NEWS Walters' credibility past tipping point

In the aftermatch of a botched PR campaign responding to reports of "mixed messaging," beseiged Brisbane coach Kevin Walters is back on the grill for habitual backflipping and "blatant lying."






Brent Read says the Broncos will be chipping in close to $1.5 million to get Mathew Lodge off the books, 50% higher than earlier reports. Two days before, Walters said:

“Lodge will be staying here. We just need to get some security, some safety around the players on their futures and that’s the decision we’ve made. The uncertainty was probably one of the factors among the playing group and who’s staying, who’s going, so we put it in a basket and put it to the side. No one’s going anywhere, we’re going to finish the season in a positive note, in a good note, in a winning note.”

Dave Donaghy is now in damage control:

“Stability is important for our squad and our club but so too is making the right decisions for the long-term, and sometimes those decisions aren’t easy. There have been conversations since the back end of last year with regard to Matthew’s future at the club from both sides."

"There was no real viable option at any point up until the last 48 hours. Last week the guys had the bye with the rep weekend, they have all come back in and as all coaches do and should, Kevvie has wrapped an arm around his players and put a position forward based off the question he was asked which was absolutely accurate at that point."

“Following that there were a number of conversations that happened and changed the goalposts, which can often happen in rugby league happen quickly.”

McHunt

 

[McHunt]

The media can get fkd. Happens everyday in the NRL.
KW doesn't have to tell them when he last took a shit. For all we know, Ikin & Donuts could have done this as they're the one's now looking after the roster;
What about when the media blatantly lie? They seem to be able to get away with it, hypocrites.

Replace the word media with "fans," then read it out loud to yourself.

 

[McHunt]

I’m not angry at anyone, I don’t get this comment at all.

Hold that thought next time you post about refs, admin, Vlandy's, some other club, a player who's been caught with his pants down, a player who's leaving, a player who changes his mind, etc etc. You're like the hanging judge, mate.

I only point this out because you think I don't understand the media. Interesting observation.

 

[BroncsFan]

The exit door would be the next station.

Well it was for Seibold and could be for Kevvie, but I dont need the NSWRL media to tell me what I should be thinking

 

[Sproj]

Well it was for Seibold and could be for Kevvie, but I dont need the NSWRL media to tell me what I should be thinking

On that point, do you feel that Kevvie is handling things well?

 

[McHunt]

It's ok pete if you're a little butt hurt .

If I were the real "pete" I'd be better at predicting the future.

 

[BroncsFan]

On that point, do you feel that Kevvie is handling things well?

When he talks to the camera?? Nope

He was the same stuttering person when he commented on Fox before taking up the gig, so it should've been expected by all and sundry.

I suggested before he was hired that it may be his inability to coherently get across his point that has been holding him back from getting a coaching job (ie. he fails at the interviewing process).

But I understand he struggles in front of a camera, so it's what he says and does away from the camera that matters more to me... and we have no real evidence of what that is other than anecdotes from unnamed sources who could have ulterior motives behind what they anonymously leak to the media.

 

[McHunt]

I try to look beyond whatever narrative the media are spinning, because they have generally moved beyond reporting facts to the much easier "opinion pieces" and I dont believe they are qualified enough for their opinions to mean a whole lot given they have a requirement to generate interest and revenue for their boss... no issue with that everyone has to do it, but it doesnt mean i have to care or be persuaded to believe what they are spruiking

You have suggested that once you lose the media you generally lose your job as a coach (which is a line that has been played out on 360 over the last couple weeks, specific to Brisbane media)... so regardless of what happens now the media will be looking to white ant the coach, because they are sick of reporting on contradictions (likely because it brings their own credibility down).... so that would be the kind of narrative I look to avoid getting sucked into... and it would appear the media is looking to shift the blame to save face... "look people it's Kevvie that is all over the place... not us.... but also we're hearing that tigers are ready to table an offer to TPJ, but they weren't interested 2 days ago and may lose interest again tomorrow... at least according to my sauces".

Fox spend 90% their time "reporting" comments from their own commentators that have been televised on their own programs and the rest reporting rumours from "sources close to xyz" which is likely just repeating whatever a player manager wants them to report whether it's factual or not.

I like that you provide quotes of the article of which I can make my own opinion

It's a bit of a chicken/egg scenario when you've worked your team to the bottom of the table, halfway through the season. The media/fans have been hearing for weeks and weeks how you're turning things around, and well, you haven't, otherwise you wouldn't be here.

This is when coaches break. There's nothing they can say. No excuses they can make. And no guidebook how to handle it. The club's quickest fix is to find a new coach, blame it on you. And then the fans have their hope glass refilled. But we've just done that, and this coach was who we wanted.

The media has been soft on Kevvie, and they're still soft on him. He's not being called incompetent, well not yet, but he's on the way to earning that tag if this trajectory continues.

The current "agenda," as the foilhats like to call it, is to give him a serve about his public communication skills, something we can all see is lacking, and something that's part of the coaching toolbox these days. When we see the team is fractured and failing, when we see players being rotated for reasons we don't understand, and we see nothing is working, we look for reasons why.

If I were reporting on the Broncos and Kevvie right now, it would be a struggle to keep spinning the positive outlook. The best I could do is say we have two fringe representative players arriving next year, and not make a fuss about the ones we're losing, rejecting or got away. And that's most of what yesterday's press was about.

In exchange for spinning this rosy outlook, the least I would ask is a journalist is not to bullshit me, time and time again.

 

[McHunt]

When he talks to the camera?? Nope

He was the same stuttering person when he commented on Fox before taking up the gig, so it should've been expected by all and sundry.

I suggested before he was hired that it may be due to his inability to coherently get across his point that may have been holding him back from getting a coaching job (ie. he fails at the interviewing process).

But I understand he struggles in front of a camera, so it's what he says and does away from the camera that matters more to me... and we have no real evidence of what that is other than anecdotes from unnamed sources who could have ulterior motives behind what they anonymously leak to the media.

Did you think his commentary was insightful?

 

[BroncsFan]

Did you think his commentary was insightful?

Nope... doesnt mean he doesnt know what's going on. He just cant articulate it.

Same as Lockyer. He's horrendous at properly getting across what happens on the footy field, compared to say Joey, but we all know he was a supremely gifted and smart footy player.

 

[broncos4life]

Hold that thought next time you post about refs, admin, Vlandy's, some other club, a player who's been caught with his pants down, a player who's leaving, a player who changes his mind, etc etc. You're like the hanging judge, mate.

I only point this out because you think I don't understand the media. Interesting observation.

I still don't get what you're saying, I must be too dumb so I'll leave it at that.

 

[McHunt]

Nope... doesnt mean he doesnt know what's going on. He just cant articulate it.

Same as Lockyer. He's horrendous at properly getting across what happens on the footy field, compared to say Joey, but we all know he was a supremely gifted and smart footy player.

So, in summary, what clues do we have that he's the coach to take us to another premiership?

 

[broncos4life]

So, in summary, what clues do we have that he's the coach to take us to another premiership?

None and he won't be, who has suggested he is? We are so far away from being in the 8 let alone thinking about premierships we are probably 2 coaches from even thinking about premierships.

 

[BroncsFan]

So, in summary, what clues do we have that he's the coach to take us to another premiership?

I don't think I ever said that... I think you may find that I have mostly said Robinson is about the only coach that could turn this club around from where it currently is.

When Kevvie was first hired my opinion was that it was a needed appointment, because at that time we needed a coach that could come in and turn the culture around first and foremost... and to an extent I would say that the players are largely putting in more this year than they were last year.

However, I would also say that I've now seen this playing group largely fail to consistently execute a game plan under 4 coaches now (Bennett '18, Seibold, Gentle and Kevvie).... so maybe it's the complete lack of quality in the playing group that is largely an issue and no coach would be able to get this squad to a premiership.

The club is now in the process of trying to completely overhaul the roster, so I am willing to let things play out, see who the club can bring in and then reassess where I think we are heading as a team.

The media telling me about a player revolt and that unknown player x is pissed off about being dropped from the wooden spoon team and is unhappy about getting a tap on the shoulder... starts to reinforce to me that it is the playing group that is just shit rather than their narrative that the coach has to go and we need to jump back on the merry go round again for a 5th coach in 4yrs

 

[I bleed Maroon]

 

[Locky24]

Don’t let the door hit you on your way out Kev, Sick of all the lies he’s told, Can’t trust a single thing he says now, have lost all respect for him.

 

[the_next]

Replace the word media with "fans," then read it out loud to yourself.

Reads true also. You don’t think the fans have also been fkd over by this club? Look at the last 3yrs, nothings changed. We have been lied to on the daily.
Every year the ceo gets up there and tells us nothing but a top 4 finish is good enough.
then the club lets superstars walk, and fails to make the correct recruitment decisions.
This would have been a ploy from the club to get the Warriors to chip in as much $ as possible. I dare say the exact same thing will happen with TPJ very shortly.
And it’ll keep happening.
Bellamy has been telling the world he doesn’t know what he is doing next year, yet Coates goes down there to play under him for next year.
Unfortunately now it is just a business.

 

[teampjta]

But this is the thing that media defenders like McHunt don’t get,
even if he does that the media will just spin it to suit there agenda. If he says “I hope he will stay” the story just becomes that Kevvie has no say at the club, dead man walking etc. etc. People like Badel and Read are bottom feeding scumbags who don’t deserve employment, let alone defending.

double edge sword, damned if you damned if you don’t

 

[rnabokov]

Yeah Bennett would constantly bullshit but he’d do it with his trademark smirk and spoke with confidence. You trusted that he was playing the media for fools when needed. Kev seems to just ramble on.

if he is anything like that when not in front of the camera it would be a nightmare to judge where you stood or what was planned.

I do like Kev but I am concerned that his coaching ability or lack of, is somewhat masked by the fact he literally has no where further to fall.

Wayne has runs on the board, a reputation built on results over a long time . Kevvie has neither. As I see it, Kevvie's posturing arrogance in front of the media is just that, posturing, which seems to hide the fact that he really is out of his depth. One way out might be to tell the truth, as it is, unadorned, so that everyone knows where things stand with the team. Then he might earn some trust.

A few wins will also help