SAD NEWS: Brisbane Broncos Announce the death of Reece Walsh According to…
The NRL‘s 11-day stand-down policy and a bye for the Broncos in Round 16 means Reece Walsh won’t be back on the field until State of Origin II at the earliest. Walsh was knocked out of Origin I on Wednesday night after a sickening hit from Joseph Suaalii in just the seventh minute.
Suaalii was sent straight from the field – becoming just the sixth player in Origin history to suffer the ugly fate. Suaalii’s send-off is the fastest in Origin history after his debut for NSW only lasted seven minutes.
As for Walsh, the young fullback was ruled to have a Category 1 concussion and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Despite passing his Head Injury Assessment (HIA) in the dressing rooms, he wasn’t allowed to return to the field because of the Category 1 ruling.
Queensland coach Billy Slater will select his team for Game II after the completion of matches in Round 16, meaning Walsh will have hardly any footy under his belt if Slater picks him for the second game. If he is picked to play Game II there’s no guarantee he’ll back up for the Broncos in Round 17 just three days later, meaning Brisbane fans might have to wait until Round 18 to see him back in action for the NRL club.
In positive signs after the game, Walsh could be seen walking around and mingling with Maroons teammates and fans – including his young daughter. “(Reece) seems to be OK now. He didn’t look too good on the field. But he seems to be OK in the sheds,” Slater said in his press conference.
