Given that Reece Walsh needs surgery for a damaged hand, the Broncos announced on Thursday that he may have played his final NRL game of 2024. The youthful fullback broke his hand during the Broncos’ victory over the Cowboys the previous Saturday. For the most part of the second half, Walsh persevered despite the excruciating injury and helped the Broncos win to save their season. And when Walsh saw a specialist on Thursday, Broncos officials disclosed on Thursday that Walsh will need surgery.
The Broncos did not disclose when he will be able to return to the field, but ‘NRL Physio’ Brien Seeney speculates that he may miss the remainder of the year. Tuesday night, the world’s foremost injury expert disclosed that while surgery can frequently help athletes return sooner after stabilising the fracture, Seeney estimated that a player’s normal layoff would last three to four weeks.
This weekend is a bye for the Broncos. The team will play games against the Eels, Dolphins, and Storm to wrap out the regular season. It’s unlikely that Kevin Walters’ team will risk Walsh if they don’t have a genuine chance of making the finals when he’s ready to return. As of Round 24, they are four points outside the top eight.
Seeney emphasised that while teams are frantically attempting to advance to the finals, the “usual” recovery period frequently disappears. However, given the precarious circumstances the Broncos find themselves in, Walsh’s season may well be gone. Some players, like Titans five-eighth Jayden Campbell, have returned from two-week absences due to hand fractures sustained in 2024. Max King, the Bulldogs’ prop, had missed the previous five weeks, though.
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