Australian Kangaroos head coach Kevin Walters has confirmed he wants to remain in his role for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup before exploring a return to the NRL.
Walters, who was unceremoniously dumped by the Brisbane Broncos in surprise circumstances at the end of 2024, was appointed to the Kangaroos on a three-game contract for the 2025 Ashes Series, replacing Mal Meninga as he stood down from the role to prepare the Perth Bears for their first season in 2027.
The ex-Broncos and Queensland Maroons coach led the Australians, while well below their best, to a 3-0 series win in the United Kingdom over a disappointing England side.
It was all but an audition for Walters to secure a contract for the World Cup, and it's likely he will now be awarded one, with the 58-year-old telling Wide World of Sports that he wants to have the World Cup on home soil.
"Obviously the World Cup's on next year, so I'd like to be part of that, here in Australia, especially in front of our crowds and our people," he said.
"That's something I would very much look forward to."
Walters hinted at the fact he doesn't view himself as Australia's long-term mentor, though, instead suggesting he wants to get back into the NRL, viewing himself as a 'career coach'.
"I never lost the passion for coaching, to be honest," he said.
"It's always something in there, you're either a career coach or you're not, I'm in that career coach category.
"I am a career coach and one day I want to get back in the NRL."
Walters, who played 241 games for the Broncos, as well as 50 for the Canberra Raiders during his playing career, has coached at all levels of the game, leading the Catalans Dragons in 2009 and 2010, the Broncos from 2021 to 2024, Queensland from 2016 to 2019, and now the Kangaroos.
He doesn’t seem to understand (or accept) that the skill-sets for “rep team” coaching, and “football-club” coaching are quite different.
One is picking the best, injury-free players available, and meld them in a few days into something that looks like a team rather than a bunch of guys who don’t know each other.
The other is concerned with long-term development, getting the players under the cap, letting go the ones who don’t fit or who have passed their best, and buying guys on the maarket when there are no in-house developed players who can do the job.
Quite different skill sets. Kevvie is a decent “rep” coach, but doesn’t have runs on the board to commend him as an NRL “club” coach.