Reece Walsh will keep his place at the Brisbane Broncos despite becoming embroiled in a social media controversy strikingly similar to the one that ended Martin Taupau’s NRL career.
The superstar fullback was summoned for talks with coach Michael Maguire after liking an Instagram post that criticised Brisbane’s handling of captain Adam Reynolds’ immediate retirement.
The Fox League post featured an NRL 360 discussion about the decision to deny Reynolds a farewell appearance against Melbourne at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday night.
It carried the words ‘EMBARRASSING AND SAD!’ as the panel examined the confusion surrounding the veteran halfback’s sudden decision to finish his career.
Walsh, who has almost 700,000 Instagram followers, removed his like shortly afterwards.
The 24-year-old met Maguire on Tuesday morning and apologised for his actions, with Brisbane officials now conducting an internal investigation.
Reece Walsh apologised to Michael Maguire after liking a social media post that criticised the Brisbane Broncos coach
Maguire insisted Walsh’s case was different from Martin Taupau’s but refused to explain the distinction between the incidents
Walsh was the teammate who first alerted Taupau that his seemingly harmless social media action had caused trouble
Walsh may be required to front the club’s senior leadership group and could receive a fine for breaching Brisbane’s conduct standards.
However, the Broncos have ruled out terminating the $1.1million-a-season fullback’s contract.
That response has immediately drawn comparisons with Taupau, whose time at Brisbane ended after he liked a different Instagram video criticising Maguire in May 2025.
Maguire insisted the two cases were different when questioned about the apparent discrepancy on Wednesday.
‘I spoke to Reece this morning and we went through it,’ Maguire said.
‘Two different scenarios. I understand there’s a like there on social media but we’ve had the conversation and he realises that things move quickly on social media … but yeah, different circumstances.’
Asked to explain the difference between the incidents, Maguire declined to provide further details.
‘I’m not going to go into that. We move forward now and Reece and I have had that conversation,’ he said.
Maguire rejected suggestions he had completely lost Brisbane’s dressing room following the reigning premiers’ dramatic collapse this season
Walsh is among Brisbane’s highest-paid players, earning approximately $1.1million a season under his current long-term Broncos contract
‘Everyone’s got emotion around these scenarios but we’re very transparent. Reece loves Reyno. We all do but sometimes things like that unfortunately happen.’
Taupau revealed last week that he had not watched the three-part video posted by former New Zealand teammate Elijah Taylor before liking it.
Taylor used the video to criticise Maguire’s intense coaching and training methods, including his handling of review sessions after defeats.
Taupau said he was unaware of the contents when he arrived at training, where Walsh alerted him to the emerging controversy.
‘Marty, you f***ing liked it,’ Walsh told him.
Taupau immediately removed the like before being called into a meeting with Broncos chief executive Dave Donaghy and general manager of football Troy Thomson.
The officials played the video during the meeting. Taupau apologised and later attempted to do the same with Maguire, insisting his action had been unintentional and carried no malice.
His contract was subsequently terminated, bringing his 16-year NRL career to an end.
Walsh remains sidelined after ankle surgery and will miss Australia’s World Cup campaign beginning in October this year
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Walsh’s latest mistake follows previous conversations with Broncos officials about his online conduct.
He publicly apologised last year after footage showed him punching a friend while fooling around. He later attracted further criticism by posting a video in which he drank toilet water before the finals.
Some Brisbane officials have reportedly grown frustrated with his social media activity, although Maguire rejected any suggestion the latest incident exposed a revolt among his players.
When asked whether he had lost the dressing room following Brisbane’s dramatic fall from premiers to a likely bottom-three finish, the coach responded: ‘You ask them.’
‘I love coaching this team and they know that,’ he added.
The controversy comes amid conflicting accounts about how Reynolds’ immediate retirement was decided.
Reynolds initially said Brisbane’s medical staff had determined he should not play against Melbourne, before later insisting the final decision had been his.
Maguire said the 36-year-old remained under consideration until telling him on Monday night that his body could not continue.
‘He basically said to me, ‘I think it’s time, Madge’, and I respect that,’ Maguire said.
‘In my eyes, I was going to give him every opportunity to try and get there, but it came to a point on Monday night where he said, ‘I’m done’.’
Reynolds will be honoured during Thursday’s final home match despite not taking the field.
Walsh is already sidelined following ankle surgery and will also miss Australia’s World Cup campaign beginning in October.
