Three-word sledge that sparked Walsh-Hudson clash

Reece Walsh produced the best 15 minutes of any player this season to snatch an incredible 95th-minute victory over the Raiders and a spot in the prelims.

A Ben Hunt field goal ensured the Brisbane Broncos will host a preliminary final at Suncorp in two weeks time after a resounding 29-28 win.

But they face a nervous wait to see if the hero of the night Walsh will be free to play after he headbutted Hudson Young which resulting in both being sent to the sin bin.

As he left the field, Walsh flipped the bird towards Raiders fans.

After the match, Walsh jokingly revealed the three-word sledge from Young that had sparked the brain explosion.

“He called me a weak-gutted dog, so yeah it was a good battle out there and he is a top player and I love watching him play," he said afterwards.

The Raiders seemed on their way with fifteen minutes remaining in the game, up 18 points having scored twice while Walsh, Pat Carrigan, and Hudson Young were in the sin bin.

In the space of seven minutes after he returned from the sin-bin, Walsh had two try assists and a 40/20 to reduce the margin to two.

With no time left on the clock, Walsh attempted a two-point field goal but contact to the leg from Zac Hosking gave Walsh a penalty from right in front and he made no mistake.

The two sides continued to duke it out in the first 10 minutes of extra time, with Hudson Young keeping the Raiders alive with an incredible charge down, in what was the most likely chance from the passage.

Moving into golden point, Jamal Fogarty in the 92nd minute seemed to have sealed the contest with an incredible try off a Jed Stuart tap back.

However, upon deeper review, it was ruled Stuart knocked the ball on into Josiah Karapani, overturning the decision.

It presented Ben Hunt with the opportunity to seal it at the other end, and the 352-game veteran made no mistake, clipping the upright as the ball crossed.

In one of the most gruelling displays you’ll see, both teams were walking wounded by the end with players cramping and hobbling everywhere you look.

"We have prided ourselves in the last few weeks to never give up and just do what it takes," Walsh told SEN afterwards. "I've got so much love for these boys.

“They (Raiders players) were bloody giving it to me all night, so that’s rugby league.

"Never stop playing footy, we could have stopped playing our brand but it works.

"I'm so stoked that we did this. We have to get out bodies right, rest up."

The Broncos will also be sweating on the availability Pat Carrigan who was placed on report and sent to the sin bin in the 55th minute for high contact on Morgan Smithies.

The incident drew blood around the mouth of Smithies and immediately placed Carrigan in danger of a Grade 2 charge, which would see him cop a one match suspension and miss the Broncos’ sudden death semi-final against the Cronulla Sharks.

A Carrigan suspension would be devastating to the Broncos, after Payne Haas played most of the game on one leg after suffering an ankle injury.

Haas looked in considerable pain for the majority of the game, before he came from the field with 15 minutes to go, before returning and persevering through the extra time passage.

Walsh meanwhile will no doubt split opinion.

Raider coach, Ricky Stuart was in no doubt about how the officials handled the situation.

"It doesn't matter what I think about it," he said.

"They've set a precedent now, you're allowed to headbutt. If Joe (Tapine) or Hudson had used their head on Reece Walsh, what do you think would have happened to them?

"Let's not make it about that, it was a wonderful game of football, two very good footy teams … it was an unbelievable spectacle for rugby league.

"They got it 100 per cent wrong, but we shouldn't make it about that."

The Raiders will now take on the Cronulla Sharks in Canberra on Sunday, hoping to brush off the loss and bounce back.