Walters sacked 12 months after taking Broncos to a grand final

Kevin Walters has been sacked by the Brisbane Broncos this evening in a surprise ousting that’s left the NRL world stunned. The decision comes after the grand Queensland club slumped from grand finalists to 12th in just one year.

The Broncos told Walters, 56, his time leading the Red Hill outfit was over on Thursday. It’s understood Walters was cordial, calling the job “the greatest thrill and honour of my life.”

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Walters coached 99 NRL games for the club he’d made 241 top flight appearances when he was a player in the 1990s, winning a clean 50. After taking over in 2021 he guide them to 14th, ninth, then in his third season in charge the squad ran second with a dominant 18 wins and were even leading the 2023 grand final for more than 65 minutes.

Things turned a little more sour this season, however, with the Broncos rebuild hitting a hiccup framed around Adam Reynolds’ injury battles. The Walters-built team slumped to 12th and failed to contest the NRL postseason at all in 2024.

The Broncos chairman Karl Morris confirmed the news on Thursday, telling News Corp alongside a press release that the bosses in Brisbane “feel deeply for Kev.”

“He’ll always be a respected guy and a legend of the Broncos and he’ll always be treated that way,” he said. “Of course I’m shocked. This is a huge job… a pressure job at the Broncos. We have great appreciation for Kevvie’s efforts and wish him well.”

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The Broncos have since formally confirmed the surprise news, though the club suggested he’d “stepped down” rather than being pushed out. There’s no replacement for the 56-year-old yet.

Update Thursday, 9.44pm AEDT: On Thursday’s sacking, Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy said: “We owe a debt of gratitude to Kevin. [He] put his heart and soul into the club during his time as coach. He’s one of the most passionate people you will ever meet when it comes to the Broncos and that helped lift us out of a really difficult time.”

Walters is expected to stay on in some capacity. “While we’ll miss Kev and his infectious personality on a daily basis, we don’t want one of the Broncos favourite sons not to stay involved.”