First casualty in Brisbane Broncos’ five-way hooking logjam?

Brisbane’s most hotly-contested positional battle could see its first casualty, with the Broncos grand final rake eyeing a move to the English Super League.

Tyson Smoothy could be the first casualty of Brisbane’s five-way hooking battle with the Broncos grand final rake eyeing a move to the English Super League.

This masthead understands the off-contract Smoothy is exploring options overseas and could quit the Broncos at season’s end as salary-cap pressures bite hard at Red Hill.

The hooking role is the most hotly-contested position at the Broncos this season, with Smoothy to wear the No.9 jumper in Sunday NRL’s Pre-Season Challenge clash against the Titans in Toowoomba.

Billy Walters has been Brisbane’s first-choice hooker for the past two years, while Cory Paix, Queensland under-19s young gun Blake Mozer and off-season recruit Ben Hunt are other dummy-half options.

A sixth hooker, rugged 19-year-old Cameron Bukowski, is coming through the Broncos’ ranks and will get a taste of senior action in this week’s trial at Clive Berghofer Stadium.

Smoothy has been a fixture of Brisbane’s NRL squad over the past two seasons, with the former Storm rake having amassed 31 games for the Broncos since his move from Melbourne in 2023.

The Toowoomba-born hooker was the quiet achiever in Brisbane’s 2023 breakout campaign, wearing the No.14 jumper as Walters’ bench back-up in that year’s grand final loss to the Panthers.

Smoothy was an interchange regular for Brisbane last season, featuring in 18 of the club’s 24 matches, but the emergence of the promising Mozer and Paix’s bumper pre-season has turned up the heat at hooker.

It is understood the Broncos are happy to consider keeping Smoothy on a lower-tier deal in 2026, but Brisbane won’t stand in the way if the 25-year-old can secure his future in the Super League.

The Broncos have yet to table a new deal at this stage.

Smoothy has fielded interest from at least two English clubs and is tipped to be leaning towards testing himself in the UK.

Smoothy’s former Broncos teammate Tristan Sailor quit Brisbane at the end of last season to chase a regular starting berth in England with St Helens.

Tyson Smoothy (L) set to to explore his options elsewhere.

Of his 31 games for the Broncos, Smoothy has started on just three occasions and he could secure more regular game time by heading abroad.

A solid defender with a handy kicking game out of dummy half, Smoothy has been a capable deputy to Walters, but is facing intense competition from within as new coach Michael Maguire puts every Bronco on notice.

The Broncos are expecting big things from Mozer this year after nine games in two seasons, while Bukowski has been rewarded with a Titans trial after his impressive work ethic in pre-season.

Incumbent hooker Walters will start at five-eighth against the Gold Coast, giving Smoothy a golden chance to dominate around the rucks and get the jump on Paix and Mozer.

Maguire won a premiership at South Sydney in 2014 on the back of outstanding hooking depth and the coach says the Broncos No.9 jumper is well and truly up for grabs this season.

“We have competition across every position, especially at hooker,” Maguire said.

“If you have a quality group of hookers, it really helps your team.

“I was fortunate to have great depth at Souths (whom Maguire coached from 2012-17), we had Issac Luke, Api Koroisau, Cam McInnes and Nathan Peats and that group created a competitive edge around how we wanted to play.

“The hookers here are all competing well and that’s what you want at training.

“I’m watching the style of play and their personalities.”

Originally published as First casualty in Brisbane Broncos’ five-way hooking logjam?