April 29 2021 | Mike Colman

April 29 2021 | Mike Colman

29/04/2021

I reckon Kevvie Walters and the Broncos have been copping it unfairly over the loss of Tom Dearden...

To read the negative comments online from the so-called experts – to say nothing of the copious interviews given by Tom’s manager – you’d swear he had been misled, insulted and borderline bullied by the heartless men of Red Hill. Sorry, but I don’t see it that way.

Last time I looked, there were no guarantees in the NRL. Players sign with a club hoping to get a long-term spot in first grade, but they also know that it is a two-way street. If they do not fill the role the coach requires, they will be on the bench or out the door.

No-one has ever said that Dearden is not a talented young footballer with a bright future, but that is not what the Broncos need right now. The team has lost six of their seven games under Kevvie - 24 out of the past 27 altogether. They don’t have time for building on potential.

They need experience in their halves and the only way to get it quickly is to buy it. To go to the market the Broncos need space, both on their roster and under the cap, and that means cutting players. Dearden was given plenty of chances, but for one reason or another he didn’t make the grade. He was made a good offer elsewhere and he took it. Simple as that.

At Suncorp Stadium on Friday night against the David Fifita-powered Titans, Kevvie is fielding what could only be described as a ‘stop-gap’ halves combination of Tyson Gamble and Anthony Milford while he continues his quest for a proven playmaker.

It’s a risky move, but I reckon it’s the right one.

What do YOU reckon?