The Brisbane Broncos' tough 2024 season start just got worse, with star fullback Reece Walsh's short-term future uncertain following a brutal blow suffered in his team's round 3 loss against Penrith.
Walsh lasted barely three minutes against the Panthers on Thursday, before a late hit from Taylan May cleaned up the 21-year-old, and saw him miss the remainder of the game.
Broncos fans will now face an anxious wait around Walsh's injury after he was taken to the hospital following the game.
Reece Walsh injury update
According to a statement from the Brisbane Broncos, Reece Walsh has suffered a facial fracture, revealed after Walsh underwent a CT scan.
The team is currently not sure how much time Walsh will spend on the sideline, saying they need to wait for swelling to reduce before deciding.
"[Walsh] cannot fly home and is being driven back up to Brisbane today by our staff," said Broncos Head Of Performance Dave Ballard.
"We will be able to determine how much footy Reece will miss once the injury settles down and after we consult a specialist in coming days.
"Reece’s wellbeing is our priority and ensuring he is well looked after. We will get him safely back to Brisbane and then move forward.”
While the range of return will vary depending on the severity of the injury, Walsh could be facing a 4-6 week recovery period.
What happened to Reece Walsh?
Walsh was removed from Thursday night's Grand Final rematch after copping a brutal late hit from Penrith's Taylan May.
Not even four minutes in to the game, Walsh made a quick pass to Kotoni Staggs, before receiving the hit which left him motionless on the ground.
Walsh was removed from the field for a HIA, which he passed, but he was unable to return to the game as swelling over his left eye rendered him unable to see properly.
May was put on report for a high shot by the referee, but escaped a ban and was not cited by the match review committee.
Who will replace Reece Walsh?
With Walsh likely sidelined for at least a month, Kevin Walters will need to make some adjustments to shore up the fullback position.
The obvious choice to make is Selwyn Cobbo, who has played significant minutes at fullback in his career.
Another option could be Tristan Sailor, the 25-year-old who made four appearances for Brisbane in 2023.
When will Reece Walsh return?
According to the Broncos, it will not be immediately clear how long Walsh's recovery will take, needing to wait for the injury to settle.
After all the back & forth - not good news for the Broncos & Reece Walsh. Scans confirm he HAS suffered a facial fracture, won’t be able to fly so will be driven back to Brisbane.
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) March 21, 2024
Recovery time to be determined after specialist visit - wide range but many back in 4-6 weeks. pic.twitter.com/dfG8BIXztY
However, Brien Seeney - a.k.a NRL Physio on X (Twitter) - says that many with a similar injury return within four-to-six weeks, which would give Walsh a range between rounds seven and nine.
