NRL 2021: Gorden Tallis settles feud with Broncos to support Kevin Walters

Just two years ago he was at war with the Broncos. Now former skipper Gorden Tallis is back to help after a 17-year absence.

AUGUST 27, 2000: Captain Kevin Walters (L) & Gorden Tallis lift trophy aloft at presentation after Brisbane defeated Sydney Roosters NRL Grand Final at Stadium Australia, Homebush, 27/08/00. Pic Phil Hillyard. Rugby League

Brisbane’s most outspoken legend Gorden Tallis has settled his feud with the Broncos, ending a 17-year absence from the club to support coach Kevin Walters in his quest to lead a Red Hill revolution.

On the eve of Friday night’s season opener against the Eels at Suncorp Stadium, Tallis opened up about his relationship with the Broncos and why he has buried a turbulent past to back Walters in his bid to snap a 15-year title drought.

Walters has spoken of his heartache at seeing a fractured Broncos and that was personified in Tallis, the champion back-rower who two years ago launched a savage attack on the club he once captained.

‘The Raging Bull’ unloaded on Broncos stars, slamming the culture of the current group, claiming they acted like rockstars who thought they “owned the town” despite having “won nothing”.

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New Broncos coach Kevin Walters (left) and Gorden Tallis celebrate Brisbane’s premiership win in 2000.

But with the Broncos at rock bottom after last year’s wooden-spoon finish, Walters reached out to smoke the peace-pipe with Tallis, who visited the club in pre-season to address the very group he condemned.

While he remains committed to the Titans as an ambassador, Tallis spoke of his passion for a Brisbane club with whom he won three premierships in a stellar 160-game career in Broncos colours.

“I‘ll be honest — it was a bit intimidating coming back,” said Tallis, who retired from the Broncos in 2004 and has delivered no-nonsense critiques of the NRL’s richest club in his role as a Fox Sports commentator.

“It’s been 20 years since I played for them so it’s been a long time away.

“It was good to be back. Their confidence was shattered last year and the best thing for ‘Kevvie’ is to get some belief back in the place.

“There is no bad blood at my end but when bad decisions are made at the Broncos, I’m entitled to an opinion just like all the fans.

“The fans kept asking me in the streets, ‘When will you go back to the Broncos?’ but I was never asked officially to visit the club until Kevvie reached out to me (in pre-season).

“Kevvie said to me he wanted the Broncos to find their DNA again.

“Kevvie asked if I could be there to help out with the players and I said, ‘Of course’ ... I would do anything for Kevvie to make the Broncos great again.”

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Gorden Tallis won three premierships with the Broncos before retiring in 2004. Picture: David Kapernick.

As part of his Red Hill return, Tallis faced up to the entire Broncos squad and pulled no punches.

“It was unacceptable last year where they finished, I told the group that and they should know that themselves,” he said.

“What I say on TV I am happy to say to their face.

“I get paid to give honest opinions on the Broncos and the players have to understand I have to call it as I see it.

“I was embarrassed last year a couple of times with their performances and they would have been embarrassed themselves.

“The truth hurts. I didn’t like when I was playing and an old player would come out and criticise us, but they would say it because they care, not because they don’t care.

“You can either live in bliss or you can face up to what you are doing wrong.

“I hope the players do well this year. I‘ve been critical of them in the past but they have every reason to succeed this year. They have a huge juggernaut behind them with one of the best training facilities in the game.

“Their gym is amazing. We trained out of a tin shed and won six premierships. They have no excuses.

“I won‘t be going into the Broncos every week because I’m a Titans ambassador and I’m committed to my duties with the Gold Coast.

“But I just want Kevvie to know I am here to support him and if he needs advice from me as a mate and a former Bronco, I will be there for him.”

Walters lauded the impact of Tallis on the playing group.

“We’ve had all the former captains come in and speak to the players,” he said.

“A lot of our current guys weren’t even born when the Broncos were formed.

“What’s more important now is their time in the jumper and how they want to leave the club when they do leave here.

“It’s a good reminder of what it takes to play for the Broncos.”

WHACK EM: WEBKE’S MESSAGE TO BRONCOS ENFORCERS

—Travis Meyn, Peter Badel

Broncos legend Shane Webcke has thrown down the gauntlet to Tevita Pangai Jr and Matt Lodge, urging Brisbane’s enforcers to smash Parramatta’s Origin stars and set the tone for a Red Hill revival.

The Broncos will kick-off their 2021 NRL redemption campaign at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night against an Eels side that has had the wood over Brisbane in recent years.

The Broncos collected last year’s wooden spoon following a disastrous season engulfed by scandal, poor performances and the sacking of coach Anthony Seibold.

Club legend Kevin Walters will make his NRL coaching debut against the Eels and all eyes will be on how the Broncos perform in the “Kevolution”.

For different reasons, Lodge and Pangai Jr were among many Broncos players to have forgettable 2020 campaigns.

Lodge was restricted to six games by a number of injuries while Pangai Jr was on the verge of being sacked, playing only nine matches before being stood down for the remainder of the season due to disciplinary issues.

In the absence of the suspended Payne Haas, the duo will start together in the front row against a Parramatta team boasting NSW Origin star forwards Junior Paulo, Nathan Brown and Reagan Campbell-Gillard.

A 254-game Broncos great, Webcke is regarded as one of the club’s best ever front rowers and issued Pangai Jr and Lodge a simple challenge.

Shane Webcke was one of the Broncos’ top props. Pic Peter Wallis

“Being a front rower is the easiest job on the field because all you’ve got to do is grab that ball at the right times and move forward,” he said.

“When the other team is running you make sure you gather your mates around you in the middle of the field and make sure they don’t go through you.

“Our game starts and ends with defence. If those two front rowers make a pact with themselves to be an impregnable fortress in the middle with our defence, we will win more games than we lose. It is that simple.

“Defence is the hardest part of the game. Where the game is won is up front and in the middle, predicated on how good your defence is.

“They need to keep it as simple as deciding ‘no one is coming through us easy this year’.

“Forget about what they can do with the footy. That doesn’t matter.

“They are all capable of whacking blokes and keeping them whacked. If they put that in their playbook as being the most important thing then we will win more than we lose.”

Tevita Pangai Junior and Matt Lodge are they key to Brisbane beating Parramatta. (AAP Image/Jono Searle)

The Eels are striving for four straight wins against the Broncos for the first time since 2000-01.

Parramatta inflicted a whopping 58-0 defeat, then a club record loss for Brisbane, on the Broncos in the 2019 finals series.

The Eels boast a red-hot team across the park and Webcke said a tough test first-up would show where Brisbane’s mindset is under Walters.

“You want a tough game to start the year and be tested,” he said.

“We don’t have to win, but you will quickly know what their attitude in defence is. If you looked at the Broncos last year, that’s where I found them utterly appalling and what transpired to soft missed tackles.

“If they keep that to a minimum and lose no-one will be worried. Everyone will see the improvement and think they’re back on track. I hope that is the mindset.

“We all love Kevvie being there, but it’s ridiculous if people think him being there is suddenly going to catapult us into the better end of the season and a grand final. That’s a ludicrous way to think.

“The problems that exist there haven’t happened overnight and won’t be fixed overnight. Some latitude is required.

“What they need is improvement for themselves and the long-suffering fans who have always been the best in the game. We owe them.”

Walters challenged his forwards to stand up against the Eels and said Brisbane’s bench could play a key role in the clash.

“It’s important for Lodgey and Tevita to aim up in midfield,” he said.

“I’m really happy with our forwards and the pack we are running out with. Even with our bench, Tom Flegler and John Asiata and Ethan Bullemor will get their opportunities. Ben Te’o has experience on the bench so I’m happy with our mix.

“The early games are traditionally won through the middle of the field and we are very stacked with the selection of our forwards in the middle.”