Lockyer provides timeline on next Brisbane coach

The Broncos want their new coach in place by mid-October with board member Darren Lockyer saying Anthony Seibold’s replacement will need a month to prepare for the 2021 pre-season.

The leading candidates for the role at this stage are Maroons coach and five-time Brisbane premiership winner Kevin Walters and former Cowboys coach Paul Green.

The 15th placed Broncos won't play finals this year so will finish their season on the field on September 24 against North Queensland, with Brisbane's pre-season to commence during the State of Origin series.

"Whoever the new coach is might have a different date in mind for when pre-season starts but it was always pencilled in for November 13, so working backwards you would want to give the new coach a month to plan what pre-season looks like," Lockyer told NRL.com.

"If you use that as a guide you'd probably like to have someone announced by mid-October.

"The next coach will need to get his pre-season planned and look at what the group needs.

"If you've got ideas about the roster you can't do much in that regard because you can’t click your fingers and make things happen overnight.

"It is more about identifying what you want to get out of the group in that period before Christmas."

The Broncos have a suite of players off-contract at the end of the season including  Ilikena Vudogo, Ben Te'o, Sean O'Sullivan, Rhys Kennedy, Richie Kennar, Jordan Kahu and Jamil Hopoate.

You don’t want to make significant decisions because the new coach might be on a different page

Broncos board member Darren Lockyer on player signings

Darius Boyd will retire at season's end and David Fifita will join the Titans in 2021. The Broncos will be looking to enhance their squad.

Lockyer, who is also on the club's recruitment and retention committee, said "it would be prudent to wait for the new coach" before making roster changes.

"You don’t want to make significant decisions because the new coach might be on a different page," he said.

"The committee is there to be a sounding board for the coach. The new coach will need time to plan and roster management will be part of that planning ... but that is more of a longer-term discussion."

Broncos chairman Karl Morris told NRL.com that the board would be looking at a "holistic" approach to the next coaching team with the club aiming to install a group of quality assistants to support the head coach.

Lockyer agreed and made the point that "it is a conversation the board, CEO and coach would want to sit down and have a conversation about".

"I think the structure of the football department is up for discussion but in terms of who selects the people in that structure I think that is more prudent for the board, CEO and coach to be on the same page," he said.

Lockyer said CEO Paul White, who will depart the club at season’s end, would also have input.

The Broncos are also in the process of recruiting a new CEO but Lockyer said that "at the moment the coach will be selected before the CEO", and that was his focus.

Lockyer said the fact both 2015 premiership winner Green and Walters were available immediately, with the QRL prepared to let Walters take up a head coaching role with Brisbane despite being contracted until next year, made the process easier.

"One [Walters] hasn't coached at a head level in the NRL but obviously knows what the pressure cooker is having been the coach at Origin level. The other guy [Green] has won a premiership," he said.

"That is not to say there are not others out there worth considering but most people would say they are the leading contenders and have both got really good credentials."

Morris said the Broncos weren’t looking to appoint an interim coach for a year with the hope of waiting for Storm Craig Bellamy to join the club in 2022. He said the fact two quality candidates were already available and ready to go was heartening.

Whoever is appointed, Morris said the next coach "certainly won't be" getting a five-year deal like Seibold did last time around.

"It will be a much shorter contract than what we have had in the past," he said.

Brent Tate, who won the 2006 title at the club, told NRL.com that the Broncos "aren't as broken as everyone thinks" and insisted they would return to their former glory with the right changes.

Lockyer and Morris also believe the Broncos can turn their fortunes around in a short space of time.

"A couple of tweaks ... and you'd be amazed what a bit of confidence will do for a group," Lockyer said.