Kevin Walters’ struggles to improve his team’s performance have become increasingly apparent, particularly with the Brisbane Broncos’ recent training sessions. Despite Walters’ efforts to address the team’s mistakes, the issues persist. This week, the situation escalated as assistant coach Lee Briers was forced to address the team’s repeated errors during practice.
In 2024, Walters has expressed frustration over the Broncos’ high error rate. Currently, they have the second-lowest completion rate in the NRL at 77%, according to Fox League. Only the Eels, who have a 76% completion rate and are positioned lower in the standings, have performed worse in terms of errors.
The Broncos’ issues were highlighted by an incident involving Reece Walsh, who criticized teammate Corey Oates for a dropped ball in a recent loss to the Titans. While Walsh has faced criticism for his approach, his defenders argue that his reaction reflects his commitment to high standards and his desire to drive improvement. This incident underscores a broader problem with ball-handling and discipline within the team.
Joel Gould, an AAP reporter who regularly covers Broncos training, has noted a troubling pattern. He observed that players have not been holding each other accountable for mistakes during practice, a shortfall that has contributed to the team’s poor performance, with Brisbane losing eight of their last nine matches. The lack of accountability was evident in a recent session where Briers reprimanded the players for their repeated errors, urging them to change their mindset and improve their focus.
Broncos players Jesse Arthars and Tristan Sailor acknowledge the need for the team to improve its performance if they want to make it to the finals in 2024. Sailor defended Walsh’s passionate reaction and emphasized the need for players to hold themselves and their teammates accountable. Arthars echoed this sentiment, stressing the importance of minimizing errors at both training and in games. He highlighted the necessity for players to come to training with a clear focus and to be more diligent in avoiding mistakes.
Sailor also emphasized the importance of personal responsibility and holding teammates accountable to boost overall performance. By addressing these basic issues and improving effort, the team hopes to see better results on the field.
