Broncos fans call out Kevin Walters as 'embarrassing' display prompts brutal questions

The Broncos have been left humiliated after a 46-18 defeat to the Titans on Saturday with fans questioning the reign of Kevin Walters after the club's horror downfall in 2024. The Broncos are nearly no chance of playing in NRL finals footy this year, despite making the grand final in 2023, after they put in one of the worst performances of their season with their campaign on the line.

Walters' men led 18-10 at half-time, but it all went wrong for the Broncos as the Titans piled on 36 unanswered points in the second-half. To make matters worse for the Broncos, Payne Haas suffered a suspected Lisfranc injury, Ezra Mam limped off with an ankle injury and Corey Jensen, Brendan Piakura and Kotoni Staggs were all placed on report.

Fans in the Queensland capital know the Broncos won't be playing finals footy this year with the backlash swift after the loss. The Broncos attempted to turn the result around when things weren't going their way as Walters opted to send Reece Walsh into five-eighth with 20 minutes to go. The move didn't resolve any of the Broncos' faults as they were shredded in defence in arguably their worst 40 minute display in 2024.

And Walters has come under pressure following the result. The Broncos emerged from the half-time break and never looked like they were in the contest. Last week, Walters said the Broncos were 'flat' against the Bulldogs.

If they were 'flat' against the Bulldogs, they were woeful against the Titans. And Walters admitted he is no longer even thinking about finals footy.

"The eight's the furthest thing from my mind at the moment," Walters said. "We've got more issues than making the eight - not issues - but that's disappointing there today, particularly the second 40." And Broncos fans have turned on Walters with their thoughts already on the 2025 campaign. The Broncos were only 20 minutes away from winning the 2023 grand final, until a Nathan Cleary masterclass saw the club fall short.

Despite injuries to Walsh, Adam Reynolds and Haas in 2024, the Broncos have never looked like the same side that were the best defensive unit in the previous season. The performances of their big name players have also been questionable with Reynolds' return failing to lift the team in the last two weeks.

Walters' record has also come under criticism. Despite making the NRL grand final last year, the Broncos are looking at another year of no finals footy. That would mean the club has only played finals footy once in four years under his leadership.

Broncos fans were left deflated after the defeat and questioned whether Walters would be able to turn around the playing group. Many feel Walters has escaped criticism in 2024, despite the club still carrying a strong roster and many predicting they would emerge as premiers at the end of the year.

Titans obliterate the Broncos in 'embarrassing' defeat

The Titans were electric in the second-half at home with young guns Keano Kini and Jojo Fifita leading the charge at Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday. The win marked their biggest defeat of the Broncos in the club's history. The Broncos slumped to their eighth defeat in nine games.

Kini was in everything having scored two and set up two more. His try at the beginning of the second-half had the home crowd out of their seat. The fullback managed to kick a tap back along the ground, before scooping it up and diving over the line. Winger Fifita scored a hat-trick as the Broncos were left clueless in the second-half blitz. The Titans now leapfrog the Broncos on the NRL ladder and belief is building of a late charge into NRL finals Footy in 2024.

Despite the injury toll, Walters refused to use it as an excuse for the loss. "We had bodies on the field that are playing in the NRL and they need to do their job," he said. The Broncos will most likely play the rest of the season without Haas.