Founding: Brisbane Broncos chairman Barry Maranta has hit out at critics of coach Kevin Walters’ with a Shocking judgement that defines Broncos 2025..
Brisbane Broncos founding chairman Barry Maranta has taken aim at critics of coach Kevin Walters, stating that his first four seasons in charge compare favorably with the club’s first four years.
Walters has come under fire for missing the finals three times in four seasons while in charge, but founding coach Wayne Bennett had the same record from 1988 to 1991 prior to winning the first of his six titles.
“When we targeted Bennett we gave him five years to get us into a grand final. The team we delivered for him initially was a virtual State of Origin side,” Maranta told AAP.
We got into a grand final and won it (in 1992) in the fifth year.
“What I want to point out is that Kevin has had four years as coach and got us into a grand final in the third (in 2023) without the playing staff that we had then. No other Broncos coach has done that.
“The expectations have got quite stupid and the critics want to crucify Kevvie but people that don’t understand history go off on a tangent and it doesn’t help in any way.”
According to the majority of participants in an online newspaper survey, Walters ought to be fired. As the club’s CEO, Dave Donaghy, has indicated in public, that will not occur. When the team performs badly, Maranta doesn’t think firing the coaches will solve the problems.
He put his money where his mouth is back in 1991 when the cacophony of external noise to sack Bennett was at its loudest.
“It was a Sunday night and we had just been beaten and I went home and was watching Channel 10,” Maranta recalled.
“They were running a poll where they were asking people if they wanted Bennett sacked.
“I rang our media guy and I said, ‘tell everyone in the media that I am going to make a statement on Monday’.
Monday was the day Bennett used to talk to all the rugby league writers but instead of the usual four or five the whole place was chock-a-block with 30 or 40 media from every channel and outlet.”
Maranta said Bennett’s “eyes nearly popped out” but he told him not to worry as he fronted the press, who were expecting him to announce that the coach would be punted.
“I then made the statement, ‘Thank you for attending. We have just extended Wayne’s contract as coach for another five years’. That blew them all away,” Maranta said.
Bennett, who had a contract in place for 1992, won that year and went on to win two more in 1993 and 1997. Maranta stated that she is confident Walters will lead the Broncos to championship glory and that the calls for Walters’ dismissal were equally out of order as the ones for Bennett’s firing. “I am aware that Kevin is a true Bronco.
He’s worked as a coach for four or five different companies and has trained under Wayne Bennett and Craig Bellamy, according to Maranta. “He has completed the entire learning process, and from what I’ve seen, he’s a fierce competitor who won’t settle for second best.
Kevin understands our Broncos culture and that is significant when you appoint people.”
