Broncos drop the axe as first casualty after Ben Hunt signing confirmed

The Broncos Ben Hunt coup has come at a cost with one star who played 15 matches in 2024 being shown the door.

Young half Jock Madden is set to be the unlucky casualty of the Broncos’ huge signing coup of Ben Hunt.

The 24-year-old half, who played 10 matches in 2024 in cover of injured halfback and captain Adam Reynolds, is reportedly set to be shown the door after Hunt signed with the club late last month.

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Madden arrived at the club in 2023 from the Wests Tigers, having tallied 15 matches across both years.

Still contracted until the end of 2026, Code Sports reported that new Broncos coach Michael Maguire has given the youngster permission to talk with other clubs.

The report says that a host of club in the NRL have inquired about Madden in recent days, while the UK Super League could also be an option.

Jock Madden is set to be shown the door. Picture: Liam Kidston

Hard to compete against an Aussie rep player. Photo: NRL PHOTOS

Hunt signed with the Broncos on a reported two-year $600,000 per season deal but the club is feeling the salary cap squeeze.

Having signed Reece Walsh on a club record four-year $5m deal, the club is also trying to keep the likes of representative backs Kotoni Staggs and Selwyn Cobbo.

With Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam already on the books and youngsters Josh Rogers and Coby Black also in the Broncos top 30, not to mention hooker Billy Walters, who has also previously played in the halves, Hunt’s signing means the club’s stocks are overflowing.

It comes just over a year after Madden signed an extension as he was believed to the most likely successor to Reynolds’ No. 7 jersey.

Since taking over the Broncos’ top job, Maguire has had his work cut out for him with the former NSW mentor met with the Ezra Mam car crash as he settled into the job.

Cobbo’s future has also been up in the air after speculation he was set for a move to the Cowboys after the Broncos hadn’t tabled a fresh offer before November 1.

Michael Maguire has some big calls to make. Photo: Steve Pohlner

Maguire has reportedly challenged Cobbo to live up to his potential with his agent putting contract talks on hold to allow the 22-year-old to focus on recapturing the form that made him a Queensland Origin sensation.

The Broncos had been bracing for a $1m bidding war late in the season.

The Broncos have a staggering 13 players coming off-contract next season, including Reynolds, but it’s Cobbo and Staggs who shape as the two biggest calls.

“His actions on the footy field will do the talking,” Maguire said via CODE Sports last month.

“If Selwyn focuses on the training part, most of the contract stuff will sort itself out — it always does.”