- Broncos face Penrith in NRL grand final
- Brisbane players were in Sydney for Fan Fest
- Walsh responded to the young fan who dragged him
The NRL is investigating an incident involving Brisbane Broncos superstar Reece Walsh following a viral video showing him sledding with a young Penrith Panthers fan.
The Broncos will meet the Panthers in the NRL grand final in Sydney on Sunday and Walsh has been fulfilling his obligatory media obligations to publicize the event.
He was returning to the team bus 600m away after attending the NRL Fan Fest.
In a short video, he was filmed abruptly turning around and saying “I’ll take your mom’s” to the young fan.
Reece Walsh and Selwyn Cobbo share a moment at NRL Fan Fest before Broncos fullback video is taken
Walsh and Penrith Panthers front Dylan Edwards pose for photos with the NRL Provan-Summons Trophy
The video went viral on social media platforms TikTok, Twitter and Facebook, although it has been edited and does not show the young Penrith supporter’s initial comments.
According to the Twitter account that posted the clip, Walsh was responding to a fan who told the Broncos star: “Moses Leota is going to rip your head off this weekend.”
Walsh then turns around and responds, “I’ll take your mother’s.” The young supporter then said “yes” while laughing with his friends.
A complaint has been lodged with the NRL and an investigation is underway.
“The NRL Integrity Unit is aware of the matter,” an NRL spokesperson said.
In a case of unfortunate timing, the incident occurred on the same day that Australian Rugby League commission chairman Peter V’landys was promoting the young star.
Walsh was quick to respond to the young Penrith Panthers fan before walking away to join his teammates on the bus back to their hotel in Sydney.
Walsh has been one of the most electric players all year, but has already been suspended once for his comments after insulting a referee in July.
Speaking about the NRL’s plans to launch the 2024 season in the United States, V’landys compared Walsh to pop megastar Justin Bieber.
“He’s got charisma and presence, Reece Walsh,” V’landys told Nine’s Today.
“He’s the Justin Bieber of rugby league. They’re like brothers… He’s just something out of the box, he’s a brilliant player,” he added.
“He has charisma on steroids and we want to promote him in the (United States) and we believe we can generate significant new revenue for the game.”
“If we get this right, every sport in Australia can provide content to the US market and that’s hundreds of millions of dollars if we do it right.”
“It’s a great experience for us and we’re going to rely on the likes of Reece Walsh.”
The 21-year-old Brisbane star may have the appeal of a pop star, but his mouth has already gotten him into trouble once this season.
The Broncos fullback was suspended for three matches in July for abusive comments towards referee Chris Butler during Brisbane’s match against the Gold Coast Titans.
