NRL fans fume over missed Reece Walsh act as Bennett rocked over 18th man drama

Yahoo

17 hours ago

South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett was left stunned after the Rabbitohs were forced to play the game against the Broncos without an 18th man due to injuries as Reece Walsh copped backlash for a questionable tackle late in the game. Bennett has never received the wooden spoon as a NRL coach throughout his illustrious career, but the Rabbitohs' injury toll is making it a very difficult task in 2025 with the side lining up against Michael Maguire's men with only 17 fit players.
Peter Mamouzelos was selected as 18th man, but was a late withdrawal after suffering from delayed concussion symptoms from his head knock two weeks ago. And this left the Rabbitohs struggling to field a full team and they were hammered 60-14 after Walsh and Kotoni Staggs led the Broncos riot.
Latrell Mitchell, Cameron Murray, Campbell Graham and Cody Walker are all out injured with a number of other stars missing in the squad. Bennett has been dealing with an extensive list of absentees all year and Mamouzelos' late withdrawal left him in a position he had never been before.
South Sydney had no one else they could place in the 18th man role with too many injuries in the squad leaving them depleted. Jamie Humphreys was also a late withdrawal due to concussion. To make matters worse for Bennett's side, they lost dummy-half Ryan Gray to a shoulder injury early in the match.
And Bennett was nearly lost for words having seen it all in his 38 year coaching career. "I haven't gone close to that," Bennett said post-match about playing with no 18th man.
"We had eight or nine at Redcliffe last year at one stage, but we're on 13 today. We didn't have an 18th man tonight. The 18th man pulled out before the game. (Mamouzelos) had headaches from concussion two weeks ago and he'd been cleared and passed all the tests but he still wasn't well. We made the decision before the game not to put him on the bench."
The Rabbitohs and Bennett have now lost nine straight games and are entrenched on the bottom of the ladder. He has never received a wooden spoon since starting coaching in the premiership competition in 1987.
With one bye still to go, the Rabbitohs face the Eels and Titans in their remaining fixtures. The Titans are also equal-last on the ladder on 16 points with a game against the Penrith Panthers this weekend. While their was no lack of effort from the Rabbitohs contingent in the 60-14 thrashing, they would have felt aggrieved after Walsh faced no sanction for a questionable tackle in the 70th minute.
Reece Walsh escaped penalty for questionable tackle
Walsh was instrumental in the 60-14 hammering having scored a try, provided three try assists and made a linebreak. Although it was a tackle in the 70th minute that had fans fuming. The Rabbitohs made a rare break down field after an intercept and Staggs chased down Bayleigh Bentley-Hape.
The Broncos were scrambling on the following play when Walsh got back into the line and delivered what looked like a shoulder charge on Tyrone Munro. "What is happening," Billy Slater said in Channel Nine commentary as the game continued.
And fans were left fuming at the incident. Amid the chaos and tired bodies, Walsh appeared to make little attempt to wrap his arms around Munro as he launched himself into the Rabbitohs back.
Fortunately for the Rabbitohs, Lachlan Hubner scored two plays later in a consolation try. But fans were left fuming Walsh escaped punishment, which followed Rabbitohs five-eighth Jack Wighton copping a four-game ban last week for a shoulder charge.
Fans could not believe the moment was let go without even a penalty. The Match Review Committee will have a chance to review the tackle - to see if there was anything in the tackle - and the game, before making a decision.
Reece Walsh gets away with an obvious shoulder charge. The guy is a protected species.#NRLBroncosSouths
— Laurence Pratt (@laurence_pratt) August 1, 2025
100% it was I don't know how it was missed
— Deni🐓 (@d_mcguiness08) August 1, 2025
So Walsh's shoulder charge goes unpunished?
— BulldogMike (@Olak1975) August 1, 2025
Shoulder charge by Reese Walsh @NRL I bet this is missed by the MRP.
— Ashley Warren (@Peanut87Butter) August 1, 2025