Once again the headlines were all about Reece Walsh and Adam Reynolds after the Broncos’ 54-10 demolition of the Eels on Friday night but for mine, it was the unsung hero wearing number 9 who deserved plenty of the kudos.

Billy Walters would be on a fraction of the money that Walsh or Reynolds are earning. In fact, he’d be by far the lowest paid player in the Broncos’ regular starting side, but he is fast becoming one of its most valuable.
The way he has improved week in week out since joining the club at the start of last season has been a tribute to the efforts of the coaching staff and his own hard work. It hasn’t been easy. It never is when you are the son of the coach.

In recent years there have been a few instances of fathers coaching their sons at the top level of rugby league. Some, like Johnny and Martin Lang, and Ivan and Nathan Cleary in the NRL, and Adrian and Lachlan Lam in the UK Super League, have been successful. Others, like Bob and Scott Fulton, Brad and Jake Arthur and Shane and Kyle Flanagan, less so.

And when the father-son partnerships fall into the latter category, one thing you can depend on is that it won’t take long for the word ‘nepotism’ to be bandied about.
Just ask Kevin and Billy Walters.

The moment he was signed by his father after mediocre stints at the Storm and Tigers, Billy Walters had a target on his back – and the knockers on social media didn’t miss him – or his dad.

A few of the choice observations on Facebook at the end of last season:

‘He is only there because dad’s the coach.’

‘There is no competition for places if the coach keeps picking his son and not giving the others a fair go.’

‘It only works to coach your kid if the kid’s a superstar.’

This year the keyboard warriors have been notably quiet. The way Billy has settled into the role of starting hooker has been a major part of the Broncos success story, even if the spotlight has focused on the club’s big-name players.

And rightly so. The likes of Walsh, Reynolds, Ezra Mam, Herbie Farnworth, Kotoni Staggs and Selwyn Cobbo have been in scintillating form capitalizing on the go-forward supplied by Payne Haas, Patrick Carrigan, Thomas Flegler and co.

But what is often overlooked, because it has been so smooth and seamless, is the service provided from dummy half by Walters to keep the momentum flowing.

Reynolds is the one who calls all the shots, but Walters is the one who makes sure the little general gets the ball when he wants it and where he wants it.

Even less appreciated is his defence, which is as good as that of any number 9 in the competition.

He might not provide the attacking threat from dummy half of Harry Grant, Damien Cook or Apisai Koroisau but he is every bit as valuable to his team as they are to theirs.

When Walters was first picked to start at hooker the plan was that he should just keep the seat warm until Cory Paix and Tyson Smoothy were ready to take over.

It hasn’t worked out that way. Billy’s form has been so good that he has seen off Paix and, when he was replaced by Smoothy at the 60-minute mark on Friday night, he was playing so well that you had to wonder why Kevvie didn’t leave him on.

It is extremely doubtful that Walters will ever play Origin for Queensland like his father and uncles Steven and Kerrod, but the way the Broncos are going this season there’s a fair chance he will win a premiership like they all did.

And if he does, it won’t be because his name is Walters.