NRL 2022: Tyson Gamble apologises to coach Kevin Walters as Adam Reynolds weighs in
Adam Reynolds was left stunned by Tyson Gamble’s remarks about coach Kevin Walters and contacted the five-eighth to express his disappointment.
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An embarrassed Tyson Gamble has apologised to coach Kevin Walters after being slammed by skipper Adam Reynolds as “out of line” in an explosive prelude to Brisbane’s crunch clash against the Dragons.
Gamble dropped a bombshell on the Broncos coach in the build-up to Saturday’s final-round clash by claiming in a podcast interview that Brisbane players turn to Reynolds for advice — not Walters.
While Gamble largely praised Walters, that comment was viewed as a shocking sign of disrespect for a 241-game club legend who helped deliver five of Brisbane’s six premierships.
Broncos skipper Reynolds was stunned by Gamble’s remarks and revealed he contacted the five-eighth to express his disappointment — prompting the Newcastle-bound five-eighth to personally apologise to Walters.
An internal ruction is the last thing the struggling Broncos need as they attempt to pick up the pieces of a horror past fortnight to keep their finals hopes alive by disposing of the Dragons at Kogarah.
Ironically, Walters recalled Gamble for the Red V showdown — and is banking on his scrumbase partnership with Reynolds to keep Brisbane’s season alive.
“I rang Tyson to clear the air and he was apologetic to Kevin,” Reynolds told Triple M radio.
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“He admits he got the words wrong and worded it wrong.
“Knowing Tyson, he wouldn’t have deliberately gone out to hurt the coach.
“I just rang Tyson to get his side of the story and he knew straight away he had stuffed up.
“Tyson is a lovely human being and he is never going out there to hurt anyone’s feelings.
“He admitted he got it wrong and he is on the front foot correcting things to make it right.”
Gamble spoke about Walters as part of a one-hour podcast interview three weeks ago in which he largely praised the coach’s team-first mentality, but said Broncos players mainly sought help from marquee recruit Reynolds.
“Kev’s the coach but Reyno is the go-to man for everybody,” said Gamble, who will join Newcastle next season on a two-year deal.
“If you’ve got a question about footy or the team, you go to him.
“It’s not a knock on Kev but ‘Reyno’ has been around for so long.
“’Kevvie’ really understands footy and he’s a good bloke in getting the team up and about but the modern day is so different to the way Kevvie played footy.
Interesting from Tyson Gamble re the coaching at Brisbane.. pic.twitter.com/0BbCCglRa6
— They gave me the Penske file (@Luke_Pownall) August 31, 2022
“There are some similarities with how you have to be with attitude and stuff, but Reyno is the mastermind around our attack at the moment.”
Reynolds said he was left red-faced by Gamble’s inference that he is the sounding board for Broncos players and their virtual coach.
“I have a lot of respect for Kevvie,” he said.
“He makes my role at the club a lot easier and we wouldn’t be in this position without Kevin.
“Everything I drip-feed to the playing group is through Kev, so those comments are a bit out of line.
“Tyson is deeply apologetic and he said he got it wrong.
“I haven’t had a chance to speak to Kevvie.
“No doubt he is feeling it a bit, it’s never easy reading those things about yourself.
“He is a wonderful coach and human being and he is as passionate as anyone in the club.”
Reynolds insists the latest drama at Red Hill is not a sign Broncos players are unhappy.
“As a club, we are pretty tight, the boys get on well and there are no fractured relationships,” he said.
“This is not ideal in the circumstance we are in.
“There is a lot of expectation and media hype around us potentially missing the eight (finals).
“Tyson got his words wrong and a few things were taken out of context, but he got on the front foot and rang Kev.
“We have to turn it around against Dragons because if we get it wrong, it’s the end of our season and there will be other stories written about myself, the players and the club.”
Walters’ nervous wait as Broncos baulk at new deal
-Peter Badel, Travis Meyn
Brisbane bosses have put contract extension talks with Kevin Walters on the backburner as pressure builds on the besieged Broncos coach to avoid a second consecutive finals failure.
Broncos chief executive Dave Donaghy insists the club will not be rushed into a decision on Walters’ long-term future in the lead-up to Brisbane’s crucial final-round clash with the Dragons on Saturday night.
News Corp understands the Broncos fielded a preliminary request to kick-off extension talks with Walters, who is off-contract next year and heads into the upcoming 2023 pre-season as a free agent.
There was a view Walters deserved a healthy upgrade if he steered the Broncos to this year’s finals, but their woeful late-season collapse has suddenly turned up the heat on the Brisbane coach.
While Walters has advanced Brisbane after last year’s 14th placing, back-to-back campaigns as also-rans would represent failure for the richest club in the league that rates finals football as a non-negotiable target.
Donaghy has been a strong supporter of Walters and wants him to be Brisbane’s long-term coach, but says talk of an upgrade for the club legend is premature.
The Broncos still carry scar tissue from the infamous five-year contract debacle involving Walters’ predecessor Anthony Seibold, who exited Red Hill with a monster $1.5 million payout.
“There’s no timeline we’re working to,” Donaghy said when asked if the club has made moves to extend Walters for 2024 and beyond.
“We haven’t had any discussions, all of us have been very conscious of not wanting to create unnecessary distractions in-season.
“I think that’s worked well.
“There’ll be plenty of time in the off-season to sit down and have discussions.”
Should Walters fail to steer the Broncos to this year’s playoffs, the former Queensland Origin mentor will come under enormous pressure to break Brisbane’s three-year finals drought next season.
Just five weeks ago, Walters loomed as one of the coaching success stories of the season, steering the Broncos to fourth place after 19 rounds before the stunning implosion that has left their finals hopes on life support.
Victory over the Dragons on Saturday will give Walters 14 wins for the season - twice as many as his rookie campaign last year and Brisbane’s best haul since celebrating 15 triumphs under Wayne Bennett in 2018.
But if Brisbane ultimately stagger to ninth spot, Walters will confront a make-or-break campaign in 2023.
“Kevvie has done a good job,” Donaghy said.
“Stability is a big thing for the club and while we have been disappointed with the past few weeks, no-one is putting their heads in the sand.
“We are conscious of what we need to do and Kev has a big role to play in that, as does Ben Ikin our head of football.
“Everyone at the Broncos is disappointed with how the last couple of weeks have played out, especially at home.
“We aren’t going to shy away from the disappointment we have felt the last few weeks.
“But at the moment, the season is still alive and while there is a glimmer of hope, the guys will do everything they can to bounce back this week.”
Walters, who has won 20 of 47 matches as Broncos coach for a 42 per cent success rate, concedes the buck stops with him.
“We’re all under pressure,” he said. “It’s the NRL, it’s the same for everyone every week.
“I take full responsibility. It’s my job to prepare this team and get them ready each week. I take full responsibility, I’m not shifting the blame anywhere.”
Broncos vice-captain Kurt Capewell hopes Brisbane hierarchy keep faith in Walters.
“Kevvie’s a great coach,” he said. “He wears his heart on his sleeve and is so passionate. I love that in him. What he brings to our team ... he builds our confidence and when we were winning he kept us rolling.
“It’s been a pleasure this year under Kevvie and I’m looking forward to next year.”
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