Physical Address
Suite 5, 181 High Street,
Willoughby North NSW 2068
Kevvie reflects on ‘rockstar’ Broncos | 01:41
God love Kevvie Walters. How could you not admire his loyalty to the Brisbane Broncos?
But in the fair dinkum stakes, I couldn’t help but think Walters was still clearly living in denial after so passionately defending the Broncos’ “rock star” mentality as “a load of garbage”. It was wide of the mark.
Watch every game of the 2025 NRL Pre-Season Challenge Live & Exclusive on FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.
It came during Fox League’s pre-match coverage in the countdown to Sunday’s thumping 50-12 trial win over the Titans, when Kevvie’s jovial tone took a sharp turn as soon as the panel started discussing Reece Walsh.
Walters clearly took exception to some of the criticism the superstar fullback copped last year, not just relating to his footy but how Walsh presented himself off the field as well.
“You’ve got to encourage that,” Walters said.
“That’s how he plays.
“You’re not going to coach that out of him. If you do, you lose him.
“There is going to be some great moments and there is going to be some not so great.
“But that’s all learning for him.
“He’s 21.
“If he wants to wear those glasses, wear them.
“Paint your nails. Do what makes you happy. And get the job done on the footy field.”
Walters was equally defensive when Michael Ennis mentioned the Broncos’ “rock star” culture.
Forgotten Bronco booms; ‘Dearden-like’ Dog and Eels ‘standout’ stun — Talking Pts
‘Load of garbage’: Kevvie defends Walsh over Broncos’ ‘rockstar’ culture
“It’s a load of garbage, I can tell you from being inside the club,” Walters said.
“The Broncos are a rock star club.
“It was never an issue for me because I let them express themselves.
“If they don’t they are not the person who they want to be and you don’t get the best out of them.”
Which is all well and good if the Broncos had won last year.
But the fact is they crashed from grand finalists to completely missing the top eight.
That’s not even taking into account the drama that surrounded Ezra Mam’s drug driving scandal over the summer.
Of course, Kevvie is entitled to his opinion, and that’s what he’s now paid to do.
But I’d suggest Walsh’s earrings and the painted fingernails pointed to a bigger issue that even club management felt it needed to confront when it made the tough call to sack Walters and replace him with the hard-nosed Michael Maguire.
It’s no coincidence one of the first things Madge did was introduce a policy where players were banned from training without their shirts.
Maguire said at the time it was about setting professional standards.
I know it’s only early days, but from what we saw from the Broncos in Toowoomba the signs look very promising.
RABBITOHS REJECTS SET UP CHARITY SHIELD GRUDGE MATCH
Will the Rabbitohs regret forcing Lachie Ilias and Damien Cook to the Dragons to make way for Pommy recruit Lewis Dodd and Peter Mamouzelos?
It sets up an intriguing Charity Shield grudge match this Saturday in Mudgee.
The early signs suggest Dodd could take some time to settle into the NRL, while Cook’s dummy half replacement Mamouzelos hardly set the world on fire either in the 34-24 trial loss to Manly.
Meanwhile, both Ilias and Cook had strong games in the Dragons’ impressive 26-8 win over the Roosters.
Of course, the decision to let Cook go was based on freeing up considerable salary cap space.
But it’s no secret Ilias was not wanted after the signing of Dodd who came across from the Super League on a reported $2 million three-year deal.
In fairness to Dodd, he had his work cut out standing out in a Rabbitohs’ second-string team where his outside backs were dominated by the powerful young Sea Eagles.
You’d imagine it will be a different story when he has the likes of Cody Walker, Latrell Mitchell and Jack Wighton outside him.
Even so, Dodd was well and truly outplayed by the Sea Eagles’ second-stringers Jake Arthur and Dean Matterson.
It will be interesting to see if Dodd does enough this weekend to show Wayne Bennett he deserves to hold onto the No 7 jumper to start the season.
Or if Bennett will go with Wests Tigers reject Jayden Sullivan who played in the All Stars on the weekend.
The other option is former Sea Eagle Jamie Humphreys who also missed the trial in Gosford but should be back for the Charity Shield.
Humphreys can play in the halves or at hooker, which should also make Mamouzelos a little nervous.
WILL HOPOATE FORCE ANOTHER TURBO RETHINK?
On the flip side of the Bunnies’ underwhelming performance, how good is Sea Eagles’ sensation Lehi Hopoate looking?
Playing fullback in Gosford, Hopoate was head and shoulders above the field, and the 20-year-old looks to have only grown in confidence over the off-season.
Of course, he’ll have to revert to the wing when Tommy Trbojevic returns.
That is unless at some point this season Anthony Seibold reconsiders moving Turbo to the centres for his longevity.
Either way, at some stage down the track Hopoate appears destined to wear the No 1 jumper fulltime.
If it can’t be at Manly he’ll have rival clubs jumping over themselves.
Hopoate is currently signed until the end of the 2026 season but will be free to negotiate with rivals come November 1this year, if he is not locked up before then.
DOGS UNLEASH NEXT ‘TOM DEARDEN’
There was more than a bit to like about both the Bulldogs and the Tigers in their trial.
While Lachie Galvin yet again played a dominant role for the Tigers, young Bulldogs playmaker Joseph O’Neill also showed why he’s a player to keep an eye on.
At one point in the Fox League commentary Cooper Cronk even likened O’Neill’s willingness to take on the line to Tom Dearden.
O’Neill is a former Westfields Sports High star schoolboy who looks ready to take the next step in his career.
Two other young Dogs who impressed on Sunday were rampaging young middle Jack Todd and winger Jonathan Sua who both look an absolute handful.
ROOSTERS STEEP IN TRADITION
Speaking of talented youngsters, don’t the Roosters have two rippers in Blake Steep and Robert Toia.
How tough is Steep?
It was incredible watching a 19-year-old middle give as good as he got for the Indigenous team against the big boppers from the Maori side.
No wonder there have been so many comparisons already between former Roosters champion Boyd Cordner and this teenage lock judging by what we saw in the All Stars.
Meanwhile, Toia also showed what all the hype surrounding him has been about with some exceptional moments in the trial loss to the Dragons.
This is the young Queenslander who has been waiting in the wings for a couple of years now but has been held back by some untimely injuries.
NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 14: Joash Papalii of the Eels with the ball during the 2025 NRL Pre-Season Challenge match between Newcastle Knights and Parramatta Eels at McDonald Jones Stadium on February 14, 2025 in Newcastle, Australia. (Photo by Scott Gardiner/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesHAVE EELS ANNOINTED WRONG YOUNG GUN TO REPLACE GUTHO?
Jason Ryles sure has a tough decision to make as to who will officially take over as Parramatta’s long term No 1 from Clint Gutherson.
Both Isaiah Iongi and Joash Papalii are genuine excitement machines and were super impressive in their trial win over the lacklustre Knights.
But if you could only pick one from what we saw in this game, Papalii would probably deserve the chocolates given he finished with a try, two try assists, five tackle busts, two line breaks and a line break assist.
NICHO SHINES FOR SHARKS
It was great to see Nicho Hynes blow out the cobwebs in the Sharks’ win over the Raiders.
Hynes looked fresh, confident and was prepared to back himself.
And what about the footwork from big Addin Fonua-Blake when he danced and bulldozed his way through three Raiders for a super front rower’s try.
As if he’s not going to make the Sharks a better team in 2025.
Of the other trials, I loved what we saw again from the Warriors and especially young halfback Luke Metcalf.
Although let’s not forget the 36-10 win was against a completely second-string Storm side.
Meanwhile, Kristian Woolf looks to have the Dolphins ready to rip after thumping the Cowboys 50-8.
With previous success coaching Tonga and St Helens, and I don’t think there is any doubt Woolf will be a successful long term NRL coach.
