From NRL wooden spooners to grand final: how the Broncos lifted out of a deep hole
The decision to hire Kevin Walters proved a masterstroke after the Brisbane club endured one of its darkest days just three years ago
The Broncos were so close. They could taste it. The 2015 grand final was theirs. They just had to see off another Cowboys set and they were premiers for an eighth time. Reporters had written their ledes. The engravers were preparing the B. The champagne north of the Tweed was being taken off ice.
And then the nightmare. A Michael Morgan flick, a Kyle Feldt dive, a Ben Hunt drop and a Johnathan Thurston field goal. North Queensland were premiers while Brisbane were left to lament what could have been, fighting through the sting of letting slide dreams, hopes and ambitions.
The Brisbane Broncos have left the futures of six players up in the air, confirming their only end of season departures at this stage are Herbie Farnworth, Thomas Flegler and Keenan Palasia.
The trio join Ethan Quai-Ward, who departed to the Canterbury Bulldogs in the middle of the season as Brisbane’s losses at the end of 2023.
At this stage, the club have only signed Fletcher Baker and will have roster spots up for grabs heading into 2024, with six players coming off-contract and yet to decide their futures one way or another.
Corey Oates is the most notable of those. While he had a player option for 2024, he rejected that and has been in negotiations with the club ever since.
He has expressed his desire to remain at Red Hill on more than one occasion, publicly stating it’s where he wants to play his rugby league, even though a deal hasn’t been confirmed at this point.
Josh Rogers, who was on a development deal in 2023 and made his NRL debut in Round 27 at five-eighth as Kevin Walters rested most of Brisbane’s best 17, has also reportedly been upgraded to a Top 30 deal, although that report was made in early September with no confirmation as yet by the club.
It has been reported too that Logan Bayloiss-Brow and Brendan Frei have been released by the Broncos, but the duo were missing in Brisbane’s departures announcement on Thursday morning.
The other players on the list are Jordan Pereira and Tyson Smoothy.
Pereira made just a single appearance in 2023 and is yet to have any speculation over his future. All told, he has scored 14 tries across 45 NRL games during his time for the Broncos (since the start of 2022) and St George Illawarra Dragons (2018 through 2021).
Smoothy, on the other hand, may well have his contract renewed, although squad balance is a talking point at Red Hill.
Brisbane already have Billy Walters, Cory Paix and Blake Mozer on their roster. Mozer is rated as a future star dummy half, while Walters has done a solid job for Brisbane in recent times.
It has been reported in recent days however that Paix, who was overtaken for a bench spot during the second half of 2023, may leave the club for 2024, leaving the Broncos able to justify re-signing Smoothy.
