Kevin Walters will be breathing a massive sigh of relief after footage emerged of Reece Walsh donning a moon boot at Red Hill, however the news is a lot better than 'Kevvie' could've imagined.
Social media came alight on Tuesday after Walsh posted a video to his Instagram story of the Broncos' team mates watching the NFL playoffs together, however eagle-eyed NRL fans spotted the star recruit's ankle in a protective boot.
Just over a week out from his first trial since returning to the club, fears quickly elevated with thoughts that Walsh may miss the start of the season for Brisbane.
Especially following Tesi Niu's release, the situation began to echo Cronulla's Miller-Dykes situation, after the Sharks released their third-option fullback in Lachie Miller, only for their back-up in Kade Dykes to tear his ACL hours later.
Despite the fears the footage raised,ย News Corpย have confirmed that Walsh pulled on the moon boot as a practical joke, allaying concerns the club would be sans their marquee recruit for the opening round.
Steele Tallon, Brisbane's media manager, took to Twitter following the sudden outburst of news, confirming the fullback's fitness via a training video.
For all those with concerns on Reeceโs ankle โฆ moving well this morning ๐ @brisbanebroncos pic.twitter.com/6JRvlYzp4c
— Steele Tallon (@SteeleTallon) January 31, 2023
Walsh's arrival is expected to bring some consistency to the fullback role, with Te Maire Martin, Jamayne Isaako, Tesi Niu and Selwyn Cobbo spending time there in 2022.
The fullback is expected to play at least one trial match for Brisbane before lining up in the No. 1 jersey for their opening round clash against the reigning back-to-back premiers, the Penrith Panthers.
