Did Reece Walsh get away with a blatant strike against the Panthers?
The Broncos fullback was pivotal to his side’s 14-12 upset victory over first-placed Penrith in Round 20, setting up all three of Brisbane’s tries in a playmaking masterclass.
During the heated clash, the 24-year-old was caught up in a fiery scuffle with Isaiah Papali’i in the 55th minute after the Panthers back rower kept his grasp on the ball following a last tackle turnover.
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Walsh batted it out of his hands and Papali’i then pushed down on his head during the play-the-ball before the Broncos gun struck his opponent with an open hand to the face.
NRL rules state that a player is guilty of misconduct if he “trips, kicks or strikes another player” and vision proves Walsh struck out at Papali’i
Another player was also sent to the sin bin for an open-hand strike in Round 20, with Alex Twal spending 10 minutes sidelined after hitting Bulldogs forward Jaeman Salmon.
At the time of the incident, the Panthers held a 12-8 lead over the Broncos.
But instead of enjoying a one-man advantage for 10 minutes, Michael Maguire’s side were handed a penalty and only 12 minutes later, Walsh set-up the matchwinning try and then kicked a crucial conversion to take the lead.
Brisbane’s win kept their slim finals hopes alive and broke an eight-game losing streak in the process.
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And a controversial Bunker call also went the Broncos way in the dying stages of their win, denying the Panthers a set in strong field position.
With two minutes on the clock, winger Brian To’o made a break down the sideline before kicking the ball forward before teammate Paul Alamoti tossed the ball back into play.
Josiah Karapani caught it and Liam Martin and Liam Henry dragged him into touch — however referee Todd Smith deemed To’o had knocked the ball on during his kick.
Penrith issued a captain’s challenge, clearing the knock-on but Karapani remained in possession of the ball as Smith blew his whistle, meaning the Bunker ruled there was a “mutual infringement”.
Therefore, the Broncos retained possession and saw out the final seconds to secure a win.