Did Reece Walsh deserve a three-game suspension for his swearing outburst at referee Chris Butler during the Brisbane Broncos’ loss to the Gold Coast Titans last week?
Walsh’s suspension could prove costly for both club and state as he is set to miss a derby clash against the Dolphins and Game III in State of Origin.
The 20-year-old was subject to heavy criticism for his alleged actions towards Butler during the game, but the club’s defence team and teammate Patrick Carrigan stated his outburst was aimed at the skipper.
With no strong evidence pointing in either direction, SEN’s Cameron Smith pondered whether the referee or Carrigan was the subject of the spray from Walsh.
“Do you want to see players carrying on like that on the footy field? No, you don’t, are there expletives used on the footy field? Yes, there is,” Smith said on SEN 1170 The Captain’s Run.
“Is swearing at a referee a good thing? No, it’s not but at the end of the day, did he actually direct it at the referee?
“There’s two people that know, it’s Reece Walsh… and it’s the referee.”
In the official report submitted by Butler, he admitted he didn’t hear what Walsh had said but made his decision based on the body language of the 20-year-old.
“Going off that evidence from the referee… so what’s he being punished for, poor body language, aggressive body language,” Smith added.
SEN NRL expert Denan Kemp agreed with Smith’s verdict but gave his view as to why the suspension could be a good thing for both Walsh and the Broncos.
“I think and this might sound bizarre as a former Broncos and a Broncos fan, I think this is one of the best things that could happen for Reece right now in regard to his to the longevity of his career,” Kemp said.
“I think it’s a real line in the sand moment like, ‘Reecey, you are a superstar and you’re an emotional player but you need to mature and regulate your emotion.
“From that perspective, I’m not worried about the Broncos and Queensland, yes, he is a loss, he is a superstar… but there’s plenty of people who can back up for him at the Broncos and Queensland.
“I think it’s going to teach him a lot about being a professional athlete.”