A defiant Michael Maguire says Brisbane’s season from hell will inspire a title fightback as departing superstar Payne Haas backed the Broncos to be a premiership force next season.

Maguire vowed to have some honest conversations with Brisbane’s playing group after closing the door on their 2026 annus horribilis with a promising final-round 34-20 win over the Bulldogs on Thursday night.

Maguire is under enormous pressure to rebuild the Broncos next season following the NRL’s worst premiership collapse in 63 years.

The fallen premiers finished a turbulent campaign in the bottom four with a dismal 8-16 record – but Maguire, off-contract next season, says the pain will motivate a Broncos revenge mission in 2027.

“Everything that we’ve been through will definitely build a lot of that hunger in the belly,” Maguire said in the wake of Brisbane’s final-round ray of hope.

“A lot of these guys have been through that experience.

“Everyone would have all sorts of emotions about where we sit, and the organisation, the players, the staff, we’ve been to a pretty great place (their title win in 2025).

“You get hungry to go back there again.

“Being able to talk about that in time, when the time’s right, to be able to get ourselves back to what’s in front of us.

“I’m actually really looking forward to what’s in front, believe it or not, with what we’ve gone through … because of the conversations that I’ve been able to have with my great players.”

While Souths-bound Haas will depart the Broncos with a heavy heart after nine seasons of outstanding service, the champion prop is adamant Brisbane will be finals contenders in 2027.

“You look at our last few years, the same thing happened to us in 2024 (Brisbane finished 12th) … then we went straight to a grand final (in 2025) and won it,” he told Channel 9.

“In 2022, we did the same (missing the finals), and then we made the grand final the next year.

“These boys, when they’re hungry, and I know they will be next year, they are going to be a dangerous squad.

“They have got too much talent to waste it.”

Maguire admits it will be difficult to replace 159-game Origin star Haas, Brisbane’s record six-time Paul Morgan Medallist.

“He means a lot to this club,” he said. “He came to the place and helped recreate that identity and bring the belief back and take us to the heights of where we did last year.

“He is pretty special.”

Haas confirmed he will undergo surgery this week to repair a severely damaged left finger – ruling him out of Samoa’s World Cup campaign.

“I need to straighten it (his finger) up,” Haas said.

I’m trying to get them (fingers) straightened out as you can see.

“I’m getting a few pins next week, so obviously I’ll try and get ready for the big move (to South Sydney).”

Haas’ good mate Pat Carrigan, tipped to be Brisbane’s captain next season, said there will be no room for complacency when the Broncos kick-off their 2027 pre-season in November.

“It’s nice to finish on a win,” he said.

“It’s a long off-season but we know we fell short of where we wanted to be this year and in this game you earn what you get.

“The boys will be refreshed and we’ll get back to working hard

“We’re very confident in the team that we’ve got and our capabilities … we’re definitely going to have a new look.”

HAAS’ HAPPY ENDING: BRONCOS FINISH HORROR SEASON WITH A WIN

Ben Hunt fired a formidable statement in the battle for the Brisbane No.7 jumper as the Broncos gave Payne Haas a fitting farewell with a 34-20 belting of the Bulldogs on Thursday night.

Brisbane’s season from hell ended with a final-round ray of hope, claiming their eighth win at the very Homebush venue that was the scene of their epic premiership triumph last season.

Twelve months on, the Broncos (8-16) have suffered the NRL’s worst title collapse in 63 years, but this six-try Canterbury cakewalk will prime besieged coach Michael Maguire for a Red Hill revenge mission next season.

With scores locked 10-all at halftime, the Broncos channelled their Accor Stadium title heroics, scoring four tries in 11 minutes as two-try Josiah Karapani inspired a second-half blitz to bury the dismal Dogs.

HAAS-TA LA VISTA

Payne Haas. What a champion. What a competitor. Right until the very last minute, the Souths-bound superstar prop gave his all for the Broncos.

In his 159th and final game for the club, Haas made an early statement of what the Broncos will miss next season when he powered through the Bulldogs, carrying three men across to open the scoring in the sixth minute.

While he was sin-binned for Brisbane repeatedly holding down in the 15th minute, Haas went out on his shield with 129 metres, six tackle busts and 32 tackles.

HUNT ME DOWN

Hunt has made it clear: he isn’t giving up the Broncos’ No.7 jumper next season to rising rivals Tom Duffy and Jonah Pezet. This was a masterclass Allan Langer would have proud of.

The wily old fox may be 37 in March but Hunt is still sharp enough to penetrate and he showed that in the 48th minute when he stepped through and crashed over to give the Broncos a 22-10 lead.

The 373-game warrior then kicked the stuffing out of the Dogs. There was a sublime crosskick for Jordan Riki’s 51st minute try for 28-10 and a booming late clearing kick to nail the coffin shut.

TRIPLE TREAT

Three players who will be critical to Brisbane’s fightback season – Billy Walters, Karapani and Pat Carrigan – terrorised the Dogs.

Carrigan has been out of touch this season, but he finished on a positive note with a willing display highlighted by his slick offload for Walters’ crucial try five minutes after halftime.

Karapani ran riot, storming to 142m with a staggering 13 tackle busts and icing one of the finest performances of his career with a match-sealing try in the 56th minute for a 34-10 lead.

Walters was magnificent. He is the shining light amid the Broncos’ title train wreck. The 32-year-old has fought back superbly from a knee reconstruction and his brilliant dummy-half snipes that carved up the Dogs is proof he must be Brisbane’s starting No.9 next season.

As he watched the Bulldogs belting, Maguire must have wondered where this form has been all season.

THE DEFENCE RESTS

Brisbane have a slew of things to fix next season. Their left-edge defence should be top of the list.

The Bulldogs’ right-side offence unlocked the Broncos early, most emphatically in the 22nd minute when Canterbury halfback Lachlan Galvin coasted between Jaiyden Hunt and Ezra Mam through a gap as wide as Sydney Heads.

Defence is attitude. If the Broncos can muscle up next season, this 2026 debacle may prove to be an aberration.