NRL 2020: Brisbane Broncos have placed a ban on signing players as the club searches for a new coach
Players are being left in contract limbo as the Broncos play a dangerous waiting game until a new coach to replace Anthony Seibold is announced.
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The Broncos have slapped a ban on player signings, leaving $1 million of talent in limbo and Brisbane without any new recruits to help rebuild the battered club.
The Broncos will not consider re-signing the club’s eight off-contract players before it secures a new coach to replace Anthony Seibold.
That may not occur until next month, leaving the likes of former representative duo Ben Te’o and Issac Luke in contract limbo as they wait to learn their fate.
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The Broncos are also yet to secure a signing from a rival club for 2021.
While they will farewell Darius Boyd (retirement) and David Fifita (Gold Coast Titans), the Broncos have not signed a player from outside the club for next season.
The list of off-contract players around the game is quickly shortening and there remains uncertainty around the shape and make-up of squads for 2021 with a reduced salary cap.
Broncos recruitment and retention committee member Darren Lockyer said the club would wait for a new coach to make decisions on his playing roster.
“Things are in a holding pattern at the moment,” he said.
“We need to bed down our new coach first and he will be very influential in the shape of our roster for next season.
“We don’t want to be making too many decisions around recruitment because he will have a say on what he wants as well.
“There’s not a great deal of activity at the moment in the market so we’re in no rush.”
The list of Broncos players without contracts beyond this year also includes Rhys Kennedy, Richie Kennar, Jamil Hopoate, Jordan Kahu, Sean O‘Sullivan and Ilikena Vudogo.
There remains uncertainty around whether hooker Andrew McCullough will return to Red Hill after being loaned to Newcastle this season.
McCullough holds a $600,000 contract with Brisbane for 2021 and will return unless he can secure a similar offer at the Knights or elsewhere.
While there are few star players on the open market, the off-season is traditionally a busy period for recruiters.
Lockyer is monitoring the progress of injured Bulldogs playmaker Kieran Foran (torn pec) as the Broncos look to provide some experience to play alongside rising halfback Tom Dearden.
But any potential signings will have to be rubber stamped by the incoming coach before the Broncos can begin negotiations.
Speculation is rife Jack Bird will never play for the Broncos again, with new Canterbury coach Trent Barrett eyeing off the former NSW Origin star for a move to Belmore.
The sticking point in a potential move for Bird will be money.
He stands to pocket nearly $1 million at the Broncos next year and Brisbane will be asked to cough up big dollars to release him following three injury-plagued seasons.