Brisbane Broncos player Reece Walsh has caused a recent media furore. He recently posted a TikTok video showing him punching a buddy in the face. The 22-year-old athlete posted the footage late on Tuesday night, but quickly removed it after receiving backlash from fans and club management. The incident has understandably angered Brisbane Broncos bosses, leading to Walsh coming out and apologizing for his crime.
In the resulting now-deleted TikTok video, Walsh clowned around with a close friend. He characterized the time as “boys being boys.” The backlash from their own fans and Broncos leadership shows that everything snapped back into focus and they recognized that this was a VERY serious thing. Walsh wasn’t finished yet, taking to social media with a fiery rejoinder to the viral clip. He later conceded that he “went over the line” and called it a bad look for him.
“I feel like just having a laugh with my mate and putting it on social media, stuff like that, it’s really important to try and keep those things away,” Walsh stated. “We don’t support violence.”
The Broncos have also allegedly interviewed Walsh about the incident, during which he apologized for his poor judgment. Walsh, who’s been sidelined with a knee injury, has gone from a late-round prospect to the possible first overall pick. That injury has ended his dreams of playing for Queensland in next week’s State of Origin series opener. He is on track to return to the field to take on Manly, after the Broncos’ bye this weekend.
This would not be the first time Walsh has faced public outcry. The NRL integrity unit had already investigated him for an alleged infraction in Bali. A concert goer’s phone was crushed by the falling debris. Except for that one crazy night out on the Gold Coast that got him arrested, of course—in 2021. He later pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing cocaine. More recently, he drew criticism for apparently threatening another fan’s mom. This tragedy happened during an inspection tour of the new venue to be used for the 2023 grand final.
“There’s a really cool jersey coming out that we should be talking about and not letting this overshadow it,” he remarked.
“As Walsh still struggles with his abrupt change of course, he too admitted he could’ve made a better decision. ‘I feel like I could choose them (actions) a lot better I guess,’ he admitted.”
