NRL 2023: Kevin Walters defended as Canberra great Gary Belcher responds to the unfair criticism

The criticism of Brisbane coach Kevin Walters has been branded as disgusting and disrespectful. But the newly re-signed coach has set his sights on rising above the naysayers and fighting for a title.

Canberra legend Gary Belcher has slammed criticism of Kevin Walters’ coaching ability as “disgusting” and says the Broncos mentor’s new two-year deal is sweet vindication in his quest to win a Brisbane premiership.

As he prepares to watch his former Raiders club do battle with the Broncos on Saturday night at Suncorp Stadium, Belcher launched a passionate defence of Walters, lauding his emphatic revival of the Broncos.

Brisbane bosses signed the off-contract Walters until the end of 2025 on Thursday night in a major coup for the Broncos coach as his ladder-leading side eyes a sixth consecutive victory against the Raiders.

The lucrative extension came just six months after Walters came under fire from within, with former Brisbane playmaker Tyson Gamble claiming skipper Adam Reynolds was the real coach of the Broncos.

Walters was then rocked by criticism on a podcast from his winger Selwyn Cobbo, who later apologised, but Belcher praised the Broncos coach’s resilience and says he has silenced his detractors.

Kevin Walters has clinched a $1.7 million contract extension as he attempts to break Brisbane’s 17-year premiership drought.

“The criticism of Kevvie as a coach was just disgusting,” said Belcher, who won a maiden premiership with Walters at Canberra in 1989.

“The Broncos have had a brilliant start to the season and the person I am most pleased for is Kevvie.

“All that crap coming from a couple of players, I thought it was so disrespectful for a guy like Tyson Gamble to bag him.

“For a guy like Tyson Gamble, who wouldn’t have played third grade when Kevvie was in his prime as a player, was terrible.

Walters and the Brisbane Broncos have started 2023 with a bang with a perfect 5-0 record.

“He obviously had no idea about Kevvie’s background and what he achieved as a player.

“Kevvie has just got on with the job and now he has shut his critics up.”

The Broncos are revelling in their best start to a season in 25 years and Walters’ upgrade is a major show of faith from a Broncos hierarchy that has found cultural stability over the last 18 months.

Walters has gradually rebuilt Brisbane into a finals contender.

After finishing 14th and ninth in his first two seasons in charge, the Broncos have started 2023 with a bang with a perfect 5-0 record, but Walters won’t be satisfied until he brings a title-winning ruthlessness to Red Hill.

“All the great premiership sides have that ruthlessness in them and we haven’t got that just yet,” Walters said.

Walters says all great sides have that ruthlessness about them, but his Broncos are yet to tap into that.

“The ruthless side of it I question at the moment.

“That is one of the areas we are working on. Some of our starts haven’t been that good this year although we were pretty good (against Wests Tigers). The good thing is we are all prepared to work together and dig in.”

When Walters stepped into the Broncos coaching hotseat in 2021, he pledged to bring “unity” to the club.

That has happened and Walters says his new contract will give him the platform to deliver Brisbane’s seventh premiership and break a 17-year title drought.

“We are all coming together and the rewards are all coming together,” he said.

“We are certainly not the finished product. We’ve had a good start to the year but our priority here is to win premierships and get trophies in the building.

Gary Belcher has come out in defence of Walters after the Broncos coach was heavily criticised.

“That is our objective and that is out there in the world and what we are all striving for … to make sure that (winning a title) happens.”

Former Queensland Origin fullback Belcher said Walters’ history as a five-time premiership winner at Brisbane has extracted the best of Broncos stars Pat Carrigan, Payne Haas, Reece Walsh and Adam Reynolds.

“I’m so pleased that Kevvie has got this Broncos team rolling and playing like a happy football team,” he said.

“I know Kevvie and what drives him.

“He made a couple of little tweaks with their roster and the leadership of blokes like Pat Carrigan has come shining through, it’s all working really nicely for him.

“A new deal for Kevvie is fantastic news.

“For a bloke who has worked so hard to get in that position, he inherited a team that was struggling for different reasons and for the time being he has turned it around.

“I think they can finish top four this season and that’s where you have to land to be a chance of winning the comp.”

Originally published as NRL 2023: Kevin Walters defended as Canberra great Gary Belcher responds to the unfair criticism