NRL 2021: Brisbane Broncos can learn from the success of Lions and Chris Fagan in the AFL

It’s been a torrid year for Kevin Walters and his Broncos, but there’s one man in Brisbane that the first-year coach should be looking to for inspiration.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MAY 22: Broncos head coach Kevin Walters looks on during the round 11 NRL match between the Sydney Roosters and the Brisbane Broncos at Sydney Cricket Ground, on May 22, 2021, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Kevin Walters this week takes on his mentor Wayne Bennett but a man across the river in a different code could be his inspiration in a treacherous year.

Chris Fagan celebrates his 100th game in charge of the Brisbane Lions club this week as the club sets course for its third consecutive top four finish in the AFL competition.

But the years which relate to Broncos coach Walters came before that when Fagan won five matches in each of his first two years.

The Broncos won three last season and have that many wins again in Walters first year.

Fagan felt the gnawing pangs of self doubt during those two lean years but doggedly stuck to a plan to try and show faith to promising players who ended up repaying the confidence by blossoming into club anchormen.

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Chris Fagan has turned it all around for the Lions across town. Picture: Getty Images

“The first two years I had this plan in my head of everything I had learned over 20 years in the industry and I was sticking with it,’’ Fagan told News Corp last week.

“I was wondering whether it would work but I kept hearing people say you are better to stick with a plan than keep changing it. Fortunately we started to get going.’’

Fagan and Walters were both late starters as first grade coaches with the Lions mentor starting at 55 and Walters 53. Both had long apprenticeships.

But where Fagan had a plan and stuck to it Walters is still searching for that sweet spot.

The Broncos have had seven halves combinations in their opening 14 games.

The additional challenge for Walters is that he is trying to reconcile the past and plan for the future while succeeding in the present and the three variables are bouncing off each other.

Coach Kevin Walters is still searching for success at the Brisbane Broncos.

Every coach is a prisoner of the deals done by the one before him and part of the Broncos salary cap is paid to Jack Bird who left Brisbane to play for the Dragons while other players have expensive deals which are lead weights on the salary cap.

Just as the past compromises the present at the Broncos so does the future.

You cannot blame the Broncos for trying to be aggressive in the player market but it may come at a cost to team morale.

Hooker Jake Turpin was captain of the Broncos a few weeks ago but now he is dealing with the fact that the club are close to signing Canberra rake Josh Hodgson.

What will that mean for Turpin next season?

These are challenging times but the Lions have proved that a bit of faith aligned to small, steady improvements, compassionate coaching and decent recruiting can raise a sinking ship.

But it’s a complex jigsaw that is hard to get right.