the agonising fracture.
He filmed himself on the ‘green whistle’ – a device that dispenses the powerful painkiller methoxyflurane – while he was being treated in hospital for a clip that has since been deleted from his social media.
Walsh then recorded himself helping several men push what appeared to be a broken-down ute in a car park, saying ‘come on the boys’ as he helped get the vehicle moving with the damage to his face plain to see.
The superstar fullback displayed his creative genius in the first half of the match with a try for the ages, before he was concussed tackling Titans forward Kurtis Morrin on the cusp of halftime.
Broncos coach Michael Maguire was concerned for Walsh after the match.
Broncos superstar Reece Walsh is pictured in hospital dulling the agony of his fractured cheekbone with the powerful ‘green whistle’ painkiller in a still from a social media video
The fullback picked up the injury in a tackle gone wrong during Brisbane’s win over the Gold Coast on Saturday night (pictured)
The injury didn’t stop the 23-year-old from helping some men push-start their car (pictured)
‘Reece has gone to hospital to get a scan just below his eye so we will have to wait and see on that,’ Maguire said.
The category-one HIA ruled the No.1 out for the match and he will definitely miss Friday night’s clash with North Queensland at Suncorp Stadium.
On Sunday, it was reported that Walsh needs surgery on the injury and could be out for as long as six weeks.
Earlier, captain Adam Reynolds suffered a groin strain and was replaced by fellow veteran Ben Hunt, who also played with a knee injury.
Reynolds said he would have scans on the injury, while Hunt showed great bravery to play on.
‘Early mail from the doc at halftime is he thinks I’ve stretched my medial a little bit . I’ll go and catch up with him now,’ Hunt said in the dressing sheds.
Gold Coast were right up for the match and trailed 8-6 at halftime, but it was the class of Brisbane stars Ezra Mam and Kotoni Staggs that proved the difference.
Mam, who Maguire also said had ‘a few bangs’, was outstanding in the second half.
The facial fracture could keep Walsh out for six weeks in a damaging blow to Brisbane
Walsh marked his 100th NRL game by scoring one dynamite try and having another, even better one called back after he just went into touch
The win took the defending premiers inside the top eight for the first time this season.
It was a lapse of concentration after the break that cost the hosts dearly. They failed to contest a Hunt bomb, Staggs collected the scraps and kicked again for Mam to collect and send bench prop Xavier Willison over.
Mam then put centre Gehamat Shibasaki over and all of a sudden the visitors led 16-6.
The Titans were desperately unlucky to have a try denied when centre AJ Brimson crossed, only for a forward pass to be ruled against five-eighth Lachlan Ilias.
Jesse Arthars, who had moved from the wing to fullback after Walsh’s exit, scored up the other end in the next set to rub salt into the wounds.
‘It is a hard game and when you earn your opportunity and ice it, and it gets taken away, it is frustrating for the players,’ said a frustrated Gold Coast coach Josh Hannay.
‘You have got to try and brush that and we just didn’t … so that’s a learn for us and a work-on.’
Walsh lit up the stadium in the third minute when he bombed from 15m out and raced through to catch it and score himself while being buffeted by defenders. It was a moment of sheer skill and breathtaking audacity.
The Titans’ rising second-rower Arama Hau, hero from last week’s win over St George Illawarra, stormed 15m and was only denied by a desperate try-saver by Mam.
Mam was then crunched by Gold Coast prop Moeaki Fotuaika and centre Jojo Fifita swooped on the loose ball to race 65m and score the first of his two tries.
Walsh raced 90m down the left touchline on the cusp of halftime and beat four defenders to put the ball over the line, but he had just touched the sideline in doing so.
A minute later he was on his way off the field, but the Titans were unable to make the Broncos pay in the second half, despite several near misses.
