Reece Walsh was once again found out defensively in a disastrous 40-32 loss for the Broncos against the Eels on Thursday night. And Michael Maguire’s side look set to be without key personnel for their NRL trip to Melbourne next weekend.
Jack Gosiewski failed his head injury assessment (HIA) after going off after a head knock, meaning he’s already ruled out of Round 3 due to the 11-day stand-down period. And captain Adam Reynolds could join him on the sidelines after suffering a rib injury.
Adam Reynolds (L) suffered a rib injury and Reece Walsh (R) was found out defensively in a disastrous loss for the Broncos. Image: AAP/Fox League
Reynolds left the field in pain with five minutes to go after copping a knock to the ribs after passing. Speaking in the post-match press conference he said: “It’s alright. A little bit sore. But I put some ice on it.”
Reynolds said he’d consult with the Broncos’ medical staff and “go from there”. According to ‘NRL Physio’ Brien Seeney, Reynolds suffered “one of the most painful injuries in footy”. Seeney added: “If no fracture present mostly considered a pain management issue – players return quickly with assistance of medication/injections/padding. If fractured usually needs some time for healing, often return to play in 2-4 weeks.”
Jack Gosiewski and Adam Reynolds both left the game early. Image: Getty/AAP
In a positive sign for Broncos fans, Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater is playing on Saturday after copping a rib injury in Round 1. The Broncos might not be willing to risk Reynolds so early in the season, and have a capable replacement in Ben Hunt waiting in the wings.
Reece Walsh found out defensively again
The Broncos are now 0-2 in their premiership defence after another miserable night at Suncorp. Walsh was dynamite with ball in hand, scoring two tries and breaking six tackles while running for a massive 222 metres.
But his issues in defence were once again exposed in a worrying sign for Maguire. The fullback made three errors – two from Parramatta kicks – which we also saw last week against the Panthers.
He was also way out of position when Jonah Pezet crossed for the match-sealing try, sparking a brutal critique from Cooper Cronk in commentary. “Reece Walsh was nowhere to be seen,” Cronk said on Fox League. “He’s clocked off, he’s finished for the night.”
Walsh went to the wrong side of the ruck when he was fooled by a dummy, and was then too gassed to sprint back towards the posts to cover Pezet’s kick that he regathered. He also missed a crucial one-on-one tackle on Kelma Tuilagi for the Eels’ first try, and overcommitted too far when Isaiah Iongi sliced through for their fourth.