Broncos v Dolphins NRL: Wayne Bennett says he wants Kevin Walters to be a Broncos premiership coach
As they prepare for a historic night in Brisbane, Wayne Bennett has paid his Broncos counterpart Kevin Walters the ultimate compliment — just don’t expect the pleasantries to extend to Friday’s match.
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Wayne Bennett says he doesn’t want to see Kevin Walters fail at Brisbane and hopes his long-time apprenticeship is the coach to smash the Broncos’ 17-year premiership drought.
Bennett and Walters will be part of another historic moment for Queensland rugby league when the Dolphins super coach and Broncos mentor square off in Friday night’s Battle of Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium.
Five years ago, Bennett was sensationally sacked as Broncos coach in pursuit of another title, going agonisingly close to delivering Brisbane’s first premiership since 2006 with their heartbreaking loss to the Cowboys in the 2015 grand final.
Walters was Bennett’s assistant coach in the extra-time defeat to North Queensland and is now in his third season in charge of a Broncos club that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2019.
Walters believes he has the roster to snap the longest title drought in Brisbane’s 35-year history this season and Dolphins rival Bennett is backing the Broncos’ ‘Kev-olution’ to deliver a seventh premiership to Red Hill.
Bennett has won all six premierships for Brisbane. He wants Walters to stand beside him as a Broncos title winner.
“I know what it would mean for Kevvie to lift that premiership for the Broncos,” Bennett said ahead of the inaugural Broncos-Dolphins showdown.
“It’s a huge challenge in coaching to try and be a premiership coach.
“If it’s meant to be for the Broncos (winning another premiership), then I want Kevvie to be the bloke who is doing it.
“I only wish Kevin well and I will always want him to do well as a coach.
“He won a State of Origin series as coach (of Queensland) and that is quite a feat I can tell you.
“I know what the Broncos means to him, he had a dream to coach the club, and I don’t want to see him fail at the Broncos.”
Since succeeding Anthony Seibold in 2020, Walters has won 23 of 51 games for a 45 per cent success rate.
Wooden spooners three years ago during Seibold’s disastrous reign, Walters has edged the Broncos back to credibility, lifting the club from 14th in his rookie season of NRL coaching to ninth last year, one win shy of the finals.
Now Walters has taken the Broncos to the top of the league after three rounds, an unbeaten streak that will see the off-contract club legend rewarded with a two-year extension by Brisbane bosses.
Broncos captain Adam Reynolds says the passion of Walters was a major factor in his decision to quit South Sydney and embark on a new challenge at Brisbane.
“I’m pleased for Kevvie,” Reynolds said of the coach’s role in Brisbane’s revival.
“He is a good coach and a great mentor and he bleeds what the Broncos are about.
“When I met Kevvie, I was really impressed with his commitment and I wanted to be a part of his plans for the club.
“There is no better man to take the Broncos forward. He is a very passionate person, he was a winner as a player and he wants to get the club back to the top again.”
While flattered by Bennett’s praise, Walters is wary of a Dolphins ambush and the master coach’s ability to extract the best of his players on the biggest stages.
“I haven’t coached 900 games like Wayne has,” Walters said.
“We are still good friends, we have known each other nearly 40 years.
“It’s amazing the career that he has had and I was very fortunate to be coached by him (as a player) and then work with him.
“Wayne will have Redcliffe ready.
“Wayne will be preparing his side to beat us and I am preparing our side to beat his.
“Since 1988, everyone has wanted to beat the Broncos and it doesn’t stop this week.”
CONTRACT WARS: WHY BRONCOS DOBBED ON DOLPHINS TO NRL
Travis Meyn and Peter Badel
Kevin Walters has defended the Broncos’ decision to dob in the Dolphins to the NRL as the expansion club remains under investigation over Brisbane’s contract wars saga.
In the lead-up to Friday night’s Battle of Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium, News Corp has confirmed the Dolphins are still being investigated by the NRL’s Integrity Unit following complaints from the Broncos.
While the NRL is no longer probing the situation around former Broncos rising star Karl Oloapu, who has joined Canterbury, it is yet to finalise its investigation surrounding boom centre-winger Deine Mariner.
The Broncos believed the Dolphins were attempting to coax two of their best young players in Oloapu and Mariner out of contracts – a practice prohibited under the NRL’s recruitment rules.
Oloapu and Mariner formally requested releases last year, which were denied, after being tempted by moves to the cashed-up Dolphins.
Clubs are not allowed to coax a player out of a contract unless the player is given permission to negotiate with rival clubs.
The Broncos believed the Dolphins breached the rules and formally complained to the NRL.
Mariner remains contracted to the Broncos until the end of 2024, however Oloapu was released to the Bulldogs in January.
The NRL has not taken action regarding Oloapu, but a spokesman said the Mariner matter had not been finalised.
The Broncos eventually gave in to Oloapu’s request for a release after Canterbury paid an exorbitant transfer fee for the schoolboys sensation.
The terms of release, decided by the Broncos, prohibited Oloapu from signing with the Dolphins, a clear sign of tensions between the Brisbane rivals.
Broncos coach Walters said he had moved on from the sagas, but declared the club would do what was best for it.
“I’m not bothered by it,” he said.
“We’re trying to do the right thing by the Broncos and our players when they’re under our banner. We’ll continue to do that.
“We’ll try to look after them and manage them and do the best things we can for our players.
“If they decide to move on, we’ll do the best we can for ourselves in that situation.”
While the Dolphins missed out on Oloapu, and are unlikely to get Mariner at this stage, they did convince two big-name Broncos to jump ship.
England Test centre Herbie Farnworth and Queensland prop Tom Flegler will head to Redcliffe next season on bumper deals.
Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett has also reinvigorated the careers of former Broncos trio Jamayne Isaako, Brenko Lee and Tesi Niu.
Lee said there was a fierce battle on between the Brisbane rivals.
“One hundred per cent there is a battle for talent,” he said.
“You don’t want anything easy and two clubs in Brisbane will always be fighting for players.
“If you are in good hands and winning games at a club, that’s a big attraction. Players want to go to successful clubs and that’s been the Broncos over the years.
“They are a huge club and kids would still want to play for the Broncos, but now that the Dolphins are in the competition, kids have two teams to think about.
“There is a choice and that rivalry is going to be there for years to come, let alone this Friday.
“My brother is coming through the grades and hopefully he considers playing for the Dolphins one day.”
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