Former Broncos coach Kevin Walters has addressed his son Billy Walters’ knee injury with claims the 31-year-old has been the key to unlocking Reece Walsh and his form. Billy Walters has been in career-best form for the Broncos in 2025 having taken over the No.9 role for parts of the season, before shifting to five-eighth in the absence of Ezra Mam and Adam Reynolds.
Walters was an integral part of the Broncos’ comeback against the Raiders on the weekend and played the full-game. Unfortunately, Walters played through ACL damage during the back-half of the thriller.
In horrible news for the Broncos star, Walters is set to undergo surgery on his ACL and will miss around nine months of action, according to Code Sports. While there was initial hope Walters wouldn’t need surgery, it appears the 31-year-old will miss up to half of the 2026 season as he recovers from his second knee construction on the same leg.
Kevin Walters (pictured left) has addressed the news around his son Billy (pictured middle right) with reports suggesting the 31-year-old will need a knee reconstruction. (Images: Getty Images/@Billy_Walters66)
Kerrod Walters backs Billy to return from injury
And Kerrod Walters, former Broncos player and Kevin Walters’ brother, said his nephew would return from the setback. “It’s disappointing for Billy,” Kerrod Walters told AAP. “He fought so hard this year to get his place in the starting team back and has played such good footy.
“Billy had the injury before at Wests Tigers (in 2020) so he knows what it is going to take to get back. I have every confidence he will come back bigger and stronger than ever. At five-eighth this year he has been very good and he was always very, very good at hooker. Billy is all about the team. We he had those setbacks when he was relegated (to the bench), he took it in his stride and put the team first.”
Kevin Walters proud of Billy’s 2025 season
Before reports Walters would likely require a knee reconstruction, Kevin Walters spoke on Triple M NRL Daily and claimed the family were very proud of their son for the way he has conducted himself in 2025. “There are a couple of different scenarios he is going to face…he is alright. He was very upset when he heard the news from the scans,” Walters said. “He has had a great season Bill, we are really proud of him as a family.”
Billy Walters key to ‘unlocking’ Reece Walsh
While Walters didn’t want to talk up his son’s influence on the Broncos in 2025, former Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou went as far as to say Billy has helped unlock Reece Walsh in the backend of the season. The former Rabbitohs coach suggested Walters has been able to give Walsh the extra space he needs to thrive, which has been a key across the last five games.
“He would be a huge loss. The influence he has had on that team this year, in key moments of games, has been phenomenal. What he does is…he gives Reece Walsh the time and space he needs to do his thing,” Demetriou said. “He doesn’t overcomplicate it. It has unlocked him. There is no doubt about that. Reece will miss him if he is not available.”
Jason Demetriou claimed Billy Walters (pictured right) was able to ‘unlock’ Reece Walsh in recent games.
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Billy Walters set to return for Broncos in 2026
Brien Seeney ‘NRL Physio’ claimed the recovery timeline is usually around nine months for ACL surgery, but it is ‘complicated’ because of the injury to the same knee he underwent ACL/MCL surgery on back in 2020. Walters could return halfway through the 2026 season, but it remains a major blow to the Broncos. This is also a blow to the 31-year-old with Walters having just re-signed a two-year extension with the club last year.
His current deal will end at the end of the 2026 season. Walters will be hoping to make a return and prove to the club he should be re-signed again after his second knee surgery.
with AAP