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As part of a daily series profiling the expected Round 1 sides for all 17 NRL clubs in 2023, Brisbane are a team facing a make-or-break season.
Any coach entering the final year of their contract can’t afford a slow start to the year, just ask Kevin Walters.
After they petered out big time to lose four of their last five matches and slump from fourth to ninth in 2022, the Broncos have made a few key changes.
They have shaken up their coaching staff with Terry Matterson punted to make way for Matt Ballin as an assistant while former Great Britain international Lee Briers has been brought in to work with the club’s halves.
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Brisbane have now gone three straight seasons without a playoff appearance for the first time in the club’s 45-year history. If that drought extends to four years, there could be a new coach at the helm.
Reece Walsh. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Brisbane’s big off-season recruit is Reece Walsh returning after two years tearing it up at the Warriors. The young fullback was a fringe Origin candidate for Queensland last year and he solves the club’s long-running problem trying to fill the No.1 jersey.
Jesse Arthars is back at Brisbane after a loan stint with the Warriors to bolster the outside backs depth while Wests Tigers playmaker Jock Madden has been signed to give Walters an extra option in the halves alongside skipper Adam Reynolds.
The Broncos have said farewell to 10 players who lined up in their NRL side last season but only really Te Maire Martin (Warriors), Jake Turpin (Roosters) and Tyson Gamble (Newcastle) could be considered regular first-graders.
Brenko Lee has joined the Dolphins on the back of David Mead’s retirement out wide, veteran playmakers Albert Kelly and Tyrone Roberts have retired along with prop Ryan James while forwards Rhys Kennedy (Hull KR) and Zac Hosking (Panthers) have also moved on.
The backline looks pretty set for Brisbane unless Reece Walsh’s fractured eye socket keeps him out – Herbie Farnworth would likely shift to fullback if Walsh is out.
Brisbane’s major decision will be the five-eighth’s role with Ezra Mam likely to get the nod ahead of Madden. Mam showed enough in his 13-game rookie season to suggest he is a player of the future but Madden is a handy back-up option if the young gun’s form is up and down. Billy Walters and Cory Paix are other options but they are likely to share dummy-half duties.
The pack has been weakened for depth a little in the off-season and Kobe Hetherington suffering a torn pectoral at training recently is a body blow. He was one of the Broncos’ most consistent performers last season.
Second-rower TC Robati has been stood down due to facing a charge of sexual assault.
1 Reece Walsh
2 Selwyn Cobbo
3 Herbie Farnworth
4 Kotoni Staggs
5 Corey Oates
6 Ezra Mam
7 Adam Reynolds
8 Payne Haas
9 Billy Walters
10 Thomas Flegler
11 Jordan Riki
12 Kurt Capewell
13 Patrick Carrigan
Interchange
14 Cory Paix
15 Brendan Piakura
16 Corey Jensen
17 Keenan Palasia
Other squad members: TC Robati (stood down), Kobe Hetherington (injured), Blake Mozer, Deine Mariner, Delouise Hoeter, Ethan Quai, Jesse Arthars, Jock Madden, Jordan Pereira, Logan Bayliss, Tesi Niu, Xavier Willison, Tyson Smoothy.
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