Reece Walsh’s honesty questioned as judiciary skewering leaves his reputation in tatters

Reece Walsh’s strongest weapon at the judiciary quickly became his worst nightmare as the NRL team poked holes through the Broncos defence.

Reece Walsh has been hit with a three-game ban. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Reece Walsh fought the law and the law left him a broken man.

Not only does his three-game ban for abusing referee Chris Butler rule him out of Origin III and deliver another blow for the injury-hit Broncos, but Walsh’s reputation is in tatters after a savage skewering at the NRL judiciary.

The NRL prosecution ostensibly branded Walsh a liar, asserting that the 20-year-old’s claim that he called teammate Pat Carrigan a “c***” – not referee Butler – was “demonstrably untrue”.

He wasn’t helped by Titans rival and Maroons teammate Dave Fifita, who produced the Freudian slip of the night when he mumbled: “He (Reece) said to the ref … I mean Patty … the ref was behind him.”

Broncos and Qld Origin star Reece Walsh learns his fate. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Game, set, match.

The moment a nervous Fifita fumbled in the judiciary furnace, the firing squad turned to Walsh as the NRL prosecution went for the jugular, accusing the Maroons trio of one big Origin cook-up to save their Queensland buddy.

The jig was up after a Freudian slip from David Fifita. Picture: Matt Roberts/Getty Images

At best, Walsh may have been cruelly stitched up. At worst, he got his medicine after months of puerile bickering with officials that painted him as a ticking time bomb in danger of this very type of moment.

Walsh is a wonderful talent. By rights, he should be a 10 or 15-year superstar at the Broncos. But right now, he is coming across as a petulant rockstar intoxicated by his rapid rise to NRL and State of Origin stardom.

The sight of Walsh walking into the equivalent of an NRL courtroom wearing a shimmering earring was a farce and sums up where the Broncos fullback is at in this early juncture of his career.

In the 25-year history of NRL judiciary hearings, how many players have had the audacity to wear bling before a tribunal?

Can you imagine Wayne Bennett or Craig Bellamy allowing one of their players to walk into an NRL judiciary hearing looking like Justin Bieber?

Reece Walsh wore a shimmering earring to the judiciary. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Seriously, show some respect.

It was a small but telling statement.

If Walsh was indeed calling Carrigan a “c***”, that in itself should ring alarm bells for Broncos bosses.

No workplace in the world that values successful culture, even one as high-octane as the NRL, should accept one colleague speaking to another teammate in such a disgraceful manner.

Walsh is lucky he never said it to Shane Webcke.

Webcke would have put one on his chin, just as he did to a cocky Corey Parker when the young forward got too big for his boots in his formative years at the Broncos.

Walsh has lit up the NRL in recent years with his sublime talent and it could be argued that his self-confessed “erratic” and volatile nature is the very reason he can produce flashes of brilliance on the field.

But no amount of natural talent gives Walsh the right to continually contest refereeing decisions like a spoilt brat and howl down teammates.

Reece Walsh blows up at the referee. Picture: NRL Photos

This should be the seminal moment that turns Walsh into a long-time superstar of the code.

The NRL has done him a favour at an early age.

Let’s hope Broncos and Queensland bosses help Walsh heed the lesson.