It's been a season to forget for the Brisbane Broncos, falling out of the top eight not even a year after making it all the way to the grand final.
Following this historic tumble, there have been many calls for the Broncos to reassess if Kevin Walters is still the right man to lead the team, or if a change of perspective at the helm could pay dividends for Brisbane.
But a number of non-Brisbane NRL players have come to the defence of the Broncos boss, including a pair of Queensland State of Origin stars.
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Cherry-Evans, Munster rally around Broncos coach
The Broncos won just 10 games in 2024, after a 2023 season that saw them finish with 18 victories, tied with the Penrith Panthers for top spot and beaten on for-and-against, before being bested by the same team in the grand final.
According to Melbourne Storm star Cameron Munster, these efforts are too significant to be dismissed by Brisbane, and he believes that Walters is still the right man to bring a trophy back to the Broncos.
"He was 20 minutes away from a grand final [win] and probably causing an upset to one of the best squads the NRL has ever seen," Munster said.
"It’s an interesting one. Twenty minutes. If the Broncos had their time over again with certain things it could be a very different story.
"I think they’ve got to stick by Kevvie and I’m sure they’ll make amends next year.
"They have got young boys coming through - you’ve got to remember they lost [Tom] Flegler, Keenan Palasia and Herbie Farnworth.
"When you lose someone of their calibre and you’ve got a young bloke that probably needs a couple of years to develop, they’re probably just pushing them along earlier, a bit like us last year at the Storm."
Manly Sea Eagles' captain Daly Cherry-Evans agreed with this sentiment and noted that one down year is not wholly indicative of who Walters is as a coach.
"I would love to see him stay and coach in the NRL," Cherry-Evans said.
"I love seeing him coach the Broncos because it’s the right fit for the club and I know what it means to him.
"I’ve got a lot of support for him... it just takes time, you’ve just got to be patient and the fans have got to be patient as well.
"They have to not forget how good they were last year.
"Sometimes you just need a break and seasons don’t go the way you want it to. Because of the expectation of last year, I’m sure they’re all disappointed, but they still have a very strong roster to bounce back next year."
