Kevin Walters has coached the Brisbane Broncos for a total of five first-grade games.
Is he a better choice than Anthony Seibold? For sure. Absolutely.
Seibold’s appointment as coach of the Brisbane Broncos was a massive mistake. The club has never been on the bottom of the ladder and he was directly responsible for them taking the wooden spoon in 2020. The data is in: it was a disaster.
He also was the recipient of a massive payout when his position was terminated. Was he pushed or did he fall? The writing was surely on the wall. His resignation was certainly well received and it was accepted.
The damage was done. He had lost the dressing room, the fans and even the confidence of the board. It will be a long time before he is coaching again. It will never again be at the Broncos.
Reportedly he had a complex coaching technique. Similar to American gridiron, there was an attacking play for every part of the field. The players were willing but disoriented and disillusioned with the detail.
Walters has a much simpler coaching style. The players understand what their role is and he has worked extremely hard to make each player know their role and collectively as a team they engage his style and it is evident the team enjoys his passion.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Five games into his NRL coaching career, Walters is on the cusp of making some hard decisions in team selection. It’s well noted that the halves are not up to the standard required. There are some decisions to be made in the coming rounds.
He has an outstanding resume as a player with six premierships. He has been an assistant coach at the Storm, as well as head coach of the Catalan Dragons in the Super League and the Ipswich Jets in the Queensland Cup. He has also been the Queensland State of Origin coach and has enjoyed great success.
So the runs are not yet on the board. Let’s not forget Walters inherited the team who won the wooden spoon in 2020. There were few additions to the roster in 2021 so the players themselves must grow and lift in order to get the results.
There are some very positive signs for the Broncos. Xavier Coates is a young gun. He is very athletic, has speed to burn and is great under the high ball. He has played just 20 first-grade games and is only 20 years of age.
Herbie Farnworth is also an exciting young prospect. An English import, he is extremely quick and can turn nothing into something and regularly makes good metres. The 21-year-old has played 25 games.
Jake Turpin has put on some size during the off-season. I have been impressed by his defence in 2021. He puts his body in front of attacking players and also gives great service from dummy half. He is a real emerging talent that doesn’t get much of a mention in a losing team. The 24-year-old has had only 28 appearances.
Payne Haas has been touted as a future superstar. He is deceptively quick for a big man. He is strong in attack and defence and has a speedy play the ball. He regularly bends the opposition defensive line back and has plenty of post-contact metres. The 21-year-old has played 43 games.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Kotoni Staggs is another emerging talent. Currently rehabilitating an ACL rupture, the team can’t wait to have this damaging ball runner back. He has a powerful swerve and shrugs off would-be tacklers at ease. He has been unearthed as a potential five-eighth. This 22-year-old has played 47 games for the Broncos.
Jordan Riki is 21, Jamayne Isaako is 24, Tevita Pangai is 25, and Thomas Flegler is 21. They are all quality players that can be moulded into a real force.
This illustrates the youth and the talent the Brisbane Broncos have on the books. If they can retain the best of the young talent and continue to develop their skills and attitude, there is a lot of upside.
The 2022 Broncos team will have some new names and faces. The recruitment of two key players could be the difference in making finals footy going forward.
The coach will be into his second season and will be much better for it. He will continue to surround himself with outstanding coaching staff and key figures in the Broncos’ history in order to develop a winning culture.
Crow
Roar Pro
Hi Andrew. I still feel positive about the Broncos future. Do you have any new reflections. Like I said. Two key signings could put the team in finals contention. Well Reynolds and Capewell could be a positive influence.
mushi
Roar Guru
I do wonder who runs the legal department at the roar
BrianK
Roar Rookie
Those two key players are?
Crow
Roar Pro
Oh yes I am so disgruntled about Fifita. We lost a champion. He was so good on the weekend for the Titans. Walker is another story. He might be the face of a new team in South East Queensland.
Crow
Roar Pro
As it says in your profile. “Mick hasn’t published any posts yet”. You have however posted non constructive criticism of those who have. You have been exposed.
Crow
Roar Pro
Mick, Trolling is not constructive. I note you have not written an article. I guess your not capable of putting together an informative view. If you want to spend your time dogging others in your comments then you will be exposed as a no hit wonder. Wake up an smell the coffee.
Ghosthound
Roar Rookie
That simply isn’t true, Penrith have a young side, but their key position players are older and have more experience in terms of games played.
Nico
Roar Rookie
Seibold coming to the Broncs in '19 was an awful call on so many levels. Given the dumpster fire that Bennett's exit from the club was, Walters could've been the ideal person to unite the club at the time. His job would've been a whole different story - he would've inherited a side that finished 2 points off a minor premiership, had a functional (and relatively successful) halves pairing of Milford and Nikorima, and a balance of youth and experienced players who were still putting in - Minor tweaks vs embedded systemic issues the club now faces. Seibold on the other hand could've taken Souths even further than prelim final if he had decided to have a second year with a settled squad, and at the very least still probably a first grade coach
MUCK
Guest
Two good signings , hmmm how about Fafita and Walker ... wait what...
Luke S
Roar Rookie
In the first 8 rounds of the 2021 season, the Broncos have or will play the Eels & Titans twice and the Storm, Rabbitohs and the Panthers, so that’s 7 out of 8 games against teams in the top 6! I don’t think any other team has such a terrible draw against the top teams (all of whom appear to be playing well this season) for the first third of the season and I think the Broncos have the worst draw of any NRL team for 2021! Such a bad draw is not the time when your team should be trying to figure out a halves combination and when those candidates are all running VERY hot & cold from week to week. No real consistency in the spine means the team is often going to be paralysed. Halves don’t know how long they’re going to be on the field or when they’ll get hooked, so they’re risk-averse and not building the confidence needed to develop & implement plays. Middles get injured or suspended (or in Haas’s case, get sanctioned out for the first few rounds of the season for very poor off field behaviour), so they aren’t getting consistent game time to develop their endurance or to experience being a part of whatever plays are actually getting implemented. They need wins to build self-confidence but that isn’t going to happen when you’re playing the top 6 week-in, week-out! St George got to start their season against teams in the bottom 8 or fringe top 8 teams and those achievable wins appear to be giving them the self-confidence to play consistent football. So, there a lot of things that are making 2021 a difficult season and allowances need to be made to Walters and the team for those things. Having said those things, it is kinda dispiriting for the fans at the moment but, as long as we don’t get the spoon again there is, literally, nowhere to go but up! GO BRONCOS!!!
Max power
Guest
Thanks for telling him the truth Mick
Max power
Guest
Penrith are a much younger side , not a problem for them
Lieutenant
Roar Rookie
Totally agree with you Crow!
mick
Roar Rookie
i thought it was constructive , your articale is really just a load of bronx bias , lol walters reocord as a coach is crap , seilbold was the scappegoat for a undeporforming rabble the whole joint is rotten from top to bottom , get use to it
Monorchid
Roar Rookie
Good evening JA. Bennett definitely played for Brisbane Souths. And yes, he played on the wing and, like most older men whose mind wanders, I'm not sure that he played full back on occasions. But I think I saw him play in that position a couple of times at Davies Park which was Souths' home ground near Montague Road, South Brisbane. It would have been a little strange if Bennett had not played for South Brisbane in those days. Bennett was a police officer, and quite a number of policemen played their Rugby League with Souths. I recall the ground as being a pleasant place to view an afternoon's football. It was near the Brisbane River with quite large trees around the ground. It suffered from not having a decent grandstand though.
Lance Boil
Roar Rookie
So come back in couple of years they should be right then!
Emcie
Roar Guru
He was asking stupid money though
kk
Roar Pro
Agreed, BD. Just finished watching his powerhouse display at CBus. He is the equivalent of two men on the paddock.
Crow
Roar Pro
Indeed. Let’s Go Bronco. Onward and upwards please. Like I say, two good signings and the Broncos are back in business. The Bulldogs have just signed Reece Walsh and he has been released. The Broncs decided not to take a player in return. They now have on place in the top 30 squad a available.
Crow
Roar Pro
There is no doubt three old heads would make a difference to this side. In days gone by there were a number of experienced players as well as some youth. During the origin period the representative players were replaced with the Baby Broncos. They always aimed up.