Broncos Roster, Signings and Rumours Discussion 2026

On NAS, if he was still showing there's something there to work with, I would be keen. He would be on a reduced deal.

But he just seems like a shadow of his former self. Maybe a change of scenery would change things, it wouldn't be the first time a player has looked washed but then turned their career around at another club.

Maybe if it was for about 200k-300k, he might be worth a punt. Very reluctant, though. If he did come to us and turned his career around, we would have a hell of a prop rotation.
 
Foordy said:
Hannay and the Titans tried to sign Ben Te'o as assistant coach, despite him already being contracted for 2026. Te'o knocked them back and recommitted to us.

Te'o said:

“I won a competition (with South Sydney) in 2014 with ‘Madge’ (Maguire) as a player and four days after we won I was on a plane to Europe to go play rugby,” Te’o said.

“I never really got to enjoy it and I never got the following season where teams are coming after you and you want to go back-to-back.

“We’ve got the World Club Challenge and the opportunity to go deep into next year’s finals. They’re the things that motivate me.

“They’re hungry to improve because this was Madge’s first season as coach and my first season with some of my defensive systems. You have to think that second time around it’s going to run a bit smoother and we can really dial into the detail.

“There’s a lot of improvement and we had some hiccups this year which I’d like to think won’t happen second time around. Improvement’s a big thing that we’re all chasing.”


Te’o said he enjoyed working alongside Trent Barrett and Matt Ballin as Maguire’s assistants.

“We’re sitting here now after winning the competition so it’s been a great move,” he said.

“I have to thank ‘Kevvie’ for bringing me back. He said to me ‘you’re a Bronco, Benny, and I want you to come home’.

“I played with Patty (Carrigan), Payne (Haas), Reyno (Adam Reynolds), Benny (Hunt), (Jordan) Riki and Kotoni (Staggs), so it was an opportunity to try and help them win.

“We’re a well-balanced team. Me and Madge have a relationship that goes back a long time. We won a premiership as coach and player, and now as colleagues.

“It’s been great to learn off of him and also the other coaches. ‘Baz’ (Barrett) has got so much experience and Matty’s work ethic is unbelievable.”
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EAD Titans! ****ing losers lolz
 
I watched all the "chasing glory" series (souths 2014 preniership run doco) on youtube.

Madge and teo are like chalk and cheese, but somehow, it appears to work.
 
Hypex said:
Signing wise, I am actually not sure what the best course of action for Brisbane is to take now.

On one hand surely it would be beneficial to reap the rewards of now being a destination club for good players wanting to win a Premiership, likely on a cheaper contract.

On the other hand if we look at the gold star example of Penrith's dynasty, every year they would shed key players, but almost always would back their system internally to replace them, with the odd value signing here and there.
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Been hard to keep track on the comings and goings, but I'll give it a shot.

Outs
- Kobe Hetherington
- Selwyn Cobbo
- Fletcher Baker (assume the previous reporting is correct)
- Tyson Smoothy
- Jock Madden
- Israel Leota
- Martin Taupau

Hoeter an unknown at this stage, and Gos assumed to have signed a 1yr deal

Ins
- Grant Anderson (replaces Cobbo?)
- Talty (including him as he was a midseason and Taupau out was a midseason... replaces Kobe?)
- Duffy (replaces Madden)
- Tawha (been reported that we've signed him... hybrid backrow / middle... so looks like good depth signing)

Depth Chart heading into 2026

Fullback: Reece... Perham... Anderson... Arthars
Wingers: Karapani & Mariner... Arthars, Anderson & Perham... Hoeter (pending)... then Dev Deal guys like Verhoeven, Coates & Innes
Centres: Staggs & Shiba... Arthars & Hoeter (pending)... Mariner (someone moves into wing)... Anderson (but I don't like him there)... after that it's probably the dev guys

Halves: Ezra & Reyno... Bhunt, Duffy, Black, Rogers... Billy from mid-season
Hookers: Bhunt, Paix, Mozer... Buk... Billy from mid-season

Props: Payne, Willison, Jensen... BTK, Talty, Tawha... Semu... and then dev guys like Beni Allen & Michael Waqa... Patty can also play prop, but we have no locks with Smoothy gone

Locks: Patty... ??

Backrowers: Riki & Piakura... Gos, Jhunt, Tawha... Willison (but I like him in the middle)... Jett Bryce
 
I'd say looking at the above that finding a new ballplaying lock is a priority. That can either be from within or if someone we like pops up on the market.

We know Bhunt can play a bit of lock if needed, but he can't start there like Smoothy.

From the guys we have I'd probably say Paix, Mozer or Billy (mid-season) are potential options if we can get their strength up in the offseason. BTK showed some silky ballplaying skills in last year's trial, but conditioning/fitness would be the question, and his ballplaying was more tip ons that are useful as props rather than link man at 13. Haas can do a bit of ballplaying as well, but you want to keep his meters and explosiveness in the middle.

There doesn't look to be an obvious option that could start though... losing both Smoothy and Kobe hurts us a bit in the end, but it does mean there is a spot or maybe even two now opened up in the 17

Centre also looks a bit of an issue... Other than Staggs and Shiba, I think Arthars and Mariner are our only other legit specialists... I don't want Anderson there unless he can seriously improve his defence, but he's a great backup on the wing and move Mariner in.

Backrow is obviously an issue, but they've re-signed Gos and Jhunt, so it would seem they're happy with those guys as fill ins. I've not seen Tawha there, but I think that's where he's played the majority of this footy in Qcup... and then we have Jett Bryce coming through, but he needs to spend the offseason putting on some weight.

I don't think fullback is too much of an issue. Perham has played there and is closest to Reece's ballplaying style, and I think Anderson is super solid anywhere in the back 3. So that's 2 solid backup options, and then Arthars can at least do a job if times get desperate. Innes is then amongst the dev deals if he lights it up over the offseason and through Qcup.
 
BroncsFan said:
I'd say looking at the above that finding a new ballplaying lock is a priority. That can either be from within or if someone we like pops up on the market.

We know Bhunt can play a bit of lock if needed, but he can't start there like Smoothy.

From the guys we have I'd probably say Paix, Mozer or Billy (mid-season) are potential options if we can get their strength up in the offseason. BTK showed some silky ballplaying skills in last year's trial, but conditioning/fitness would be the question, and his ballplaying was more tip ons that are useful as props rather than link man at 13. Haas can do a bit of ballplaying as well, but you want to keep his meters and explosiveness in the middle.

There doesn't look to be an obvious option that could start though... losing both Smoothy and Kobe hurts us a bit in the end, but it does mean there is a spot or maybe even two now opened up in the 17

Centre also looks a bit of an issue... Other than Staggs and Shiba, I think Arthars and Mariner are our only other legit specialists... I don't want Anderson there unless he can seriously improve his defence, but he's a great backup on the wing and move Mariner in.

Backrow is obviously an issue, but they've re-signed Gos and Jhunt, so it would seem they're happy with those guys as fill ins. I've not seen Tawha there, but I think that's where he's played the majority of this footy in Qcup... and then we have Jett Bryce coming through, but he needs to spend the offseason putting on some weight.

I don't think fullback is too much of an issue. Perham has played there and is closest to Reece's ballplaying style, and I think Anderson is super solid anywhere in the back 3. So that's 2 solid backup options, and then Arthars can at least do a job if times get desperate. Innes is then amongst the dev deals if he lights it up over the offseason and through Qcup.
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Add Travis Larner next to Jett as another coming through for second row. And Preston Riki as further depth also.

I wonder if we do sign Jamal, we could turn him into a Lock? I see that he played there round 2 this year for Pride. I didn't watch the game but from the stats looks like he just ran it straight with not much ball play with a heap of errors and penalties, so this idea might have sunk before even setting sail.
 
Hypex said:
Add Travis Larner next to Jett as another coming through for second row. And Preston Riki as further depth also.

I wonder if we do sign Jamal, we could turn him into a Lock? I see that he played there round 2 this year for Pride. I didn't watch the game but from the stats looks like he just ran it straight with not much ball play with a heap of errors and penalties, so this idea might have sunk before even setting sail.
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Forgot about Preston Riki coming... was he just signed as a Train and Trial though?

I think he's mostly a backrower yeah? or is he a bit of a hybrid middle/edge... I remember him looking pretty good in an all stars game a couple years back.

I'm thinking that because we signed Tawha we may not be in for Jibasaki. Sounds like he has training issues, so potentially don't want to risk a Top 30 or dev deal on him... maybe one of our affiliates pick him up on a T&T and he can at least live with his brother.
 
BroncsFan said:
Been hard to keep track on the comings and goings, but I'll give it a shot.

Outs
- Kobe Hetherington
- Selwyn Cobbo
- Fletcher Baker (assume the previous reporting is correct)
- Tyson Smoothy
- Jock Madden
- Israel Leota
- Martin Taupau

Hoeter an unknown at this stage, and Gos assumed to have signed a 1yr deal

Ins
- Grant Anderson (replaces Cobbo?)
- Talty (including him as he was a midseason and Taupau out was a midseason... replaces Kobe?)
- Duffy (replaces Madden)
- Tawha (been reported that we've signed him... hybrid backrow / middle... so looks like good depth signing)

Depth Chart heading into 2026

Fullback: Reece... Perham... Anderson... Arthars
Wingers: Karapani & Mariner... Arthars, Anderson & Perham... Hoeter (pending)... then Dev Deal guys like Verhoeven, Coates & Innes
Centres: Staggs & Shiba... Arthars & Hoeter (pending)... Mariner (someone moves into wing)... Anderson (but I don't like him there)... after that it's probably the dev guys

Halves: Ezra & Reyno... Bhunt, Duffy, Black, Rogers... Billy from mid-season
Hookers: Bhunt, Paix, Mozer... Buk... Billy from mid-season

Props: Payne, Willison, Jensen... BTK, Talty, Tawha... Semu... and then dev guys like Beni Allen & Michael Waqa... Patty can also play prop, but we have no locks with Smoothy gone

Locks: Patty... ??

Backrowers: Riki & Piakura... Gos, Jhunt, Tawha... Willison (but I like him in the middle)... Jett Bryce
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Bryce out, Horne in. I challenge Tupou Francis to play NRL at 17
 
beaseagull said:
Bryce out, Horne in. I challenge Tupou Francis to play NRL at 17
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It would certainly fit his MO of effortlessly stepping up, the fact he made his Meninga debut in Year 12 in a semi against the premiers in the front row and made 24 tackles and then in his second game sets up the winner in Extra Time in the Grand Final with great footwork and pass means he probably would make a success of NRL at 17 two tries in the Cyril Grand Final too.
 
beaseagull said:
Bryce out, Horne in. I challenge Tupou Francis to play NRL at 17
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I think Jett was out on the field with the boys after the GF... can remember Reece saying something like "Relax Brycey... acting like training is tomorrow"
 
On LU, a poster in the rumoured signings thread said we had signed Jamal on a train and trial, anyone heard anything about that?
 
Hypex said:
Signing wise, I am actually not sure what the best course of action for Brisbane is to take now.

On one hand surely it would be beneficial to reap the rewards of now being a destination club for good players wanting to win a Premiership, likely on a cheaper contract.

On the other hand if we look at the gold star example of Penrith's dynasty, every year they would shed key players, but almost always would back their system internally to replace them, with the odd value signing here and there.
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Papalii and Tualagi .
Were not the odd value signings though .

They were both established 1st graders .
I suggested the Broncos buy Talagi a year or so ago .
 
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