15-07-2025
Telling new footage comes to light after Reece Walsh's clash with teammate
Fan footage of the Brisbane Broncos celebrating a try-saving play from Gehamat Shibasaki against the Titans shows how tight-knit the playing group is. And it flies in the face of suggestions about a heated on-field clash between Reece Walsh and Kotoni Staggs.
Walsh was seen spraying Staggs after his teammate dropped the ball in good attacking position on Sunday night. Staggs initially apologised, but when Walsh kept going he appeared to snap back and tell his fullback to knock it off.
Some commentators thought it showed there might be fractures in the playing group, but it looks like it's completely the opposite. Fans have pointed out that Walsh's clash with Staggs simply shows they care, as you hardly ever see disinterested players call out their teammates' mistakes.
And vision of how the players reacted to a try-saver from Shibasaki dispels any thought of a fractured group. The State of Origin player knocked the ball out of Jaylan de Groot's grasp when he looked destined to score a certain try. Most players wouldn't have bothered, but Shibasaki showed his desperation and commitment to save the four-pointer.
The on-field referee sent the decision to the Bunker official, who confirmed it wasn't a try. Fan footage is doing the rounds on social media of the moment the players saw the replay of Shibasaki's effort, and they immediately got around their teammate to celebrate. Walsh and Staggs were among a number of players who went straight to Shibasaki to hype up the star centre, and fans were loving what they saw.
I love that
— Matthew__Tabet (@tabet_matthew) July 13, 2025
This is beautiful to see man
— 🌟 (@JBroncosEra) July 13, 2025
As for Walsh's clash with Staggs, Broncos captain Adam Reynolds and coach Michael Maguire both stated it was completely normal in the heat of the moment. The players patched things up when Staggs set Walsh up for a try not long after.
"We're trying to be perfect out there," Reynolds said after the game. "It's not always going to go to plan, but we're adults, we talk about a situation when it happens. Sure enough, they fixed it up and scored a long-range try so they're working hard, and it's always good to have that feedback on the field."
Pete Badel has labeled this a 'Heated Reece Walsh-Kotoni Staggs on-field confrontation' 😂
— NRLCentral (@centralNRL) July 13, 2025
Maguire added: "Reece, he loves his footy and he's striving to continually be the best, and that's all the boys and that's the perfection they're chasing. Whether or not it's him trying to get the ball to him early or not, Reece does wear his heart on his sleeve and that's why we love him and the boys love playing with him. At times he's going to execute something and other times he's going to be working out how he gets it done. So I think as long as he keeps competing the way he is, the boys love playing with him."
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The majority of Broncos fans actually saw the positives in Walsh and Staggs jawing at each other, as it shows they're so close that they feel comfortable doing that. One person wrote on social media: "If you've ever played footy before you know this is normal. This is good for the Bronx."
Another commented: "Two passionate players who love the club. Good to see." While a third added: "Fans want to see that, it means they have standards and are accountable to them."
