NRL 2021: Kevin Walters turns to peak-performance coach Mick Martin to unlock Broncos potential

A peak-performance coach specialising in ‘emotional intelligence’ has been enlisted to the Broncos cause as Kevin Walters searches high and low for the key to unlock his side’s potential.

Titans hulk David Fifita score a try against the Broncos in round two. Picture: Matt Roberts/Getty Images

First it was the coach whisperer. Now Kevin Walters has called in a sports shrink to ignite the embattled Broncos.

Broncos coach Walters has turned to one of the country’s most respected sports psychologists to help steel the minds of struggling Brisbane players and give them a winning edge ahead of Friday night’s clash against the Titans.

Peak-performance coach Mick Martin has previously worked with Storm coach Craig Bellamy, AFL clubs and Cricket Australia and he made a cameo appearance at the Broncos’ captain’s run on the eve of the derby showdown at Suncorp Stadium.

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Kevin Walters deep in discussion with Mick Martin.

Last month, coach whisperer Bradley Stubbs popped into Red Hill to gauge the “energy fields” of Brisbane players and Martin was a keen observer as Walters put his Broncos troops through their paces on Thursday.

As Broncos players went through their training drills, desperate to avoid a seventh loss from eight games, Martin stood just metres away, intently assessing their commitment and intensity.

When the 70-minute session ended, Walters had a brief chat with Martin, who has had a long association with the Broncos coach, having previously helped him during his four-year tenure as Queensland Origin mentor.

Walters later praised the influence on Broncos players of Martin, who is said to specialise in “emotional intelligence” - the skill of understanding emotions and how they influence the thoughts and behaviours of athletes.

“I like Mick. He is like a consultant to me and he helps the players with their preparation,” Walters said.

“I have worked with Mick at the Storm and Queensland and he is a mentor for myself, the coaches and the players.

Can the Broncos bounce back against the Titans?

“I’m not sure of his exact title but he is a mentor for the players and coaches and he is working on their mentality.”

Martin tries to make regular visits to Red Hill and the Broncos need all the help they can get as Walters searches for the mental steel to haul the beleaguered club out of the NRL cellar.

Walters wielded the selection axe again this week, dumping Tom Dearden and Brodie Croft as his halves and installing Anthony Milford and Tyson Gamble, the latter of whom impressed at training with his confidence and communication in the halfback hotseat.

Walters is backing the Milford-Gamble alliance - Brisbane’s 17th scrumbase combination in four years - to exact revenge for their round-two derby loss to the Titans.

“I am very confident,” he said.

“I just want good communication and organisation of the team, that’s what we have been lacking the last few weeks.

Kevin Walters is trying everything he can to right the ship.

“Tyson is a bigger body defensively on that right side, he is really excited about his first real opportunity as a starting halfback, so it will be great to see him get a chance.

“What we have been lacking the last few weeks is that authority around our forwards, our forwards have been doing a great job with their ruck play and defensive work and we haven’t been capitalising enough on the play the ball speed they have been providing for our outside backs.

“They (Milford and Gamble) are both experienced players. They have played a lot of football, particularly ‘Milf’ at NRL level and Tyson has played a lot of Intrust Super Cup.

“I expect them to make the step up ... that’s why I have picked them.”

The Broncos Fifita sledge that has Titans furious

- Travis Meyn and Peter Badel

The Broncos-Titans rivalry has ignited after a sledge from Brisbane chairman Karl Morrisleft Gold Coast hierarchy fuming and David Fifita on a mission to destroy his former club.

Fifita will return to Suncorp Stadium on Friday night for the first time since quitting the Broncos to sign a $3.5 million deal with M1 rivals the Titans.

The Queensland Origin star has been the NRL’s most destructive player in 2021, bulldozing his rivals to score nine tries in seven games, including two hat-tricks.

The Titans won the tug of war for Fifita after offering him a club record three-year deal to leave Brisbane, which included a $1.2 million package for the 2021 season.

At the time of Fifita’s defection, the Broncos were engulfed by scandals and hurtling towards the club’s first wooden spoon under former coach Anthony Seibold, creating a perfect storm for the Titans to pounce.

David Fifita scored a double against the Broncos in round two. Picture: Matt Roberts/Getty Images

Fifita, 21, has so far lived up to his price tag and kicked off his sensational run of form this season with a two-try demolition of the Broncos at Cbus Super Stadium in Round 2.

In the lead-up to his first game against Brisbane, Morris told The Courier-Mail that Fifita quit the club purely for money and not because of perceived cultural problems at the Broncos.

“People who want to question our culture ... let’s be honest, David Fifita was offered a $1.2 million deal by the Titans,” he said.
“We felt the position was worth $800,000 and we felt that was right for David at this stage of his career. If other clubs wish to overpay or the Titans wanted to fix a problem they felt they had by paying a lot more than we were prepared to, well that’s their option.
“That’s the reality of it all. It was an option process. We got to a point where we said ‘this is what we are prepared to pay and we won’t go further’.
“I’m not going to say what the Titans have done is wrong, but the maths just didn’t work for the Broncos at the moment. David is a tremendous talent and we didn’t want to lose him ideally, but every asset can be mispriced.

Broncos chairman Karl Morris claimed David Fifita left the Broncos for money. Picture: AAP Image/Glenn Hunt

“The culture wasn’t a factor at all. It wasn’t a great year for the Broncos and I’m not saying the environment Dave found himself in was helpful. But would Dave have left for $100,000 more or $400,000 more? Who knows.
“Dave as a 20-year-old had to decide between $800,000 and $1.2 million. That’s a huge differential. He has a short window as an athlete to make that sort of money so I wish David all the best and hope he succeeds at the Titans.”

Morris’ comments went down like a lead balloon at Titans HQ, with Gold Coast figures believing the club’s vastly-improved results and culture played a key role in securing Fifita.

Titans figures believe the Broncos chairman’s jibes worked against Brisbane and motivated Fifita to perform against his former club as he produced a man-of-the-match performance.

It was a painful sight for Broncos fans to watch Fifita tearing up the club he debuted for and Brisbane prop Payne Haas said their on-field struggles cost them Fifita.

“One big thing why we can’t keep people is we aren’t winning games,” Haas said.

David Fifita has been in devastating form this season. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

“No one wants to be a part of losing games and it sucks for us players and all of us to be in this position.

“It’s up to us to win games and if we do that more guys will stay. We have signed two young guys like (Jordan) Riki and (Brendan) Piakura so we’re on the right track.

“The Broncos are the best club to be at once we start winning games. It will be a happy vibe and once we get that going more players will stay.”

Fifita bagged his second hat-trick of the season in last Friday’s 40-30 loss to South Sydney, with two of his tries coming on the back of pure power running when there appeared to be little chance of scoring.

Titans lock Tyrone Peachey said Gold Coast players weren’t surprised by Fifita’s destructive form.

“The big fella has been killing it,” he said. “He’s been training so well. I’m that happy to see him playing the way he is.

“He’s carried our team for some weeks but it’s all due to his training. He practices that stuff in training so we’re not that surprised when he does it on the weekend.”

Originally published as NRL 2021: Kevin Walters turns to peak-performance coach Mick Martin to unlock Broncos potential