Broncos legend Gorden Tallis has leapt to the defence of Kevin Walters after a bombshell report revealed a rift between the Brisbane coach and head of football operations Ben Ikin.
The Courier-Mail reports Ikin was frozen out of critical football department decisions at times and was kept at arms length by Walters.
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The club will now hold crisis talks in a bid to repair the relationship.
The report also details how broken the club’s football department was at times this year as the club fell apart spectacularly in the final rounds of the season, losing six of their last seven games.
Speaking on Triple M’s Sunday Sin Bin, Tallis said Ikin should be a “lackey” for Walters and not hold more power than the coach.
“The CEOs don’t get sacked – the coach does (if an NRL club fails to get results),” Tallis said.
“All these guys … what are they called, football managers or directors of football, it’s a made-up title.
“It’s absolutely made up.
“Basically, the football manager should be a lackey for the head coach unless you are Phil Gould (Bulldogs football boss).
“These guys (other NRL football chiefs) all think they are Phil Gould.
“Let me tell you, Phil Gould’s role (at Canterbury) was made for Phil Gould, there aren’t too many people like him who can go to an organisation and be the boss.”
Walters himself has reportedly pledged to work on his communications with Ikin and admitted to the Courier Mail he “needs to be better”.
“Can things be better with him? Yes, everything in the club can be better.“I need to be better myself and Ben needs to be better.
“I don’t have a major issue with him. I’m very clear on what needs to happen and I’m very clear on wanting to take the club forward.
“The NRL head coach is the hub of a football department. In my 20 years of working at successful football clubs like the Broncos, Storm and even Canberra when I won a premiership there, the coach, CEO and chairman carry the load of the club.”
