Walters Agony: Brutal Walters sacking proves Broncos are...

Walters Agony: Brutal Walters sacking proves Broncos are stuck in premiership purgatory – and Bennett’s ghost still haunts them the Broncos may be subjected to an infinite…..

Kevin Walters’s dismissal was a shocking development that nobody anticipated, even though he was first signed for an insulting salary and was made fun of on podcasts by his teammates.

Barely 12 months ago, the coach stood within sniffing distance of premiership immortality and the honour of never paying for another beer in Brisbane again.

But after a shambolic home stretch season in which the Broncos slumped to a lowly 12th-placed finish, his time at the juggernaut club has become the latest failed coaching tenure in the drip tray of the club’s history.

Sure, when it came to his methods, Walters’ coaching style was more about “feelings” than “thinking”.

But for all his knockabout flaws and Aldi-grade mind games, he partially restored the gravitas lost by the club’s first wooden spoon the year prior to his appointment.

In fact, after winning a power tussle with Ben Ikin and constantly fending off jibes about being assistant to head coach Adam Reynolds, Walters performed such an admirable job that he was given an extension in April.

And to be fair, nobody argued considering the fine restoration job he’d performed, especially while juggling the precocious talent of Reece Walsh on his undulating journey through adolescence.

But just a year after leading the Broncos to their first grand final since 2015, the former premiership captain’s time has ended ingloriously via a cold-blooded media release on a non-descript Thursday night.

Where does this leave the Broncos?

Hiring a favourite son couldn’t break the club’s premiership purgatory, nor could taking a punt on dispensable, easy-to-kick assistants like Ivan Henjak or Anthony Griffin.

The club also couldn’t find answers in Anthony Seibold, nor blaming his spreadsheet footy for all their ails either.

In short, this unfulfilled run of outs for Brisbane reveal one uneasy truth: the club is destined to never win anything without Wayne Bennett.

It’s ironic the only shot of concrete ever injected into the powerhouse has come from a bloke built like a hypodermic needle.

But as the chief architect in each of its six premierships, it’s clear Bennett is the only man who knows how to unlock the Broncos’ mojo.

And with every passing failed campaign since their last title in 2006, the supercoach’s legacy continues to grow ever-larger over the city of Brisbane like the scent of Tropicana and XXXX.

While the links have weakened in recent years, there has always been an inextricable tie between Bennett and the Broncos.

In fact, these were so firm that it wasn’t uncommon for the supercoach to be linked to a return to the club numerous times a week, sometimes even mid-game

But after bridges were irreparably burned after the departure from his second stint at the club in 2018, it seems the only way he’ll ever appear in another Broncos premiership photo is with Photoshop.

So with the one common thread to their success likely gone for good – and no quality coaching options on the horizon – what’s left for the Broncos?

After years blaming everyone but themselves, maybe it’s time the Queensland flagship acknowledged their shortcomings.

Maybe the Broncos aren’t the powerhouse organisation they believe they are.

Maybe it’s just a place where Wayne worked for a while?

But then again, maybe they just need to think positively.

Yes, the Broncos may be subjected to an infinite sentence in premiership purgatory, but at least Wayne will still be coaching when it’s over.