Wayne Bennett re-ignites Broncos feud ahead of Brisbane derby with savage swipe at Reece Walsh

The fuse has been lit for another fierce Brisbane derby between the Broncos and new NRL club the Dolphins with Wayne Bennett hitting out at suspended fullback Reece Walsh.

Broncos coach Kevin Walters insists Reece Walsh doesn’t have any issues with the way he behaves around officials after the star fullback was suspended for three matches for swearing at referee Chris Butler in last week’s loss to the Titans.

Judiciary counsel Patrick Knowles showed several incidents leading up to the foul-mouthed tirade where Walsh approached Butler to argue decisions, with the referee even warning Broncos captain Adam Reynolds about it at halftime.

Walsh will miss Saturday’s derby against the Dolphins, but Walters is confident it won’t be an issue going forward.

Bennett has questioned whether Walsh has learned from his suspension for swearing at a referee to add spice to the Dolphins v Brisbane NRL derby

Walsh was rubbed out for three games for abusing an official during the club’s loss to the Gold Coast Titans last week

The Queensland Maroons halfback argued that he was talking to a teammate, not the referee, but the tribunal found him guilty and he will now miss Origin III 

‘It’s not a huge problem for Reece. He’s very passionate about his game,’ he said.

‘We’ve dealt with it and we’ll deal with it in-house as well. We’ll get some support around Reece.

‘He’s good and that’s all done and dusted now. I feel it’s been handled the right way and Reece has owned up to his misdemeanours and we’re getting on with life.’

Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett, meanwhile, said Walsh deserved the three-match ban and even questioned whether he would learn from the incident.

‘Absolutely. The referee has got to be protected and the game does them a great disservice when we don’t,’ Bennett replied when asked if the ban was fair.

‘To the game’s credit they have always stood up for referees whether I’ve been a coach or player. So they should.

‘Sometimes people learn and sometimes they never learn.

‘That’s to be seen what he learns out of it.’

Brisbane Broncos coach Kevin Walters doesn’t think the incident was a major issue but said Walsh would be dealt with in-house

Walsh also ran afoul of the referees in State of Origin, sent off for head-butting NSW half Jahrome Luai

With Walsh out, Tristan Sailor gets another crack at fullback after impressing in his club debut against the Warriors when the Broncos were without their Origin stars.

‘I’m really excited for Tristan as well. Tristan Sailor gets his second game at the Broncos, and he’ll get a few games with Reece’s suspension,’ Walters said.

‘He showed great skill [against the Warriors]. He’s a footballer, just like Reece. He lives and breathes to play footy so it’s great for him to get an opportunity here in Brisbane in front of his home crowd.’

The Broncos head into the derby level with the Panthers and Storm on 24 competition points and in a strong position to finish the year inside the top four.

But ghosts of 2022 are lingering in the background following their shock defeat to the Titans, with the club desperate to avoid a repeat of last year’s capitulation where they lost five of their final six matches to miss out on the top eight.

‘I don’t want to give that too much air,’ Walters said.

‘This is a different era, a different team. Where we’ve got ourselves in the competition is very exciting and we need to go out and play well tomorrow night.’

Patrick Carrigan missed most of those games late last year due to suspension, and the representative lock is now preparing to shift to an edge as the Broncos deal with a back-row crisis after the loss of starters Kurt Capewell and Jordan Riki.

The Broncos will have to lift after suffering a shock loss to fellow Queensland rivals Gold Coast last week 

Patrick Carrigan is set for a move to the second-row to help cover injuries in the Broncos ranks ahead of their derby against the Dolphins 

‘You need to make good decisions on the edge and we feel Patty is the best guy to do that at the start of the game,’ Walters said.

Carrigan is likely to move into the middle during the game, but he’ll have to get used to playing on an edge, with Walters expecting Riki to miss 6-8 weeks, while prop Tom Flegler will be out for up to six weeks.

‘It’s a bit of an extended period for both, but we are fortunate over the next couple of weeks we have some byes and some rest periods, so they won’t miss as many games as we thought,’ the coach said.

‘The young guys get a good opportunity to present their case while they are in the team.’