Broncos legend Shane Webcke has launched at the club over the sudden sacking of his former teammate Kevin Walters, calling club bosses out for attempting to put “pretty wallpaper” over the termination of his contract.
Brisbane dropped a bombshell on the NRL on Thursday night by announcing that Walters’ time was up, with the head coach falling victim to an ugly post-season review.
But rather than describe the parting of ways as a sacking, the Broncos’ language indicated that the club and the coach had mutually parted ways.
READ MORE: Broncos players ‘blindsided’ by Walters sacking
READ MORE: Cleary reveals ‘car chase’ early in Fowler romance
READ MORE: Shock Kiwi approach revealed prior to Ponga snub
Webcke refused to believe that was how it played out and said the PR spin was a sign of “weakness” from club management.
The statement from the Broncos included quotes from Walters admitting the scrutiny of the job had taken “a toll” on his family and while Webcke was sympathetic to that point he was adamant that was not a determining factor in the split.
“I promise you that, and nonetheless, there was something serious happening, right?” Webcke said on a wide-ranging interview on SENQ’s Breakfast with Pat and Heals.
“We understand that, but what I’m saying is, Kevvie’s known that (the job would take a toll on his family) the whole time he’s been a coach, so that’s not something that’s come up yesterday and it does smell like now they’re trying to sort of put nice, pretty wallpaper over it and call it something that it’s not.
“I see that as a terrible weakness as well. If you’re going to make a tough call, call it what it is. Don’t try and turn it into something that’s not.
“And that, I think, is a mistake as well, if that is in fact the case. If they’re going to come out today and say, ‘This was a mutual thing, we’re all happy’, well, you’re going to have a fairly difficult time convincing people of that.”
Watch the 2024 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and 9Now.
Webcke, who was a teammate of Walters at the Broncos from 1995-2000, winning three premierships together, admitted during the interview that the pair were good friends but added that he was a “realist” and would back the club’s decision if he thought it would right the ship.
The tough as granite front-rower, who played 254 games for the Broncos between 1995-2006 took issue with the timing of the decision, arguing Walters deserved the opportunity to turn things around in the early stages of next season.
“I’ll predicate anything I’m going to say with any of us who are not on the inside of the team and playing in the Broncos, we are guessing as to whether Kevvie is the most wonderful coach that ever existed or is not,” Webcke opened.
“But if I look at it and stand back as a bloke who loves the Broncos… I think, well, when did it become our way to do things like this?
“If Kevvie has another year on his contract, let’s look at what he’s done. We went from being wooden spooners to a second away from winning the grand final. None of us are happy with the season just gone, particularly Kevvie.
“But I think the smartest thing to do would have been, and the right thing to do, would have been to let Kevvie coach next year. Because likely it’s this year that’s the wake-up call that we needed. We’ve got a good, strong club again, a wonderful roster full of great players.
“… And the other thing I always think, ‘Well, if you’re going to make a decision like this, make it because you’re going to someone better’. Well, who’s better? Who’s available right now who is going to be a better fit than Kevvie Walters? I don’t know.”
Courier Mail reporter Peter Badel, who was also interviewed on Breakfast with Pat and Heals suggested NSW coach Michael Maguire and former Broncos assistant coach Jason Demetriou, who was recently axed by the Rabbitohs were likely the two leading candidates.
The Maguire link baffled Webcke.
“Mate, he coaches New South Wales. Spare me that,” he said.
“I’ve got nothing against him, but did we get rid of Kevvie Walters for that? I don’t think so.”
Webcke added that there was no potential candidate that would swing public opinion, which he said would be firmly in Walters’ corner.
“Instead, what they’ve done is sack him now, like it feels like it’s out of the blue, and created a maelstrom of drama and stuff that’s going to get talked about for weeks now, and put the whole place under pressure again,” he said.
“… There’s nothing logical about this, it just doesn’t make any sense… Kevvie more than anyone understands that his job is about performance, right? And he knows he’s under pressure, but no one can reasonably look at his performance and the tenure of his coaching at the Broncos and say that this is justifiable, because it’s not.”