NRL 2024: Brisbane Broncos coach Kevin Walters under pressure, Reece Walsh apologises to Corey Oates after on-field spat

Kevin Walters is under pressure to turn around the Brisbane Broncos and has made two big changes to the club ahead of the 2025 NRL season.

Reece Walsh and Corey Oates

Kevin Walters will be given time to overhaul the Broncos next year and save his NRL coaching career after landing two former Origin stars in a new-look support team.

Walters has secured former Maroons hitman Ben Te’o and ex-Blues playmaker Trent Barrett to complete a 2025 coaching unit stacked with former representative stars.

Te’o and Barrett will replace the departing John Cartwright (Hull FC head coach) and Lee Briers (St Helens assistant) and join former Queensland Origin players Darius Boyd, Matt Ballin and Allan Langer in Walters’ support staff.

It means Walters’ coaching panel – which will be announced following the completion of Brisbane’s 2024 NRL season – will be comprised entirely of ex-Origin players, most of whom also played international football.

Broncos coach Kevin Walters is under pressure, but will be given the opportunity to turn things around at Red Hill in 2025. Picture: Liam Kidston

Facing the prospect of missing the finals for the third time in four seasons as Brisbane’s head coach, Walters will be given the opportunity to turn things around at Red Hill.

Guiding Brisbane to last year’s grand final, a heartbreaking loss to Penrith, has bought him time to rebuild the Broncos following this season’s dramatic crash.

The Broncos were fifth after beating Manly at Magic Round in May, but have lost eight of their past nine games to plummet into the bottom four heading into Saturday’s derby with the Cowboys in Townsville.

The Broncos must win their remaining four matches to remain in contention for the top eight and a loss to North Queensland will rule Brisbane out of the finals mix with a month to go in the regular season.

After taking over the Broncos from Anthony Seibold following the 2020 wooden spoon season, Walters guided Brisbane to finishes of 14th (2021), ninth (2022) and runners’ up last year.

Walters will be joined by assistants Trent Barrett (pictured) and Ben Te’o in 2025. Picture: Getty Images

With a stacked roster of emerging stars, the Broncos were tipped to contend for this year’s title, but have instead imploded over the past three months.

Injuries haven’t been kind to Brisbane but they are not the only club to encounter setbacks this year.

The Panthers and Storm have missed superstar playmakers Nathan Cleary and Cameron Munster for extended periods but continue to dominate.

Brisbane’s heaviest defeat during a six-game losing streak was 32-16 to the Warriors and there was belief the club would turn things around and go on a run to September.

But the nature of 41-16 (Bulldogs) and 46-18 (Titans) losses over the past fortnight has thrust the spotlight on Walters and he needs the Broncos to snap out of this lull against the Cowboys.

Contrary to what his players have said, Walters is adamant that training standards at the Broncos have improved. Picture: Liam Kidston

Walters, 56, was also blindsided by admissions from Brisbane players Jesse Arthars and Tristan Sailor this week that training standards of late had been poor and had to improve.

The coach refuted those claims and said he was expecting an improved effort against the sixth-placed Cowboys despite losing key players Payne Haas (foot) and Ezra Mam (ankle).

“I’m not sure where those comments came from. We have trained well and we’re very much looking forward to (the game),” he said.

“It’s been good again this week, particularly coming alive after what happened to us last weekend.

“We’ve put that in the rear vision mirror and we’re very much looking forward to (the Cowboys).

“We’ve got to string two halves together like our first half (against the Titans) – running hard, making our tackles and getting through our sets. All those little simple things are very important.”

Haas may play again this season but Mam underwent surgery this week and will begin preparing for 2025.

‘I’M SORRY’: OATES CLEARS THE AIR ON WALSH SAGA

Reece Walsh has been told to revolutionise his game as Broncos coach Kevin Walters fronted the enigmatic fullback following his on-field spat with Brisbane veteran Corey Oates.

Walsh will head into Saturday’s Queensland derby against the Cowboys in Townsville under pressure following a drama-charged week at Red Hill.

The Maroons No.1 copped criticism for spraying Oates following a breakdown in play during last week’s shocking 46-18 loss to the Gold Coast Titans, Brisbane’s eighth defeat in nine games.

Oates said Walsh apologised for his outburst immediately after the game but Walters didn’t let the issue slide.

“We’ve certainly addressed that as a club and individuals,” Walters said.

“We’ve moved on from that one too.”

Corey Oates and Reece Walsh have buried the hatchet. Picture: Liam Kidston

Walsh was expected to front media in Brisbane this week but that did not eventuate.

Oates, who has been dropped for the Cowboys game, broke his silence on the matter on Friday.

“He was just angry because I ended up running the wrong line,” Oates told KIIS 97.3.

“He’s so passionate and he cares so much. He’s just so emotional.

“After the game he came to me and said sorry. I said, ‘Mate, we are all good’. He even texted me when I got home.

“I said, ‘I ran the wrong line, you threw a hard pass … it doesn’t matter, mate. We’re fine’.”

The Oates saga has been another bump in a turbulent second NRL season at the Broncos for Walsh.

After rocketing to superstardom in last year’s run to the grand final, Walsh has crashed back to earth in 2024.

He has battled multiple injuries and been targeted by opposition defenders, who are being coached to rush and give him no time or space with the ball.

Reece Walsh and Corey Oates

That was evident by Cameron Ciraldo’s Bulldogs and Des Hasler’s Titans nullifying Walsh’s backline movements over the past fortnight and former Maroons fullback Gary Belcher said Walsh had to evolve his game.

“He looks frustrated and is playing like that,” he said.

“He is doing stuff when his team doesn’t need it because he is frustrated.

“He does need to change. He’s got the skill, you can see with his catch and pass, but he needs to work really hard on having those different options. You can’t just skip to the outside.

“I’d compare him to Billy Slater. That was Billy’s go early, but he made a lot more happen for him in the middle and later parts of his career.

“Reece needs to sniff around the middle more.

“It doesn’t just happen on your own. He has to do it with his playmakers and players around him.”