Analysis: Five reasons why the Brisbane Broncos can win the NRL premiership in 2025
Broncos enforcer Payne Haas stole the show in Brisbane’s ruthless Roosters drubbing, thanks to a tactical switch from coach Michael Maguire. PETER BADEL analyzes why they can go all the way in 2025.
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Brisbane sent shockwaves through the NRL with their ruthless 50-14 drubbing of glamour club the Roosters in their 2025 premiership opener on Thursday night. But are they the real deal this season? Chief league writer PETER BADEL analyses the key changes that will make the Broncos a legitimate title contender under new coach Michael Maguire.
1. ENGINE ROOM REV-UP
The rampaging performances of Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan were palpable in round 1 but there were some tactical subtleties that will make Brisbane’s starting midfield even more formidable this season.
During his record reign as Brisbane’s five-time Paul Morgan Medallist, Haas shouldered enormous responsibility, almost too much. As Brisbane’s No.1 prop, he would be forced to take the first or second hit-up, invariably the toughest carries in a set.
On Thursday night, Maguire modified Haas’ output. The ‘dirty’ hit-ups were shared by others. Carrigan, moving from lock to prop, made a number of play-one hit-ups, including some from kick restarts deep into Brisbane’s in-goal.
In one set in the 16th minute, after Gehamat Shibasaki scored Brisbane’s opening try, their hit-ups from the Roosters restart, in order, went: Carrigan, Jack Gosiewski and Kobe Hetherington, before Haas charged on play four.
Fast forward to the 27th minute. The five hit-ups, in order: Carrigan, Gosiewski, Shibasaki, Hetherington and then, finally, Haas.
With the Roosters losing the ruck and under siege at 18-4, Haas had the latitude to run riot on play five, brushing off two defenders before offloading in a barnstorming 20-metre run.
Carrigan’s move to prop was controversial because the Maroons star cherishes the No.13 jumper, but Maguire believes his simpatico with Haas can make the duo Brisbane’s modern-day version of Shane Webcke and Petero Civoniceva.
By taking carries later in sets, the 119kg Haas is even more destructive, especially given his supreme fitness. He finished with 145 metres and a staggering 11 tackle busts, demonstrating his tackle-busting power with hit-ups later in the set.
The contribution of Hetherington cannot be undersold. Tough, willing and team-first in his mentality, he is a classic old-school loose forward whose workrate complements the Haas-Carrigan alliance.
2. BRICKWALL BRONCOS
Former coach Kevin Walters consistently pledged the importance of fixing Brisbane’s defence, but the off-field intent never quite matched the on-field application.
Even in Brisbane’s grand-final year of 2023, the Broncos’ defence was very good without being menacingly miserly. During the 2023 regular season, they leaked 113 points more than defensive league leaders Penrith, who ultimately broke Brisbane’s hearts in the decider.
During Walters’ four seasons in charge, the Broncos leaked 2277 points at 23.7 per game, including a club-record low of 695 in his maiden campaign in 2021, rebuilding Brisbane culturally from Anthony Seibold’s wooden-spoon debacle the previous year.
This is not a criticism of Walters. Rather, an insight into the defensive mindset of Brisbane’s squad, and their inability to maintain the physical fitness and mental discipline to turn the screws on teams like big guns Penrith and Melbourne.
The Broncos may have put 50 points on the Roosters on Thursday night but Maguire is a coach who drives defensive excellence. He won’t cop Brisbane leaking 30 points this season.
In pre-season, Brisbane shutout Burleigh 22-0, kept the Bulldogs scoreless for 60 minutes and held the Titans to two tries in a 50-12 flogging.
In the year Maguire won the premiership at Souths in 2014, the Rabbitohs finished the regular season third, but, statistically, they were ranked No.1 in the league for defence, conceding 361 points at 15 per game.
3. HAPPY HUNTING
The Ezra Mam car-crash scandal could have a glorious silver lining for Brisbane’s scrumbase.
Knowing Mam, their first-choice five-eighth, faced a lengthy suspension, the Broncos recalibrated their salary cap to make a successful bid for the services of veteran playmaker Ben Hunt.
Without a premiership ring in 15 seasons, the jury is out on whether Hunt truly has a title touch, but his performance on Thursday night underscored the wider benefits for the Broncos machine.
Mam is undeniably talented (who can forget his sublime grand-final hat-trick) but, at 22, he is still raw, free-spirited and defensively fragile. Hunt is a seasoned Origin and Test matchwinner who not only gives Brisbane game-managing know-how on both sides of the ruck, but, in the process, eases the pressure valve on chief shot-caller Adam Reynolds.
Premiership teams invariably have a great scrumbase duo. Kenny and Sterling at Parramatta. Lamb and Mortimer at the Dogs of War. Cleary and Luai at the Panthers in more recent years. Closer to Red Hill, think Walters and Langer.
Hunt brings smarts and stability to Brisbane’s left edge. On Thursday night, he called the first significant short-side rush, darting left to create numbers before unleashing a crisp cut-out ball for Jesse Arthars to put Shibasaki over for Brisbane’s opening try.
Hunt has a superior longer kicking game to Mam and he has already formed an understanding with superstar fullback Reece Walsh.
In the Bulldogs trial, Hunt, playing with control, showed poise as he held up the ball at the precise time for Walsh, who flew into the line to put Arthars over. The Hunt-Walsh union could be potent.
4. BENCH WARFARE
The top teams have an interchange strike weapon and in Xavier Willison, the Broncos had some bench ‘X-factor’ in round 1.
While the big names stole the newsprint, Willison’s contribution off interchange kept the foot on the Roosters’ throat when Haas was rested. In 37 minutes, the hulking Willison powered over the advantage line with 138 metres and three tackle busts from 14 runs.
At 199cm and 114kg, Willison is one of the best specimens in the league whose athletic edge complements the no-fuss industry of Brisbane’s other interchange bookend Corey Jensen.
Such is Brisbane’s bench depth, 205cm monster Ben Te Kura couldn’t make the top 17 and is another hulking forward at Maguire’s disposal.
5. FITNESS FIRST
It’s only early days but there’s one guarantee this season: the Broncos will be among the fittest teams in the league.
While Walters did an admirable job unifying the Broncos, Maguire is not afraid to make Brisbane players uncomfortable, testing them physically at training so they can deliver under the stress of mental fatigue in games.
The opening weeks of Maguire’s pre-season shook Red Hill to its core. Players were vomiting in bins, Martin Taupau nearly collapsed in 33 degree heat and there were whispers some players were privately complaining the new coach was pushing too hard too soon.
Maguire won’t sellout his principles. He cut his teeth under Storm super coach Craig Bellamy, who would sleep in his office and identify the players who could handle the Melbourne way.
Brisbane, a pampered club without a title for two decades, needed to harden up. Maguire will reward those that work hard, as Cory Paix and Gosiewski have learned, and weed out those looking for shortcuts. ‘Madge’ scoffs at talk of microscopic dissension, arguing if Brisbane want to win their first title since 2006, they need to train like the champion rep stars at Penrith and Melbourne.
Nathan Cleary is the NRL’s No.1 player, but even after winning four premiership rings, the Panthers halfback is one of the last players to leave the training paddock.
During Maguire’s premiership reign at Souths, one of his former Rabbitohs stars recalled the coach’s impact on, and demands of, the playing group.
“I will always have enormous respect for Madge as a coach,” he said. “He had the roster, he pushed us like no other coach, and he got every single ounce out of us to win that premiership.
“In the end, we got to the mountain, but after that, we had nothing left.”
Few would question Maguire has the talent to win this year’s title. And if he squeezes every last drop out of Brisbane’s class of 2025 to break the club’s 19-year premiership drought, Madge’s “crazy bastard” methods will be vindicated.
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Originally published as Analysis: Five reasons why the Brisbane Broncos can win the NRL premiership in 2025
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