Broncos Roster, Signings and Rumours Discussion 2026

McHunt said:
I actually think he'll get more money elsewhere.
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Most likely...
However he may prefer more of a chance to win Premiership than the wooden spoon....

Both are still possibilities though.
 
Next year looks pretty bleak in the middles and second row. The 2RF issue is well documented and nothing seems to be being done to address it but look at the middles too:

Barnett - Very good
Carrigan - Great but possibly declining
Willison - Very good, potential to be great in a short time
Semu - Fantastic prospect. It maybe one with a significant health scare, don’t know yet
Jensen - Good to very good but no guarantee to return due to significant health scare
Piki - Average
Talty - Average, possibly regressing
Tawha - Fire into sun
Francis - The great hope but a kid
 
I think Madge needs to do an overhaul on the roster. He got here in 2025 and basically inherited the roster. He wins the comp so you basically just retain the squad and see if they can go again.

Same thing happened with the coaching staff.

The way this year is heading it's time to commit to Madge and let him shape the roster for how he wants it.

Off Contract this year
  • Gehamat Shibasaki - Release (wants too much money)
  • Ben Hunt - Release (he's not working as a hooker, which is what we want him for... he doesn't work as a five-eight and he's not the first choice halfback heading into next year. You can't really drop the 350 gamer either so he basically becomes a distraction in the media... especially when he's out there giving out sound bites)
  • Jack Gosiewski - Release (not NRL standard anymore)
  • Jaiyden Hunt - Release (coaches don't seem to trust him so what's the ****ing point)
  • Delouise Hoeter - Release (aging centre / winger... was always solid when needed, but he'll be coming off the back of an ACL injury now)
  • Josh Rogers - 50/50, but leaning towards release… his value has been in hooker / lock, rather than five-eight... R&R can do better

  • Jesse Arthars - 50/50 (mostly depends on how well Coates and Nio are progressing, but can be solid depth)

Retain
  • Billy Walters - Retain (hooker, lock and halves depth)
  • Hayze Perham - Retain on his year on year deals until a young fullback emerges
  • Tom Duffy - Looks to be extending for 2yr

Off Contract next year
  • Xavier Willison - Priority re-signing... absolute must keep
  • Deine Mariner - Looks a priority re-signing, but need to check how he returns from the injury
  • Josiah Karapani - Extend... becoming a very solid and reliable winger
  • Jordan Riki - Retain, but wary of it being a long high value deal… he might be one that can move into the middle rotation at some point in the future.
  • Brendan Piakura - Retain, but not if he's demanding big money.
  • Blake Mozer - Extend... we still need at least 3 hookers moving forward... Paix sigh, Mozer and Buk can be the longer term rotation moving forward... maybe make an enquiry about Owen Pattie (I think he's a Qlder and can't get a crack in Canberra)
  • Phillip Coates - Retain, but PNG are lurking

  • Corey Jensen - Monitor how he returns, but might be time to move on. He's averaging around 40mins a game with or without Patty and Payne being there... I'm not sure that's enough to be kept in the 17 every week. Handy to keep as experienced depth though
  • Ben Talty - Probably move on… 30-35 mins a game for a guy that is ONLY an undersized prop isn't worth it... he needs to show some development in his game otherwise move on.
  • Aublix Tawha - Move on… looking a failed recruitment
  • Ben Te Kura - Release ... may as well release now, unless Vlando folds and changes the rules again
 
Bucking Beads said:
There's no overhaul to have. There's no salary cap space.
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There must be. Haas leaving is a lot of money out the door and then we are also losing Reynolds and Anderson. Probably losing Shibasaki, Arthars and Bunt as well. We've only signed Barnett and Pezet. Re-signed Semu, Piki and Poates on small contracts.

Now yes, we will need to upgrade Xman and Mariner but there still should be some money left.
 
Bucking Beads said:
There's no overhaul to have. There's no salary cap space.
Click to expand...
It's more about creating and shaping the depth of the squad.

What's the point of using up top 30 spots on Gos, Jhunt, Hoeter, BTK, Rogers, Tawha, etc. if Madge doesn't even trust them or want to use them.

Bring in guys that Madge actually wants to use
 
BroncsFan said:
It's more about creating and shaping the depth of the squad.

What's the point of using up top 30 spots on Gos, Jhunt, Hoeter, BTK, Rogers, Tawha, etc. if Madge doesn't even trust them or want to use them.

Bring in guys that Madge actually wants to use
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Madge has had ample opportunity to shape the squad. He's not having any luck recruiting by the looks of it.
 
Sproj said:
There must be. Haas leaving is a lot of money out the door and then we are also losing Reynolds and Anderson. Probably losing Shibasaki, Arthars and Bunt as well. We've only signed Barnett and Pezet. Re-signed Semu, Piki and Poates on small contracts.

Now yes, we will need to upgrade Xman and Mariner but there still should be some money left.
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not only that, but when you "overhaul" a roster, you get rid of players and can use the money that has been freed up to sign other players.
 
Bucking Beads said:
Madge has had ample opportunity to shape the squad. He's not having any luck recruiting by the looks of it.
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that's a stupid take.

firstly he came in very late in the piece towards the end of 2024, so didn't have much of an opportunity to change the roster for his first season, as everyone of note worth taking was signed to other clubs, so he was stuck with what he had.

secondly, i'd be very surprised if any coach in the history of sport has ever made mass changes to a premiership winning roster for their premiership defence the following season.

thirdly, he has put his succession plan for Reynolds in place by signing one of the most sort after young halves in the game (Pezet). Then re-signed another quality talent (Duffy) to put some competition in place for that player.

Fourthly, after losing Haas, he was able to almost immediately sign a quality replacement (Barnett), despite plenty of interest from rival clubs.

no one is saying he doesn't still have some work to do. especially around depth in the backrow to prevent us from never having to move Willison out of the middle rotation.
 
Foordy said:
that's a stupid take.

firstly he came in very late in the piece towards the end of 2024, so didn't have much of an opportunity to change the roster for his first season, as everyone of note worth taking was signed to other clubs, so he was stuck with what he had.

secondly, i'd be very surprised if any coach in the history of sport has ever made mass changes to a premiership winning roster for their premiership defence the following season.

thirdly, he has put his succession plan for Reynolds in place by signing one of the most sort after young halves in the game (Pezet). Then re-signed another quality talent (Duffy) to put some competition in place for that player.

Fourthly, after losing Haas, he was able to almost immediately sign a quality replacement (Barnett), despite plenty of interest from rival clubs.

no one is saying he doesn't still have some work to do. especially around depth in the backrow to prevent us from never having to move Willison out of the middle rotation.
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Ok
 
Bucking Beads said:
Madge has had ample opportunity to shape the squad. He's not having any luck recruiting by the looks of it.
Click to expand...
For the 2025 season he started at the end of September... so definitely a "let's just go with what we have and evaluate for the year" on coaches and players.

Last year I think there were some decisions made that was just ... let's stick with the status quo again i.e. extending Gos, Jhunt and Hoeter... it was like there's not enough time to find replacements for these guys so let's just extend them for another year and kick the can down the road... those decisions are the ones I have an issue with.

We also had a good injury run last year and depth didn't have to be relied on, so those depth guys didn't get exposed to NRL for evaluation... this year Madge has had to rely on the depth and they are mostly failing him... he should be able to see the guys that aren't up to standard and decide to move them on.

This year finals are looking off the cards (we now have to win 7 of the next 11 just to be 12 and 12 on the season), Aus aren't doing a one off lions tour in England (and probably wouldn't be providing many reps to it anyway) and there will be no trip to England for an exhibition match.

There's time for Madge to make actual decisions around the squad this year... and he's had 2 years with the guys at this point to know who's worth keeping and who needs to be moved on.

Unfortunately the World Cup is on this year (finishing mid-November), so likely all of our important players will be selected across the various squads... so guess what... another disrupted preseason is on the cards.

Will the NRL push back the start of the season... are you kidding ... how are they meant to make money if they do that!!
 
It sucks that Hunt struggles in all but one position now. It might be best to let him go so it doesn't become similar to Boyd and just leaves us with a sour taste in the mouth after a great 2025.

I'll still remember the good times. When Brisbane was going nowhere with Prince and Wallace and Griffin decided to just put Hunt there at the end of 2013, when he was just a serviceable bench hooker for several years. Hunt took it with both hands and made us excited about the Broncos again. He only had the one go to move - going down the blind side, but it was almost unguardable for a while.
 
BroncsFan said:
Unfortunately the World Cup is on this year (finishing mid-November), so likely all of our important players will be selected across the various squads... so guess what... another disrupted preseason is on the cards.

Will the NRL push back the start of the season... are you kidding ... how are they meant to make money if they do that!!
Click to expand...
The NRL’s solution?

IMG_8650.png
 
BroncsFan said:
I think Madge needs to do an overhaul on the roster. He got here in 2025 and basically inherited the roster. He wins the comp so you basically just retain the squad and see if they can go again.

Same thing happened with the coaching staff.

The way this year is heading it's time to commit to Madge and let him shape the roster for how he wants it.

Off Contract this year
  • Gehamat Shibasaki - Release (wants too much money)
  • Ben Hunt - Release (he's not working as a hooker, which is what we want him for... he doesn't work as a five-eight and he's not the first choice halfback heading into next year. You can't really drop the 350 gamer either so he basically becomes a distraction in the media... especially when he's out there giving out sound bites)
  • Jack Gosiewski - Release (not NRL standard anymore)
  • Jaiyden Hunt - Release (coaches don't seem to trust him so what's the ****ing point)
  • Delouise Hoeter - Release (aging centre / winger... was always solid when needed, but he'll be coming off the back of an ACL injury now)
  • Josh Rogers - 50/50, but leaning towards release… his value has been in hooker / lock, rather than five-eight... R&R can do better

  • Jesse Arthars - 50/50 (mostly depends on how well Coates and Nio are progressing, but can be solid depth)

Retain
  • Billy Walters - Retain (hooker, lock and halves depth)
  • Hayze Perham - Retain on his year on year deals until a young fullback emerges
  • Tom Duffy - Looks to be extending for 2yr

Off Contract next year
  • Xavier Willison - Priority re-signing... absolute must keep
  • Deine Mariner - Looks a priority re-signing, but need to check how he returns from the injury
  • Josiah Karapani - Extend... becoming a very solid and reliable winger
  • Jordan Riki - Retain, but wary of it being a long high value deal… he might be one that can move into the middle rotation at some point in the future.
  • Brendan Piakura - Retain, but not if he's demanding big money.
  • Blake Mozer - Extend... we still need at least 3 hookers moving forward... Paix sigh, Mozer and Buk can be the longer term rotation moving forward... maybe make an enquiry about Owen Pattie (I think he's a Qlder and can't get a crack in Canberra)
  • Phillip Coates - Retain, but PNG are lurking

  • Corey Jensen - Monitor how he returns, but might be time to move on. He's averaging around 40mins a game with or without Patty and Payne being there... I'm not sure that's enough to be kept in the 17 every week. Handy to keep as experienced depth though
  • Ben Talty - Probably move on… 30-35 mins a game for a guy that is ONLY an undersized prop isn't worth it... he needs to show some development in his game otherwise move on.
  • Aublix Tawha - Move on… looking a failed recruitment
  • Ben Te Kura - Release ... may as well release now, unless Vlando folds and changes the rules again
Click to expand...
Great post -appreciate it.

In professional sports, theres a tug-of-war going on between players and clubs. Its about who has the leverage.

Or, in other words, where does the burden of risk fall - with the player or the club.

Now, if I'm Piakura or JRiki, I'm sitting down with my manager and saying "Look, Brisbane don't have much leverage here, if they dont pay up, we can leave, and they have nothing coming behind us to step in...?

So for our 2nd row, the risk lies on the club in this instance.

I think we resign both, because we simply cant afford not to.
 
The Titans have reportedly pulled their offer for Arthars after he missed their deadline.

The offer was a 2 year, $600k offer
 
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