NRL 2023: Kevin Walters’ $9 million salary cap overhaul that revived Brisbane Broncos

Kevin Walters has revealed Brisbane’s salary cap was a “mess” when he took over but a $9 million overhaul has put the club in a position to win the premiership.

It is the $9 million salary cap overhaul that has turned the Broncos into a premiership contender.

Kevin Walters has revealed Brisbane’s salary cap was a “mess” as former football boss Ben Ikin declared how the Broncos coach built a football program to put the club in title contention this season.

The Broncos go into Saturday night’s clash against Canberra vying with Penrith for the minor premiership and a serious challenger for Brisbane’s first title since 2006.

And it’s taken one of the most significant salary-cap shake-ups in Brisbane’s 35-year history to transform the Broncos from wooden spooners to premiership powerhouse in the space of three seasons.

When Walters stepped into the coaching hotseat in 2021, he walked into a salary-cap minefield.

Brisbane’s new front-office of Walters, chief executive Dave Donaghy and then football chief Ikin had a $9.6 million budget – the NRL’s salary cap in 2022 – to somehow turn the club around.

With the help of Broncos recruitment chief Simon Scanlan, Walters says Brisbane’s salary-cap is now the balanced bedrock of the stunning turnaround that has the once-ailing glamour club primed to topple the Panthers.

Reece Walsh (left) and Payne Haas were key signings for the Broncos. Picture: Getty

“It’s been a team effort, because when we took over, the salary cap was a mess,” Walters said ahead of the Raiders clash at GIO Stadium.

“Simon Scanlan has done a fantastic job to get us where we are now.

“To be honest, our salary cap was all over the place.

“Without bagging any one person, there was no structure to our cap and where money was being spent, but we’ve done a brilliant job spending the money where it should be spent.

“Simon, in particular, has knocked our cap into shape.

“He has done a terrific job, he has been working in our grassroots and Academy system for 10 years-plus and now we are seeing the quality of these kids, and their characters, coming through.

Reece Walsh with broncos recruitment chief Simon Scanlan.

“I don’t know the ceiling of this team and where they can get to, but we’re not satisfied yet.”

There were five key factors in the Broncos’ salary-cap restructure.

One was the bombshell decision to jettison Matt Lodge and Tevita Pangai Jnr. At the time, they were key members of Brisbane’s pack, but Walters deemed the Broncos needed salary-cap money re-directed to their spine.

Offloading the big gun duo freed up an estimated $1.4 million.

That money was used to poach star playmaker Adam Reynolds from Souths and his three-year, $800,000-a-season outlay has proved one of the best investments in Brisbane’s history.

Kevin Walters has overhauled Brisbane’s salary cap situation. Picture: Steve Pohlner

The Broncos then bought wisely, and with a slice of luck, securing Reece Walsh from the Warriors for a bargain at $400,000 this year, while Scanlan helped bring through Academy stars Selwyn Cobbo, Deine Mariner and Pat Carrigan, initially on cut-price rookie deals.

The NRL’s decision to increase the salary cap to $12.1 million this season has helped the Broncos reward emerging players and upgrade superstar prop Payne Haas, who last week inked a $3.5 million extension.

Once imbalanced, the Broncos now have a red-hot spine led by Reynolds, Walsh and Ezra Mam and an engine-room leader in Haas to take Brisbane to the promised land.

“In roster management, you are looking for a few things,” Ikin said.

“One is capability, can they play? Character, are they a good person? But the third and most important category is compatibility, do they fit?

“Because Kevvie shows you who he is and is very clear on how he wants his team to play, you learn very quickly about the players who are going to fit and the players who aren’t, which makes it easy for a list manager like Simon Scanlan, who has done a magnificent job himself.

“Simon and Kevvie working together knocked that roster into shape.

“Simon was very adept at understanding what type of player Kev wanted and once they figured it out between them, they had the courage and wherewithal to move on players that didn’t fit and bring in players that did fit.”

Ikin, part of Brisbane’s 2000 premiership team, is adamant the Broncos’ class of 2023 can go all the way.

“Absolutely I do,” he said.

“They have a great roster, a great coach who bleeds Broncos, so the ingredients are there.

“From what I am seeing at the moment, this team is chock full of talent, playing good footy, now they just need a fit and firing Adam Reynolds. If all those things line up they are every chance of taking it out.

“You can see the belief is building.”

Walters says the job won’t be complete until a seventh trophy sits in the Broncos’ headquarters.

“I know we are a very good side,” he said.

“Looking short-term and not long-term, I believe the contents are here for a very successful club over the next four or five years.

“That means hanging onto some players and guys like Payne wanting to get better and Walshy and Ezra.

“Football just doesn’t happen. You just don’t win premierships. You have to go after it and work really hard and these guys are prepared to do that.

“When success comes, you have to go again, like the Panthers have shown us. They are a hungry side and they are showing the way for all clubs.

“We have the ability to do that, but we have a duck egg sitting there, they have two premierships and three grand finals, so we’re chasing that.”