2020 has not been the year of the Broncos. At this current stage, Brisbane are sitting in 15th place and looking down the barrel of a first wooden spoon.
To make matters worse, they have lost arguably their best player in David Fifita to the little brother down the M1, the Gold Coast Titans. As a Broncos fan, I was devastated when Fifita signed with the Titans and felt like there was no light on the horizon for the Bronxnation.
However, after reading the lift out in The Sunday Mail about the top 100 earners in the NRL, a small light started to flicker in the sky – right above Red Hill.
At the Brisbane Broncos, three players earn a combined $2.7 million a season. Anthony Milford ($1 million), Darius Boyd ($750,000) and Jack Bird ($975,000) have all been performing below average, or in Bird’s case, been injured.
With Darius Boyd retiring at season’s end and Anthony Milford and Jack Bird contracts running out at the end of 2021, the Brisbane Broncos have the opportunity to sign players that will not only play great but bring experience and an attitude shift.
First and foremost, the Broncos should throw the book at Luke Keary. Keary is a three-time premiership winner and was born in Ipswich.
He is currently on a bargain price of $700,000 until the end of 2021 and can easily ask for $1 million in his next contract.
Luke Keary – could he be off to the Broncos? (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Darren Lockyer and Co should be on the phone to Keary’s manager and offer $1 million plus per season. He brings experience, leadership and a great running game, which Brisbane sorely miss.
Keary would come at the expense of Milford who has not performed since 2018 and is half the player he was during the 2015 season.
Secondly, with Jack Bird looking more likely to return to Sydney in 2021 and players such as Jamayne Isaako and Tesi Nui not performing to there ability, Brisbane need a fullback.
They need a fullback who floats in the middle third of the field looking for offloads from the likes of Payne Haas and Tevita Pangai Jr.
The most underrated fullback in the competition now is St George’s Matt Dufty. Dufty can break the line, constantly supports his forwards and his ball-playing skills have increased dramatically since the NRL restarted.
Brisbane lack a ball playing fullback and Dufty would add so much to their attack. Matt Dufty’s contract at the Dragons expires at the end of 2021 and can look to ask for up to $800,000 in his next contract.
With roughly $1 million left up their sleeve, the Broncos can extend and upgrade current contracts of players. Pat Carrigan and Kotoni Staggs are both off contract at the end of 2021 and are smokeys for an Origin call up later this year.
If both make their debut in the next year, they’ll both be looking for contract upgrades.
Rellum
Roar Guru
It is the Goldy. Track suits have to be bling, either the over priced kind or the fake kind.
mushi
Roar Guru
I love it. When Wally Lewis was cut by the broncos my favorite team became whomever lined up against them (which unfortunately was like getting the wooden spoon and a grand final loss in the same year). I moved on, but nice to see my old team having some success!
Nick Maguire
Roar Rookie
:shocked: Taylor & Milford together. That would be an interesting dynamic!
Parasite
Roar Rookie
I'm so sick of hearing all this fluff about the broncos and how we all should feel bad for them, screw em, I follow a team that's been absolutely pathetic at times to where I know as an old guy in a wheelchair I could and would put more effort into whatever I was doing than what a lot of others getting good money couldn't or wouldn't do. The broncos suck atm, well boo hoo, welcome to the real world and pray it continues for a while, you have 15 I think it is wooden spoons you have not received yet compared to my team, so get jumping.
Adam
Roar Guru
Milf will go to the Titans. Heard it here first
Adam
Roar Guru
Then why play him at fullback when Boyd is a fullback? For all Boyd's failings he is a strong defensive fullback and not a centre. It just defies belief...Is Seibold rugby leagues Michael Cheika?
mushi
Roar Guru
You sure I saw some kid selling his for 99 cents on ebay :silly:
Rellum
Roar Guru
Tracks suits go for $100 a pop now days so that's 12500 tracksuits thank you very much.
mushi
Roar Guru
David Fifita has asked that you make that 1.25m tracksuits
mushi
Roar Guru
Here’s a starting 13 since 13 1. RTS 2. Ferguson 3. Mitchell 4. Jennings 5. SKD 6. Maloney 7. Cronk 13. Frank Paul N 12. Guerra 11. Matterson 10. Nappa 9. Pearce 8. Moa edit: left out Pearce… poor guy
mushi
Roar Guru
Pearce, RTS, SKD.
Nat
Roar Rookie
Fergo - maybe.
Nick Maguire
Roar Rookie
Nat, yep that's true.
Rellum
Roar Guru
You could argue they lost Ferguson, Guerra, Nappa, question is did they want to keep those guys.
Nat
Roar Rookie
Interesting. Aside from LM, would Jennings be the last good, rep quality player they lost?
Ian_
Roar Rookie
Like you, I reckon for $1m a year, you should be winning games almost off your own back every few weeks, and being one of the top 2-3 players in your team every week. Like some others, I thought the author was harsh on Nui. He's only played a handful of games, so its very early to be writing him off.
Rellum
Roar Guru
He should be on a Million, but then they have two players on a $1mil per season. At some point the Roosters have to start losing out on players. There has only been one for a long time now.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Fifita on $800k is a superstar who carries the team. Fifita on $1.3 million is an overpaid hole in the salary cap that stops the team from being able to pay for a top tier spine player.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Josh McGuire is a great player but he isn’t a ball runner. He’s a defensive specialist who maybe takes the 3rd or 4th hit up.
Steven Harris
Why do they need a war chest..every kid in Queensland wants to play for the Broncos..every kid in Queensland would play for a bronco's tracksuit