AND THEN THERE

Walters, Green up for Broncos interview

QUEENSLAND Origin coach Kevin Walters has declared he won’t walk away from the Maroons this season as D-Day arrives in the battle for the Broncos job.

Walters and former Cowboys coach Paul Green will be interviewed on Thursday with Brisbane’s board discarding several applicants for it to become a two-horse race.

It can also be revealed:

■ Walters has no intention of abandoning the Queensland side just six weeks out from the Origin series;

■ A current NRL head coach has sensationally gone behind the back of his current employer and applied for the Broncos job; and

Sacked Warriors coach Steve Kearney is in talks to join the Storm as an assistant to Craig Bellamy, a scenario that would rule out a potential return to Red Hill as Walters’ deputy.

The Broncos board will finalise its new coach by October 15 and the Queensland Rugby League has explored contingencies in the event Brisbane’s executive ask Walters to resign if he beats Green to the Red Hill throne.

Brisbane’s pre-season is due to begin around November 16, two days before Walters is due to coach Queensland in Origin III at Suncorp Stadium.

But Walters has no plans to leave the Maroons in the lurch and tender his resignation as Queensland coach, believing he could juggle dual roles with the Maroons and Broncos, at least for this season.

“I can juggle both roles,” Walters said.

“Look, it‘s all speculation at the moment, but the reality is I am the coach of the Maroons and my expectation this year is to be coaching the Queensland team in this year’s series.

“The Broncos are taking their time and I need to respect that, but I am not walking away from Queensland … I’m full steam ahead with the Maroons.”

Green will fancy his chances of beating Walters in an interview situation. The pair were part of a four-man shortlist for the Cowboys job in 2013, with Green prevailing after edging out Walters, Trent Barrett and Brad Arthur during the interview process.

This time, Walters has left no stone unturned to be primed for his crack at the Broncos job he was denied two years ago.

The Broncos board wants to see Walters and Green armed with a holistic blueprint that outlines not only their strategy to break the club‘s 14-year title drought, but the team of assistants they would employ.

Walters isn’t nervous about confronting the very Brisbane bosses who snubbed him in favour of Seibold in 2018.

“I‘m ready to go, we’ll see how it goes,” he said.

“I‘m also ready to go for Queensland on November 4, 11 and 18.”