Reece Walsh’s selfless act of handing Brisbane teammate Kobe Hetherington a try in his 100th NRL game was a touching show of camaraderie — but it didn’t exactly win him praise from coach Michael Maguire or ex-Broncos boss Kevin Walters. Walters, now a Fox League commentator, even roasted the fullback on air.
Walsh was instrumental in Brisbane’s dominant 46-12 victory over the struggling Knights, a result that lifted the Broncos back into fifth spot and kept their top-four chances alive with two rounds left. The electric No.1 scored a try, ran for 196 metres, and added two assists and a couple of linebreaks in another stellar outing. Still, he should have finished with a double but instead sacrificed an easy four-pointer beneath the posts to set up Hetherington’s milestone moment. After slicing through Newcastle’s defence with Jaiyden Hunt, Walsh stopped short and flicked a pass for his teammate to score.
The gesture sparked debate, with SEN’s Jimmy Smith criticising the decision during the live call. “It’s round 25, you’re pushing for the top four. Just score the try and kick the goal,” Smith argued. “What would Craig Bellamy think if Ryan Papenhuyzen did that?” Warriors great Adam Blair agreed, insisting Walsh needed to be more ruthless. “It’s still the first half — you’ve got to put them away and not give them a chance,” he said.
Walters echoed those concerns on Fox League, warning it was a risky move. “I’m not a fan … what if Hetherington dropped it? Then Walsh is in even more strife,” he said.
Walsh later explained the decision, revealing Hetherington had joked about his lack of tries. Still, he admitted Maguire wasn’t thrilled. “I don’t think ‘Madge’ was too happy at halftime,” Walsh said. “I’ll leave it at that.”
Maguire, however, downplayed the drama after the match, choosing to highlight Walsh’s team-first mindset. “He’s looking after his teammates,” Maguire said. “We’ll review the game, but Reece is part of the team and the challenge is for us all to keep improving.”
Fans were divided on social media, with some applauding Walsh’s unselfishness, but many agreeing with Maguire’s stance — that the 23-year-old needs to show more of the professionalism required to lead Brisbane’s finals push.
