Broncos respond as rumours swirl around Ben Ikin’s return in wake of Kevin Walters sacking

The Brisbane Broncos have been forced to shut down rumours of Ben Ikin’s impending return to the club in the wake of Kevin Walters’ sacking as coach. Ikin was formerly employed as the Broncos’ head of football, but departed in 2023 to take up a role as the CEO of Queensland Rugby League.

Ikin reportedly didn’t see eye-to-eye with Walters during their three years together at the club, and had a difference of opinion on a number of issues. It all culminated in Ikin leaving the Broncos last year to join the QRL.

But rumours have been running rife in recent days that Ikin could make a stunning return to the Broncos after Walters was sacked two weeks ago. Ikin was noticeably absent on NRL grand final day last Sunday, when he was expected to be in attendance for the State Championship final.

Instead it was chairman Bruce Hatcher acting as the QRL’s representative, and he presented the trophy to the Newtown Jets after the game. Ikin’s absence sparked rumours about what his future might hold, with many suggesting he could be on the verge of leaving the QRL to return to the Broncos. Dave Donaghy is the current CEO at Brisbane, but there’s reportedly been a push in some circles to get Ikin into the role to evoke some change at his former club.

Broncos respond to rumours around Ben Ikin return

But Broncos chairman Karl Morris has now dismissed the suggestions and backed Donaghy. “We are very happy with Dave,” Morris told the Courier Mail. “We have never had more members and sponsorship, but it’s also about winning on the field and that’s our goal every year.

It was reported last year that Ikin had his role as football manager “diluted”, and Walters had been afforded a change so he reported straight to Donaghy rather than Ikin like he previously did. When leaving the Broncos last year, Ikin said: “The short answer is I came in expecting to do a certain number of things, some of those things dropped off, and I picked up some other projects. The end result is Kevvie (Walters), Dave (Donaghy) and I leave on good terms … the Broncos are in pretty good shape.”

The Broncos made the grand final in 2023, but have now missed the finals in three of the last four seasons. Walters has already been replaced by Michael Maguire, but there’s also immense pressure on club hierarchy to turn the flagging club back into a powerhouse.

Speaking at the time of Ikin’s departure, Broncos legends Darren Lockyer and Wally Lewis said they’d seen no signs of animosity between him and Walters. However there were reports that the club had to conduct mediation sessions due to their differences.

“Both men are there for the same purpose, to make the Broncos the best they can be,” Lockyer said at the time. “They’re there to serve the Broncos and do what’s in the best interests of the club. They were very professional about all that so it’s not an ugly split at all.”