“Brisbane Coach Kevin Walters Criticizes NRL Over Failure to Penalize”
Brisbane coach Kevin Walters has strongly criticized the NRL for its failure to penalize Penrith’s Taylan May following a head clash that resulted in Reece Walsh being sidelined for up to six weeks.
Scans have confirmed that Walsh suffered a fractured face during the 34-12 defeat to Penrith, rendering the Broncos’ star unable to travel back home.
This injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Broncos, who now face the possibility of being without three key players in their upcoming match against North Queensland next Friday.
While dealing with challenges on the field, Walters expressed his frustration with the NRL’s handling of the situation off the field.
May was put on report for the incident on Thursday night when he rushed out of the defensive line to tackle Walsh, resulting in a collision of heads after a pass was thrown. Referee Gerard Sutton advised May during the game that he had a responsibility to lower his body in the tackle to prevent a head clash, but May was not charged by the NRL on Friday.
Walters voiced his concerns: “I’m quite puzzled about the rules, you know, where’s the duty of care for our players? Reece will be out for four to six weeks. There was contact to the head, which constitutes a duty of care.”
