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)
Who’s new?
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.
Who’s gone?
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.
Key spots to unlock
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.
Round 1 predicted team
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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Greg
Roar Pro
i think they should target Weaver from the Titans
Rellum
Roar Guru
Perierra should be behind many guys
Rellum
Roar Guru
There is depth in the 3/4s and Middles. I am not convinced we have any real top NRL talent in the 2nd row outside of Capewell. As I said elsewhere we need to sort out the long term 7 soon.
Short Memory
Roar Rookie
Agree Fraser. Spine is small, lightweight and, apart from Reynolds, inexperienced. When (not if) Reynolds is out with injury where is the cool headed game management going to come from? And while Walsh can be exciting in attack on his day, he has the third worst tackle effectiveness in the league. He is a defensive liability that oppositions will target.
Nat
Roar Guru
Hetherington is a big out. Hopefully this season will give Piakura and Willison a bit more NRL experience to add to that depth if they can stay fit. I don’t mind the backs depth but without wishing Perierra back in the team.
Nat
Roar Guru
Yeah, not sure. His defence also left a bit wanting as well. One would think having Reynolds to run off would be a blessing. Now they have Robati back he would want to lift his game. I did like Hoskings, a honest workhorse in the early Capewell mould. In recent time, Brisbane have dropped the ball on 1% talent for the schoolboy star.
Fraser
Roar Rookie
I'm not overly optimistic about the Broncos in 2023. I think that at best we will be fighting for 8th, but it's more likely Bulldogs will get there instead. -The spine is really small and lightweight. We will be sitting ducks against strong edge runners like Kikau. -Broncos will need strong edge defenders to overcome the small spine. I'm concerned about Kurt Capewell carrying his shoulder injury from the end of this season over to 2023. -There seems to be a lack of depth this year -I have little faith in Kevvie's selections and bench rotations. The Walters/Paix combo works. I'd like to see TC Robati given a shot instead of Riki.
matth
Roar Guru
There is virtually no depth there outside the top 17. Better hope for an injury free season.
Cam
Roar Rookie
I think other clubs are probably marking him a bit more effectively the past couple of years, the video analysis is next level these days. But the running metres are also part of the problem. The good centres (Talakai, Crichton, Manu, Olam) all ran over 3000m last season. Staggs clocked just 2,200m, which is under 100m a match.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Is it a waiting game with Riki ? He hasn't replicated his early debut form too often at all. Did they let Penrith have the wrong backrower ?
Tony
Roar Guru
That's the spirit Andrew
Rellum
Roar Guru
Kevie is talking about only focusing on defense so hopefully he took notice of what Payten did last off-season
andrew
Roar Rookie
The Broncos won’t have any excuse in round 3 at Suncorp next year Tony, the night the Dragons will breathe fire :stoked:
Nat
Roar Guru
He is a really good right center but can play anywhere. He easily one of the best in Q Cup for many years and dominated the residents cup game/s. It must have been a commitment thing especially with the lack of strike centers there used to be not too long ago.
Tony
Roar Guru
Hoeter looks too good to have been lost to the NRL for 7 or 8 years
Nat
Roar Guru
Obviously I’m optimistic but based on last season I can’t see why they wouldn’t finish 5-7 comfortably. If not for the brain fade this season they would have been there. FB and hooker is still a ? That could go either way.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
They got better bang for buck from Delouise Hoeter last year.
Nico
Roar Rookie
Fair point Cam but if you look at Staggs’s 2022 figures his ball receipt numbers are slightly up on ’20 (I’m not counting his 4 appearances in ’21) and his average running metres per game are identical, while tries and line break numbers are down, which all tells me he’s getting his hands on the ball but just not in areas where he can be effective in attack
Tony
Roar Guru
You just did :happy:
Tony
Roar Guru
Hmmm. Walsh could be the answer there.