{"id":2591,"date":"2026-04-06T22:19:36","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T16:49:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/reece-walsh-hospitalised-in-broncos-nrl-26-12-win-over-titans-as-cowboys-thrash-dragons-32-0\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T22:19:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T16:49:36","slug":"reece-walsh-hospitalised-in-broncos-nrl-26-12-win-over-titans-as-cowboys-thrash-dragons-32-0","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/reece-walsh-hospitalised-in-broncos-nrl-26-12-win-over-titans-as-cowboys-thrash-dragons-32-0\/","title":{"rendered":"Reece Walsh hospitalised in Broncos’ NRL 26-12 win over Titans as Cowboys thrash Dragons 32-0"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Brisbane star Reece Walsh was taken to hospital with a suspected fractured cheekbone following the Broncos’ controversial 26-12 win over Gold Coast.<\/p>\n

Walsh, playing his 100th NRL match, displayed his creative genius in the first half with a try for the ages, before he was concussed tackling Titans forward Kurtis Morrin on the cusp of the break.<\/p>\n

“Reece has gone to hospital to get a scan just below his eye, so we will have to wait and see on that,” Broncos coach Michael Maguire said.<\/p>\n

The category-one HIA ruled Wales out for the match, and he will miss Friday night’s clash with North Queensland at Lang Park.<\/p>\n

The Titans were right up for the match and trailed 8-6 at half-time, but it was the class of Broncos stars Ezra Mam and Kotoni Staggs that proved the difference.<\/p>\n

Mam was outstanding in the second half, which had a moment of controversy.<\/p>\n

Gold Coast centre AJ Brimson was denied what seemed to be a fair try due to a forward pass from Lachlan Ilias in the 47th minute.<\/p>\n

On the ensuing set, Brisbane surged up the field and scored through Gehamat Shibasaki and despite some heavy possession late the Titans never got back in the match.<\/p>\n

“It is a hard game and when you earn your opportunity and ice it, and it gets taken away, it is frustrating for the players,” Titans coach Josh Hannay said.<\/p>\n

“You have got to try and brush that and we just didn’t \u2026 so that’s a learn for us and a work-on.”<\/p>\n

Dragons thumped<\/h2>\n
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St George Illawarra has set a new club record for consecutive losses.\u00a0 (Getty Images: Mark Metcalfe\u00a0<\/span>)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

An emotional Shane Flanagan apologised to fans after St George Illawarra’s 32-0 flogging from North Queensland piled more pressure on the Dragons coach.<\/p>\n

The Dragons were booed by fans at a half-empty Kogarah on fulltime on Saturday, after slipping to the club’s worst ever start to a season with a winless opening five rounds.<\/p>\n

The result also left the Dragons with the longest losing streak in the joint-venture’s history, which now sits at nine and dates back to August.<\/p>\n

“It’s not good enough for this club,” said Flanagan, who cut a devastated figure in the post-match press conference.<\/p>\n

“I don’t accept it, I am not happy with it, I am terribly disappointed and I am sorry.<\/p>\n

“I fully understand the frustration, I am as frustrated as anyone.<\/p>\n

“All I know is it hasn’t worked this year, but I’m not going to give up.”<\/p>\n

Making matters worse for the Dragons was co-captain and fullback Clint Gutherson limping up the tunnel on fulltime with a hamstring injury.<\/p>\n

On the flip side North Queensland now have three straight wins, just weeks after their coach Todd Payten’s job security had appeared as bleak as Flanagan’s following a 0-2 start.<\/p>\n

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North Queensland did it easy against an insipid Dragons team.\u00a0 (Getty Images: Mark Metcalfe<\/span>)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Flanagan now needs a revival of that kind from his Dragons, after he said on Friday he was “a realist” and knew he needed wins to remain coach.<\/p>\n

In two-and-a-bit seasons at the club he has blooded a number of young forwards, but the Dragons’ finals drought is now at risk of reaching an eighth year.<\/p>\n

They had at least been in all of their first four losses until late in the game, but were never in the contest on Saturday.<\/p>\n

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The Dragons have endured the worst start to a season in club history.\u00a0 (Getty Images: Mark Metcalfe<\/span>)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Scott Drinkwater and Jaxon Purdue blitzed them, with Drinkwater kicking a 40-20 before the Cowboys’ first, then slicing through the Dragons’ left edge two plays later to score.<\/p>\n

The Dragons’ best attacking raid in the first half ended when Dan Atkinson kicked on the second tackle, which was easily scooped up by Drinkwater.<\/p>\n

Moments later it was 10-0 when Jake Clifford offloaded for Purdue to go 65 metres and score, before Clifford later grubber-kicked for Purdue’s second on half-time.<\/p>\n