Kevin Walters has ruled Gorden Tallis out of his Kangaroos coaching staff for this year’s World Cup, saying the former Queensland forward will not back up after helping Australia win last year’s Ashes tour 3-0 against England.
Walters confirmed on Tuesday that Tallis had told him he would not be returning, ending any chance of a repeat role in a tournament that will be played in Australia, New Zealand and PNG and begins two weeks after the NRL grand final. Tallis was an assistant under Walters during last year’s Ashes tour after first being blocked by the NRL from going as a cultural attache, before Walters brought him in as part of the coaching group that delivered the clean sweep over England.
“Gordie told me that he won’t (be returning),” Walters said on the Inside Ball podcast. “That’s his holiday time and family time, which is fair. He won’t be backing up this year.”
The decision leaves Walters with at least one familiar face missing from the staff that finished last season on top, although he expects the majority of his other assistants from last year to return. The coach also said he might be without Willie Peters, who worked alongside Tallis during the Ashes and has since been appointed the inaugural coach of the PNG Chiefs, with Papua New Guinea due to enter the NRL competition in 2028.
Walters said he is confident he will add Ben Te’o to the staff after reaching out to the former Broncos assistant, who recently stepped down under Michael Maguire to work with Billy Slater’s Queensland State of Origin squad. Te’o left Brisbane after the club was not willing to release him for Origin camp, cutting short his stint with the Broncos.
Tallis, who holds roles with Fox League and Triple M radio and is a part-owner of the Gold Coast Titans, is not expected to be on tour when Australia defends the title. Walters said the job will still be filled by the right people. “There’s some great people out there looking for an opportunity to coach, so we’ll get the right people,” he said.
The timing of the tournament leaves little margin for rest after the NRL season, and Walters’ staffing picture is still taking shape. But with Tallis unavailable and Peters uncertain, the Kangaroos coach is already having to rebuild part of the group that helped deliver last year’s 3-0 series win.
