NRL 2021: New Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy reveals the positives and negatives of a club in turmoil
The wheels have come loose at the Broncos with staff sackings and reports of player unrest. New club chief executive Dave Donaghy opens up to Peter Badel on Brisbane’s week from hell.
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The Broncos are a club in crisis following the sacking of two staff and reports of player unrest with coach Kevin Walters.
Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy has conducted a review of the club and he discusses Brisbane’s week from hell with Peter Badel.
Why make the changes mid season?
Change is always difficult. There’s never really a good time. We could have waited until the end of the season, but we decided we needed to make some hard decisions now to put the necessary foundations in place for the future. It’s fair to staff as well. There’s not going to be wholesale changes, the group has a season to refocus on and we have a business to run.
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What did your review find?
I’ve been here for seven weeks now and I’ve looked across the entire business. It’s a great business with enormous potential. There are a lot of good people working really hard, every day, but there are some clear structural deficiencies across the club, we need to invest in those areas and football is the priority. We’re setting ourselves up for growth and to deliver and implement a longer-term plan, which will provide real focus for our people. It’s been a tough period for staff and players. Covid had a big impact on our club last year, you can’t underestimate that.
Is there a cultural issue at the Broncos?
As I said, there’s a lot of good people at the Broncos working really hard. But we’ve got our gaps, like every club does, so we need to be honest about those and where we are and address them. Nobody likes losing games of footy, that always impacts mood. But it won’t always be like that. I certainly think we can be even more connected as a club and that will be a priority goal. I said when I started that if we genuinely wanted sustainable success, we can’t go chasing a sugar hit and I still believe that.
Why was head of football Peter Nolan let go?
Pete’s a good guy, he’s worked tirelessly for the club for a long time and I wish him all the very best. We’ll be catching up this week to necessitate a handover, he’s a professional. The role of General Manager in Football is often a thankless job, but it has also evolved in the modern game and our structure meant that role had too many functions, so structural change was required. It’s not a reflection of Pete.
Kevin Walters is a rookie NRL coach at the biggest brand in the game. Is he up to the job and could he be sacked?
No, he won’t be sacked. Kevin is up for the fight. Being a head coach in the NRL is a tough job. We’re going to make significant investment in our football program.
Players are complaining of a communication issue with Kevvie. Does he have a communication problem with the players?
There are always areas to improve, no matter where you are on the ladder. If there are communication challenges, they can be overcome by getting everyone together.
What have you ask Walters to do in relation to his coaching unit?
Kevin is assessing whether he needs additional resources in that area. He’s the coach, so that’s his call and we’ll support him here.
Why have you told Tevita Pangai Jr he is free to leave?
What we have done is provide Tevita with permission to speak to other clubs. That’s where it’s at. The question was asked about whether a request was made, would we grant it. After a lot of consideration, we have. We’ve been honest with Tevita. In an ideal world, these calls would be made post-season, but free agency in the NRL does not enable that.
Matt Lodge says he is being stuffed around by the Broncos. What’s your side of the story?
From my perspective, there’s been almost daily discussions with Matthew’s management, if not more, over the past few months.
Chairman Karl Morris says Walters needs to be given more resources. Why wasn’t he given that when he started last November?
I can’t speak to that, I started in May. There’s been an opportunity to look at the program now and we will prioritise investment where required in consultation with Kevin and the football staff. Kevin will tell me what he needs.
Which positions are your priority recruitment targets?
There are clear priorities — the spine, leadership and experience to complement our existing squad is at the top of that group. Adam Reynolds was a good start and we’ve got some great talent under contract for next year, but we’ll be looking to add some pieces to the roster still.
How does the club allow Walters to hire his brother Steve and look to sign his son Billy. Does that smack of nepotism?
There was a thorough process in place for Steve’s role and he was the best available candidate. Steve has been a great addition to the club, he’s a tireless worker. He was the long-term football manager for the Maroons. Is it any different to Craig and Aaron Bellamy, or Paul and Geordie Bunn at Storm, or Brad and Jake Arthur at the Eels?
What qualities will you look for in a new GM?
We’ll go to market and identify the best candidates. It’s an incredibly important role for the club. They will need to be a strong leader of both people and culture and play a key role alongside Kevin, too.
What do you say to concerned Broncos fans?
We hear you. We’re being honest about where we are right now. There have been some challenging times and we’re grateful for your support. When it turns, we’ll enjoy it even more.
Do you believe the rebuild will see you genuinely in finals contention next year?
That is one of our goals.
How Kevvie plans to bring threat of unrest to an end
Broncos coach Kevin Walters has conceded several of his key players are unhappy and will hold a clear the air meeting with the entire squad when they return from a break.
News Corp revealed on Sunday that Walters faced a player uprising after increased disenchantment among the squad as prop Matt Lodge admitted to being “confused’’ by mixed messages.
“We may have some players who are unhappy with the situation at the moment – Matt Lodge and Tevita Pangai, both unfortunately, because of our salary cap, can look at other clubs,’’ Walters told Triple M.
“The players have six days off and when they return I will address it. I don’t see a problem, but I will talk to the players and bring it to a close. I will keep things open and honest.’’
Walters denied any knowledge of a player revolt, defended his communication skills, which were privately questioned by some players, and stood by the decision to give Lodge permission to negotiate with other clubs.
As Lodge is on a hefty long-term contract, his release would allow Broncos extra funds to beef-up their spine.
“One of my key assets as a coach is my relationship with players. I sat down with Matt and we were very honest and open with each other. I like what he is doing as a player. He has been one of our best this year, but unfortunately we need funds to strengthen up our spine.’’
Walters accepted responsibility for the failure of the Broncos game plan and said while the axings of list manager Peter Nolan and performance boss Andrew Croll were “stressful’’ for all involved, the landslide loss to the Rabbitohs on Thursday demanded instant action.
“Two really good people have lost their jobs as a result of where we sit on that ladder and that was very stressful to say goodbye.
“But I just feel if we keep doing what we are doing nothing will change. From last year’s squad, Andrew McCullough, Jack Bird, David Fifita and Kotoni Staggs has not laced on a boot this season.
“I felt on Thursday night we had to make some changes effective immediately.
“We haven’t got our game style right and I take responsibility for that. Certainly some of the key goals we set the targets have not been hit.’’
“We have been criticised for playing too many halves, but we have 32 players in the squad and I have given everyone an opportunity to show us and the fans what they can do. We have used more players than any other club.
“The chopping and change is a direct result of performances not being at a level which I think is sustainable. If you keep doing the same things over and over nothing is going to change.
“This is a camp which is not that happy given where we are at the table.’’
“It took six years from the 2015 grand final to put us in the position so it is not going to be fixed overnight.’’
Meanwhile, Broncos great Darren Lockyer said Brisbane is bracing itself for a “rough ride’’ over the next month as the winds of change continue to sweep through the club.
“There is a going to be a little bit of movement of staff and players and probably the next four to six weeks are still going to be a bit of a rough ride,’’ Lockyer told Channel 9.
Lockyer said the gap between the departure of former chief Paul White to the arrival of Donaghy had been costly for the club, which has won just three games and looks likely to receive its second consecutive wooden spoon.
“If you look at the last six to nine months, it was not ideal not having a Chief Executive. Dave Donaghy was the one selected and we had to wait for him to come to the club.
“He has had a look under the bonnet since he has been there and he is pretty keen to make some changes.
“It is obviously not where we want to be but we are letting Dave get on with business and do what he thinks he need to do at the club given he has come from the Storm and he knows what successful football clubs look like.’’
Players losing faith in ‘awkward, confusing’ Kevvie
– Peter Badel
Kevin Walters is facing a revolt at the Broncos with leading players struggling with the coach’s mixed messages and communication style.
The Sunday Mail can reveal the growing disenchantment at Red Hill, with an investigation uncovering dressing-room angst and concerns about Walters’ man management.
New Broncos boss Dave Donaghy has conducted a wide-ranging review of the club with two staffers, Peter Nolan and Andrew Croll, already sacked and pressure building on Walters to stop the rot at Red Hill.
Now the Broncos coach is facing a flashpoint with his players.
A News Corp probe found Walters to be “awkward” with his communication, vague and inconsistent in his messaging and is failing to give them the feedback they are craving to improve and flourish as NRL players.
The revelations underline the tension at Red Hill and the delicate battle ahead for Walters, who must juggle an unhappy dressing room with the pressures of rebuilding a glamour club that does not accept incessant failure.
Broncos chairman Karl Morris insists the club board is backing Walters, who is contracted until the end of next season.
But unless Walters can strike harmony with his most important commodity – his players – the Broncos will face a greater pain than dismissing Anthony Seibold … sacking a club legend in Kevvie.
With his happy-go-lucky demeanour and salt-of-the-earth touch from Ipswich, Walters was regarded as the passionate Queenslander who could harmonise a fractured club when he succeeded Seibold last October.
After all, Walters had bled for the Broncos. He helped win five of the club’s six titles.
The 241-game legend had simpatico with the Broncos DNA. He talked the talk. He vowed to bring unity after the Red Hill civil war with Wayne Bennett and the Seibold disaster.
Instead, Walters is now confronting his worst nightmare … disunity.
The Broncos have won four of their last 33 games for an embarrassing 12 per cent success rate. While Broncos players are naturally frustrated with the club’s on-field decay, they are equally alarmed at Walters’ inner-sanctum dealings.
While Seibold was criticised for overloading Broncos players with intricate game plans, Walters has left several top-liners confused and clouded by poor attention to detail, sloppy training methods and what they perceive as shallow feedback.
One player recently asked one of Walters’ assistants to approach the head coach on his behalf to pass on some information.
“I find him awkward to talk to,” the player told the staffer.
“I don’t know how to communicate with him.”
The blurred lines of communication began to emerge in the final weeks of pre-season, when Walters was preparing to unveil his first team for the premiership opener against Parramatta on Friday, March 12 at Suncorp Stadium.
Privately, Walters had decided Corey Oates and Tom Dearden would not play round one. He would name them for feeder-club Souths Logan in their final pre-season trial against Redcliffe at Brandon Park on Saturday, March 6.
There was just one problem. Walters didn’t communicate the decision to Oates.
So you can imagine the Origin star’s shock when Souths Logan coach Steve Bretherton called Oates to touch base ahead of the Redcliffe trial.
Oates, a 156-game NRL veteran, asked Bretherton why he was calling.
The Souths Logan coach advised Oates he would be playing for the Magpies.
Oates was filthy. He then confronted Walters, who told the winger it was never easy to digest such disappointing news.
Walters had missed the point. It was the communication delivery, and lack of transparency, that had Oates scratching his head.
Kevin Walters refuses to answer questions about Payne Haas, Paul Green and Andrew McCullough before walking out of a press conference. #NRL@couriermailhttps://t.co/qEnzxFLNab
— Travis Meyn (@travismeyn) February 4, 2021
Even publicly, in his dealings with the media, Walters has talked in riddles, attempted diversionary spin and dabbled in deception over team selections and contract matters.
On February 11, he denied reports Andrew McCullough was set to be released to the Dragons.
“I want to keep him here this season, he’s a Broncos legend,” Walters said.
Four days later, the Dragons revealed McCullough’s signing, an announcement they could only make after Walters, as Broncos coach, agreed to a release.
Twenty-four hours before Brisbane’s 40-6 loss to Melbourne on April 2, Walters fronted a press conference and made it clear underfire halfback Brodie Croft would start the game. He said Tom Dearden would be in the 17.
“At this stage he (Dearden) will be on the bench,” Walters told the press conference.
Maybe it was an April Fool’s joke.
By kick-off, Dearden was starting.
Croft, in the No. 7 jumper, was dropped to the bench.
Internally, Walters has created a powderkeg with players with constant chopping-and-changing of his team, which has bred insecurity, and inadequate feedback, which has triggered increasing frustration.
Walters has fielded seven halves combinations this season.
One of those playmakers, Dearden, quit the Broncos a fortnight ago and signed a three-year deal with the Cowboys after his management failed to get clarity from Brisbane chiefs about his future.
At least twice this season, Oates requested a meeting with Walters to ask for specific areas of improvement to fight his way back into the NRL.
He left the meetings dissatisfied after being simply told to “keep playing good football”.
Oates is not the only player to have digested what they perceive as generalised, superficial feedback.
Albert Kelly and TC Robati have celebrated remarkable debuts this season for varying reasons. Kelly is 30 and returned this season on a train-and-trial deal from England.
He dropped 10kg to prove his NRL worth.
Robati is a 19-year-old who has enjoyed a meteoric rise at Wynnum Manly.
Almost every sporting club in the country now celebrates a player’s debut in a special way.
A coach will call a debutant into his office to relay the good news man-to-man before making a team announcement.
Many clubs film footage of an emotional debutant breaking down and trumpet it on social media.
Robati and Kelly found out about one of the biggest moments of their lives when Walters read his weekly line-up out at a team meeting. Kelly was shocked. There was no one-on-one celebration or personal touch from the coach.
The moment for Walters to connect with one of his men had been lost.
Several of the club’s forwards have complained they are not getting enough feedback from Walters.
They have asked for more game analysis.
One leading player has questioned Walters as to why Brisbane haven’t worked on “defensive mapping”, a system by which a team maintains its line to ensure the integrity of their defence, which ultimately gets pressure-tested in an NRL game.
Intriguingly, the Broncos have the worst defence in the league, having leaked 482 points at an average of 32 per game.
Defenders of Walters say the Broncos coach is taking on too much at Red Hill.
Brisbane’s review found his coaching unit under-resourced and Broncos boss Donaghy will provide additional funding for Walters to hire a third assistant immediately to join John Cartwright and Terry Matterson.
Walters has inherited a salary-cap mess. Instead of focusing on football and planning sessions, he has been sidetracked having to attend to other areas of the Broncos business, including crunching salary-cap numbers.
For the first seven months of his tenure, Walters had no chief executive to preside over the front-office.
There is a view that rebuilding the Broncos, one of the most scrutinised clubs in Australian sport, is a job too onerous for a rookie NRL coach like Walters. He disputes that suggestion.
“I’m up for the fight,” he said.
“Everyone is under review, including myself.
“Of course I have (had enough). Everyone has. If we don’t change things, they’re going to stay the same. What’s going to change?”
Donaghy, who took office on May 1, pledged to address “communication challenges” to ensure Walters finishes the season strongly as a launchpad for a finals fightback in 2022.
“There are always areas to improve, no matter where you are on the ladder,” he said.
“If there are communication challenges, they can be overcome by getting everyone together.”
Chairman Morris is aware of Brisbane’s internal issues and downplays talk of Walters’ potential sacking, insisting the Broncos coach needs more support.
“I don’t want to talk about individuals in this (review), except to say Kevin Walters has the full support of the board,” Morris said.
“Dave Donaghy is looking at how best to strengthen what Kevin needs around him.
“Dave has come from a high-performance environment at the Storm and he knows what successful structures are.
“We will put some proper structures around Kevin.”
Ultimately, no amount of structure or money will save Walters if he can’t strike a chord with his players and provide assurances Broncos stars can improve on his watch.
Walters’ challenge, and the tension at the Broncos, is perfectly summed up by his one-time mentor Bennett, who once said: “You can’t sack 17 players … but you can sack one coach.”
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