The Brisbane Broncos' recruitment drive is continuing, with reports suggesting the club has confirmed a contract extension for utility Billy Walters.
Walters has had a breakthrough season at Red Hill, playing a career-high 23 games throughout the year โ a considerable increase on his previous high of eight first-grade appearances. He also scored three tries.
He started the year at five-eighth, but has spent most of the 2022 campaign coming off the bench or wearing the club's No.9 jersey โ a role he battled for with Jake Turpin for much of the year.
He's obviously impressed club powerbrokers, with the Broncos offering a two-year extension to the young playmaker, as per 7 News Brisbane's Katie Brown.
CONFIRMED: Billy Walters and @brisbanebroncos agree on a two-year extension @7NewsBrisbane #NRL
— Katie Brown ๐คธ๐ผโโ๏ธ (@katiebrownaus) October 6, 2022
Though he's the son of coach Kevin Walters, the 28-year-old's club debut was awarded on merit, according to the coach.
โI'm really excited, I've watched Billy play since he was five years old,โ Walters told SEN at the start of the season.
โI've got a fair insight into his skills and what he can bring to our club.
โWhilst we're in football mode, he's Billy Walters and just like any other player. The moment he walks off the field, he's my son.โ
The junior Walters is bound to be elated, despite the lack of an official release from the club to this point.
โI jumped at the opportunity to come back home to Brisbane and play for the club I grew up supporting,โ Billy said when his arrival at Brisbane was initially confirmed.
โTo get a chance to do that and hopefully a chance to turn the club around and back into a powerhouse, I couldn't ask for anything more.โ
Though the Broncos did improve this year, there's still a way to go in terms of consistency before they can challenge the top sides on a regular basis.
The Broncos had embedded themselves in the top eight by Round 19, before a terrible capitulation saw them finish ninth, exposing the mountain of issues that still need to be addressed, and condemning the team to wait another year for a possible return to the NRL finals.
Walters joins Corey Oates, Herbie Farnworth, Patrick Carrigan, Selwyn Cobbo and more as the latest piece of the club's retention drive.
Where there any other Clubs chasing him? No so he had nowhere else to go & he is there as a back-up 6 & 9…..He actually battled with Paix for the hooker role, not Turpin & a lot thought Paix & Turpin should have been the 9s.