Reece Walsh Reported for Suspected Shoulder Charge Following Broncos’ Victory Over Cowboys

The Broncos secured a 26-16 victory over the Cowboys at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night, but they might lose their star fullback, Reece Walsh, to suspension.

Referee Todd Smith placed Walsh on report after he raced across the field in cover defence and collided with Murray Taulagi.

The official claimed that Walsh executed a shoulder charge on the Cowboys winger, who was attempting to retrieve a grubber kick from Scott Drinkwater just inches from the try line.

According to the Bunker, Walsh failed to make a genuine effort to wrap his arms around Taulagi as he collided with his right shoulder, but he was not sent to the sin bin.

Taulagi seemed to be in discomfort after the impact, yet he managed to score a try less than a minute later and continued to play for the remainder of the match.

Storm legend Cameron Smith remarked on the Nine broadcast, “We’ve witnessed players being sent to the sin bin for similar offences on many occasions.”

In response, rugby league heavyweight Phil Gould defended the play: “For the first 100 years of our game, that was just a try-saver,” he stated. “Now it seems you want to sin bin them.”

Smith responded with a laugh, “I’m basing this on what the game has shown us over the past 18 months.”

Concerning the incident after the match, Gould expressed that the sport was overly stringent regarding foul play. “We’re far too harsh on this matter,” he stated. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.”

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Broncos great Darren Lockyer, also a Brisbane board member, downplayed the incident. “It all unfolds very quickly,” Lockyer noted on Nine. “He’s aiming to stop a try.”

The Cowboys were still in a winnable position trailing 20-12 with only eight minutes remaining. However, Broncos prop Payne Haas sealed the game with a powerful run through a large gap left by Reuben Cotter and Jordan McLean.

With three minutes to go, Cowboys centre Jaxon Purdue capitalised on a loose ball, sprinting 89 metres for a consolation try.

Haas delivered an outstanding performance for the Broncos, achieving 210 run metres, including 69 post-contact, along with two linebreaks, a linebreak assist, and nine tackle busts.

This match celebrated the 10th anniversary of the famous 2015 grand final, which the Cowboys won in golden point with a kick from Johnathan Thurston.