Alarming CODE Sports statistics show Kobe Hetherington a detriment to Broncos at lock

The Brisbane Broncos are still living in 2023, and the only changes coach Michael Maguire has made to improve his side are – concerningly – having the opposite effect.

Kobe Hetherington and Pat Carrigan.

Perhaps it’s time for Michael Maguire to concede some experiments have failed.

Like Kobe Hetherington at lock instead of Pat Carrigan.

That’s what the Code Sports Stats say, showing Hetherington’s output in the No.13 jersey is robbing Brisbane of a key element in the middle of the park that brought the club so close to a premiership in 2023.

The now prop’s output that year at lock is on average more than double Hetherington’s in some categories like run metres where Carrigan averaged over 125 metres a match.

This season in comparison, Hetherington has only managed around 62 metres per game.

Carrigan was also a key creator for Brisbane at lock, managing 16 offloads in 23 games in 2023. Hetherington has only managed one this season so far.

* All statistics courtesy of CODE Sports

Even with much better attacking numbers, Carrigan rarely slumped in defence, making almost 30 tackles per game that year and missing only 39 the entire campaign.

This year Hetherington has only contributed half as many tackles (16.4 per game) and already missed 23.

Maguire made the bold choice in round 1 to shift Carrigan into a prop forward role which at first was a success.

There’s no doubt he’s a more than capable prop but now, with only one win from their past seven games, it might time to flick Carrigan back to lock.

Code Sports team stats board shows the Broncos’ numbers this season are similar in most categories to their title charge year, but they are now behind the eight-ball in comparison to other clubs who have moved forward.

As a club, Brisbane is among the top try scorers in the competition with 49 this year, averaging just over four per game compared to the slightly higher 4.7 average in 2023. Their ability to break the line hasn’t stunted either from then (5.9 per game) to now (5.5 per game).

Yet, while they were once first in those categories, they’re now sixth in the league.

Even where the team has improved, others have just been better.

Despite being on track to make more tackle busts than 2023, they’ve dropped to fourth-best.

To make matters worse, Brisbane started that famed season 5-0, with nine wins from 13 games (the most of any team) and sat equal first on the ladder with teams that had two more byes than them.

Now, they have slumped to 11th spot.

Where the numbers definitely don’t lie is the output.

Despite running for an average of 1507 metres per game – the second-best average in 2023 – Brisbane is managing 133 metres less in 2025, putting them in the bottom half of teams.

It’s not to say that applies to everyone. Payne Haas has managed to be the most consistently top-performing prop in the NRL in both years while simultaneously being set to improve his numbers.

His 99 tackle busts in 23 games in 2023 – the best in the comp that year – is in touching distance to be destroyed by Haas himself who has already notched 82 in half in half a season.