Broncos stars brawl revealed
The Brisbane Broncos’ fan day on Sunday seemed to be a good wholesome day for the club, its players, fans, and everyone else involved with the Broncos organisation. By the end of the night though, all of that turned sour.
Reports claim several Broncos stars, including club captain Adam Reynolds, vice captain Pat Carrigan, and young star Reece Walsh, all went out on the town. Per the players’ social media accounts, the Broncos’ stars visited multiple bars.
Then, at around 9pm, they were allegedly kicked out of the MAYA Mexican restaurant for drunkenness. The stars made their way to a park where they playfully wrestled and teased each other. Things got out of hand quickly though, and Reynolds and Carrigan went at each other.
The two Broncos’ dressing room leaders were caught on film in a shoving match where punches may have been thrown. Carrigan was seen nearly ripping off Reynolds shirt as the two players brawled.
The players’ partners and teammates tried to break up the fight. “Adam. Pat. Stop!,” a woman can be heard saying on video, while Broncos veteran winger Corey Oates was seen on footage trying to break up the pair before things got too far out of control.
Broncos fullback Reece Walsh and second-rower Jordan Riki are also seen in the footage with Oates, Reynolds, and Carrigan.
Broncos’ “disappointed” by players’ actions
Broncos released a statement on Monday morning confirming that they were aware of the incident and that they were looking into it.
“The Broncos are looking into an incident involving some of its playing group in Brisbane City last night,” the club said via a statement.“
“The club was made aware of the incident last night and has been speaking to players across the course of the day to clarify details of what occurred,” the club continued.
Broncos’ CEO Dave Donaghy further spoke about the Reynolds and Carrigan fight to the 9News network, saying he was “disappointed,” and that “the players are aware of the professional standards we expect. Clearly that wasn't upheld in this instance.”
“Overs the past few years we have invested a lot of time and seen a lot of growth in terms of improving our environment and culture. This is certainly a step back but the intent here is that we understand what took place and we support our group in taking strides to get better on and off the field,” Donaghy said.
In their statement about the Reynolds and Carrigan brawl, Broncos confirmed that the issue had been referred to the NRL’s integrity unit.
Reynolds responds to the controversy
9News and Triple M journalist Ben Dobbin told Reynold’s side of the story on the radio on Monday morning. According to Dobbin, Reynolds is deeply remorseful and says this whole thing was just a misunderstanding between himself and Carrigan.
“The players went out after for a few drinks, which is very standard, as once the season starts they just don't get the opportunity. It's not a good look, a few of the other players rang the Broncos late last night,” Dobbin said.
“[Reynolds] says he's embarrassed, humiliated, he's upset about the whole incident, and wishes it hadn't happened. He was trying to get Patrick Carrigan into a cab,” explained Dobbin.
The Broncos are set to fly to Las Vegas for the club’s opening 2024 match against Sydney Roosters. Multiple Broncos’ players, including Reece Walsh, reportedly faced some issues getting visas due to past criminal histories.
