The Broncos have appointed former Manly Sea Eagles hooker Matt Ballin as an assistant coach for the 2023 season.
Ballin and former Titans coach John Cartwright will assist under-pressure head coach Kevin Walters, according to the Courier Mail.
The 38-year-old replaces former assistant Terry Matterson who Walters sacked after Brisbane failed to play finals despite sitting fourth after Round 19.
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Ballin played 220 NRL games during his ten-year career and 217 of those games were with the Sea Eagles where he won premierships in 2008 and 2011.
Ballin retired in 2017 and first started at the Broncos as a development coach.
Brisbane chief executive Dave Donaghy believes Ballin has all the makings to one day become an NRL head coach.
“Matt’s impressed everyone at the club since he arrived and he’s been a great support to Kev in that time,” Donaghy told the Courier Mail.
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“He came highly regarded from Manly from his time working with Des (Hasler) and I’d absolutely put him in that category of younger assistant coaches with the potential to be a first-grade coach in the future.”
However Ballin hasn’t just had an effect on the club’s executives, 2022 Wally Lewis Medal winner Patrick Carrigan spoke very highly of the former Manly hooker.
“He’s a super smart guy,” Carrigan said.
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“The way he sees the game and communicates, not only tactically with the players in the spine but also with the forwards is pretty cool.
“He was definitely good for me this year in terms of picking his brain. He’s someone who encourages you to put in the work at training and use your skills as a player.
“He’s built a lot of relationships with the work he did with the Queensland Cup boys this year. He’s only been at the club for on year but he’s awesome.”
