Kevin Walters to return as halves coach for 2018

[Morkel]

*scratches head* Don't Wayne and Kevie hate each other though? Tallis (@Morkel) to confirm.

Pretty obvious isn't it? The Broncos have lost all faith in Bennett with his inability to bring the trophy home despite all the advantages of repeat 7-day Friday turnarounds. He's lost all his pulling power, as evidenced by not being able to lure Ash Taylor back. Taylor doesn't want to play under Bennett, it's as simple as that, and would prefer a club with a strong culture and upward projection like the Titans.

The only danger is that Bennett will white-ant Walters and the club like he did with the Broncos last time through discarding club legends like Petero and setting up Henjak for the failure. As well as the Dragons and Knights, where he's left them far worse off than when he started there. Bennett doesn't want others to succeed at posts that he has previously held, and the Broncos would do well to get rid of him sooner rather than later.

 

[Harry Sack]

Pretty obvious isn't it? The Broncos have lost all faith in Bennett with his inability to bring the trophy home despite all the advantages of repeat 7-day Friday turnarounds. He's lost all his pulling power, as evidenced by not being able to lure Ash Taylor back. Taylor doesn't want to play under Bennett, it's as simple as that, and would prefer a club with a strong culture and upward projection like the Titans.

The only danger is that Bennett will white-ant Walters and the club like he did with the Broncos last time through discarding club legends like Petero and setting up Henjak for the failure. As well as the Dragons and Knights, where he's left them far worse off than when he started there. Bennett doesn't want others to succeed at posts that he has previously held, and the Broncos would do well to get rid of him sooner rather than later.

Award earned haha. You don't disappoint.

Sent from my SM-G935F using BroncosHQ mobile app

 

[Broncs_Fan]

Pretty obvious isn't it? The Broncos have lost all faith in Bennett with his inability to bring the trophy home despite all the advantages of repeat 7-day Friday turnarounds. He's lost all his pulling power, as evidenced by not being able to lure Ash Taylor back. Taylor doesn't want to play under Bennett, it's as simple as that, and would prefer a club with a strong culture and upward projection like the Titans.

The only danger is that Bennett will white-ant Walters and the club like he did with the Broncos last time through discarding club legends like Petero and setting up Henjak for the failure. As well as the Dragons and Knights, where he's left them far worse off than when he started there. Bennett doesn't want others to succeed at posts that he has previously held, and the Broncos would do well to get rid of him sooner rather than later.

I know this is a joke but there is an element of truth in some of what you've said anyway. Not everything, but some of it.

 

[Morkel]

I know this is a joke but there is an element of truth in some of what you've said anyway. Not everything, but some of it.

The best lies contain an element of truth.

 

[Broncs_Fan]

I definitely think Bennett moves other coaches on - under the guise of getting experience in another system - to ensure it's always reasonably new people around him. In the aim of maintaining his power and position and eliminating any potential threats to that. Just my opinion though.

 

[pagey]

I definitely think Bennett moves other coaches on - under the guise of getting experience in another system - to ensure it's always reasonably new people around him. In the aim of maintaining his power and position and eliminating any potential threats to that. Just my opinion though.

Assistant coachs always move on , you might say for new blood and enthusiasm.

 

[Scorchie]

Win. Thumbs up!

 

[Sproj]

Award earned haha. You don't disappoint.

Sent from my SM-G935F using BroncosHQ mobile app

Where is your award winning signature?

 

[Harry Sack]

Where is your award winning signature?

Good point

 

[Porthoz]

Winning!

Now get Taylor here, and we could be in for a decade of dominance, a la Storm, but (hopefully) with more titles, as well as less grubbery and cheating.

 

[Kimlo]

Happy.

 

[Super Freak]

Kevin Walters back at Broncos: Analysis of Maroons coach’s return to Red Hill

TRAVIS MEYN, The Courier-Mail
October 23, 2017

KEVIN Walters will return to the Broncos next season as an assistant coach to Wayne Bennett.

Walters has had two stints under Bennett as a coach. He was sacked by Bennett in 2005 before returning in 2015, helping Brisbane to the NRL grand final.

Walters moved on to the Queensland Origin coaching gig in 2016 and has won his two series in charge, proving to Bennett he is capable of juggling both jobs.

Here are five burning questions about Walters’ return to the Broncos.

Can Walters and Bennett work together?

Make no mistake about it — there has been friction between Walters and Bennett in the past.

Walters was keen to return to the Broncos last season after serving one year as Maroons coach full-time but Bennett blocked the move.

They also had a battle over Anthony Milford’s availability for this year’s State of Origin series.

Walters is one of the game’s most-loved characters but is the Broncos coaches box big enough for two big personalities like him and Bennett?

We will soon find out.

What will Walters do?

Bennett, a seven-time NRL premiership winner, brought Jason Demetriou on board as his sole assistant this year and seemed to find success.

Demetriou was responsible for tinkering with Brisbane’s attack and producing a style of play which would allow the Broncos to be competitive despite having a smaller forward pack than most rivals.

Demetriou will remain at the Broncos in 2018 after missing out on the Titans head coaching role and will have to work in with Walters.

Walters, a former five-eighth, had success mentoring Broncos halves Anthony Milford and Ben Hunt during Brisbane’s grand final charge in 2015.

He is likely to take up a similar mentoring role with Brisbane’s key playmakers but with his Origin experience under his belt expect Walters to have a more far reaching impact on the club.

Is Walters the next head coach of the Brisbane Broncos?

Walters must surely be the favourite to succeed Bennett when the super coach finally decides to give up the game.

Bennett will be 69 when his current deal expires in 2019 and the Broncos must now begin succession planning.

It took Brisbane years to overcome the retirement of Darren Lockyer in 2011 and it is arguable they are still coming to terms with losing such a huge figure within the club.

Walters has publicly declared he wants to coach the Broncos one day.

He opted out of pursuing the vacant Titans job recently and after turning 50 last week, time is running out for him to reach his goal.

The next two years will decide whether Walters ever coaches the Broncos.

Don’t rule highly-successful Cowboys coach Paul Green out of contention either in a few years.

Will Walters be the secret to the Broncos snapping their 11-year premiership drought?

The Broncos have not won an NRL title since 2006 and the closest they have come to snapping that drought was in 2015 when Walters was last at the club.

Brisbane went within a few seconds of beating the Cowboys in the famous first all-Queensland decider and things could have been a lot different if they had hung on for victory.

The ingredients for a premiership are at Red Hill. They just need the right combination to mould them into a title-winning outfit.

Can Walters solve the problems within Brisbane’s misfiring playmakers?

The Broncos suffered in the finals on the back of injuries and their key playmakers failing to produce in clutch moments.

Halfback Ben Hunt (Dragons) has left the club and there will be huge pressure on five-eighth Anthony Milford to fire when he becomes a $1 million-a-season player next year.

Milford and Kodi Nikorima will need to lift their game for the Broncos to be premiership contenders and Walters could be the man to nurture them.

He was one of the game’s best shot-callers in his playing days and his influence around Brisbane’s scrumbase cannot be a bad thing.

Source: Courier Mail

 

[cakeGG]

Thank ****. Now we're finally a chance at a title. Hopefully Milf now snaps out of it and we use Roberts a lot more in every game.

Oh and lol@Tallis.

 

[Foordy]

everyone seems so sure that Walters is not only guaranteed to succeed Bennett, but also that he will be an instant success.

his results as a head coach at club level have been underwhelming at best.

If he even gets the job when Bennett retires. in the article Bennett praised both Walters and JD. Besides Bennett may not even get a say in his replacement. assuming we even try another rookie coach (we have seen how that has worked out in the past)

Should he get the job, of course i hope he is an instant success, but it is by no means a sure thing and I don't think his Origin success can be used as a bench mark for him as a coach.

 

[Super Freak]

How Kevin Walters reignited stuttering coaching career to take place as next Broncos coach

October 23, 2017

LIKE Steven Bradbury in Salt Lake City in 2002, Kevin Walters has struck gold.

Walters was literally the “last man standing” in 2016 when the Maroons needed to replace Kangaroos-bound Mal Meninga after he smashed every Origin coaching record imaginable between 2006-2015 — including an unprecedented eight series winning streak.

The QRL today confirmed Walters had been extended as Maroons coach through 2020, while the Broncos have announced he will return to the club as an assistant coach next season.

Walters was last choice for the Queensland Origin job in 2016 after the Cowboys blocked Paul Green’s path.

Now, after successive series’ wins, the recently turned 50-year-old’s coaching future looks as bright as Bradbury’s Olympic gold medal.

Walters could have walked into the recently filled coaching role at the Titans, less than 100 kilometres down the M1.

But he has always coveted the top job at the Broncos.

Bennett sacked him as an assistant at Red Hill 12 years ago and despite persistent reports of continued friction between the pair it’s understood the super coach fully supports his return as his eventual replacement.

Walters has chased an NRL post for several years having had stints at Brisbane and Melbourne — even travelling to France to help rescue the sinking Super League Catalans Dragons in 2009.

But Brisbane have always been the top of his list.

Queensland’s chairman of selectors and a former Broncos captain Gene Miles said Walters deserved to end up at Red Hill.

“Coming in on the back of the big guy (Mal Meniga), the pressure he was under, it was never going to be easy for him,” Miles told foxsports.com.

“Kevvie calls himself the Bradbury of State of Origin because he was the last man standing basically.”

The QRL board wanted 2015 premiership coach Green at the time and had signed off on him.

“To be honest Kev was the last man standing and to his credit, he swallowed his pride and grabbed the opportunity knowing the pressure would be on him.

“When he made the call to suspend several players (Anthony Milford, Dane Gagai, Dylan Napa, Ben Hunt, Cameron Munster, Valentine Holmes, Edrick Lee, Chris Grevsmuhl) for camp breaches it could have been a quick end to his Origin career had Queensland not won the 2016 series.

“What it showed though was he was made of pretty tough stuff and any player he coached had to respect the jumper they wore.

“I think that helped his cause because he made it clear to everyone he would not tolerate any dickheads.”

“There’s no doubt Walters could have walked into the NRL at the Titans but he knows he wants to be at the Broncos.

“He knows the culture and the structure of the place and to be fair, it is a place he probably deserves to coach at and wants coach at.

“Wayne (Bennett) and Kevvie have obviously had their differences over the years but it seems Wayne has invited him back with open arms and he was never going to knock back the opportunity to return to the club he loves.

“I’m sure Kevvie sees himself being up to that role now after his Origin success.

“It looks a natural transition for him and a good move my Brisbane.”

When this reporter spoke to Broncos chief executive Paul While last month about a coaching succession plan for Bennett he was not prepared to give too much away.

White has always been protective of his players and his coaching staff.

He avoids doing interviews or commenting about them whenever possible.

“The one thing Wayne (Bennett) doesn’t need this week is me talking about him, if you understand where I am coming from,” White said at the time.

White and his board copped some criticism, mostly from south of the border, when it decided to bring Bennett back to the club in 2015.

The club had wobbled along under the fiery Ivan Henjak and then Anthony “Hook” Griffin — both of whom struggled under the weight of Bennett’s previous achievements (six premierships).

White though has the benefit of hindsight when it comes to Bennett’s unique qualities as a person, a mentor and a rugby league coach.

He knew the club was in good shape internally but needed someone like Bennett back to make the big calls.

Bennett only left the club he set up because he felt there were people working against him for personal gain.

He told this reporter once during a chat he wasn’t sure if he could return to Red Hill to coach the Broncos.

“Why would I put myself through all that again,” he said.

Why?

Because he set the guidelines, he created the club’s culture and he turned men into champions and players wanted to play for him.

That’s why White insisted Bennett had to be lured back.

“I had the benefit of knowing Wayne for a long period of time,” White said.

“He was my sergeant at the Brisbane Police Academy when I left home at 18.

“I’ve known him all my professional life and I knew he would bring a steady hand to the club if we got him back.”

White was one of Griffin’s best supporters but when it came to making the coaching decision Bennett was always going to get the nod.

“Wayne is very strong and honest with the players he let go and from my point of view that is what we needed,” White said.

Source: Fox Sports

 

[Thelmus]

From reading the article, JD is still in line, in bennet's view to succeed him, and its up to Walters to throw his cards on the table. I get the impression, Walters was more of a club hiring than a Bennet decision, but he must have OK'd it or he wouldn't be there. For what its worth if he can get our halves to work, he'd be worth a head coach's salary. Bennet for all his talent (and I do consider him the greatest coach of rugby league and one of sport's greatest mentors) struggled to get halves of a top tier developed (Lockyer the exception). Most came gifted, and lent on others inside the coaching staff to succeed (Langer had lewis and Redonikus, Lockyer had Langer and walters etc.) Problem is no half is ever the same player and all our good and great ones are very different. Lockyer, Langer and Walters are all very different players. Milford is different again (a strong runner with good vision but ordinary kicking skills). Knik a good runner with average vision and poorer kicking. Both need all the help they can get.

 

[heartly87]

This as important as any player signing. Walters can get our halfs believing in themselves and playing to their best.

 

[1910]

Kevvie’s first day back is next Thursday.