Kevin David Walters (born 20 October 1967 in Rockhampton, Queensland[1]) is a former Australian Kangaroos and Queensland Maroons representative player and premiership-winning captain of the Brisbane Broncos in the rugby league, currently working as an assistant coach for the Brisbane Broncos of the National Rugby League (NRL). Following his former coach Wayne Bennett from the Newcastle Knights he joined the Broncos coaching staff ahead of the 2015 season. During his short stint with the Knights, Walters was appointed as Halves coach by Bennett in 2014. Before this, Walters joined the Melbourne Storm where he worked as assistant coach to Craig Bellamy. Walters had also been at French club Catalans Dragons of Europe's Super League where he was head coach. Before that he was head coach of the Ipswich Jets in the Queensland Cup.
Along with twin Kerrod and older brother Steve, Kevin Walters started his career in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership before joining the NSWRL. He spent some time playing for the Canberra Raiders before moving to the Brisbane Broncos, where he played for the majority of his career and took over the club's captaincy. He has played in premiership-winning teams on six occasions and holds the record for most finals appearances.[1] He later coached in the Queensland Cup competition with the Ipswich Jets club before being recruited by Catalans.
Playing career
Early years
Walters grew up playing football alongside future Brisbane Broncos (and Queensland) team mate Allan Langer and brothers Steve and Kerrod Walters. This combination of players was known famously as "The Ipswich Connection". Walters and his brothers played for the Booval Swifts club before Kevin played in the Brisbane Rugby League Premiership with the Norths club, then followed his brother Steve to the Canberra Raiders of the New South Wales Rugby League Premiership in 1987.
Canberra Raiders
In Canberra Walters was a reserve as a 19-year-old in the club's first grand final in 1987 which was lost to Manly-Warringah. That year he was named the Raiders' Rookie of the Year.
Walters made his State of Origin debut for the Queensland Maroons in 1989, as a reserve. Later that year he got his first taste of premiership success, playing from the bench in the 1989 Grand Final win for Canberra.
Brisbane Broncos
Walters returned to Queensland in 1990, signing with the Brisbane Broncos to play alongside his twin brother Kerrod once again. Up until 1990, Wally Lewis was the Broncos' first choice for the five-eighth position, but coach Wayne Bennett moved Lewis to lock and Walters to five-eighth. This was because of Walters' darting runs and deft passing. That year he won the Broncos' Player of the Year award. Walters also made selection for the 1990 Kangaroo tour of Britain and France with twin brother Kerrod, but did not get to play a test until the tour of Papua New Guinea. Kerrod and Kevin Walters held the distinction of being the only twin brothers to play rugby league for Australia until the feat was matched by the Morris twins in 2009.
During the 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand, Walters helped Australia retain The Ashes. Later that year he helped the Broncos to victory in the 1992 Grand Final which Brisbane won 28–8 against the St George Dragons. The Walters brothers had already become the first trio to play for Queensland and Australia in 1992 and they achieved another milestone when all three were selected to tour with the World Cup squad. In England Kevin Walters threw the winning pass for Steve Renouf's try that won the game 10–6 in Australia's 1992 World Cup final victory. Indeed, 1992 was a great year for Walters, with further victory in the World Club Challenge against Wigan.
The following year Walters again proved a great utility for the Broncos' 1993 grand final victory.
During the 1994 NSWRL season, Walters played at five-eighth for defending premiers Brisbane when they hosted British champions Wigan for the 1994 World Club Challenge. At the end of the season, he went on the 1994 Kangaroo tour.
Walters also played in the 1997 Super League Grand Final victory for Brisbane.
Although not a consistent player for the Maroons, Walters was part of the winning 1998 State of Origin team, dummying his way over for a try in the decider.[2] That year he played at five-eighth in the 1998 NRL grand final and won yet another premiership with the Broncos.
In 1999, with the retirement of Allan Langer, Walters was handed the Broncos' captaincy. He also captained Queensland in the second match of the 1999 State of Origin series.
Walters was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in the sport of rugby league in 2000. He captained the Broncos at halfback in their 2000 NRL grand final win against the Sydney Roosters, claiming one more premiership ring with the club before moving to England at the request of Allan Langer.[3] He played for Warrington briefly and decided it was not for him and his family, so moved back to Australia, playing his final season with the Broncos in 2001.[4]
In 2003 Walters was one of the first four former players inducted into the Broncos official Hall of Fame.[5]
During the 2007 season at the Broncos' 20-year anniversary celebration, the club announced a list of the 20 best players to play for them to date which included Walters.[6]
Coaching career
Walters went on to coach the Toowoomba Clydesdales in the Queensland Cup competition and was also assistant coach under Wayne Bennett for the Brisbane Broncos. At the end of the 2005 season, after five successive years without a grand final appearance, Bennett decided to have a cleanout of the coaching staff, removing such long-time allies as Walters, Gary Belcher and Glenn Lazarus.[7] Walters then became head coach of the Ipswich Jets playing in the Queensland Cup before attracting the attention of Europe's Super League.
Catalans Dragons
Walters was appointed as the new coach of Catalans Dragons from the 2009 season.[8] He had been linked with the role of Head Coach at the French Super League team for some time.[9] His first season at Catalans did not start well, with only one win from the club's first 6 matches. However by the end of his second season with the club, he'd taken them to within one match of the 2009 Super League Grand Final, losing to eventual Champions, Leeds Rhinos.
After the 2010 season, Walters returned to Australia as assistant coach to Craig Bellamy at NRL club Melbourne Storm.
In 2014, Walters was reunited with ex-Bronco's coach Wayne Bennett(now coaching the Newcastle Knights) as a halves coach.
After Bennett's announcement to return to the Brisbane Broncos as Head Coach for 2015, Walters followed. He was appointed as Assistant Coach, sharing the role with current New Zealand Kiwi's Head Coach, Stephen Kearney.
Life outside football
Kevin Walters married Kim and they had three sons, Jack, Billy and Jett. In 1996 Walters' wife, Kim, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Following her death in 1998, Kevin established the Kim Walters Choices program, a free community service that offers support to people diagnosed with cancer at the Wesley Hospital in Brisbane.[10]
Walters' book, Brave Hearts was published in 1999. He has since then remarried to Narelle Bristow and they have two children.
References
Further reading
External links
