LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
'Never again': Walters vows to learn from blunder after Panthers pummel Broncos
In a classic case of "live and learn," Brisbane Broncos coach Kevin Walters has vowed to never repeat the mistake of not having a backup outside back on his bench after his team's brutal defeat to the Panthers.
Facing a dire situation with Reece Walsh's early departure from the game due to a gruesome head clash with Taylan May, Walters found himself in a proverbial bind without a specialist outside back to fill the void.
Despite Walsh passing his HIA, his impaired vision forced him to sit out the rest of the match.
Compounding the issue, Walters was unable to call upon Tristan Sailor, son of the legendary Wendell Sailor, as the 18th man due to Walsh's injury not being ruled out by an HIA.
This left Walters with a conundrum as he had to improvise by deploying players like Tyson Smoothy, Kobe Hetherington, Marty Taupau, or Xavier Willison in unfamiliar roles to cover for the absence of the fleet-footed Walsh.
It was a tough lesson for Walters, who acknowledged the need to have a proper contingency plan in place for such scenarios in the future.
As they say in the game of Rugby League, it's all about adapting to adversity and making the right calls under pressure.
The Broncos will now regroup and focus on bouncing back stronger in their next outing, determined to avoid a repeat of this selection blunder.