Brisbane Broncos' fullback, Reece Walsh, is set to undergo surgery and face an extended recovery period following an afternoon scan that confirmed a high-grade syndesmosis injury sustained during the Round 24 match against the New Zealand Warriors.
The Broncos are putting together a recovery strategy for Walsh, with a surgical consultation scheduled for Monday and an anticipated recovery time that could extend up to eight weeks.
Walsh's situation deteriorated swiftly when he was caught in an awkward hip-drop tackle by Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, the Warriors' fullback.
Initially, the 2025 premiership winner attempted to continue playing; however, he soon threw an intercept pass to Alofiana Khan-Pereira, who took advantage and scored a try.
Subsequently, Walsh had to leave the field, being ruled out for the remainder of the match, while Klokstad was penalized, receiving a ten-minute sin bin sentence.
Following this incident, the Warriors' player was suspended for two weeks by the Match Review Committee, which means he will miss rounds 25 and 26 of the season.
This injury added to a disappointing night for Brisbane, marking their 12th loss in just 13 games.
The injury struggles persisted during the game, with Luke Metcalf also exiting due to a hamstring issue.