Three years since Brisbane’s pristine training field was inundated with hundreds of wooden spoons, star centre Kotoni Staggs says the side’s NRL success in 2023 has been all about coach Kevin Walters.
Staggs will line up in the centres at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night in an NRL qualifying final against Melbourne for a Walters-coached side very few pundits predicted would finish second on the ladder.
The day after the season finished for the Broncos in 2020, when they came last for the first time, a club staffer picked up a plethora of wooden spoons someone had hurled on the training ground. They filled a rubbish bin to the brim.
Disgusted supporters dumped club shirts and other Broncos paraphernalia at the front door of headquarters.
As media gathered outside the building, including league legend and former Broncos captain Wally Lewis, one man walked up with a Brisbane jersey and hurled it onto the ground. Then, in the presence of the great ‘King’ Wally, he stomped on it and walked off.
Contrast that with Monday of this week, the day after the end of the regular season. There was a mood of optimism as key starting players Staggs, Ezra Mam, Kurt Capewell and Billy Walters engaged in media duties on the side of the training field with their eyes on the ultimate prize.
Staggs was there in 2020 in the bad times. He could have left the club the next year. He chose to stay.
The 24-year-old had interest from other clubs but in May of 2021 he re-signed with the Broncos until the end of 2025.
“I love this club. It has always been a club that I wanted to be a part of. I just knew that there were good things coming and I am glad I re-signed,” Staggs said.
“There are a few boys that have been through it all, and the season where we got the wooden spoon was tough.
“Kevvie is a legend at this club and it was just a matter of time before us boys got together and did what he wanted us to do.”
What Walters wanted them to do, when he took over as head coach in 2021, was improve their defence.
In 2020 they conceded an average of 31.2 points per game; they have brought that down to 17.7 this year. He also wanted the team to showcase their skill.
Patrick Carrigan. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
From electrifying fullback Reece Walsh right through to bench forwards such as the unsung Tyson Smoothy, the players have responded. All have improved.
Walters, who won five premierships as a player at the Broncos, has reinforced a mantra that when you play for Brisbane you play to win titles.
“We are all on board with it. In previous years I don’t think we took ownership,” Staggs said.
“We weren’t all on board. This year, having Kev and our new (coaching) staff we all know what we are doing and we all know our roles.
“We have still got things to do. I am looking forward to the next couple of weeks.”
Nat
Roar Guru
“Not on board” depends on which platform they positioned themselves. From the moment they sacked Bennett it was a club divided. Then Seibold steps in mouths off about Bennett as his first course of action putting a rift right through the playing group. The best signs of a dysfunctional club are media leaks and Brisbane were a sieve. A case not helped by having a coach and 8 players managed by one dodgy agent. Boyd didn’t want to play but didn’t want to quit, Milford decided he wasn’t going to run or tackle and some how TPJ and Lodge became the highest paid and leaders. The finish to this story was known before it played out. Before Kevvie gets all the plaudits though, Dave Donaghy came up from Melbourne and stopped the front office rot just about immediately. I would put that appointment down as the catalyst of this change before Kevvie took his position. The upside for Kevvie is much like that of Flanagan or Hasler, his team has obvious talent without direction. Kev has given the boys a plan and a game manager to enact it. Give them confidence and watch them run.
Robbo
Roar Rookie
I reckon it might work for State of Origin :stoked:
Robbo
Roar Rookie
Down to earth Queenslander
Stewy76
Roar Rookie
SSTID, I think you could add that he is the kind of guy that a player wants to win for!
andrew
Roar Rookie
I'll have to check my atlas.
CW Moss
Roar Rookie
Isn't The Storm kind of QLD?
andrew
Roar Rookie
I’ve been critical of Kevvie’s coaching in the past but he’s certainly turned the Broncos around. You’re spot on with his non management style speak, he tells it as it is minus the bs.
andrew
Roar Rookie
I was hoping a couple of months ago, with Saints no hope of a finals spot, that the Titans might make a charge. Well, it’s up to the Broncos to fly the flag for QLD. I think they’re the only team that can beat Penrith.
SSTID
Roar Rookie
I would say a few things about Kevvie. He is the only coach who doesn't speak in meaningless management speak (well maybe Ricky, but that is a different language). He is an honest and open book and is not afraid to say, in more specific detail, what his tactical intentions are going to be before the game and give an honest appraisal after the game. He is also not afraid to give liberal licence to his creative and talented players to play their own game. He is prepared to wear a few errors, if it means they also do the great things they can do more often than the errors they have in their games. That takes some guts in the cautious world of 1st grade coaching. It will be interesting to see if that continues on into the finals and Grand Final.