Queensland coach Kevin Walters puts NRL ambitions on hold for at least two years

BYPASSED in favour of Anthony Siebold in coaching negotiations at the Broncos, Kevin Walters says he as ‘moved on’ from the issue of coaching his old club.

Walters again missed out on the Broncos job. AAP Image/Jono Searle.

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KEVIN Walters has put on the shelf for the bulk of two years any ambitions to coach an NRL club after his disappointments at the Broncos

Walters says he wants to concentrate on existing jobs with the QRL and Fox Sports and felt he had become “caught up’’ too much in the machinations about whether he would be appointed coach of his old club for the 2020 season.

Walters, one of three coaches interviewed for the Broncos head coach job and bypassed in favour of Anthony Seibold, said he had “moved on’’ from the issue of coaching his old club.

“The Broncos have made a decision - I’m fortunate I have probably the best job in the world, caching Queensland in State of Origin,’’ said Walters, who is contracted to the end of 2020 to coach Queensland.

Walters again missed out on the Broncos job. AAP Image/Jono Searle.

“It’s a really special job I’ve got and I feel privileged to be in the position of coaching the Maroons.’’

Asked if he would consider the right NRL head coach job despite his Broncos disappointments, Walters said: “I’m going to take a little step back from all that and really focus on the Origin.

“I got caught up in all of that about going back to Broncos and it didn’t helped me in any way. I’m going to really focus on the Origin preparation, my work at Fox Sports (as a commentator) that’s my big challenge.

Will Walters ever get his chance at a first grade job? AAP Image/Glenn Hunt.

“Whatever comes around after that in a couple of years, well you never know, do you?’’

The 2017 Origin series winner declined to answer if he had come out of the process with a clear view of what the Broncos committee wanted from a head coach.

Walters was speaking in Bundaberg, where the QRL announced a three-year, front-of-jersey sponsorship for the Maroons with Auswide Bank.

The three-year sponsorship period with the Bundaberg-based bank is welcome security and continuity for the QRL.

Walters said Queensland had not been far away from winning the 2018 series, which went 2-1 to NSW.

“This year’s series loss was extremely disappointing. It was my first series loss as a coach,’’ he said.

Walters wants to focus on his mission with Queensland. AAP Image/Joe Castro.

“I want to do everything I can before the first game on June 5 to rectify and improve myself as a coach so it can filter through to the players and we get a good result.

“It’s a big advantage to have our first game at home. Having said that, we had our first game at home in 2017 and lost quite convincingly (before winning the next two matches). We have to make sure it’s an advantage for us.’’

The second Origin game in 2019 is in Perth and the third encounter in Sydney.

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