Hear that noise? It’s the train wreck no-one saw coming at the Broncos.
In February, the Broncos were installed as favourites to win back-to-back titles with bookmakers in the afterglow of their fairytale first premiership win in 19 years last season.
By September, the Broncos were left to lament going from champions to wooden-spoon contenders in the NRL’s worst premiership collapse in 63 years.
The stunning implosion triggered a full-scale internal review of the Broncos and Code Sports has put the glamour club under the microscope in our six-point, fix-it dossier to chart a Red Hill revenge mission in 2027.
1. MADGE UNDER SIEGE
The Pressure Gauge: Extreme
The Reality: Coach Michael Maguire goes into 2027 off-contract and the pressure on him to rebuild the Broncos is enormous. He has not only confronted a season from hell, but persistent rumours he has lost the dressing room. Much of the speculation may be dismissed as baseless and uninformed, but perception can become reality.
The Fix: Wayne Bennett famously sacked his entire team of Broncos assistants, including Kevin Walters and Gary Belcher, in 2005 amid talks the supercoach would be given the bullet himself. It worked a treat. The following season, with a fresh look, Bennett sensationally silenced his critics by winning the premiership. Maguire needs to shake-up his coaching staff. The Broncos didn’t replace Ben Te’o when he resigned as defence coach in March. Maguire could do with some assistants with a distinct flavour of Broncos DNA. Corey Parker and Broncos legend Brad Thorn, who has coached rugby’s Queensland Reds, are options. Brisbane’s young forwards will be in awe of the straight-shooting Thorn.
2. WORLD OF PAYNE
The Pressure Gauge: Extreme
The Reality: Payne Haas’ bombshell decision to join Souths next season will leave a massive void in Brisbane’s engine room. How on earth do you replace a generational front-row superstar who has won a record six Paul Morgan Medals as Brisbane’s player of the year? The one soothing certainty with Brisbane each week was the sight of Haas charging through the midfield. Brisbane’s wouldn’t have won the 2025 premiership without him.
The Fix: There’s not a singular remedy to replace Haas. Instead, it’s time for Xavier Willison to truly stand up and play a more senior role alongside Pat Carrigan and NSW Origin enforcer Mitch Barnett, who has been recruited from the Warriors to succeed Haas. Barnett will bring experience, leadership and a hard edge. But Willison is the one emerging Broncos forward who can replicate Haas’ size and athletic ability. At 24, the 199cm beast is entering his prime years.
3. SIXES AND SEVENS
The Pressure Gauge: Extreme
The Reality: Brisbane’s scrumbase is literally at sixes and sevens. The Broncos are about to find out just how influential Reynolds was in his pomp without the retired skipper next year. Five-eighth Ezra Mam has been a defensive disaster this season, missing a whopping 112 tackles – the most in the league. And in 23-year-old duo Tom Duffy and Jonah Pezet, who arrives from the Eels next season, the Broncos have two promising, but highly unproven halfbacks.
The Fix: Brisbane need to add some big-name artillery to their halves. Ben Hunt will retire next year. That leaves Brisbane with three 24-year-olds in Mam, Duffy and Pezet. If elite halfbacks Nathan Cleary, Sam Walker and Cameron Munster head to free agency, the Broncos should at least reach out and have some discussions. Cleary is tipped to stay at Penrith, but Walker is an Ipswich kid. The Broncos should have a crack.
4. ROCKS-AND-DIAMONDS REECE
The Pressure Gauge: High
The Reality: Reece Walsh is as erratic as Melbourne’s weather. For Brisbane’s highest-paid player, on a $1.1 million deal that will only soar with salary-cap increase, Walsh needs to start consistently delivering bang for his buck. No one doubts his talent. He is a freak. On his day, or month, he wins premierships, as he showed in 2025 when he caught fire and torched Brisbane’s 19-year title drought. But his talismanic touch was bookended by two injury-ravaged campaigns in 2024 and 2026.
The Fix: Teams have appeared to work Walsh out. He had just six line-breaks and 11 try assists from 16 appearances this season. Teams are suffocating him on sweeping back-man plays. The best fullbacks in the league, led by James Tedesco and Dylan Edwards, have offensive variety and are constantly patrolling the rucks. Brisbane’s coaching staff must help Walsh with his off-the-ball efforts.
5. THE DEFENCE RESTS
The Pressure Gauge: Critical
The Reality: Brisbane’s defence has been appalling this season. For the first time in the Broncos’ golden 38-year history, they conceded 30 points or more in a game in six consecutive matches. Brisbane leaked a whopping 28.5 points per game. No offence can overcome that. It speaks to a football team that was disinterested, structurally disconnected and simply lacked the desire to muscle up without the ball.
The Fix: Defence coach Ben Te’o was a massive loss. They need to hire a new defence coach and implement systems that will revert to what Maguire wants in his football teams: gritty defensive units that break their opposition’s spirit. Brisbane made modifications to their defence at the back end of the season. Their outside men began jamming in defence and they were badly exposed by clever ball-players like Isaiya Katoa. Above all, they need an attitude shift in 2027.
6. ROSTER RENOVATION
The Pressure Gauge: Critical
The Reality: Brisbane’s 30-man roster is imbalanced and injuries exposed that this season. Few teams could have coped with Brisbane’s shocking injury toll, but the Broncos also have an embarrassment of riches in some positions and a dearth of talent in others. Five players were capable of playing hooker, yet there wasn’t a single standout No.9. Their back-row lacks depth – Brendan Piakura’s future is under a cloud due to concussions – and they need at least one more seasoned prop in the midfield.
The Fix: The title contenders all have strike in their back row. Brisbane should look at signing Queensland Origin second-rowers Briton Nikora or Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, who are free agents on November 1, to add depth following the purchase of Shawn Blore. Hulking 196cm, 115kg prop De La Salle Va’a, a former Broncos Academy graduate, is off-contract at the Roosters in 2027.