Broncos director of football Ben Ikin has revealed finals football was the focus for Kevin Walters’ side this season, explaining the club had to weed out those “who weren’t buying in” to succeed.
The Red Hill club sit in fourth place as it stands, a far cry from their 15th place finish last season.
Ikin was employed midway through the 2021 season and tasked with returning the NRL powerhouse to the top half of the ladder.
The elimination of the club’s staff was his first step.
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“We were aiming to play in the final,” Ikin told SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“We knew we had to get better, so we mapped out a little bit of a plan.
“It wasn’t too complicated, it was just a matter of dragging all the good people who had become a little disconnected with all the hustle and bustle that had passed through the place.
“Getting everyone back on track and cleaning up some people who weren’t buying.
“Once you start winning, it tends to work because everyone is happy and engaged.
“The team started to win and confidence grew.
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“We are a winning football team and happy to come to work every day.”
In 2022, the Broncos have won 12 games, more than they recorded in 2020 and 2021.
As it stands, Kevin Walters’ side look likely to finish in the top four, and Ikin singled out two key recruits as major influences in the team’s success.
Ikin said Kurt Capewell and Adam Reynolds have become “extensions” of the coaching group.
“We were a bit lucky in the sense that even though we went after Adam Reynolds and Kurt Capewell, what we ended up with was a group of senior players who came together very quickly,” Ikin said.
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“They became extensions within the coaching group.
“Adam Reynolds has one of the best football brains I’ve ever come across.
“In terms of standards, if anyone in this playgroup misses their assignment, Kurt Capewell looks at them like he’s about to kill them.
“Suddenly, this group of very talented young people raised the bar.
“The gap between the best and the worst has closed.”