NRL 2024: Brisbane Broncos hire ex-New Zealand rugby figure Michael Collins to review season capitulation
The Brisbane Broncos have gone external and hired a former New Zealand rugby heavyweight to review the club’s dramatic season capitulation and determine coach Kevin Walters’ future.
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The Broncos have turned to a former New Zealand rugby heavyweight to review the club’s dramatic NRL crash and determine the future of coach Kevin Walters.
This masthead can reveal former Chiefs CEO and New Zealand rugby player Michael Collins has been called into Red Hill to conduct a comprehensive review of the Broncos.
Collins spent last week interviewing Brisbane’s football staff and players as part of a deep dive into the club’s slide from 2023 grand finalists to 12th this year.
Collins, 50, forged a successful union playing career in New Zealand before becoming boss of powerhouse Super Rugby franchise the Chiefs in 2022.
He spent five years at the helm of the club before moving to Australia to reunite with family and take up a position as Bond University’s director of sport on the Gold Coast.
In announcing Collins’ appointment, the university said he had a “background in high performance, commercial skills, experience in community engagement … and passion for improving lives through sport.”
While the Broncos boast numerous highly-paid executive staff with extensive rugby league experience, the club wanted to bring in an independent figure to conduct interviews.
The theory behind contracting an external reviewer was that they may be able to extract more honest feedback from those interviewed than if the review was conducted by Broncos staff.
Collins will now present his findings to the Broncos board and CEO Dave Donaghy for them to analyse and make changes at Red Hill.
Club legend Corey Parker said it was the right decision to bring in an independent figure.
“I’ve done reviews and yes they are worthwhile,” he said.
“They are independent. They have gone and sourced someone else to do the review for them, so the players can feel they can talk openly and honestly.
“There will be conversations like ‘how’s the coach and what’s the coaching staff like?’ and they will collate a bunch of information and present it back to the club.
“It’s great to have a third party, because the Broncos will get an honest understanding of what’s actually going on in the football business.
“It’s why clubs choose to go external, because players can be honest and not be worried about the fallout of telling the truth. They will have a list of questions for every player and ask them all the same questions, so they have consistent themes.”
Donaghy threw his support behind the under-pressure Walters in the lead-up to the end of the season after it became clear the Broncos would miss the finals.
However that was before the review was conducted and Brisbane’s hierarchy must now digest Collins’ findings, which will include an analysis of Walters’ coaching.
Walters has farewelled assistants Lee Briers and John Cartwright and signed Trent Barrett and Ben Te’o from next season.
The make-up of Brisbane’s football department will also come under review and there could be further changes.
“There has to be changes. That’s why the Broncos are doing it,” Parker said.
“You don’t do an external review if the club is flying and everything is going well. Clearly something isn’t going well, they have missed the finals three out of the past four years. They made the grand final last year and didn’t kick on this year.
“You don’t do a review unless you are looking for change and that’s what they are doing.
“Potentially heads could roll, yes. Something has to change at the Broncos, otherwise it’s the same old thing, do as you always did and get what you always got.
“If there’s no change, they are doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, which is the definition of insanity.
“They have identified something has to be looked at, so I would expect off the back of an external review, something has to change. Things can’t stay the same.”
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