Ben Ikin to join Brisbane Broncos as new head of football

Brisbane Broncos great and Fox League journalist Ben Ikin is set to move into one of the most coveted jobs in Australian rugby league.

Ikin (L) with Broncos star Jake Durpin and Queensland legends Mal Meninga, Corey Parker and Gordon Tallis. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Broncos legend Ben Ikin will return to the fold as the club’s new head of football.

News Corp’s Peter Badel and Phil Rothfield broke the news on Monday.

Currently the co-host of Fox League’s NRL 360, Ikin replaces the recently-sacked Peter Nolan, who was shown the door after Brisbane’s latest loss.

The acquisition is a major step in CEO Dave Donaghy’s plan to restore Brisbane to its former glory under new coach Kevin Walters.

News Corp reports that Ikin will appear in his final episode of NRL 360 this Wednesday evening. Fox is yet to announce his replacement.

Ikin played first grade with Gold Coast, Brisbane and North Sydney.

“It’s a big job but it’s a great club,” Ikin said of his new role on Monday night’s episode of NRL 360.

“There’s still winning in the walls there. The NRL team’s not going tremendously well at the moment but I’ve had a bit to do with Dave Donaghy since he beat me for the top job last year.

“I like Dave, I like what he wants to do at the Broncos and I know that the Broncos need to be better, they can be better and in this role I get a great opportunity to make them better, to be part of the solution.”

Ikin will arrive at a club battling both on and off the field.

After enduring the worst season in club history last year, the Broncos have again struggled for form in 2021.

As he looks to reshape the side into a premiership force, Walters has cycled through seven unique halves pairings across the opening 15 rounds of the season and has begun informing players, including Tevita Pangai Jr. and Matt Lodge, that they are not part of the club’s future.

With Souths star Adam Reynolds packing his bags for Brisbane next year, million-dollar playmaker Anthony Milford is another star looking unlikely to feature in the club’s reparation plans.

Milford, whom Brisbane picked up from the Raiders in 2015, has spent time in reserve grade this season.

Off the park, the Broncos have faced rumours of internal division this month, however, Walters denies he has lost the dressing room of the club he won five premierships with as a player.

“I don’t believe it is true,” the former Queensland Maroons coach said over the weekend.

“One of my greatest assets as a coach is my relationship with people and particularly with players so I’ve got to say I don’t agree with what is happening.”

Ikin played 55 of his 150 first grade games at the Broncos and won the 2000 Premiership with the club.

At representative level, he holds the distinction of being the youngest ever State of Origin debutant.

News of Ikin’s new gig broke on the same day another youngster — 18-year-old Warriors fullback Reece Walsh — was confirmed to be making his Origin debut in Game Two of this year’s series.