Adam Reynolds and Patrick Carrigan speak out as Broncos' likely punishment revealed

Adam Reynolds and Patrick Carrigan are unlikely to be banned by the NRL integrity unit or the Brisbane Broncos, with the players addressing video of them in a public altercation on Tuesday. The vision came to light on Monday afternoon, and shows Reynolds and Carrigan tussling during a night out.

In the footage, a female at the scene can be heard calling out, "Adam ... Pat ... stop" as the players grab each other by their shirts and scuffle. According to reports, teammates Reece Walsh and Corey Oates were also in attendance and tried to break up the altercation - which occurred after a fan day at the club.

WOW: Luke Brooks turns heads in major statement at Sea Eagles

'TOO GOOD': Tristan Sailor puts NRL world on notice after stunning display

The club said in a statement on Monday evening: "The Broncos are looking into an incident involving some of its playing group in Brisbane City last night. 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."

Adam Reynolds and Patrick Carrigan address altercation

According to News Corp, the NRL is likely to fine the players rather than ban them. “I just want to take full responsibility for my actions,” Carrigan said on Tuesday morning. “It’s obviously not ideal behaviour that I’m proud of but as a club we’re moving forward and standing side-by-side with Adam. I won’t get into the ins and outs of it but Adam had my best interests at heart and it was clearly time for me to go home.

Reynolds added: “We’re embarrassed. We fully take ownership for what happened. We’re a really tight group. We understand it’s not a good look but we were there as mates.

“It started out as a playful fight and a little bit of wrestle that got a little bit heated but there was no one injured. We understand it’s not a good look in the public eye and we take ownership.”

Sunday marked a massive day for the Broncos, with thousands of fans turning out to meet the men's and women's squads - including Reynolds and Carrigan. Players went out afterwards for a social gathering, which is where the scuffle occurred.

Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy told the Nine Network the club was "disappointed" that the incident took place. "The players are aware of the professional standards we expect. Clearly that wasn't upheld in this instance," he said.

"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."

Kevin Walters says Reynolds and Carrigan won't be banned

Ben Dobbin reported on Triple M that Reynolds was attempting to get Carrigan into a taxi after a big day. “This is probably a very dark day for the Brisbane Broncos,” Dobbin said. “Thousands and thousands of children, men and women were at Red Hill for (the fan day).

“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.

“He (Reynolds) says he’s embarrassed, humiliated, he’s upset about the whole incident, wish it hadn’t happened. He was trying to get Patrick Carrigan into a cab.”

It's the second scuffle between Broncos players in the public eye in the last two years. Payne Haas and Albert Kelly were both suspended for one game following an incident in 2022.

But coach Kevin Walters says Reynolds and Carrigan won't get the same punishment. "We won't be suspending them," he said on Tuesday. "The NRL integrity unit is looking at all the vision and they'll be obviously doing some interviews. So it's out of our hands now and into theirs.

"I have walked in their shoes before. Sometimes it's not easy. Rugby league is a very competitive sport, lots of testosterone and boys like that have fun. They're not boys, they're men and wrestling. Obviously (it) got a bit out of hand, so it's disappointing, but it's not the end of the world, really."

Reynolds and Carrigan are senior leaders at the Broncos and vital cogs in their hopes of banishing last year's demons. Brisbane coughed up a 24-8 lead in the grand final to eventually lose 26-24 to the Panthers. The pair are expected to be among the key faces of the NRL in its push into Las Vegas and the USA. The Broncos will fly out next week for their March 2 season-opener against the Sydney Roosters at Allegiant Stadium.

with AAP

Sign up to our newsletter and score the biggest sport stories of the week.