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Is Kev gone?

_Johnsy

Referee
Messages
28,125
I have never heard a former staff member come out & bag a head coach so publicly 2 days after their season finished. Is this Brisbane leaking to soften the blow when they sack golden boy Kev?

Somehow I don’t think tears at a presser will help Kev, the offensive has begun. This smells a bit like Brisbane starting the PR war to soften the blow of sacking the golden boy.

My way or the highway

'His way or the highway': Former Broncos trainer slams Kevvie, accuses players of being '110 per cent' too pampered.​

A former Broncos trainer has accused Kevin Walters of lining the club with ‘yes men’, as pressure mounts on the embattled coach.

Fresh off a 2023 grand final appearance, the Broncos have fallen spectacularly from grace in 2024, slumping to 12th on the ladder with a 10-14 record and finishing the year with a disastrous 50-12 loss to minor premiers the Storm.

Speaking on 4BC Radio, Mark ‘Chopper’ Burgess, who was part of the club’s high performance team in 2022 and previously worked under Wayne Bennett at the Broncos between 1998 and 2004, compared Walters unfavourably to the master coach, saying he doesn’t like to be challenged by staffers.

“You just don’t argue with the boss,” Burgess said of his time under Walters.

“I’ve had so many arguments with Wayne Bennett, Michael Maguire, Ricky Stuart and Steve Kearney, all great coaches. “They want to have a different perspective. They want a trainer in their crew to say, ‘Listen, that might not be right. Can we do it this way?’

“Whereas with Kevvie’s crew, it was his way or the highway.


“I love Kev. He’s a great bloke. He’s a terrific guy. I know his wife and his kids, but the key is leadership.

“The key is this is the boss, this is what we do, they delegate when they have to.

“If the Broncos don’t get some honesty, then you’re going to get the same results.

“Kevvie’s got big problems with the people around him. I don’t know that that’s very supportive for Kevvie, he hasn’t had great support.

Burgess was also scathing of the Broncos’ set-up off-field, claiming players are overly pampered with excessive staff and immaculate facilities a far cry from what the premiership-winning teams of yesteryear worked with.


“Two biggest things that shocked me [while working at the Broncos in 2022]… one, there were way too many mirrors in the gym; and two, you weren’t allowed to sweat, and if you did, you carried a towel with you.

“This palatial gymnasium they have looks more like a hairdressing salon.

“Wayne Bennett won many titles in a rusted old gym beside the bowls club. I walked into the Broncos in 2022 and there’s a trainer per player doing something that justified their existence and position there.

“I asked that quite regularly and was mowed down for my comments. It was a bit of a power trip for a lot of their staff.

“They have this high-performance centre worth millions and millions of dollars, it’s the benchmark in the competition… clearly it’s not showing on the field.”
 
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undertaker

Coach
Messages
10,871
dabc24cca247895a4d0b8fc1a786a946
 

Saxon

Bench
Messages
3,168
I have never heard a former staff member come out & bag a head coach so publicly 2 days after their season finished. Is this Brisbane leaking to soften the blow when they sack golden boy Kev?

Somehow I don’t think tears at a presser will help Kev, the offensive has begun. This smells a bit like Brisbane starting the PR war to soften the blow of sacking the golden boy.

My way or the highway

'His way or the highway': Former Broncos trainer slams Kevvie, accuses players of being '110 per cent' too pampered.​

A former Broncos trainer has accused Kevin Walters of lining the club with ‘yes men’, as pressure mounts on the embattled coach.

Fresh off a 2023 grand final appearance, the Broncos have fallen spectacularly from grace in 2024, slumping to 12th on the ladder with a 10-14 record and finishing the year with a disastrous 50-12 loss to minor premiers the Storm.

Speaking on 4BC Radio, Mark ‘Chopper’ Burgess, who was part of the club’s high performance team in 2022 and previously worked under Wayne Bennett at the Broncos between 1998 and 2004, compared Walters unfavourably to the master coach, saying he doesn’t like to be challenged by staffers.

“You just don’t argue with the boss,” Burgess said of his time under Walters.

“I’ve had so many arguments with Wayne Bennett, Michael Maguire, Ricky Stuart and Steve Kearney, all great coaches. “They want to have a different perspective. They want a trainer in their crew to say, ‘Listen, that might not be right. Can we do it this way?’

“Whereas with Kevvie’s crew, it was his way or the highway.


“I love Kev. He’s a great bloke. He’s a terrific guy. I know his wife and his kids, but the key is leadership.

“The key is this is the boss, this is what we do, they delegate when they have to.

“If the Broncos don’t get some honesty, then you’re going to get the same results.

“Kevvie’s got big problems with the people around him. I don’t know that that’s very supportive for Kevvie, he hasn’t had great support.

Burgess was also scathing of the Broncos’ set-up off-field, claiming players are overly pampered with excessive staff and immaculate facilities a far cry from what the premiership-winning teams of yesteryear worked with.


“Two biggest things that shocked me [while working at the Broncos in 2022]… one, there were way too many mirrors in the gym; and two, you weren’t allowed to sweat, and if you did, you carried a towel with you.

“This palatial gymnasium they have looks more like a hairdressing salon.

“Wayne Bennett won many titles in a rusted old gym beside the bowls club. I walked into the Broncos in 2022 and there’s a trainer per player doing something that justified their existence and position there.

“I asked that quite regularly and was mowed down for my comments. It was a bit of a power trip for a lot of their staff.

“They have this high-performance centre worth millions and millions of dollars, it’s the benchmark in the competition… clearly it’s not showing on the field.”
“I love Kev. He’s a great bloke. He’s a terrific guy. I know his wife and his kids"

Love him so much you're dissing him in the media.
 

shear_joy9

Coach
Messages
13,733
Kevvie is a horrendous coach and I’m sure has some form of intellectual disability. I hope he remains coaching for years to come though because otherwise he slot straight back into Fox’s commentary and panel shows. People think blocker, Cronk, Mal, Tallis etc are bad well Kevvie was 10 levels worse.
 

Fangs

Coach
Messages
13,365
Alarm bells ringing on this story. Ex-staff member with an axe to grind?

Regardless, *the coach* will be sacked within a month if the Broncos have any balls. They are just wasting time keeping him on.
 

Penrose Warrior

First Grade
Messages
9,346
Alarm bells ringing on this story. Ex-staff member with an axe to grind?
This.

Not allowed to sweat in the gym? He lost me there.

The media will go to anyone who gives them the right quotes, even if they're horse shit or without basis.

Kevvy very likely does suck. But where was this guy's quotes last year? The year after this stuff he says went on in 2022, the Broncs did everything but win a title.
 

Munky

Coach
Messages
12,023
The Broncos played entertaining low discipline footy last year.

However they had a good run with injury and the squad was in form. Their starting middle forwards were a top two unit across the NRL. Herbie is a top three yardage back.

This year they had no Flegler or Herbie to soften up defences.

They've played the same low discipline ball in hand footy this year. No Herbie and Flegler this means that they had no ability to get metres.

Walsh and Mariner offer nothing coming off the try line. Dominate the then in tackle one and two off a kick and you get the ball back on your own forty.

Massive coaching and squad failure to let it happen.

Kev looked especially clueless in the Dogs game where they went around the Broncos all game on early tackles. Horrible coaching since the Dogs forwards offer nothing and there is no reason to compress.
 

Scootsie

Juniors
Messages
136
Gyms like hairdressing salons? Is that a reference to Carrigan?

So, it seems the formula is to get rid of the gyms and the centres of excellence, the trainers and masseuses and do it to old ‘80’s way - sand dunes and dilapidated old gyms.

What a rubbish article. Can’t see many clubs rushing to employ this guy.
 

Wizardman

First Grade
Messages
9,189
I'll ignore the ex-employee dinosaur here.

But, there is no denying that in Brisbane media-wise, the wagons are certainly circling around Kevin Walters. Up until two weeks ago, the man was a protected species in Brisbane. That has certainly changed media-wise over the last fortnight.

In saying that, a club of that profile missing the 8 three times in the last four years is unacceptable.
 
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kurt faulk

Coach
Messages
14,375
.

The donkeys win two games in a row after losing 8 of 9 and suddenly kevvie thinks they're unbeatable. Says they will make the 8 no questions asked.

They lose the next 2 games 40-6 and 50-12.

I mean, you can't get more embarrassed than that. The players really tried hard to back kevvie's bravado.

.
 

Diesel

Referee
Messages
23,402
There has to be a disconnect in the squad, along with losing key players, Herbie, Flegler and Capewell and not replacing. Reynolds out doesn’t help but there’s no contingency when he is out and most could see 24 games over 27 weeks is asking too much. They really dropped the ball with Ikin. In a few hours, the Dolphins could be Brisbane’s team for the finals.
The Dolphins are a point of difference and you can see that they’re playing more family friendly times and lots of young fans are in the crowd. I have no sympathy for the Broncos, they’ve had an easy ride since Super League, played with a team over the cap yet only won 3/4 premierships in the 90’s to 2000. They refused to let another SE QLD club, let alone Brisbane 2 join the competition and afl and union took advantage.
The Broncos historically have not been good for RL in Brisbane and now they can eat shit for a while
 

Generalzod

Immortal
Messages
33,511
There has to be a disconnect in the squad, along with losing key players, Herbie, Flegler and Capewell and not replacing. Reynolds out doesn’t help but there’s no contingency when he is out and most could see 24 games over 27 weeks is asking too much. They really dropped the ball with Ikin. In a few hours, the Dolphins could be Brisbane’s team for the finals.
The Dolphins are a point of difference and you can see that they’re playing more family friendly times and lots of young fans are in the crowd. I have no sympathy for the Broncos, they’ve had an easy ride since Super League, played with a team over the cap yet only won 3/4 premierships in the 90’s to 2000. They refused to let another SE QLD club, let alone Brisbane 2 join the competition and afl and union took advantage.
The Broncos historically have not been good for RL in Brisbane and now they can eat shit for a while
Players like Lockyer took pay cuts to play for the Broncos..lol
 

Wb1234

Immortal
Messages
31,454
Kevvie has lost the dressing room

but the ceo apparently will give him till round 12 next year

Players like mamm and Walsh have gone backwards this year

the broncos are the biggest rugby club on earth

But got railroaded into giving him the job out of fear of ex players

Paul white is to blame for pushing out Bennett. There was no need to do it
 
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