LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Michael Maguire has downplayed the incident where Reece Walsh headbutted Hudson Young, describing it as merely two players having a "conversation." In contrast, Raiders coach Ricky Stuart criticized the officials, asserting they "got it 100 per cent wrong" by not sending Walsh off.
Walsh's season is now uncertain after he was sin-binned for thrusting his forehead into Young's face during a confrontation in the 53rd minute of Brisbane's thrilling 29-28 qualifying final victory over Canberra on Sunday.
Despite the incident, Walsh played a pivotal role in bringing Brisbane back into the game after they were down 28-12 with 14 minutes remaining. He scored one try, assisted in another, and executed a long 40/20 kick that allowed Brisbane to gain possession for a subsequent play. Additionally, his long-range field goal attempt-though it hit the crossbar-resulted in a penalty goal that sent the match into extra time.
However, his performance will be overshadowed by the headbutt incident, which occurred when Young celebrated too close to Walsh after a Broncos knock-on. Both players were sin-binned, with referee Ashley Klein explaining that Young's actions provoked Walsh's reaction.
Following the match, Walsh expressed his desire to make amends for his earlier actions, noting that the Raiders capitalized on his time in the sin bin. He stated, "I had to come out with something because getting sent for 10 in a bloody final, I was disappointed in myself."