Brisbane Broncos head coach Kevin Walters has admitted that he’s been left disappointed at the criticism directed towards him and the club during the 2024 season but accepts the results have been far from ideal.
The Broncos entered the 2024 season with plenty of optimism following their Grand Final appearance the previous season but a combination of injuries, representative footy and poor form has resulted in Brisbane sitting outside the top eight with three matches remaining.
The Broncos remain a slim mathematical possibility but Walters conceded that the performance of the club doesn’t warrant a finals berth.
“I’m a realist and I understand the situation with Broncos fans and the media when we aren’t sitting in the eight,” Walters told SENQ.
“Are we happy with where we are sitting? No. We are trying our best to rectify the situation and get back on target.
‘We are in great hands with a good roster and good people who want success.
“We lost our best players over a six to seven week block midway through the season and that’s where we found it difficult this year.
“We didn’t have our captain in Adam Reynolds and we had a couple of other good players who weren’t available during injury which makes the well dry.
“It’s a critical part of the year in which you need to win games during that period to set up your end of the year.
“That’s an area where we failed because we didn’t get the wins on the board as opposed to last year.
“There must be a better solution there with the State of Origin.
"They’re not excuses but they are reasons as to why things haven’t gone exactly to plan.”
Whilst the Broncos remain without stars Ezra Mam, Payne Haas and Reece Walsh, the Broncos are buoyed by the return of winger Selwyn Cobbo for the must-win game against the Eels.
Walters said he’s excited to welcome Cobbo back after the 22-year-old revealed he was experiencing personal struggles off the field.
“He’s come back in great shape and he’s been going well at training,” Walters added.
“Cobbo has been through a bit in the last month but he seems to be on top of that at the moment.
“We haven’t seen him in a Broncos jumper for some weeks now so it will be good to see him back in a Broncos jumper.”
The Broncos host the Eels on Friday night at Suncorp Stadium.
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