diff --git a/internal/gatewayapi/contexts.go b/internal/gatewayapi/contexts.go
index 1edf13a72fad..e837a9416450 100644
--- a/internal/gatewayapi/contexts.go
+++ b/internal/gatewayapi/contexts.go
@@ -441,17 +441,3 @@ func (b *BackendRefContext) GetBackendRef(routeKind gwapiv1.Kind) *gwapiv1.Backe
 	}
 	return nil
 }
-
-func (b *BackendRefContext) GetHTTPFilters() []gwapiv1.HTTPRouteFilter {
-	if b.HTTPBackendRef != nil {
-		return b.HTTPBackendRef.Filters
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
-func (b *BackendRefContext) GetGRPCFilters() []v1alpha2.GRPCRouteFilter {
-	if b.GRPCBackendRef != nil {
-		return b.GRPCBackendRef.Filters
-	}
-	return nil
-}
diff --git a/internal/gatewayapi/validate.go b/internal/gatewayapi/validate.go
index dc76ceeb68bb..b98a9126527a 100644
--- a/internal/gatewayapi/validate.go
+++ b/internal/gatewayapi/validate.go
@@ -89,9 +89,9 @@ func (t *Translator) validateBackendRefFilters(backendRef BackendRefContext, par
 	var filtersLen int
 	switch routeKind {
 	case KindHTTPRoute:
-		filtersLen = len(backendRef.GetHTTPFilters())
+		filtersLen = len(backendRef.HTTPBackendRef.Filters)
 	case KindGRPCRoute:
-		filtersLen = len(backendRef.GetGRPCFilters())
+		filtersLen = len(backendRef.GRPCBackendRef.Filters)
 	default:
 		return true
 	}