Johns in dark over snub to Walters
DUAL premiership player Chris Johns has urged Broncos management to make public why they haven’t wanted to make Kevin Walters their coach for 2020.
Johns, a centre for Wayne Bennett and teammate of Walters in the 1992 and 1993 grand final sides, said Walters was the outstanding candidate and should be a “no- brainer’’ appointment.
In the countdown to the club’s official 30th anniversary dinner tomorrow night, Johns said it was “disgraceful’’ that the Broncos, with their resources, had not won a premiership since 2006.
Bennett is contracted for next year by Brisbane and has so far been unable to convince the Broncos board to grant him the one- year extension to coach in 2020 which he seeks.
News Corp reported yesterday that Bennett had recently pushed assistant coach Jason Demetriou’s case to be appointed ultimately by the Broncos board as his successor.
Bennett’s supporters, including Johns’ former teammate Steve Renouf, say Brisbane’s 2015 grand final appearance, run to the preliminary final last year and development of young players combine to entitle the veteran coach to a new contract.
“If there is a better candidate than Kevvie, the powers that be at the Broncos have to come out and tell us who it is and why,’’ said Johns.
“If anyone wants to ring our ex- players, I’ll guarantee you 99 per cent of them who have a bit of football nous will say Kevin Walters is the man. It’s blindingly obvious.
“The real problem is there’s no one at the club qualified other than ( director and former captain) Darren Lockyer and Wayne Bennett to make that decision.
“If Kevin Walters isn’t heir apparent, they need to come out and tell us why.’’
Asked directly if he favoured Walters to become head coach in 2020, Johns said: “The Broncos went after Craig Bellamy ( to coach in 2020), but Kevin Walters is there and proven his worth at State of Origin.
“He’s had a long apprenticeship to get this far. This is a no- brainer because of his history at the club.”