Broncos coach Kevin Walters has called on the NRL to do more to protect star fullback Reece Walsh and says a four-match ban for Joseph-Aukus Sua’ali’i isn’t enough of a deterrent to stop other players from going after his best player.
Walsh was knocked out of the State of Origin opener inside the first eight minutes when the Blues rookie jammed out of the line and whacked him high and late.
Sua’ali’i was sent off and suspended for four matches, but Walters says that while the incident was policed well on the field, he wants the NRL to come down harder on offenders after Walsh suffered his second serious injury this season.
The flashy fullback suffered a facial fracture in the grand final rematch earlier in the year when Taylan May raced out of the line and clashed heads with the speedster, with the Panthers centre avoiding a ban for the tackle gone wrong.
‘That’s the second time that it’s happened, and four weeks, for me, is not enough,’ a fired-up Walters said.
