Broncos legend and board member Darren Lockyer admits he has ‘strained relationships’ with several former teammates after the sacking of former coach Kevin Walters last year. Lockyer was part of the Brisbane board that made the decision to part ways with Walters after a disappointing 2024 NRL season, and install Michael Maguire as head coach in 2025.
Walters is a legend at the Broncos and it was a controversial move at the time, with club greats including Gorden Tallis, Allan Langer, Chris Johns and Steve Renouf among those to express their disappointment. The Broncos board were ultimately vindicated though after Maguire helped end the club’s 19-year premiership drought in his first season in charge.
Brisbane board member Darren Lockyer admits the sacking of Kevin Walters has strained his relationships with several former Broncos teammates. Pic: Getty
But Lockyer admits the fallout over Walters’ axing has been ongoing, and it’s affected his relationships with several former teammates who he won premierships alongside at the Broncos. It was a similar situation following the sacking of Wayne Bennett as Brisbane coach in 2018, when Lockyer had a brief falling out with the veteran mentor.
“I wouldn’t say I have burnt friendships, but there’s a lot of guys I played with and won premierships with that I have a strained relationship with now because of the decision,” Lockyer told News Corp about Walters’ axing. “Not that I made that decision. It was the collective board, and I have lost some skin along the way.
“But I always feel, as Wayne (Bennett) has always said, that every decision we make has to be in the best interests of the club. That’s the way I have always thought as a member of the board.”
Darren Lockyer says Brisbane made the ‘right call’ on coach
Lockyer insists Walters deserves enormous credit for helping to rebuild the Broncos after their wooden spoon in 2020, guiding the club into a grand final just three years later. But Brisbane’s fall from grace in the season after the 2023 decider was dramatic, as Brisbane finished 12th to miss out on the finals altogether.
That disappointing 2024 season sparked a review at the club that ultimately led to Walters’ sacking and Lockyer was adamant the Broncos ‘had to go in a different direction’, with regard to their coach. He maintains that bringing in Maguire ‘was the right call’ and after Sunday’s stunning grand final win over Melbourne, it’s hard to argue.
Lockyer was thoroughly impressed with how quickly Maguire was able to deliver results, but admitted it was ‘tough’ to discuss because of the work Walters did previously. The Broncos legend says there ‘was always talent’ within the playing group to win a comp, but praised the way Maguire complemented that and helped change the culture at the Broncos.
Kevin Walters says he would have won a premiership with the Broncos if he wasn’t sacked as coach in 2024. Pic: Getty
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Kevin Walters ‘would have won a premiership at Broncos’
Speaking on the Inside Ball podcast, Walters was adamant he would have won a premiership with Brisbane if he’d stayed on as coach. Walters went on to land the Kangaroos head coaching role and is preparing to lead Australia in their first Ashes series in England for 22 years.
The Kangaroos squad flies out to England next week, ahead of the opening Ashes Test at Wembley on October 25. And while Walters can’t wait to get back into the coaching hot-seat with Australia, he’s confident he would have led Brisbane to another premiership if he stayed on at the Broncos.
“Fortunate or unfortunate, I lost my job at the Broncos,” Walters said. “If I had still been at the Broncos, sure I would have won a premiership, but I wouldn’t be doing this. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to coach our elite players.”