Walters has to prove he can maximise stacked roster with Broncos well back in the field for finals race

The drums are not yet beating around Red Hill for Kevin Walters but if the Broncos miss the finals for a third time in four years under his watch, questions need to be asked whether he is the right coach for the job.

Year one for Walters was a rebuild after the Anthony Seibold stint went pear-shaped inside eighteen months. Finishing in 14th was not the desired but understandable and not unexpected.

Year two was a disappointment when the Broncos faltered down the home straight to plummet from fourth spot to miss the playoffs with six straight losses. 

Year three was a triumph and nearly a drought-breaking premiership success if not for Nathan Cleary donning his Superman cape for the second half of the grand final so that Penrith could snatch the title from Brisbane with the biggest comeback in history.

Year four is teetering on the proverbial knife edge between the bare minimum of making the top eight and what would be an unacceptable failure of missing the cut. 

Walters is a Broncos legend and universally admired by the club’s players, fans and particularly their influential Old Boys who worked behind the scenes to ensure he got the gig a few years ago after he missed out to Seibold the previous time the role was up for grabs. 

This is a club that does not tolerate mediocrity, particularly from its coaches, especially if your surname is not Bennett. 

Ivan Henjak was punted after taking the team to a prelim final at his first attempt then missing out the next year.

Anthony Griffin made the finals twice in his four years at the helm before he was given his marching orders to open the door for Bennett’s second coming in 2015.

Bennett himself was literally seconds away from delivering a seventh premiership to the club that year and despite making the playoffs in the ensuing three seasons, he was also told to pack his bags, 12 months ahead of schedule in the end, because the club’s powerbrokers thought he had run his course with the Broncos.

With seven rounds remaining, the glass-half full outlook for Walters and his star-studded side is that they can surge into the post-season now that Adam Reynolds is back calling the shots from his biceps rupture and their Origin stars are on deck for the sprint to the finish.

The glass-half empty summation is that this side has been the NRL’s biggest underachievers and sitting in 11th spot with an 8-10 record is an indictment on their reliance on their ageing playmaker. 

They won a mere two out of the eight matches he missed. Origin was a factor but there is no excuse for the Broncos being in such a precarious position this late in the season when all the talk leading into this year was how they were primed to go one step further.

It appears they will be taking a couple of steps back unless they can go on a lengthy winning streak to finish the regular season. 

History tells us that if you don’t snare a spot in the top four, then you are highly unlikely to be holding the trophy aloft on that first Sunday in October.

Since the playoff system became five teams or more in 1973, only two teams have claimed the premiership from outside the top four – the Bulldogs in 1995 and Brisbane two years earlier when Walters was Allan Langer’s halves partner.

Walters is under contract until 2026 after the Broncos have twice extended his deal in one-year increments, which hardly screams “we trust you Kevvie to be our guy long term”. 

After throwing huge dollars at him to return to the club a couple of times, the Craig Bellamy ship has sailed for the Broncos, particularly if he actually does make good on his threat to retire in the next couple of years. 

The emerging coach on the rise who would be the ideal replacement for Walters is someone else who made their name at the Melbourne Storm.

Billy Slater’s efforts in winning two of his first three State of Origin series have underlined his potential as an NRL coach. 

Sure he’s made a few mistakes along the way like relying on some players past their prime in the recent series loss to NSW but the Queensland legend has the tactical nous and the gravitas in the Sunshine State to succeed on the Broncos’ hot seat.

But it is premature, for know, to line up replacements with Walters still well and truly in control of his team’s destiny, and his own, this season. 

Last week’s 30-14 win in Newcastle which ended their six-game losing skid was a step in the right direction for Brisbane leading into their clash with the Bulldogs on Saturday at Suncorp Stadium in a match which is not “must-win” but the next closest thing. 

A loss would put the Broncos six points off eighth spot heading into the final six rounds and that’s when destiny is taken out of your hands because you’re relying on other results to go your way to qualify for the finals. 

Usually these days it’s the season before the final season of a coach’s contract which dictates whether they get an extension. 

If the Broncos can’t recover to make the playoffs this season, the club should consider whether it is worth giving Walters another chance to show he can capitalise on the talented roster at his disposal. 

They are entering a similar position to the one Parramatta faced with Brad Arthur after a memorable run to the Grand final was followed by a steep deterioration in results and the coach ultimately being shown the door.