Kevvie’s bleak acknowledgment as Reynolds supports Walsh’s outburst.
Broncos coach Kevin Walters refused to accept that his team’s finals hopes are over after they suffered a heavy 46-18 defeat to the Titans at Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday.
Sitting in 13th place before the match, Brisbane needed to win all five of their remaining games to have any chance of making the finals. However, they appeared far from a team with everything to fight for after a dismal second-half performance.
Serious questions are being raised about the Broncos’ dramatic decline, having nearly won last year’s grand final before Nathan Cleary’s brilliant play led the Panthers to victory in the final 20 minutes.
Brisbane has managed just one win in their last nine games, including a six-match losing streak. With four matches left against the Cowboys, Eels, Dolphins, and Storm, their struggles may continue into 2024.
“At the moment, the top eight is the last thing on my mind,” Walters stated. “We have more pressing issues than just making the finals. It was disappointing today, especially in the second half.”
The Broncos were ahead 18-10 at halftime, but their second-half collapse, conceding 36 unanswered points, sealed their fate.
When asked about the team’s struggles this season, Walters had no immediate answers. “It’s too soon after the game to say much, but I’ll discuss it with the other coaches. We just weren’t good enough in that second half,” he said.
“The second half was quite poor; we didn’t compete as hard as we should have. That’s what’s disappointing. We played well in the first half, getting good possession near their line, but I wasn’t worried at halftime.”
Frustration within the Broncos was evident, particularly when star Reece Walsh expressed his anger at veteran Corey Oates after a poor pass resulted in a knock-on.
Brisbane captain Adam Reynolds defended Walsh, stating, “It’s part of learning; he’s still a young kid. He’s growing into his role and is a competitor who tries hard. Mistakes will happen, but we believe in Reece.”
A major off-season review is likely for Walters and his team after a difficult year filled with underwhelming performances. However, Walters indicated he wouldn’t wait until the end of the season to address the team’s issues.
“We still have four games left, and we will work on fixing things before the season ends. There’s a lot to improve on, so we won’t postpone it until next year—that’s a different issue,” he said.
Additionally, prop Payne Haas was forced off the field in the 11th minute with a suspected Lisfranc injury, which could end his season. Ezra Mam also had to be assisted from the field with an ankle injury late in the first half.
Walters mentioned he was considering putting Mam back on the field but could not confirm the extent of either player’s injuries. “I won’t use their injuries as an excuse. We had players out there who need to do their jobs,” he said.
