Kevin Walters Q&A: Brisbane Broncos coach will make players watch grand final loss
Kevin Walters hasn’t fully absorbed Brisbane’s heartbreaking grand final loss to Penrith. When it does, the Broncos coach certainly won’t be hiding it from his players.
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It has been a few months since the Broncos suffered the most heartbreaking of NRL grand final defeats after surrendering a 24-8 lead to lose to Penrith.
Losses don’t come much tougher to stomach than that and the Broncos were so close to snapping what is now an 18-year premiership drought.
For Brisbane coach Kevin Walters, it was particularly tough, having taken over the club following the 2020 wooden spoon season and getting so close to the Holy Grail.
Now it all begins again heading into the 2024 NRL premiership and Walters spoke to TRAVIS MEYN about what lies ahead for the Broncos.
TRAVIS MEYN: You’ve had a good break, Kevvie. How are you feeling heading into the 2024 season?
KEVIN WALTERS: I’m refreshed and ready to go. There’s a good vibe around the place and the boys are going hard.
TM: What was that period after the grand final like?
KW: There was some reflection first more than anything. The first couple of weeks after the grand final were funny. But when you think about the season we had, it makes you a bit happier and understanding of why things happen sometimes. I’m generally really happy with everything we’re doing at the moment. We would have liked a better result in the grand final, but if 12 months ago you said to me, ‘That’s your season’, I would have taken it every day of the week.
TM: I was in the dressing room after the game and it was a strange feeling, as though no one was sure how to feel. Has what happened sunk in yet?
KW: It hasn’t yet. There was a bit of disbelief after the game. The grand final had been played, run and lost the way it was. We’re going to get on top of that because it was a good season for us and we made so many big strides as a club and individuals to put us in a good position for next year.
TM: Have you watched the game?
KW: I haven’t watched it yet, but I plan to sit down with the players and have a look at it. Things happen for a reason a lot of the time. To Penrith’s credit, they’ve been a good side for a long time and played really well in that last 15 while we were a bit off. There were a couple of little errors and a few things didn’t go our way. That’s all it is. There’s never much in it. We only lost by two points. We scored the same number of tries and conversions, it was just a penalty goal that beat us.
TM: Do you think there will be some mental scars at Red Hill?
KW: No, no. They’re disappointed but also very mindful there’s a lot of improvement in us as a group and them as individuals. From all the evidence we’ve seen so far, they’re keen and hungry. They are ready for another good crack at next season.
TM: You embarked on an off-season study trip to UK and US. What did you do?
KW: We went to Arsenal and spent most of our time at Saracens rugby, who’ve been a very successful club for the past 10 years. They’ve got a very stable coaching environment and playing group. It was important for us to see that. We visited a couple of English Premier League clubs briefly, but it was good to get among them and have a look. The sole purpose of the US trip was to bed down where we’re staying in LA and Vegas. We lined up hotels and a training venue.
TM: You caught up with Tottenham coach Ange Postecoglou too, didn’t you?
KW: I had a good bit of time with Ange, he was very generous with his time. Tottenham are an elite club in the Premier League and their facilities are first class. There’s lots to admire about what he’s doing and that club itself. I met Ange when I was in Melbourne at the Storm and he was coaching the Victory. He is a really nice fella. I used to watch the Victory train and knew he’d be a very successful coach no matter what league he was in because his methods have worked everywhere he’s been. He’s stuck to his principles, which is something I really admire. He was heavily criticised early by fans and the media saying he wasn’t up to it, but he had great belief in himself and his methods. I’ll take a lot out of that – believing in what you’re doing and sticking to your principles.
TM: You’ve always believed in your ability. Was making the grand final, and going so close to winning it, vindication in a way?
KW: It reinforced not only what I’m doing but all of the coaches and our team at the Broncos. We’re on the right pathway and we’ve got great stability in the club now with our coaches and roster. We’ve lost a couple of players we didn’t want to lose but we’ve got good depth in those positions which gives us a great opportunity to replace them with talent from our academy.
TM: Speaking of losing players, seeing Kurt Capewell, Herbie Farnworth, Tom Flegler and Keenan Palasia leave is a big blow.
KW: We’ve had some time to compensate for the three leaving in Keenan, Fleg and Herbie, we knew about them. We had a good look at that and felt we could handle the loss of those three players. Fletcher Baker looks like a really good signing. He is a good, mature kid who’s working really hard and fitting in nicely.
TM: Do you think you’re close to re-signing Ezra Mam following his grand final hat-trick?
KW: I believe so. He is a big part of our future and we’d love him to stay. I’m sure there’ll be a lot of clubs (targeting him). We’re in the process of negotiating with him and his manager and we believe it’s going to work out okay. He’s looking forward to another strong season for us. He showed his skills in the last month of football for someone so young. The future is really bright for Ezra and the Broncos.
TM: It doesn’t stop if you secure Ezra. Reece Walsh is coming off-contract in the coming years too. Can you keep him?
KW: That’s always been the case at the Broncos. I’m not going to call it a problem because it’s a good issue to have. We rely heavily on our academy to keep producing and promoting players. While it continues to do that, we’re always going to be in a safe place as far as recruitment goes. There’ll be the occasional one where we have to reach outside and purchase a player, but the academy has been great for us. About 13 of the 17 players in the grand final team were from our academy.
TM: Your captain Adam Reynolds came under criticism for his performance in the grand final and was devastated. Has he got another couple of good seasons left in him?
KW: We all felt it and him being the captain, he felt it as well. It’s another experience for him that he’ll learn from as a player and captain. You’re never too old to keep learning. He is extremely hungry to get back into training. It will be a shorter pre-season for him but also a good one to set himself up for another really good season for us. We’ve got to make sure we work well with him and he looks after himself, which he does. I can’t see a problem. We’ve also got Jock Madden there who we’ve got a lot of confidence in.
TM: You’re now one of the premiership favourites. Is there more expectation on the Broncos and how do you manage that?
KW: Maybe there is, but my expectations have always been the same at the Broncos. I’d like to think our team lines up every year as a genuine premiership threat. We want to make the grand final and win the thing. My opinion hasn’t changed on that for next year.
TM: You seem confident.
KW: I’m really excited. This time last year there was a lot of noise around the Broncos and a bit of uncertainty, and rightly so after the way we finished the year before. But there’s a different tone to the Broncos now when people talk about our club. It’s up to us to adjust our mentality around all of that. We’re not a team that’s down the bottom anymore. We are up and about and need to stand there. It’s purely hard work, communicating and all those little things we did really well this year.
Originally published as Kevin Walters Q&A: Brisbane Broncos coach will make players watch grand final loss
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