Walters to coach Australia for England series

Kevin Walters led Brisbane Broncos to the 2023 NRL Grand Final

Kevin Walters says he "can't wait to get started" after being named Australia's head coach for their autumn series against England.

The former Brisbane Broncos head coach, who led Queensland through four State of Origin series', has been given a three-match deal to lead the men's team for the Ashes encounters.

Walters, 57, replaces Mal Meninga, who left in June after the announcement that he would be taking charge of new NRL club Perth Bears.

The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) has also confirmed Jess Skinner will continue as coach of the women's team through to next year's World Cup.

Australia's men face England at Wembley on 25 October, Everton's new Hill Dickinson Stadium on 1 November and AMT Headingley on 8 November, with all three matches to be shown live in the UK by the BBC. The Tests at Everton and Headingley are already sold out.

Walters said: "It is truly an honour and a privilege to be able to coach the Kangaroos on such a stage."

He was part of the Kangaroos squad that toured Great Britain in 1990 and 1994, although he only played in Tests on the latter tour.

"Playing on a Kangaroos tour was always a pinnacle as a player, so to be able to lead the best of the best in this environment is very humbling and obviously very exciting," added Walters, who had a short spell at Super League side Warrington in 2001 and coached Catalans Dragons from 2009-10.

"This series will be an important step for the growth of international rugby league and for the Kangaroos. I can't wait to get started."

Meninga's decision to take up the role with Perth Bears forced him to step down in June as ARLC rules prevent the national team head coach from holding a club job at the same time.

Former Australia captain Brad Fittler, a three-time World Cup winner, had been favourite for the post until ruling himself out of the running, citing his media commitments. Cameron Smith, another ex-Kangaroos captain, was also a contender.

ARLC chairman Peter V'landys said: "Kevin has toured with the Kangaroos as a player, was a leader as a player and as a coach. His coaching pedigree is a natural fit for the national team."

'Walters understands the pride' - analysis

Australia's preparations can now begin in earnest with the appointment of Kevin Walters, who understands representative football from both the perspective of a player and as a coach.

Like Mal Meninga, his predecessor, Walters was a decorated Kangaroos tourist in a career where he collected Australian Premiership titles like some collect stamps.

Walters, therefore, can appreciate the need to create bonds and experiences beyond the training paddock and pitch, those differences that make a Kangaroo tour - albeit without the club games these days - such a special experience.

He also matches Meninga's CV by having coached Queensland's State of Origin side. That will have given him experience of forging a gameplan and instilling togetherness quickly in a representative team - a very different set-up to that of the day-in-day-out club game.

Coaching elite players in short bursts of time on a tour needs a different approach. You're not developing basic skills; you're trying to create an atmosphere that taps into the outstanding talent at your disposal. Walters has that ability.

Unlike other names who were linked with the role - such as Cameron Smith, untried as a head coach, and Brad Fittler, who had a handful of seasons at the Roosters to speak of beyond his NSW and Lebanon stints - Walters can also back up his rep roles with considerable NRL experience as a boss.

His last stint at the Broncos may have ended after a slump in form - but a year previously, they were in a Grand Final.

Most importantly, Walters is enthusiastic. He understands the pride in wearing the green and gold.

His toughest task might be persuading some of those Origin players who qualify for dual nationality, such as Hamiso Tabuai Fidow and Payne Haas, to side with the new-look Roos rather than family heritage.

Such defections would be a loss but in Isaah Yeo, Nathan Cleary, Dylan Edwards, Patrick Carrigan and Cameron Munster, there are plenty of top players ready to answer the call this autumn.