Broncos coach bucks queries
BRISBANE coach Kevin Walters has sensationally walked out of a press conference after refusing to answer questions about the behaviour of star player Payne Haas.
Just over a month from the launch of the 2021 NRL season, Walters was in no mood to talk about Haas’ abuse of police officers after the NSW Origin prop pleaded guilty to intimidating police on Thursday morning.
The rookie NRL coach also bizarrely dead-batted a question about the appointment of Paul Green in Walters’ former role as Queensland State of Origin coach.
Ahead of his first season as Broncos coach, Walters was appearing in Brisbane at a promotion for next week’s All Stars Boxing event in Townsville.
He refused to talk about Haas and finally walked out of the press conference when quizzed on the future of Broncos hooker Andrew McCullough, who has been linked with a move to St George Illawarra.
Haas, Brisbane’s player-ofthe-year for the past two seasons, received a two-year good behaviour bond and is facing a suspension from the NRL following a foul-mouthed tirade at police in northern NSW on January 16.
Court transcripts revealed he threatened a female officer and dared police to taser him during the drunken incident in Tweed Heads.
The NRL is expected to sanction Haas next week and despite the court matter being finalised, Walters flat out refused to discuss the topic and attempted to deflect questions from reporters.
“I think we’ll stick to what we’re talking about here, I’ll leave that one alone,” he said when asked for his thoughts on Haas.
When told he couldn’t avoid the topic, Walters said: “I can (avoid it), I can just say no. I’ll talk about it in an appropriate environment. We’re not here to talk about any of those things. We’re here to talk about the boxing.”
But Walters’ assistant Terry Matterson was prepared to address the Haas situation, saying his fate was now in the hands of the NRL.
Broncos hierarchy are privately pushing for a heavy fine with a possible match suspension coming from the NRL integrity unit.