Inside marathon verdict as Broncos star suspended, Extra Time
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Eamonn Tiernan is the NRL Editor at foxsports.com.au and he writes Extra Time fortnightly.
It was a wild night at the NRL judiciary on Tuesday as Reece Walsh threw the kitchen sink at avoiding suspension – and entertained everyone in attendance.
The defence called star witnesses Patrick Carrigan and David Fifita – only for them to cop brutal cross examinations.
But that was only after Walsh came out all guns blazing, dismissing the prosecution’s accusations with the same vigour he dispatches NSW defenders.
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The 20-year-old has never been accused of lacking confidence and last night was no different, with one moment early in proceedings proving particularly entertaining.
NRL Judiciary counsel Patrick Knowles was trying to get Walsh to admit he was swearing at referee Chris Buttler when the playmaker abruptly cut him off.
The youngest person in the room then held court as he told the video operator to rewind footage Knowles had been playing to the panel.
“Bit further back, bit further, bit more, yep right there – you can clearly see me talking to Patty and not the ref,” Walsh declared with bravado.
Walsh had paused on a frame that did indeed appear to support his argument and he settled back in his seat with a look in his eyes that said one thing: case closed.
It wasn’t however, the marathon hearing was only just beginning.
Ultimately it was Titans backrower Fifita who buckled under the pressure and accidentally incriminated his Queensland teammate before quickly correcting his story.
“Walshy then said what he said to the ref, I mean Patty – the ref was behind him,” Fifita said.
“I didn’t mean that. I just get nervous… I get intimidated by speaking to you guys because I think I’m in the wrong.”
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Carrigan was also grilled on his evidence which Knowles said “you wouldn’t give much weight to” in one of several sledges of the defence in his closing argument.
Knowles accused the three Maroons teammates of colluding to get Walsh off so he could play in Origin III next month.
“They got their stories straight. Their evidence was remarkably similar. Some of Mr Walsh’s evidence was demonstrably untrue,” Knowles told the panel.
“Give weight to the video evidence here tonight and give the greatest weight to your own common sense.”
Defence counsel Nick Ghabar shot back: “None of the players have tailored their evidence. It’s not very difficult to tell the…
Read More: Inside marathon verdict as Broncos star suspended, Extra Time 2023-06-27 23:15:00