NEWS Reynolds says players ‘blind-sided’ as Broncos split with coach Kevin Walters

The Brisbane Broncos have parted ways with coach Kevin Walters just 12 months after he took the club to a grand final.

The Broncos held an end-of-season review before the decision was made to end Walters’ contract, effective immediately.

Sources with knowledge of the situation, talking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the situation, said the decision was made via a mutual agreement between the Broncos and Walters.

“Aside from playing here, it’s been the greatest thrill and honour of my life to have coached the Broncos,” Walters said in a Broncos statement.

“Coaching in the NRL takes a toll, not just on the coach but also their family – it’s time for me to step away and spend some quality time with my loved ones, who have supported me all the way over the last four years.

“I’m grateful to the club for providing me with the opportunity to be head coach, and we have come a long way from the wooden spoon to last year’s run to the grand final.

“I wish the team and the club all the best.”

Broncos captain Adam Reynolds, who was lured to the Queensland capital by Walters, said the players were “blind-sided”, and learned about the news via the media.

“We were as surprised as anyone when the news broke – we still haven’t heard anything official,” Reynolds told this masthead late Thursday.

“Kevvie is one of the main reasons I came to the club. I’m naturally disappointed. I have a lot of respect for him. I don’t know what else to say until the club communicates with us.

“We’re all trying to find out what’s going on. He’s a great coach and I love his coaching style. It’s been a tough year. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong.

“We lost four players from last year’s grand final, and me, Reece [Walsh] and Payne [Haas] have been out for long periods this year. Myself and Ezra [Mam] only played a handful of games together this year.

“I’ve tried reaching out to Kev. I feel for him.”

Reynolds enters his final year at the club in 2025, and knew there was pressure on everyone, including Walters, to start well in the opening eight weeks.

Walters, a five-time premiership winner with the Broncos and former captain with 241 games as a player, took over as coach at the end of 2020.

He coached 99 NRL games - winning 50 of them - making him the third longest-serving coach the club has had.

“We owe a debt of gratitude to Kevin, for the enormous role he’s played as head coach over the past four years,” Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy said.

“Kevin put his heart and soul into the club during his time as coach. He is one of the most passionate people you will ever meet when it comes to the Broncos and that helped lift us out of a really difficult time.

“While we will miss Kev and his infectious personality on a daily basis, we certainly don’t want one of the Broncos favourite sons not to stay involved with our great club.”

Walters’ only finals appearance came last season when he led the Broncos within minutes of a premiership, before being run down by Nathan Cleary and the Panthers.

The Broncos failed to return to those lofty heights in 2024 and finished the season in 12th position. That forced the club into a major review of the football department.

Brisbane favourite Ben Te’o and former Parramatta Eels interim coach Trent Barrett had been brought to the club to be Walters’ assistants for next season.

Potential options for the top job in Brisbane include Queensland State of Origin assistant coach Josh Hannay, who missed out on the Eels job that went to Jason Ryles.

NSW State of Origin coach Michael Maguire, who previously applied for the Broncos job, is also expected to be one of the leading contenders given his achievements for the Blues this year.

Queensland State of Origin coach Billy Slater has previously indicated that he is not interested in becoming an NRL head coach. The Broncos may try to tempt him to reconsider.

Ex-Eels coach Brad Arthur has signed a one-year deal with Leeds in the Super League for next year, but could also become a potential replacement candidate.

Other coaches with NRL experience include Jason Demetriou and Justin Holbrook.

Sydney Morning Herald

 

[Tmac]

For all those praising this move just remember how the last time we got a coach in who didn’t give a stuff about the broncos culture went? He literally burnt the whole place down and did the unthinkable and we won the spoon.

It took Walter’s to come in and restore a lot of that and he 100 per cent has earnt the right to fix the issues next year.

This whole thing just screams west tiger type mismanagement . We’re we will be bouncing from coach to coach for years while our board get off Scott free.

Hope I’m wrong but I really do see this setting back the club for years to come .

Maybe the issue is that the Broncos culture is not what it used to be and it needs changing.

The task was beyond Seibold and Walters for various reasons one of which was they both lacked the authority as junior coaches to get the best out of the playing group albeit in challenging circumstances. Unfortunately for Kevvie he did absolutely nothing this year to give anyone any confidence going into 2025 so his axing was always a possibility.

It’s hard to see us going with another junior coach given our recent experiences. I’ve never been a Madge fan for the same reasons outlined by 1910 but at least he would bring some credibility and authority given he’s won a premiership, Origin series, and was successful coaching the Kiwis. Given the candidates available we could do worse.

 

[jd87]

Maybe the issue is that the Broncos culture is not what it used to be and it needs changing.

The task was beyond Seibold and Walters for various reasons one of which was they both lacked the authority as junior coaches to get the best out of the playing group albeit in challenging circumstances. Unfortunately for Kevvie he did absolutely nothing this year to give anyone any confidence going into 2025 so his axing was always a possibility.

It’s hard to see us going with another junior coach given our recent experiences. I’ve never been a Madge fan for the same reasons outlined by 1910 but at least he would bring some credibility and authority given he’s won a premiership, Origin series, and was successful coaching the Kiwis. Given the candidates available we could do worse.

We were the laughing stock of the league before Walter’s. He came in and improved us every year and got us within 5 minutes of the whole thing. Yes this year has been shit and not aceptable but surely he earnt right to rectify it next year.

It’s a terrible look for the club and it’s all on the board who will just hide from the media and bury there heads.

But hey at least the courier mail got the news first befor even the fucking players. That alone should tell you were the priorities are and u can bet it would deter players signing with us in future

 

[mitch222]

Can’t wait to hear fro Tallis today in the media.
I dare say Kev will leak things through him, might get juicy.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens with a few players, who I can see may leverage off this to explore other options.

Surely it’s Madge first, daylight second.
I’d be reaching out to Bellamy and offering a ridiculous offer to try and get him back here again, but we know that won’t happen.
I cannot see the club going down the path of a rookie head coach again.

This club sure knows how to destroy a head coach.

Tallis wont need Kev to leak info to him. He will unload on the club ten fold.
There is a strong possibility we may have a NSW captain and coach of the club and the old boys will blast the club every chance they get. **** even Webcke fired the first shot this morning at the idea of appoint Maguire as coach.

 

[McHunt]

We were the laughing stock of the league before Walter’s. He came in and improved us every year and got us within 5 minutes of the whole thing. Yes this year has been shit and not aceptable but surely he earnt right to rectify it next year.

It’s a terrible look for the club and it’s all on the board who will just hide from the media and bury there heads.

But hey at least the courier mail got the news first befor even the fucking players. That alone should tell you were the priorities are and u can bet it would deter players signing with us in future

We don't really know how or when this went down. We don't know how the press got the OK to release the news, only that the press ARE the board.

It's fair to presume Kevvie was pushed in some way, and has been allowed the dignity of "stepping down." We are treating this as Kevvie got the boot, and then it immediately appeared in the press seconds later. That's unlikely to be the case.

We also don't know if Kevvie wanted to tell the players himself, or if Donuts had planned to ring them all personally or whatever. The players are currently on holidays. They are all over the world, probably. They couldn't bring them all together in a circle and make a single announcement.

It's not a great look this morning, but it's not as bad as the cliched "full support of the board" we always suffer in these circumstances. We'll have forgotten it in 24 hours.

 

[Gaz]

For all those praising this move just remember how the last time we got a coach in who didn’t give a stuff about the broncos culture went? He literally burnt the whole place down and did the unthinkable and we won the spoon.

It took Walter’s to come in and restore a lot of that and he 100 per cent has earnt the right to fix the issues next year.

This whole thing just screams west tiger type mismanagement . We’re we will be bouncing from coach to coach for years while our board get off Scott free.

Hope I’m wrong but I really do see this setting back the club for years to come .

Was set back when they employed Kevin. Knew he couldn’t coach but thought he’d get the culture right. Took a punt on the coaching bit with lots of performance clauses and monetary terms to cover their arses. Got the culture bit right but coaching KPI's went through the basement. Had to happen and now is the right time line to set up for next year. Fingers crossed.

 

[jd87]

We don't really know how or when this went down. We don't know how the press got the OK to release the news, only that the press ARE the board.

It's fair to presume Kevvie was pushed in some way, and has been allowed the dignity of "stepping down." We are treating this as Kevvie got the boot, and then it immediately appeared in the press seconds later. That's unlikely to be the case.

We also don't know if Kevvie wanted to tell the players himself, or if Donuts had planned to ring them all personally or whatever. The players are currently on holidays. They are all over the world, probably. They couldn't bring them all together in a circle and make a single announcement.

It's not a great look this morning, but it's not as bad as the cliched "full support of the board" we always suffer in these circumstances. We'll have forgotten it in 24 hours.

Man your making a lot of what if assumptions to defend the board. Make any excuses you want only incompetant boards have massive news like this happen and not even inform the players .

It should never happen . Full stop

 

[McHunt]

Man your making a lot of what if assumptions to defend the board. Make any excuses you want only incompetant boards have massive news like this happen and not even inform the players .

It should never happen . Full stop

I'm not the one making assumptions. I'm saying I don't know the sequence of events.

What I find more amazing is there wasn't a whiff of this up until last night.

 

[McHunt]

Was set back when they employed Kevin. Knew he couldn’t coach but thought he’d get the culture right. Took a punt on the coaching bit with lots of performance clauses and monetary terms to cover their arses. Got the culture bit right but coaching KPI's went through the basement. Had to happen and now is the right time line to set up for next year. Fingers crossed.

Yes, Kevvie lasted longer than most of us expected he would. He looked dead in the water at the end of 2022, which ended much the same as 2024. 2023 was the outlier.

 

[abashii]

For all those praising this move just remember how the last time we got a coach in who didn’t give a stuff about the broncos culture went? He literally burnt the whole place down and did the unthinkable and we won the spoon.

It took Walter’s to come in and restore a lot of that and he 100 per cent has earnt the right to fix the issues next year.

This whole thing just screams west tiger type mismanagement . We’re we will be bouncing from coach to coach for years while our board get off Scott free.

Hope I’m wrong but I really do see this setting back the club for years to come .

I'm with you on most of this. Kevvie did a hell of a job restoring a club that Pies destroyed, and between last year's results and the fact we had our two key spine players in Reyno and Walsh starting together for 8 games (and only staying on the field for the majority of the game in 6 of those) along with all the other injuries and bullshit of this season I think he should have been allowed 2025 to turn it around.

However, aside from the short leak I think even though it's possibly the wrong decision it's been done the right way. Instead of the awful drawn out saga of when they got rid of Wayne, or the way JD and Brad Arthur were in limbo forever it's been quickly done and dropped at a time to minimise media coverage and let whoever the new coach is come in nice and early for next season so Big Dick Dave at least got that bit right.

Fingers crossed they'll get his replacement right as well, and to be honest I think whoever comes in after Kevvie is going to have a way better time of things than Kevvie did cleaning up after the Pies debacle.

 

[Kaz]

Imagine not telling the fucking players first.

Seems like Kev released it, before the players were told.

The players review is what got him sacked. lol

 

[Bull Shark]

Tallis wont need Kev to leak info to him. He will unload on the club ten fold.
There is a strong possibility we may have a NSW captain and coach of the club and the old boys will blast the club every chance they get. **** even Webcke fired the first shot this morning at the idea of appoint Maguire as coach.

It’s time for the club to ignore that noise and just make decisions for the greater good..

There’s a reason these screeching old boys aren’t running football clubs

 

[Kaz]

For all those praising this move just remember how the last time we got a coach in who didn’t give a stuff about the broncos culture went? He literally burnt the whole place down and did the unthinkable and we won the spoon.

It took Walter’s to come in and restore a lot of that and he 100 per cent has earnt the right to fix the issues next year.

This whole thing just screams west tiger type mismanagement . We’re we will be bouncing from coach to coach for years while our board get off Scott free.

Hope I’m wrong but I really do see this setting back the club for years to come .

Kevvie should have been hired to restore the Broncos culture etc, not as coach.

 

[Tmac]

We were the laughing stock of the league before Walter’s. He came in and improved us every year and got us within 5 minutes of the whole thing. Yes this year has been shit and not aceptable but surely he earnt right to rectify it next year.

It’s a terrible look for the club and it’s all on the board who will just hide from the media and bury there heads.

But hey at least the courier mail got the news first befor even the fucking players. That alone should tell you were the priorities are and u can bet it would deter players signing with us in future

The problem is that we're back to being the laughing stock. They team as well as individual players went backwards this year under Kev. Anyone who watched his cringe-worthy post match pressers could see that he was clueless about how to fix the problems - he pretty much admitted it. He needed to give the fans and management something to indicate better things ahead in 2025 but gave absolutely zilch.

We've gone from a team that players might come to us for unders after last year's GF to a team players will steer clear off because we're a shambles. There is zero chance any club in Australia and probably England would consider Kev for a head coaching position in the future.

The board has done the right thing in moving him on. They can't control who leaks the news to the press, and they can't tell the players before the tell the coach. I doubt that many players would have been surprised anyway because it was likely their feedback to the review that influenced the decision. At least the board agreed with you on one thing which is that 'this year has been shit and not acceptable', and they decided to do something about

 

[McHunt]

However, aside from the short leak I think even though it's possibly the wrong decision it's been done the right way. Instead of the awful drawn out saga of when they got rid of Wayne, or the way JD and Brad Arthur were in limbo forever it's been quickly done and dropped at a time to minimise media coverage and let whoever the new coach is come in nice and early for next season so Big Dick Dave at least got that bit right.

100%. I was expecting six months of shitty take downs in the Courier Mail.

Band-aid off. Board takes a week or two of kneejerk flak for not being touchy-feely about it with the players and fans. Done. Take the criticism on the chin. Move on.

 

[Bucking Beads]

It’s time for the club to ignore that noise and just make decisions for the greater good..

There’s a reason these screeching old boys aren’t running football clubs

Can we get a new chairman of the board before we start making decisions.

 

[McHunt]

I'm with you on most of this. Kevvie did a hell of a job restoring a club that Pies destroyed,

That's how it looked at the beginning of 2023, but at the end of 2023, I'm not sure whether this is true. By the end of the season it was obvious the coach was not able to control the team. They either weren't listening to him or his coaching sucked. He kept telling us it was the former, but if that were true then so was the latter.

 

[McHunt]

Oates:

“From what I know, no one really knew. These decisions, I guess, aren’t made by the players, all this stuff is made above us by the people higher up in the board. We never sat down and had a meeting. There’s nothing that has been said in our group chat with players having meetings. But look, I don’t think it’s ever made by the players, to be honest. It’s always made from the above, from the people that run the club and control the club, us as players, we have to go out there and just do our job each week and train and play, and that’s what we have to do and that’s what we all stick to.”​

​

“I don’t really want to look. I was really shocked, because you got to sort of feel for Kevvie and his family and sort of what he’s probably had to go through in the last 12 hours, it’d honestly be really hard.”​

​

“I honestly thought that they probably would have given him next year, that’s my honest opinion, I really did, so, I believe it probably is a harsh part call.”​

​

“Going into these holidays I’m probably going to keep it the same, I’m just really enjoying the holidays before I make any decisions."​

 

[Kaz]

If Kev released his sacking, before the players were told, it's a dog act & means he doesn't love the club as much as he says he does.

As he would have known the media would say it's a bad look etc.