NRL 2020: Race in two as Kevin Walters and Paul Green prepare to be interviewed for Broncos job
To the surprise of few, the Broncos coaching race is down to two candidates, with Kevin Walters confident of handling both the Brisbane and Maroons roles if the NRL club comes calling.
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Queensland Origin coach Kevin Walters has declared he won’t walk away from the Maroons this season as D-Day arrives in the battle for the Broncos job.
News Corp can reveal Walters and former Cowboys coach Paul Green will be interviewed on Thursday with Brisbane’s board discarding several applicants and installing a race in two for the Broncos post.
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It can also be revealed:
- Walters has no intention of abandoning the Queensland side just six weeks out from the Origin series;
- A current NRL head coach has sensationally gone behind the back of his current employer and applied for the Broncos job; and
- Sacked Warriors coach Steve Kearney is in talks to join the Storm as an assistant to Craig Bellamy, a scenario that would rule out a potential return to Red Hill as Walters’ deputy.
The Broncos board will finalise their new coach by October 15 and the Queensland Rugby League has explored contingencies in the event Brisbane’s executive ask Walters to resign if he beats Green to the Red Hill throne.
Brisbane’s pre-season is due to begin around November 16, two days before Walters is due to coach Queensland in Origin III at Suncorp Stadium.
But Walters has no plans to leave the Maroons in the lurch and tender his resignation as Queensland coach, believing he could juggle dual roles with the Maroons and Broncos, at least for this season.
“I can juggle both roles,” Walters said.
“Look, it‘s all speculation at the moment, but the reality is I am the coach of the Maroons and my expectation this year is to be coaching the Queensland team in this year’s series.
“The Broncos are taking their time and I need to respect that, but I am not walking away from Queensland … I’m full steam ahead with the Maroons.”
Green will fancy his chances of beating Walters in an interview situation. The pair were part of a four-man shortlist for the Cowboys job in 2013, with Green prevailing after edging out Walters, Trent Barrett and Brad Arthur during the interview process.
This time, Walters has left no stone unturned to be primed for his crack at the Broncos job he was crushingly denied two years ago.
The Broncos board wants to see Walters and Green armed with a holistic blueprint that outlines not only their strategy to break the club‘s 14-year title drought, but the team of assistants they would employ to haul Brisbane out of the cellar.
Walters isn’t nervous about confronting the very Brisbane bosses who snubbed him in favour of Seibold in 2018.
“I‘m ready to go, we’ll see how it goes,” he said of the battle for the Broncos post.
“I‘m also ready to go for Queensland on November 4, 11 and 18.
“I’ve already put a lot of planning into this year’s series, I love my role with the Maroons and nothing has changed in my eyes.”
Broncos powerbrokers discussed the coaching situation at a board meeting on Monday night.
Broncos skipper Alex Glenn said Walters was a popular figure with players as an assistant to Wayne Bennett during Brisbane’s charge to the 2015 grand final.
“I don’t know who’s going to be the coach but Kevvie is definitely one guy that could do a great job for our club,” Glenn said.
“He helped lay the foundations for our club being so successful. He knows what this club means to him.
“His aura around our boys would be huge for our team and club.”
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