NRL 2021: Kevin Walters could have been coaching the Titans in derby against the Broncos

Justin Holbrook is entrenched as the Titans head man, but before he was appointed several years ago, a certain future Broncos coach was considered an intriguing possibility.

Kevin Walters at Brisbane Broncos training at Suncorp Stadium, Thursday, March 11, 2021 - Picture: Richard Walker

Mark it down as one of rugby league’s many intriguing mysteries ... how close Kevin Walters came to coaching the Gold Coast Titans not the Broncos in the MI derby.

Justin Holbrook is entrenched as the Titans head man but before he was appointed several years ago there was much speculation over whether Walters was in for the job.

At the time, it was suggested he passed.

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Kevin Walters was among the candidates for the Gold Coast role.

But it has been revealed that he did, at one point, phone the club hierarchy who explained to Walters they initially did not approach him because they saw him say on the nightly news he wasn’t interested in the job.

The problem had been that both Walters and the Titans thought the other one should have made the first move.

Eventually, after they connected, a Titans staff member was commissioned to do background checks on Walters, as they did for Holbrook and several others who were being considered for the role.

Holbrook got the nod in the end and Walters landed his dream job at the Broncos, so the narrative ended up suiting both men, but it is just another intriguing layer to Friday‘s derby of many spicy flavours.

The most desperate local derbies are often the ones where the biggest story is the loser and, in part, that is what makes this game so special.

Brisbane have lost 18 of their last 19 games. At some point they have to shock the world and send their fans streaming into the streets by actually winning a game.

Justin Holbrook eventually got the nod for the Titans job.

A loss to the Titans unofficially makes Gold Coast the number one team in Queensland and with that comes all sorts of dangers for the Broncos, particularly in the ever tightening player market.

Walters on Thursday played down the threat from rival clubs (including the Titans) stalking Brisbane’s best players. But it’s real. And it’s growing.

With the Titans profile rising and a second Brisbane team looming for 2023, the Broncos are a bit like that wounded buffalo limping across the open plain nervously casting eyes left and right for predators who sense vulnerability.

The Titans don‘t have to recruit a busload of players each season to hurt the Broncos. One sweetly plucked cherry per year - like David Fifita - strikes like a torpedo midships because Brisbane’s depth is baby’s bath pool shallow.

For all of the pressure on the Broncos, the Titans are eyeball deep in it for a different reasons.

They were born to be underdogs but expectations have risen this season after they finished last season with five wins in a row and recruited the likes of Fifita.

David Fifita is sure to come in for plenty of attention.

The Titans owners have Phar Lap hearts, their coach much-lauded and their list solid. But eventually you have to do something.

The Titans’ painfully constructed window of opportunity is now. If they make a mess of this year, you wonder what it would take to make them successful.

Gold Coast have been firing up for derbies against Brisbane since the very first one in 1988 when Ron “Rambo’’ Gibbs played like the crazy cat he was when he cracked Wally Lewis’ shoulder and kept him out of a State of Origin match for the first time.

It was the Gold Coast Giants first win and Broncos coach Wayne Bennett said “they have played their grand final ... I‘m not sure what they will do for the rest of the season.’’

The answer? Very little. They won only three more games.

This time it must be different.

Originally published as NRL 2021: Kevin Walters could have been coaching the Titans in derby against the Broncos