Steve Kearney linked to a return to the Broncos to support Kevin Walters

Kevin Walters has completed a ‘Broncos Summit’ reviewing Brisbane’s failed season – now Brisbane bosses have given him support to add another key weapon to his staff.

NRL 2022 RD12 Brisbane Broncos v Gold Coast Titans – Kevin Walters Coach Press Conference Photo NRL photos

The Broncos have given high-level backing for coach Kevin Walters to target former Brisbane assistant Steve Kearney in the wake of his decision to quit the Melbourne Storm.

News Corp can reveal Brisbane officialdom are keen for Kearney to return to Red Hill to support Walters, who is under mounting pressure to break a Broncos premiership drought that extends to 17 years next season.

Kearney, who steered New Zealand to two major trophies, including the 2008 World Cup, will stand down as Craig Bellamy’s assistant at Melbourne at the end of November and return to his family in Brisbane.

That opens the door for the Broncos, whose bosses have vowed to give Walters every possible resource to reignite Brisbane as a finals force and deliver their first premiership since 2006.

Steve Kearney (right) and Kevin Walters were assistants to Wayne Bennett (left) in Brisbane’s charge to the 2015 grand final.

Walters completed a three-day ‘Broncos Summit’ on Friday where the coach and his staff conducted a forensic analysis of Brisbane’s late-season collapse this year and how they hit back to play finals in 2023.

Walters recently promoted former Queensland Origin hooker Matt Ballin following the termination of assistant Terry Matterson and it is understood he has one spot available on his coaching staff.

There is a push for Kearney to be the final piece in Brisbane’s coaching premiership puzzle.

The Kiwi Test great is highly regarded in the corridors of power at the Broncos. He had a four-season stint at the Broncos between 2013-16, first hired as an assistant by Anthony Griffin and later retained by Wayne Bennett before Kearney departed Brisbane to take up a head-coaching role at the Warriors in 2017.

Kearney has a close relationship with Walters, with the duo joining forces as Bennett’s assistants in Brisbane’s charge to the 2015 grand final, which they ultimately lost to the Cowboys.

Former Brisbane skipper Corey Parker worked with Kearney for four seasons at Red Hill and he urged Walters to reunite with the 264-game NRL legend.

“It’s a no-brainer for the Broncos to get Steve back,” Parker said.

“Steve was at the Broncos at the back end of my career and he is a super individual.

“I can‘t speak highly enough of Steve. One of the best qualities about Steve is that he cares about players, he has great principles and it’s no surprise Craig Bellamy valued him so highly at the Storm.

“I don‘t know if he wants to continue to coach, but he would be a great asset for the Broncos.”

Broncos coach Kevin Walters has a strong relationship with Kearney.

It is understood Walters has not had talks with Kearney at this stage given that the 50-year-old is officially contracted to the Storm for another month.

Kearney, who engineered the Kiwis’ epic World Cup final upset of Australia in 2008, lives just a short drive from Broncos headquarters and Parker believes his experience can help Walters turn Brisbane into a finals side.

“First and foremost, Steve is a really good human being,” Parker said.

“Secondly, he is a very good coach with a great temperament. I only had him as an assistant at the Broncos and he was terrific in that role.

“He has a good temperament in regards to upholding standards and values, but also instilling those values with a loving smile about him.

“For whatever reason, it didn’t work when he was head coach at Parramatta, but he won a World Cup with New Zealand, he took the Warriors to the finals and he is a terrific person for any organisation.

“He has just about done it all in coaching. If Steve Kearney is available, I’d be jumping all over him if I was at the Broncos.”

Originally published as Steve Kearney linked to a return to the Broncos to support Kevin Walters