Canberra Raiders CEO denies claims abuse was hurled at Reece Walsh about his four-year-old daughter Leila

The Canberra Raiders have rubbished claims some of its fans were targeting a rival player’s young daughter as it grapples with throwing away its 18-point lead deep into the second half.

Brisbane Broncos star Reece Walsh, 23, was instrumental in devastating the more than 20,000 Raiders fans at GIO Stadium in Canberra on Sunday afternoon hoping to see the team make a preliminary final for the first time since 2020.

Ben Hunt’s golden-point field goal sealed the Broncos’ epic 29-28 victory over the minor premiers to secure a home preliminary final for Brisbane, but the fallout centred almost entirely on Walsh.

Walsh was sin-binned for part of the game after headbutting Raiders backrow Hudson Young after the pair had a heated altercation on-field.

After returning to the game, Raiders fans turned on Walsh, with spectators claiming that even the Brisbane star’s four-year-old daughter Leila became the subject of their abuse.

The Broncos refused to comment on the claim on Monday that the crowd was attacking Walsh by using his daughter.

Canberra Raiders CEO Don Furner was quick to dismiss the allegations — saying there was “no way” Walsh would’ve been able to distinguish any abuse due to the noise of the crowd.

“Broncos’ PR machine going into overdrive as usual,” Furner told Fox Sports.

“You couldn’t hear what anyone was saying, there’s no way Reece was able to hear anything like that.

“I was standing in the tunnel when he left the field. It was so loud nobody could have heard a word.”

Maroons coach Billy Slater also addressed the controversy, saying if it had happened, it was a new low for people who attack Walsh.

“It’s the first I’ve heard of that kind of content being delivered at Reece. Like seriously, come on, why would you say stuff like that,” Slater said.

Despite all the controversy and his headbutt on Young, the Broncos superstar will be free to play in his side’s preliminary final against either the Penrith Panthers or Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs next week.

Walsh escaped with a $3,000 fine for a grade-one striking charge.

The Broncos star was also fined an additional $1,800 for giving Canberra fans the middle finger as he walked off the field.

But Walsh’s teammate Pat Carrigan wasn’t so lucky.

Carrigan was slapped with a grade-two charge for his careless high tackle and can accept a one-match ban, ruling him out of the preliminary final.

The ruling leaves Brisbane with a tough call to make.

While losing Carrigan for a blockbuster preliminary final is a huge blow, he would miss a possible grand final if the Broncos opt to challenge the suspension at the judiciary but fail to succeed.

“Going to the sin bin is not ideal, but I thought I had a head clash with him,” Carrigan said of the incident.

“He’s got a tough head. I felt my jaw and bit my lip.”

Canberra’s Zac Hosking copped a $1000 fine for grade-one dangerous contact against Walsh.

The NRL’s decision not to ban Walsh is likely to anger the Raiders, whose coach Ricky Stuart declared a precedent had been set when the fullback was not sent off.

“You’re allowed to headbutt,” he said after the defeat.

“If Joe (Tapine) or Hudson had used their head on Reece Walsh, what do you think would have happened to them?

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

— With Glenn Valencich