NRL 2021: Broncos coach Kevin Walters gives players a rocket

It was a stunning sight. Television images captured Kevin Walters ripping into his players just moments before kick-off – this is what he said.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 08: Broncos coach Kevin Walters speaks to media in the post match press conference during the round five NRL match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Brisbane Broncos at Stadium Australia on April 08, 2021, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Kevin Walters has put Brisbane’s entire squad on notice with the Broncos coach telling his players to “have a go ... or get out”.

That’s the no-nonsense, six-word warning from Walters that is underpinning his Red Hill rebuild, with no Broncos player a selection untouchable heading into next Friday night’s clash against the Eels in Darwin.

Television cameras captured Walters, renowned for his passion, delivering a fiery dressing-room spray to his players just moments before Thursday night’s clash against big guns Penrith at Suncorp Stadium.

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Broncos prop Matt Lodge responded to Kevin Walters’ blast with a sensational game against the Panthers.

Brisbane players sat silently nodding as a fired-up Walters had paint peeling off the dressing-room walls.

The Walters rocket worked a treat, with his Broncos troops producing the club’s best performance in two years as they muscled-up to Penrith, almost conjuring a massive boilover with a gutsy 20-12 defeat.

Not since Brisbane’s 15-10 upset of premiers the Roosters in May 2019 have Broncos fans witnessed such a committed performance from a side which crashed to the wooden spoon under Anthony Seibold last year.

But Seibold’s successor Walters has had enough of cheap excuses and has discarded his Mr Nice Guy persona in a bid to instil the competitive hard edge that saw him win six premierships as a player.

Broncos prop Matt Lodge suggested much of Walters’ expletive-laden address could not be published, but his basic message was clear.

“I don’t know if I can repeat too much. He just said, ‘It’s time to have a go or get out’,” he said.

“I think he is taking a different approach.

“I’m not surprised (at Walters’ approach) because it’s been building for a while hasn’t it?

“Like I said you can‘t just keep being positive and nice for too long ... it doesn’t work.”

Walters was tight-lipped about his pre-match explosion but the Broncos legend is not accustomed to the lowly 1-5 record that his side will carry into this week’s daunting road trip to face Parramatta in the Northern Territory.

In the lead-up to the Panthers game, Walters sensationally axed his highest-paid player, $1 million pivot Anthony Milford, in a sign he is driving tougher standards to resurrect Brisbane as a finals force.

“I just want these guys to do well and that‘s the passion in me for this place,” Walters said of his Panthers rev-up.

“It was a good response from them.”

Asked if he challenged Broncos players to show some fighting spirit, he said: “Yes, that was part of it, certainly, to each other more than anything and all of our supporters.”

While the Broncos showed no lack of heart, they were left to rue the absence of their footballing heads as Penrith maestro Nathan Cleary outsmarted Brisbane to edge the Panthers home.

“It sucks when you try so hard and we just didn’t capitalise on those chances we had down the other end,” winger Corey Oates said.

“We have a lot of things to be happy about, we’ve got to compete like that every week but just finish better. I think we will get better results, but we’ve got to be disappointed with our end of sets and attacking shape when down on their 20-metre line.”

Originally published as NRL 2021: Broncos coach Kevin Walters gives players a rocket