OFFICIAL 2025 Roster

PLAYER ROSTER FOR 2025 AND BEYOND
Red: final season of contract.

PLAYER		2025	2026	2027	2028	2029
Adam Reynolds	Half	2025	Coach?
Antonio Verhoeven	Lock, Second row	2025*	2026*
Ben Hunt	Half, hooker	2025	2026
Ben Te Kura	Prop	2025	2026
Billy Walters	Hooker, half	2025	2026
Blake Mozer	Hooker	2025
Brendan Piakura	Second row	2025	2026	2027
Coby Black	Half	2025**	2026
Corey Jensen	Prop	2025
Cory Paix	Hooker, half	2025
Deine Mariner	Centre, wing	2025	2026	2027
Delouise Hoeter	Centre, wing	2025
Ezra Mam	Half	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029
Fletcher Baker	Prop, Second Row	2025
Israel Leota	Wing	2025
Jack Gosiewski	Second Row	2025
Jaiyden Hunt	Prop, Lock, Second Row	2025
Jesse Arthars	Centre, wing, Fullback	2025	2026
Jock Madden	Half	2025	2026
Josh Rogers	Half	2025	2026
Jordan Riki	Second row	2025	2026	2027
Kobe Hetherington	Lock	2025
Kotoni Staggs	Centre	2025
Marty Taupau	Prop	2025
Patrick Carrigan	Prop, lock	2025	2026	2027	2028
Payne Haas	Prop	2025	2026
Reece Walsh	Fullback	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029
Selwyn Cobbo	Wing, centre, fullback	2025
Tyson Smoothy	Hooker	2025
Va'a Semu	Prop	2025	2026	2027
Xavier Willison	Prop	2025	2026	2027

*TBC
** TBC top 30

TRAIN & TRIAL

VJ Semu	Prop
Bailey Trew	Wing
Cameron Bukowski	Hooker
Hayze Perham	Fullback, Wing
Jett Bryce	Second Row
Luke Gale	Lock
Sione Hopoate	Wing
Gehamat Shibasaki	Centre
Josh Coric	Lock
Latrell Siegwalt	Fullback, Five-Eight
Callum Eggerling	Hooker
Glen Vaihu	Wing, Centre
Matthew Koellner	Prop
Ewan Moore	Second Row
Tristan Powell	Prop
Lachlan West	Fullback
Ronald Philitoga	Wing

DEVELOPMENT (2024)

Bailey Trew: centre

Coby Black: half

Israel Leota: wing

Va'a Semu: prop

UNSIGNED in 2025

Josiah Karapani

STOCKS

Front Row
Carrigan, Haas, Hunt, Baker, Willison, Jensen, Te Kura, Semu, Marty Taupau

Second Row
Baker, Piakura, Riki, Taupau, Hunt, Gosiewski

Lock
Carrigan, Hetherington, Taupau, Hunt

Hooker
Hunt, Mozer, Paix, Walters, Smoothy

Half
Hunt, Reynolds, Mam, Walters, Paix, Madden, Rogers, Black

Fullback
Cobbo, Walsh, Arthars,

Centre
Staggs, Mariner, Arthars, Cobbo, Hoeter

Wing
Cobbo, Arthars, Leota, Hoeter


ETHNO MAP

QLD
Ben Hunt, Ben Te Kura, Billy Walters, Blake Mozer, Brendan Piakura, Coby Black, Corey Jensen, Corey Oates, Cory Paix, Delouise Hoeter, Ezra Mam, Israel Leota, Jack Gosiewski, Jaiyden Hunt, Josh Rogers, Kobe Hetherington, Patrick Carrigan, Reece Walsh, Selwyn Cobbo, Tyson Smoothy

NZ
Deine Mariner, Brendan Piakura, Jesse Arthars, Jordan Riki, Xavier Willison, Marty Taupau

NSW
Adam Reynolds, Fletcher Baker, Jock Madden, Kotoni Staggs, Payne Haas

Indigenous
Ezra Mam, Jordan Riki, Kotoni Staggs, Reece Walsh, Selwyn Cobbo

Tonga
Kotoni Staggs, Delouise Hoeter,

Samoa
Jesse Arthars, Payne Haas, Marty Taupau

Cook Islands
Brendan Piakura, Xavier Willison

 

[BroncsFan]

- Mariner nails down the right centre position and takes his game to the next level. Deine is one of my favourite players to watch in space but really struggles with the physical side of the game. Would love to see him become more well-rounded - I think Kev did him a disservice this year and he badly needed a stint to recover/work on his game in QCup.

In terms of physicality I wonder if it's mostly him still growing into NRL... I remember in his first trial a big part of his game was physicality in defence. He was putting some big shots on, and I believe it was one of the traits that he came into the game with from his junior days.

This upcoming off season could see him put on some more size and we could see a completely different player. I would agree that centre is looking like his spot and right centre looked very natural to him in that storm game.

It's not a great game to be judged on, but I thought he had some really nice touches.

- On the flip-side, can Kotoni be an option in the backrow? The Broncos can't turn to Bryce or Armstrong and Gosiewski is purely a back-up if we're being fair dinkum so options are limited. Kotoni came through NYC as a backrow, I don't think it's out of the question and at 27 it might be the play.

In regards to Kotoni I was thinking he would be a good signing for us when the Staggs vs Cobbo debate first started... and I really want to keep both of them... the thought being that Cobbo looks great at left centre and as Staggs gets older and someone like Mariner comes in to take his spot, he could move to the bench and be like a Dylan Walker for us.

I'm not sure he has the size to be an NRL second rower with how they play at the moment (tall, athletic and skillfull), but he could be an impact player in the middle of the field against tired legs. It could be interesting to see how he goes at second row though... it's probably slightly less thinking at second row, although they are just as important in defensive reads as centres on the edge, and that is not his strong suit at all.

If he were to eventually drop back to the bench in a few years, you'd have a 17 that can fill a number of roles at that point... big question would be on his fitness given he's not a high workrate player as it is.

 

[Sproj]

Cronulla have made the move with Talakai, I would like us to consider it with Staggs too.

 

[Johnny92]

Cronulla have made the move with Talakai, I would like us to consider it with Staggs too.

Staggs probably betters his chances at another rep jersey if he adds the versatility of being good at centre, second row and has played 6 in the past for Tonga.

 

[BroncsFan]

Cronulla have made the move with Talakai, I would like us to consider it with Staggs too.

Just checked and Staggs is apparently taller than Talakai, but 5kg lighter... so Staggs may not be as far off second row as I initially thought.

 

[Johnny92]

Just checked and Staggs is apparently taller than Talakai, but 5kg lighter... so Staggs may not be as far off second row as I initially thought.

Staggs is the same size as Briton Nikora who is a pretty handy backrower and he'd be bigger than Alex Glenn was.
Guys like Sua, Martin, Critchton and Nanai have about 5-10 kgs on him but Kotoni is probably more dangerous with ball in hand.

 

[Big Del]

Mozer has to start. Not even to appease us he is just the best option by far now.

He had better smarten up his tackling then .
He looks great with the ball , but got run over twice leading directly to tries .

If that happens again you will be welcoming Billy back like the prodigal son ...

 

[Big Del]

He has an excellent long kicking game

Have you actually watched him play ?
Kickin bombs is his thing .

 

[tommy]

If that happens again you will be welcoming Billy back like the prodigal son ...

not a bad name for him.

 

[thenry]

I agree with everything there.

Mozer has to start. Not even to appease us he is just the best option by far now. I’m definitely no Billy hater, I still think he should be on the bench and his ability to cover halves does mean we aren’t shitting ourselves every game in that department injury wise.

Innes has a lot of go about him but I think Jesse would only lose that spot to someone with a bigger frame like Trew. Innes is electric though so I wouldn’t rule it out but I think a couple q-cup games and a good pre-season won’t quite be enough.

I was watching the Storm game and Deine looked very threatening and very confident when he was at right centre. I’d almost consider putting Kotoni on the left just to try something a bit new. He looked the goods and looked confident Deine. If he can pack more punch and get some more metres in attack as well as fix defence he will be a very good centre.

Look second row is a tough one but I’d really drill into these 2 that if they don’t succeed they will be playing reserve grade or getting forced out. I am more confident Riki can figure it out again over Piakura. Piakura is a lazy, unfit, overpaid bum in my books. Has the potential but has never shown that he has lived up to it.

I hope Black plays Halfback in cup and is paired with an experienced 5/8 but nonetheless I very much agree with that sentiment. I think he gets a debut next year if his defence is up to scratch. He has an excellent long kicking game so as long as his defence is up to scratch he will always be decent at NRL level.

I agree with this, but I had to laugh at your comment, "if (Mariner) he packs more punch, gets more metres in attack and fixes his defence he will be a good centre".

Not much to work on then

 

[Fitzy]

Have you actually watched him play ?
Kickin bombs is his thing .

Did anything I remotely say contradict that? wtf are you going on about?

 

[mitch222]

Cronulla have made the move with Talakai, I would like us to consider it with Staggs too.

To be fair, Talaki started as a second rower. Staggs has always been viewed by the club as a centre.

 

[1910]

A few things I'd like to see in 2025

- Mozer has to start the season, otherwise we're all going to be grumpy.

- Would love a player outside of the current top 30 to earn their spot on the wing. Remember how Bennett would often pick a bolter in Round 1? Whether it was Steve Irwin, Leon Bott, Darius Boyd, Joel Moon, Reece Robinson etc. Or even post-Bennett with Winterstein - I'd love to see somebody like Trew, Innes or some affiliate signing just take that spot.

- Mariner nails down the right centre position and takes his game to the next level. Deine is one of my favourite players to watch in space but really struggles with the physical side of the game. Would love to see him become more well-rounded - I think Kev did him a disservice this year and he badly needed a stint to recover/work on his game in QCup.

- On the flip-side, can Kotoni be an option in the backrow? The Broncos can't turn to Bryce or Armstrong and Gosiewski is purely a back-up if we're being fair dinkum so options are limited. Kotoni came through NYC as a backrow, I don't think it's out of the question and at 27 it might be the play.

- Coby Black to earn a selection. I hope the Broncos go out of their way to assist his development and put him with an experienced halfback that could help him out in QCup. Would love to see him come into the Origin period after some strong QCup form and become an option.

The Broncos next outside back could come from Coates, Innes and Tonihi. I thought Coates and Tonihi had better Meninga seasons but Innes stepped up to Cup.

At Fullback for your run on debut is massive. He had only played there sparingly in Meninga this year. I thought he was great against the Pride. His first 20 minutes was involved and smart and using his best asset his speed.

Showed the confidence the Broncos have in him.

I’d be giving all three a pre-season.

 

[Fitzy]

I agree with this, but I had to laugh at your comment, "if (Mariner) he packs more punch, gets more metres in attack and fixes his defence he will be a good centre".

Not much to work on then

I have packing punch and more metres as the one facet and it’s only a super important facet for him because it’s something we lack from all our backs at the minute.

Defence is the big key.

 

[1910]

Having said that wish the Broncos had Sam Stephenson in their outside backs and not the Titans.

Playing Cup at High School is so special, then winning everything with PBC. He's had a year.

 

[thenry]

I have packing punch and more metres as the one facet and it’s only a super important facet for him because it’s something we lack from all our backs at the minute.

Defence is the big key.

Yeah all good mate, I agree. I reckon he needs to put in some size up top this off season, as he looks a bit underpowered.

 

[Big Del]

Did anything I remotely say contradict that? wtf are you going on about?

He can kick a nice bomb .
Now last I watched a game bombs aren`t long kicks .

You said and I quote -
Fitzy said:
He has an excellent long kicking game

Long or high ? there is a difference .

 

[Big Pete]

Just to be clear on Mozer, while I want him to start 2025 in the 9, I'd be open to the odd stint off the bench. He'll likely need to be managed through out the year and he might need a spell part-way through the season. However I want to see an intent to make him the premier dummy half at the club and I want to see him reach for that opportunity.

Same with Mariner at right centre.

This brings me to Kotoni and I think he's hit his ceiling at centre. Now I'd love it if Kotoni could add some versatility to his game and make it in the backrow where he'd be closer to the action and get a chance to utilise his physicality which is his greatest strength. Perhaps it's just wishful thinking but if you were looking to make changes, that's one avenue you could go down.

It could also solve the backrow issue because you're only setting yourself up for disappointment if you're expecting Piakura to get through 20+ games.

My other left field idea is transitioning Rogers into a ball-playing backrow but I know I'm getting too carried away.

I'm not really fussed about which young outside back gets the opportunity. I just want to see them in the running and for Kevie to take some early season risks. Last year he tried to give the club some stability and it came back to bite him. This year, I want to see him throw the cat amongst the pigeons, similar to what Bennett did in 2006.

On that occasion, the Broncos actually got smashed to start the season, but they learned from it and kept adjusting their footy until they found the right combination. I want to see the same fluidity and standards this year.

 

[Emanon]

I've actually wondered if Staggs or Cobbo could be moved to lock?

It's not a knock on Carrigan, but I do wonder if you could get a modern lock to play more like an old 90's style non ball playing fullback like a Luke Burt, Gary Jack or Luke Patton. Running in support and sniffing around the ruck waiting for an offload type thing, almost like a designated support player.