Bronco star Reece Walsh escapes with fine after headbutting Canberra Raider Hudson Young

Broncos superstar Reece Walsh has escaped with only a $3000 fine for striking after headbutting Raider Hudson Young during Brisbane’s dramatic 29–28 golden-point qualifying final win on Sunday.

Canberra coach Ricky Stuart said Walsh, who engineered the Brisbane comeback, should have been sent off instead of sin-binned over the incident where he motioned up with his head into Young’s chin when the pair came face-to-face. Young was also sin-binned.

While Walsh has got off and will play in the preliminary final, Broncos skipper Pat Carrigan was not so lucky and is facing a one-match ban for a high shot on Morgan Smithies after he was charged with a careless high tackle.

After the game Michael Maguire attempted to dismiss Walsh’s headbutt of Young as two players having a “conversation”, with the fullback’s season now hanging in the balance.

Walsh’s wild afternoon headlined the Broncos’ epic win over Canberra, with Ben Hunt winning the golden-point thriller with a 94th-minute field goal.

Walsh produced arguably the finest seven-minute stretch in finals history to get Brisbane back into the game, after they trailed 28-12 with 14 minutes to play.

The mercurial Broncos fullback scored one try, set up another and kicked a booming 40-20 to give Brisbane the ball for a third before the game went to extra time.

But his afternoon will also be remembered for pushing his head into Hudson Young’s face, as the pair became entangled in a second-half scuffle.

Walsh and Young were both sin-binned over the incident, while Canberra coach Stuart was adamant the Broncos No.1 should have been sent off.

The incident is the second time Walsh has been accused of a headbutt in his career, with the Queenslander copping a grade-two striking charge for one in State of Origin in 2023.

“I’d have to have a look at it, they were at each other a little bit,” Broncos coach Maguire said of the matter.

“It was probably more just conversation, we’ll have a look at it down the track.

“There is emotion out there. They were both sent for a reason, so you move on.”

Stuart was less forgiving.

“Well, they’ve set a precedent now, you’re allowed to headbutt,” the Raiders coach said.

“They got it 100 per cent wrong, but we shouldn’t make it about that because it was an unbelievable promotion of the game itself.”

Walsh was also fined $1800 for sticking the finger up at the GIO Stadium crowd as he left for the sin-bin with reports the crowd had taunted him about his young daughter.

Carrigan was sin-binned shortly after Walsh for a shoulder charge on Morgan Smithies.

But even for all the drama, what can’t be denied is the brilliance of Walsh and the importance of him being available for Brisbane’s title shot.

Neither he or Carrigan saw Canberra take charge of the game while sitting in the sin-bin together, but when the fullback returned he made the match his own.

“The conversation was pretty clear, it was just let’s get out there and have a crack,” Carrigan said.

“He was just saying let’s go after this game, let’s get another shot ... He’s clear and he backs himself.”

Brisbane are, meanwhile, hopeful that Payne Haas’ left ankle issue is not serious.

But there are real concerns over second-rower Brendan Piakura, with fears he suffered a depressed cheekbone in the first half of Sunday’s match.