Bennett had agreed to having Walters, who helped Queensland win the 2016 Origin Series, return as a consultant in a bid to help struggling halves Ben Hunt and Anthony Milford make an assault on the 2016 NRL Premiership.

But Walters was told by Bennett his services would no longer be required.

“Is he protecting his job..?” Tallis said on Triple M on Monday.

“Maybe Wayne’s thinking …’If (Walters) comes back and all the players go good, and all the hierarchy see it, and they start winning, and I’m on this much money and Kevvy could be on half the money that I’m on … I just don’t know what goes through Wayne’s head sometimes.”

A number of Broncos players had reportedly recently called Walters to congratulate him on coming back to Red Hill following the club’s dramatic slide in form after losing eight of its last 10 matches.

Walters had previously been touted as Bennett’s long-term successor before leaving the Broncos as an assistant this season to concentrate on his maiden Origin campaign.

“It hasn’t worked out so that’s OK, I’ll get on with it,” Walters told News Limited on Saturday.

“I don’t want to be critical of anyone because that’s not what I’m about,” he said. “The issue is dead now, it (returning to the Broncos) would have been manageable but it’s not going to happen.”

Bennett signed a $1.8 million two-year extension with Brisbane which will keep him at the club until the end of 2019.