UPDATE: Brisbane Broncos star Reece Walsh has been found guilty of contrary conduct towards a match official by the NRL judiciary following his foul-mouthed spray.
The match review committee charged Walsh with contrary conduct on Monday but referred the matter straight to the judiciary for grading on Tuesday night.
With two contrary conduct charges to his name already this season, Walsh was handed a three-game suspension. This will rule him ineligible to suit up for Queensland in Origin III.
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Walsh swore excessively during the Broncos’ 18-12 loss to the Titans on Sunday, with doubt over whether his outburst was aimed at referee Chris Butler or a teammate.
Walsh entered a not guilty plea and contested the claim, with Patrick Carrigan and David Fifita also grilled by the NRL’s representatives (via video link) during the marathon hearing which spanned more than four hours.
In the end, the two-man panel of former referee Sean Hampstead and ex-Panthers forward Tony Puletua were split, giving judiciary chairman Justice Geoffrey Bellew the deciding vote.
During the hearing, where almost three hours of evidence was presented, Butler claimed Walsh had been questioning his decisions the entire game.
“I could hear he was saying something but didn’t hear what. He was warned about similar behaviour just before half time,” he said in a statement.
Butler said he warned Broncos captain Adam Reynolds as he walked off the ground at half time: “Reece keeps coming at me. Three times he’s come out really passionate about decisions. Can’t continue.”
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Walsh told the judiciary his comments in the 74th minute were actually aimed at teammate Carrigan.
“He [Carrigan] came over and was saying to me slow your f—-ing brain,” he said.
“I just felt like at the time I was trying to help a teammate and help out and he [Carrigan] was coming at me telling me to be smart.
“We have that relationship where we can pull each other up on the field and speak to each other the way we do.
“I was agitated. I said, ‘What the f— do you mean c—‘ to Patrick.
“I just felt at the time I was trying to do the right thing for the team and when the penalty was given, Patrick came at me [and] I snapped at him.
“Afterwards, I was just letting the referee know I wasn’t talking to him.
“I said that to him because he blew another penalty. I said I was talking to Patty.”
Walsh in hot water for expletive ridden rant
Late in the second half, Walsh overran in support of teammate Selwyn Cobbo off a kick return, with a penalty awarded for an obstruction.
From an on-field microphone, Walsh’s voice could be heard hurling an expletive-laden rant.
Based on Walsh’s body language, Brisbane was then marched 10 metres downfield for dissent.
Fox League subsequently posted a video of the incident on Instagram, which Walsh used to state his innocence.
“I was not talking to the ref, I clearly say that! Can also see Patty (Carrigan) come over and talk to me,” Walsh wrote.
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