Worst fears realised for injury hit Broncos as facial fracture is confirmed for Reece Walsh – as Panthers star Taylan May AVOIDS suspension following nasty head clash

• Facial fracture confirmed for fullback Reece Walsh
• Broncos star collided with Panthers centre Taylan May
• Brisbane have been hit with an injury crisis

Brisbane’s injury crisis has worsened with star fullback Reece Walsh set to be

sidelined after scans showed a facial fracture stemming from his sickening blow against Penrith.

After a head collision with Walsh that ended the Broncos star’s game in the

fourth minute, Panthers center Taylan May was not charged.

However, the news for Kevin Walters’ men was not good.

Following the 34-12 loss on Thursday night, Walsh was taken for urgent scans, which later showed a facial fracture.

Dave Ballard, the high performance head of the Broncos, stated, “As a result, he

cannot fly home and is being driven back up to Brisbane today [on a bus] by our staff.”

‘We will be able to determine how much footy Reece will miss once the injury

settles down and after we consult a specialist in coming days.’

Walsh’s injury leaves Brisbane without their three most influential players

ahead of next Friday’s clash with North Queensland.

Halfback Adam Reynolds will not return until at least round five against

Melbourne, while a knee problem has also sidelined prop Payne Haas for the next month.

Walters also admitted on Thursday night he had to re=think his interchange

bench, after Walsh’s injury left the Broncos exposed on the edges.

Second-rower Brendan Piakura was forced to defend at left centre and prop

Fletcher Baker on an edge, with Selwyn Cobbo playing fullback in place of Walsh.

That allowed the premiers to pick the visitor’s defence apart with ease, with

three first-half tries coming down that side.

‘We had Tristan Sailor parked as 18th man, but he couldn’t come into the game.

So we won’t be doing that again,’ Walters said.

‘We have to [have someone like Sailor on the bench], because if you lose some of those outside backs, you need specialists.

Me, as a coach, I have to pick the right people on our bench to make sure we cover everything. I take a bit of the blame there.’

Meanwhile, Walters said after the match he believed the head clash between Walsh and May was ‘just one of those things that happen’.

May was placed on report after he rushed out of the line and tried to put a hit on the Broncos fullback, with the pair clashing heads after Walsh passed the ball.

May was told by referee Gerard Sutton he had a ‘duty of care’ to avoid the head clash, and that he should have bent down as he braced for contact.

But Penrith coach Ivan Cleary was adamant the contact was simply accidental, with his view backed up by the match review committee.

‘No-one wants to see the best players go off, but I just saw it as an accident,’ Cleary said.

‘I thought he was trying to pull out of the tackle, he was directly upright, which is not how you tackle.

‘If he had of bent down, he probably would have hit him in the head with his shoulder

These things happen; Reece Walsh advances very quickly. I don’t really care that much.