Walters ready to save sad Cows

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Melbourne Storm assistant coach Kevin Walters runs through warm up drills. Source: Hannah Johnston / Getty Images

KEVIN Walters' services have been offered to the crisis-stricken Cowboys as the Broncos legend on Sunday declared himself ready to launch his career as an NRL head coach.

With Neil Henry set to be sacked by the Cowboys board, Walters believes he now has the skill-set to succeed in the NRL and help deliver a premiership to a Queensland club.

The Courier-Mail can reveal Walters' management made contact with North Queensland powerbrokers well before news of Henry's impending demise broke on Friday night. 

"I'm ready to go ... at any Queensland club or any NRL team," he said on Sunday night.

Speaking for the first time since quitting as Melbourne's assistant on Thursday, Walters insists the chance to reunite with his wife Narelle and five kids was the motivation for leaving the Storm at season's end.

But he doesn't mask his desire to become an NRL head coach and a glorious opportunity will arrive this week when Henry is formally terminated by Cowboys chairman Laurence Lancini.

The former Maroons star makes it clear he isn't death-riding any coaching contemporary, but at age 45 he faces a now-or-never scenario to take charge of an NRL outfit.

Not since 2006, when the Broncos upset Melbourne, has a Queensland club tasted the premiership success Walters enjoyed five times as Brisbane's champion pivot.

"I've worked my a*** off for the last 10 years trying to get myself in this position," said Walters, who began his coaching career with Toowoomba Clydesdales in 2003.

"I feel like my time is now.

"And to be honest, there is nothing more that I can do from a coaching point of view, other than look at where I've been and how much I've learned and help a club that needs help. 

"The family was first and foremost on my mind. My mum passed away earlier this year and I didn't want to uproot the family again and bring them to Melbourne.

"I feel like, personally, I am ready for another challenge in life, a new challenge, and where it comes from I'm not sure.

"I don't have anything concrete at the moment, but I'm confident something will come up in the next six to eight weeks."

While Queensland's three NRL clubs the Broncos, Cowboys and Titans are all languishing outside the top eight, the most likely opportunity for Walters is in Townsville.

The Titans would face a $1 million-plus payout sacking John Cartwright, while Broncos boss Paul White insists Anthony Griffin is locked in for 2014.

But the Cowboys have a vacancy. 

It is understood Walters, Paul Green and Trent Barrett are frontline contenders to replace Henry at a club that has failed to win a premiership since its 1995 inception.

Despite his decorated history with the Broncos, Walters has no desire to be an assistant to Griffin, saying a 10-year apprenticeship has him well equipped to preside over an NRL club.

"I think I'm ready to coach a team by myself, if it's not the Broncos, it might have to be somewhere else," he said.

"I haven't spoken to the Cowboys and I don't want to be seen to be going for people's jobs. I'm available, I'm returning to Brisbane, I haven't got a club, but if there is an opportunity, I will take it.

"It's not about hawking myself around. I need to be smart about something that does come up, because I think I will only get one crack and I can't afford to blow it."

Walters' resume would be the envy of any aspiring NRL coach. He has worked as an assistant to master coaches Wayne Bennett and Craig Bellamy, worked under Mal Meninga at the Maroons, coached two Queensland Cup clubs and called the shots at French Super League club Les Catalans.

Walters narrowly lost out to Mick Potter for the Wests Tigers job last October. 

But as a serial premiership winner, Walters believes he can bring success to an NRL outfit.

"If you look at my resume, I'd be surprised if any coach outside of the NRL would have my pedigree," he said.

"I can bring a winning culture and winning methods to an organisation. I know I can bring that, winning is a habit.

"I've been all over the place trying to up skill myself as a coach and I've topped it off with Craig Bellamy in Melbourne. I really don't think I can do much more to add to the artillery as such. 

"The time is right to get into an NRL club and let me do my stuff ... I am very confident about what I can bring to an organisation."

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