They have endured some of their most turbulent seasons in the club’s history recently, as each month brought a new scandal or hardship. But in the form of new Brisbane CEO Dave Donaghy, the Broncos finally appear to be facing an era of stability. Read Part III of the Broken Broncos series below.
NEW BRISBANE CHIEF executive Dave Donaghy has outlined his vision to reprise the club’s glory days, pledging to give coach Kevin Walters the support he needs to haul the Broncos out of the darkest crisis in their history.
In his first interview as Brisbane CEO, Donaghy declared he has the “energy” to take on one of the toughest jobs in Australian sport as pressure builds on the Broncos to break their 15-year premiership drought.
Having closed the door on a turbulent legal wrangle with the Storm, the former Melbourne boss now confronts arguably the biggest challenge of his career – propelling the battling Broncos from the NRL outhouse to the penthouse.
Donaghy walked into opulent Brisbane’s $27 million facility on Saturday for his first day on the job. The rebuilding mission is gargantuan.
The 38-year-old is acutely aware of the criticism and has vowed to put Brisbane’s entire organisation under the microscope in the quest for the club’s seventh premiership.
“I’ve got some strong views on what it takes to build a successful club,” said Donaghy, who won two premierships as Melbourne CEO during his five-year reign.
“I am aware of the expectations internally and externally. The Broncos are a huge brand and this is a big job.
“It is a huge honour to be CEO of the Broncos. There is no magic wand, but I have the energy for this job and I can’t wait to play my role in getting the Broncos back where they belong.”
THE CULTURE
DONAGHY is going from the best club of the past decade to a Broncos organisation ostensibly viewed as an administrative basketcase. They are the reigning wooden spooners. They have won three of their last 26 games.
A number of their players have been embroiled in off-field dramas.
Last year, the Broncos were fined a total of $140,000 by the NRL for a series of COVID breaches.
■ PART ONE: The shocking demise of a powerhouse
■ PART TWO: Inside the salary cap and contract bungles
There is a view the Broncos are devoid of leadership.
A proud Queenslander from Gladstone, Donaghy does not profess to be the Red Hill Messiah, but is determined to drive a collective cultural standard that underpins Brisbane’s fightback as a premiership powerhouse.
“I want the people involved in our club, and that includes our players, to get something out of being a Bronco,” he said.
“I don’t mean just by performance and trophies. I want them to grow as people.
“I can’t be critical of the past because I wasn’t there, but we should want to be a club that focuses on off-field growth as much as on-field growth.
“If we are making better people, we will make better players.”
THE OVERHAUL
SPECULATION is rife Donaghy will embark on a mass cleanout of the Broncos.
Members of Brisbane’s recruitment-and-retention committee are rumoured to be in the firing line.
The Broncos boss refused to buy into talk of sackings, instead taking a more holistic, considered view as he prepares to undertake a wide-ranging review of every facet of Brisbane’s $52 million empire.
“We need a plan,” Donaghy said.
REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU DO, YOU NEED DIRECTION AROUND WHERE YOU ARE GOING AS AN ORGANISATION AND I WILL BE MAKING THAT A PRIORITY
“The board has asked me to go in with a fresh set of eyes and have a look at what’s unfolded.
“I need to spend the first period of time gathering as much information as I can, seeing what works and where the improvements lie in the organisation.
“There is not a simple sugar-fix to make us feel good for a short period of time. That can only hurt us in the long run. We need a long-term strategy. I am keen to develop a blueprint and a strategic plan with existing staff that delivers sustainable success to the Broncos.”
THE CONTRACT BUNGLES
BRISBANE’s salary-cap is a mess. A slew of rich four-year deals, many laced with player options, coupled with an imbalance of youth and experience in Brisbane’s playing roster, has put enormous pressure on the club’s salary-cap position.
As a result, the Broncos have lost a plethora of young guns to other clubs, most recently David Fifita, Sam Walker and Reece Walsh.
Donaghy was at the coalface of the shrewd salary-cap juggling that won premierships at Melbourne. At the Broncos, he will be hands-on with how Brisbane spend their money and who they hire and fire.
“Managing a roster in the NRL is a science,” Donaghy said.
“It’s one of the most important parts of your business and given the impact it can have on your business, the CEO needs to be involved.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR ELITE PLAYERS STAY AT THE CLUB AND SEE A PATHWAY TO UNLOCK THEIR POTENTIAL AS NRL PLAYERS IN OUR SYSTEM
“I’m not sure the last time the Broncos would have had money to spend in the market.
“We need to make sure we are recruiting the right culture pit and players that don’t just fit short term, but fit long term and then keep those players in Broncos colours for a long time to come.
“Our cap has been slightly out of shape previously, but there’s some money available, so we need to invest that wisely.”
THE COACH
KEVIN Walters is a Broncos legend. As a player, he helped deliver five of Brisbane’s six titles. Now in his first season as a head coach, he has inherited a wooden-spoon team.
Walters has been under siege in recent months juggling salary-cap issues, contract talks and roster decisions while also trying to coach and re-educate a youthful roster carrying the scar tissue of their 2020 train wreck.
Walters is off-contract next season. A failed campaign this year puts him on shaky terrain, but Donaghy says the Broncos must provide the necessary support systems for Walters to flourish as a coach.
“I want to make sure Kevin Walters has everything he needs to be a successful head coach in the NRL,” he said.
“Kevin needs to be well supported and the football program must be well supported to compete with every team in the game.
MY COMMITMENT TO KEVVIE WILL BE TO ENSURE HE HAS ALL THE RESOURCES HE NEEDS TO BE SUCCESSFUL
“I want him to succeed and I want him to be a coach of the Broncos for a long time to come. He is one of the game’s great winners but he is also a first year NRL coach.
“By his own admission, he acknowledges he has a lot to learn and he is very keen and eager to do so. So we need to ensure we are putting the right support around Kevvie to give him every opportunity to succeed.”
THE OLD BOYS
BRISBANE’s vocal club legends are seen as a destabilising force at times.
Donaghy disputes this.
He has jumped on the front foot, meeting with several influential figures, including two of the club’s four founders Barry Maranta and Steve Williams.
“The Old Boys can play a really positive role,” Donaghy said.
“I caught up with Barry and Steve recently and their philosophy in the mid-to-late 80s still rings true now.
THEIR KNOWLEDGE IS REMARKABLE. WE SHOULD NEVER IGNORE THAT.
“I have spoken to a number of other past players, including Chris Johns (Old Boys chairman). Any sort of angst or concern or disappointment is a sign they genuinely care.
“They love the footy club and we have to make sure the Old Boys feel welcome and part of the footy club because they helped build it. That’s an important connection we need to strengthen.”
THE STORM
DONAGHY’s tenure in Melbourne ended in a contractual legal battle with the Storm chairman Matt Tripp, who tried to invoke a six-month non-compete clause. Donaghy insists he has smoked the peace pipe with the club.
“It was very public,” he said of the dispute.
“It wasn’t ideal, but I will always be grateful for the support the Storm gave me in my first job as CEO of an NRL club.
“I’ve had a beer with ‘Trippy’. He was like a big brother to me. Sometimes families have a blue and this is probably what it was.
BUT THERE’S NO ILL FEELING TOWARDS ANYONE AT THE STORM. I WISH THEM ALL THE BEST
“Melbourne are the benchmark organisation on and off the field and for every other club, that gives us something to aspire to.
“But you can’t copy and paste what works at one club and walk it into another. The Broncos have their own great brand and history.”
THE FIGHTBACK
ALMOST an entire generation of Queenslanders have not seen a Broncos premiership. Donaghy doesn’t possess a title-winning crystal ball, but he saw first-hand the power of premiership joy at the Storm. He knows Broncos people are thirsty for success.
“There is no reason why the Broncos can’t be the biggest, strongest and most successful sports club in Australia,” he said.
“I can’t sugarcoat where we are at but I want us to become the first NRL club with 50,000 members and reward our fans for their faith.
THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAN WINNING A PREMIERSHIP
“I never had the privilege to be there as a player so the closest I could get was as an administrator.
“When the players achieve their end goal of winning a premiership and you see it on their faces and you see the joy on the faces of your fans and members and sponsors, there is no greater satisfaction.
“I would love to see that feeling at the Broncos. I am keen to play my part to get us back to where the Broncos belong.”
Add your comment to this story
To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register
Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout
What Maguire, Broncos can learn from grand final masterclass
Michael Maguire was in the stands for Penrith’s epic grand final win. There was plenty for the new Broncos coach to ponder, writes ROBERT CRADDOCK.
Broncos’ Bellamy blunder: How Brisbane fumbled Bennett successor
It’s the sliding doors moment that cost Brisbane the signing of Craig Bellamy and put Melbourne on the path to a two-decade dynasty. See the inside story of how the Broncos botched their Wayne Bennett succession plan.