Kevin Walters' sad admission about wife amid shock departure as Brisbane Broncos coach

Kevin Walters has revealed the toll that coaching the Brisbane Broncos had on his wife and family after his shock departure was announced on Thursday night. The Broncos revealed that Walters had "stepped down" after four seasons at the helm, and on Friday CEO Dave Donaghy said they came to a "mutual agreement" for him to depart.

It comes after the club commissioned a two-week independent review into the goings-on at the Broncos under Walters' leadership, and the results didn't paint him in a good light. Walters led the Broncos to the grand final in 2023 and they were just 20 minutes away from securing the premiership.

But a Nathan Cleary masterclass erased a 16-point deficit and left the Broncos heartbroken. They were ravaged by injuries in 2024 and finished 12th - their biggest fall from grace in club history. It means Walters missed the finals in three of his four seasons as Broncos boss.

In a statement released on Thursday night, the former Broncos player revealed how the criticism and scrutiny attached to the job took a toll on his family. Last month it came to light that son Billy Walters (the Broncos' hooker) quit a role with Triple M radio due to comments made about Kevin and the playing group.

Kevin Walters' admission about toll on family

Kevin's wife Narelle was left fuming at the situation and personally rang Margaux Parker - a host of the Triple M breakfast show in Brisbane and wife of Broncos legend Corey Parker - to express her disappointment. On Thursday night, Kevin touched on how the job had affected his family.

"Aside from playing here, it's been the greatest thrill and honour of my life to have coached the Broncos," Walters said. "Coaching in the NRL takes a toll, not just on the coach but also their family.

"It's time for me to step away and spend some quality time with my loved ones, who have supported me all the way over the last four years. I'm grateful to the club for providing me with the opportunity to be head coach, and we have come a long way from the wooden spoon to last year's run to the grand final. I wish the team and the club all the best."

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Kevin Walters had allowed standards to drop at Broncos

Walters fronted the media at Broncos headquarters on Friday morning, and became emotional when thanking his family for their support. Donaghy, who had guaranteed Walters' job was safe earlier this month, said on Thursday: "We owe a debt of gratitude to Kevin, for the enormous role he's played as head coach over the past four years.

"Kevin put his heart and soul into the club during his time as coach. He is one of the most passionate people you will ever meet when it comes to the Broncos, and that helped lift us out of a really difficult time. While we will miss Kev and his infectious personality on a daily basis, we certainly don't want one of the Broncos' favourite sons not to stay involved with our great club."

The situation at the Broncos was laid bare in August when a leading journalist in Brisbane exposed some of the sub-par standards that had crept into training. Joel Gould of AAP revealed there were no consequences when players dropped the ball or made a mistake during a training session, which is a stark contrast to what normally goes on at the best clubs.