Kevin Walters cops brutal new family blow amid Ben Hunt's signing with Brisbane Broncos

Ben Hunt's decision to re-join the Brisbane Broncos appears to be bad news for Billy Walters, in what would be a brutal new blow for the family after father Kevin was sacked as coach. Hunt will initially play in the halves with Adam Reynolds while Ezra Mam is out, with Mam likely to be suspended for a large chunk of the start of the 2025 season.

But when Mam is back and the Broncos are at full strength, Hunt will likely revert to hooker so Mam can slot in at five-eighth. And with Hunt taking over at No.9, it could be bad news for Billy Walters.

Walters has established himself as Brisbane's starting hooker over the last few years, and the 30-year-old has done a serviceable job. But he won't start ahead of Hunt, and there's reason to believe he might not be in the Broncos' best 17 either.

Michael Maguire is more likely to prioritise young gun Blake Mozer, who appears a better option for a spot on the bench than Walters. The 20-year-old Mozer is highly-rated, and has even drawn comparisons to a young Cameron Smith.

With Hunt and Mozer the top two options at hooker for Maguire, it paints a grim picture for the likes of Walters, Tyson Smoothy and Cory Paix, who might be looking for a new club in the near future. Maguire said about Hunt this week: “I have spoken to him about playing at nine or in the halves. It’s a work in progress. To have the versatility of Hunt who has played at the highest level of nine (is a blessing). We have options (at hooker) which is nice to see at training. It’s competition within (and) it’s good for the team.”

Speaking on SEN radio on Thursday morning, veteran commentator Andrew Voss highlighted the reality of the situation. "If Ben Hunt is your starting nine, then he may as well play the 80 minutes," Voss said. "A spine of (Reece) Walsh, Mam, Reynolds and Hunt would mean the other hookers are on the outer."

Billy Walters eager to prove himself to Michael Maguire

If Walters was to be forced out, it would come as another blow for the family. Maguire has taken over from Kevin Walters after the Broncos great was sacked following their 12th-placed finish in 2024. Kevin only made the finals once in his four seasons in charge, and the Broncos decided a change was needed.

"I didn’t believe it at first. I didn’t think there was any way it would go down like that," Billy Walters told The Courier Mail after his father's sacking. "I thought my brother was overreacting and maybe dad wouldn’t get sacked but would get a stern warning. When I did get word, there were so many thoughts going through my mind.

"It will always sound biased because I am his son, but I don’t think Kevvie was the reason for that (missing the finals). The year we made the grand final (in 2023) we had 95 per cent of our squad have their best year and we had a great run with injuries. Even little things like 50/50 calls went our way. This year we lost a lot of experienced players. It’s sad to think how far we fell considering we were three or four minutes away from beating the best team in the NRL era in a grand final.”

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Billy admitted he initially didn't want to remain at the club that sacked his father, but changed his mind pretty quickly and vowed to prove himself to Maguire. "It sucks for me because he is my dad but I’m not there to decide that," he added.

Speaking on Tuesday, Broncos captain Reynolds suggested Hunt's arrival might actually be good for Walters and co as it will make them hungrier. "If you've got competition in the squad, it's going to make you a better player and Ben would add to that," he said. "He's a competitor, brings a lot of experience and no doubt it would be a great addition to the squad."