Two NRL stars have been separated by security following a heated exchange between the two on the Gold Coast Friday night.
Brisbane Broncos youngster Reece Walsh and Gold Coast Titans forward David Fifita came “toe to toe” according to The Daily Telegraph.
Security guards at the Pink Monkey Bar and Grill in Burleigh Heads separated the two men before Walsh was kicked out of the premises.
Watch every game LIVE & ad-break free during play is on FOX LEAGUE with Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
While no punches were thrown between the pair, those in attendance said the verbal jabs were flying as they went back and forth shouting for multiple minutes.
“I was at Pink Monkey and saw Dave Fifita and Reece Walsh have a go at each other,” one witness said to The Daily Telegraph.
“Fifita seemed pretty controlled after nearly a minute of heated conversation. Security stepped in. Walsh just backdoored it quick.”
Venue manager Rhys Osborne said: “I walked over to them and I said ‘Walshy, you go mate. Fifita, you sit down’ and then they just dispersed.
“Security walked Walsh out and it was fine. No one grabbed him, no one put hands on him — he walked himself out.
“Walsh just walked out. Fifita stayed sitting down and talking with his mates. And I just said to Fifita ‘Maybe after he’s gone, you head off too’.
The Titans said they were aware of the alleged incident, but further action is unlikely.
Queensland police said they had not received any official reports.
It’s not the first time Walsh has found himself in controversy on the Gold Coast.
In October 2021, he pleaded guilty to charges of possessing cocaine and contravening a move-on order at Surfers Paradise during an end-of-season night out.
The then-New Zealand Warriors star was slapped with a $400 fine and placed on a nine-month good behaviour bond. No conviction was recorded.
The NRL sanctioned Walsh with a two-game ban and a $5000 fine.
Fifita was fined $20,000 for breaching the NRL’s Alcohol Code of Conduct following an incident in December 2020.
The former Queensland forward was arrested and then released without charge after allegedly trespassing at a private home in Clear Island Waters on the Gold Coast.
Fifita was invited into the home but is said to have entered the wrong room, with others in the house reportedly calling the police.
In 2019, Fifita was forced to pay $30,000 in legal fees to secure his freedom from a Bali jail after he was arrested over an alleged incident involving a security guard outside a popular nightclub in Seminyak.
No charges were laid and he avoided sanction by the NRL.
