A Broncos premiership winner believes new coach Michael Maguire is the tonic the club needs to harness an “unbelievable roster” and win a drought-breaking title.
Brisbane are still just 18 months removed from their latest grand final appearance and while 2024 was a season to forget, there are huge hopes for the club in 2025.
The Maguire era began with a bang last Sunday when his second-string side racked up 50 points as they thrashed a near full-strength Titans outfit in a trial.
Now the big guns are being rolled out this Saturday and 2006 Broncos premiership winner Brent Tate believes the club could be on the cusp of something special.
Tate compared Maguire’s arrival at Red Hill to Paul Green taking over North Queensland in 2014, before guiding the club to their first premiership the following year — beating Brisbane in a historic golden point grand final.
“I liken the Broncos right now to the Cowboys when Greeny took over, they had a great roster and just needed someone to come and bring it all together,” Tate told foxsports.com.au.
“The Broncos have one of the best rosters in the competition and I think Madge can be that man to make them click again.
“Their squad is unbelievable. Imagine having Benny Hunt as your back-up halfback.
“I know the Origin period has impacted Brisbane teams in the past but they just run so deep at the moment.
“There are going to be some seriously good players who miss out on selection each week. Guys like Ben Te Kura and Xavier Willison, there are just so many good players coming through at the club.
“Given their depth, they’re a huge premiership chance this year. Even if Reyno (Adam Reynolds) struggles with injury they’ve got Benny Hunt as their back-up halfback.”
Ezra Mam will complete one of the best spines in the NRL when he returns from suspension in Round 10, while Brisbane already boast two of the best middles in the world.
Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan are Kangaroos stars who have won a World Cup together but at age 25 and 27 respectively, Tate believes the best is yet to come.
“Everyone knows how good they are but I honestly think they still have so much growth in them and can still take their game to a whole new level,” Tate said.
“You look at the best middles to have played the game and they didn’t really come into their own until their mid-to-late twenties.
“And if those two boys go up another gear this season then that Brisbane pack is going to be bloody hard to stop.”
Hooker has been the most hotly contested position at the Broncos this summer with four players vying to start in Round 1 and then wear the No. 14 jersey when Mam returns and shifts Hunt to the forwards.
Incumbent Billy Walters, rising star Blake Mozer, the reliable Tyson Smoothy and the resurgent Cory Paix are all battling it out.
“Billy is a fair player in his own right, he’ll likely get first crack but there’s three blokes clipping at his heels who would probably be the back-up hooker at just about every other club,” Tate said.
“I don’t think Madge can really go wrong there whichever way he goes.”
STRENGTH
Spine
The Broncos will have one of the best spines in the NRL when five-eighth Ezra Mam returns from suspension in Round 10. That will shift star recruit Ben Hunt from the halves to hooker where he has played for the Maroons and Kangaroos for the past decade. Superstar fullback Reece Walsh has bulked-up this summer and if premiership-winning halfback Adam Reynolds can stay fit then Brisbane will boast one of the one of the most dangerous spines in the competition. Considering that three of those four took the Broncos to the 2023 grand final, and now veteran Hunt joins the mix, the sky’s the limit for Brisbane in the second half of 2025.
WEAKNESS
Adam Reynolds’ fitness
The Broncos skipper has been a great buy for the Broncos – when he’s been on the field. Unfortunately it was a big ‘when’ last year as he endured an injury-ravaged campaign and Brisbane’s structure fell to pieces without Reynolds guiding them around the park. Reynolds knows Father Time is undefeated and turning 35 in July will also know this is likely his final season. The 287-game halfback has suffered calf, groin and back injuries in recent years but he’ll need to find a way to stay on the park if the Broncos are to win their first premiership since 2006.
IT’S A BIG YEAR FOR
Michael Maguire
Maguire was at long odds to ever coach in the NRL again after he was sacked by the Wests Tigers after four brutal seasons at Concord. It marked his second axing in five years but he picked up the Kiwis job and rebuilt his career in the international arena. A historic 30-0 thrashing of the Kangaroos in the 2023 Pacific Championships final led to the NSW job where he pulled off a comeback 2-1 series victory last year. But now comes the real test, the weekly grind of the NRL and with one of the best squads in the competition there will be no excuses for the premiership-winning coach. Anything short of finals will be considered a failure.
WHO’S UNDER PRESSURE
Selwyn Cobbo
It’s been a rocky 12 months for Cobbo whose indifferent attitude saw him dropped at different stages last year by both the Maroons and Broncos. Brisbane have looked headed for a split with Cobbo ever since he sledged then-coach Kevin Walters on an ill-fated podcast appearance two summers ago. The 22-year-old is currently a free agent for 2026 and has been linked with a move to the Cowboys. Following the signing of Ben Hunt and multi-year extension of Kotoni Staggs, it looks more and more likely this will be Cobbo’s last season at Red Hill. Maguire has already decided to shift him out of the centres and back to the wing. “It’s about building his engine and having him in a great frame of mind, fit and ready to go… it’s in Sel’s hands to do that,” Maguire said.
THE RISING STAR
Ben Te Kura
There are plenty of people at the Broncos who believe the tallest player in the NRL is on the cusp of a breakout season. Te Kura is a towering 205cm and stands five centimetres taller than the next biggest man in the NRL, Storm enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solomona. The 21-year-old scored on debut in Round 5 last season and made three NRL appearances before suffering a foot injury in the Queensland Cup. Te Kura will push hard for a regular spot in the 17 this season and while he might take a little while to rev up, just like a big diesel truck engine, once he starts he’s almost impossible to stop.
THE UNLUCKY ONES
Two of the hookers
Billy Walters was never going to live up to his famous surname at the Broncos but for someone who didn’t make their NRL debut until 25, he’s more than held his own. The crafty hooker knew he’d be scrutinised more than others when he left the Wests Tigers to play under his father ahead of the 2022 season. At times the criticism has been fair, but mostly it’s been harsh and blown out of proportion due to his name. Now that dad has been sacked and Ben Hunt has joined the club, Walters will find himself under immense pressure just to make the 17 when Ezra Mam returns and shifts Hunt to hooker. There are big raps on young gun Blake Mozer while Maguire has promised Cory Paix a clean slate after he fell out of favour with Walters Sr and Tyson Smoothy was no slouch last year. “I’m very fortunate that I’ve got some really good dummy-halves. I could go in any which way with these guys,” Maguire said.
FOX SPORTS LAB PREDICTED FINISH: 12th
BEST 17
1. Reece Walsh
2. Jesse Arthars
3. Kotoni Staggs
4. Deine Mariner
5. Selwyn Cobbo
6. Ezra Mam
7. Adam Reynolds
8. Payne Haas
9. Ben Hunt
10. Corey Jensen
11. Brendan Piakura
12. Jordan Riki
13. Patrick Carrigan
14. Billy Walters
15. Kobe Hetherington
16. Fletcher Baker
17. Xavier Willison