The Brisbane Broncos delivered an impressive performance, defeating the Newcastle Knights 46-12 on Saturday, a victory that solidifies their position for a potential top-four berth in the NRL. Ben Hunt marked a big personal milestone with his 350th NRL game. This accomplishment earned him the title of fourth-most capped player in Australian rugby league history.
Reece Walsh quickly proved to be one of the signings of the season and his influence in attack was a game-changer for the Broncos. He made a dazzling run for a 70-metre solo try and set up two others, proving himself to be one of rugby’s most dynamic playmakers. His contributions included a pass to Jaiyden Hunt for one of the tries and another to Kobe Hetherington, further underscoring his impact during the match.
Hunt’s leadership was evident early in the game, as he provided an offload to Kotoni Staggs, allowing him to score just three minutes into the match. The Broncos were able to build off that momentum, eventually scoring six tries in the second half alone, the bruising Broncos forward power on full display.
Even in defeat, the Newcastle Knights were able to cross for four tries, including their first courtesy of Leo Thompson. Gehamat Shibasaki, Jordan Riki, and Deine Mariner even upped the count in the last ten minutes of the competition. The loss marks the Knights’ seventh consecutive loss. Yet, they are still very much in the wooden spoon battle. Their fight has been made harder by the fact that they’ve lost 10 of their last 11 home games.
To return to young Reece Walsh’s comments, he needed to think bigger. His teammates wanted him to create more scoring chances.
“Kobe was into me a few weeks ago that he hadn’t got many tries,” – Reece Walsh
Head coach Kevin Walters said he was angered by some of Walsh’s decision-making in the match and on ball security in particular.
“I’m not a fan of that … throwing the ball back in the in-goal,” – Kevin Walters
Newcastle’s coach Michael Maguire acknowledged the team’s struggles and emphasized that they would continue to dissect their performance in hopes of improvement.
“What if (Hetherington) dropped it … (Walsh) is even more in the headlines then.” – Kevin Walters
Maguire further responded to criticisms regarding Walsh’s place in the team, reiterating that getting better is a group project.
“We chat about those things and we will dissect the game,” – Michael Maguire
Maguire also addressed comments surrounding Walsh’s role in the team, stating that improvement is a collective effort.
“I know there is chatter around Reece but Reece is part of the team and the challenge is on us to get better.” – Michael Maguire
