The Brisbane Broncos ended a 19-year premiership drought by clinching the 2025 NRL Grand Final.

But winning one is one thing. Maintaining dominance is another. To defend their title and stay at the top, several key players will need to take their performances up another notch. These are five Broncos whose individual improvement will be vital to Brisbane's 2026 campaign.

2. Xavier Willison

Xavier Willison continues to carve out a reputation as one of the most promising middle forwards in the game. In 2025, he recorded 21 appearances, 4 tries, 2,335 running metres (111 metres per game), 978 post-contact metres and 482 tackles with a 95.6 per cent tackle efficiency. His progression is on track to become one of the most damaging middles in the NRL.

The Broncos already rely on two of the best and hardest-working elite middles in Patrick Carrigan and Payne Haas. Willison must step up and become a genuine enforcer in his own right. The team relies heavily on that elite pair, but to sustain their dominance, they need a third middle capable of going to the next level.

Why his role is so important if Brisbane want to go back-to-back

  • Adding Willison as a consistent enforcer gives the Broncos the ability to rotate their pack without losing physical dominance.
  • He provides a reliable option when Carrigan and Haas are fatigued or targeted by opposition packs.
  • His growth could make the Broncos' middle third close to unstoppable.

Key areas of focus for 2026

  • Increasing his workload consistency and producing strong numbers every week.
  • Enhancing his edge defence and ruck stamina to handle extended minutes.
  • Converting running metres into game-changing impact through line breaks and post-contact damage.
  • Embedding himself as a front-line enforcer rather than a rotational impact player.
  • Linking up with the pack and developing an offload game to create second-phase play.

If Willison takes the next step, the Broncos will have the most dominant middle rotation in the competition.