Brisbane Broncos boss Dave Donaghy has commented on the future of head coach Kevin Walters after the club has gone from reaching the Grand Final to missing out on the 2024 NRL Finals.
Following the club's 40-6 loss to The Dolphins last weekend, there has been much talk about whether Walters is the right guy to lead the team from next season onwards as they continue to make changes to their roster.
While he is contracted until the end of the 2026 NRL season, there were fears that he could be terminated before the expiration of the deal - depending on this week's result, they could drop to 12th on the table.
As they prepare to take on a fully-fit Melbourne Storm team (bar Ryan Papenhuyzen), Walters has earned the backing of Donaghy who has confirmed that he will lead the team next season.
“Kev is the coach and he will remain the coach,” Donaghy told The Courier Mail.
“It's been a really disappointing year — everyone inside the club is feeling it and I'm sure our fans are, too.
“We'll get through the game on Thursday and then with Kev, we will undertake our normal review process to start putting our plans together for next year's campaign.
“We can't afford to sit back and dwell for too long and we certainly don't want to be in this position again.”
Less than 12 months from reaching the 2023 NRL Grand Final, the Broncos have failed to live up to expectations and were considered one of the premiership contenders at the start of the year alongside the Penrith Panthers.
Struggling to consistently perform on the field, their season has also been marred in controversy on and off the field, as well as a continuous run of injuries to several stars.
This includes injuries to Reece Walsh, Adam Reynolds, Ezra Mam, and Payne Haas. A drunken spat between veterans Reynolds and Patrick Carrigan headlined the controversies away from the paddock.
As Walters looks to keep his job beyond next season, he will have to do it with an entirely new coaching staff as Lee Briers and John Cartwright will depart for opportunities abroad.
In their place, it is understood that the new faces will be Parramatta Eels interim coach Trent Barrett and ex-Origin representative Ben Te'o - the former NRL forward joins from looking after The Dolphins feeder club in the QLD Cup.
“We've got some new faces around Kev with the coaching group next year,” Donaghy added.
“I know Kevvie is really disappointed about our back half of the year.
“He obviously wears his heart on the sleeve and he feels it more than anyone and tries his best not to show it, but it's been a challenging year for all of us.
“We'll continue to invest in our footy program and put the pieces around him to ensure that we're successful.
“We need to sharpen up to make sure we have a bounce back next year.”