Phil Rothfield: Kevin Walters deal blazes trail for how NRL coaching contracts should be done

Kevin Walters has signed a revolutionary contract that protects the club from a big pay out if they sack him. It’s the way of the future, writes PHIL ROTHFIELD.

Kevin Walters has signed a revolutionary contract with the Broncos. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Months before a ball has been kicked, six NRL coaches are under enormous pressure to retain their jobs in 2022 as the clipboard carnage across the game looks certain to continue.

The Wests Tigers’ Michael Maguire, St George-Illawarra’s Anthony Griffin, Canterbury’s Trent Barrett, the Warriors’ Nathan Brown, the Cowboys’ Todd Payten and the Broncos’ Kevin Walters are no certainties to finish the season.

One could even be gone in the first eight weeks.

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This would continue the trend of millions of dollars being butchered by NRL clubs over the last five years on coach sackings.

Phil Gould sacked and paid out both Ivan Cleary and Anthony Griffin at the Panthers, costing the club more than $2 million.

Six NRL coaches are fighting for their futures including Trent Barrett (left), Michael Maguire (top) and Kevin Walters (bottom).

The Bulldogs paid out Dean Pay. Manly paid Trent Barrett $700,000-a-year to do nothing in 2019 while Des Hasler was coaching the side.

It cost the Broncos more than $2 million to move on Wayne Bennett and Anthony Seibold.

The Sharks paid out John Morris earlier this year.

It cost the Cowboys close to $1 million to remove Paul Green last year.

The Knights paid out Nathan Brown $300,000 when he was sacked in 2019.

The Dragons had to pay out Paul McGregor in his final year.

And the Warriors had to pay out Stephen Kearney last year.

All up it’s probably more than $5 million down the drain.

Dragons head coach Anthony Griffin is fighting for his job (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Cowboys coach Todd Payten had a season to forget (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Money that could have been used on pathways, bush footy, participation or anything else.

This is why the Broncos’ move over the weekend to put Walters on a standard employment agreement — rather than a contract with iron-clad guarantees — is the way to go in the future.

Kevvy will get bonuses if the team performs but the bullet if they don’t.

Kevin Walters has signed a revolutionary contract with the Broncos. Picture: Zak Simmonds

The Broncos are finally showing some responsible leadership and other clubs should be looking at doing the same thing.

Only the likes of Bennett, Trent Robinson and Craig Bellamy are entitled to long term security.

Nathan Brown needs some wins to confirm his contract at the Warriors.

Clubs can no longer keep accepting $14 million in annual grants from the NRL and then blow it on what ultimately comes back to their own poor decision making.

Tim Sheens has arrived home from the UK to start work as the Wests Tigers director of football.

The questions will be fired at his first press conference about the future of Maguire.

This is the guy who inherited Cleary’s roster in 2019 and ran 9th. In 2020 he had half of his own roster and half of Cleary’s … and ran 11th.

This year he had his own roster and went even further backwards to finish 13th.

The Wests Tigers board ignored enormous pressure at the end of the season to sack Maguire.

At least it saved them a $750,000 payout and then another similar amount to replace him.

There are not many good things you can say about the Wests Tigers’ administration but at least on this occasion they’ve saved $1.5 million.

Had Maguire been on a Walters-style employment arrangement with certain KPIs to be met, it would hardly have cost them a penny to show him the door.

Obviously there has to be some exceptions outside of Bennett, Robinson and Bellamy.

No-one will hire the best young coaches like a Craig Fitzgibbon or a Cameron Ciraldo unless they are assured of stability and security.

Others however don’t deserve that … and the game can’t afford it.

Originally published as Phil Rothfield: Kevin Walters deal blazes trail for how NRL coaching contracts should be done