The Brisbane Broncos might be potentially building their roster without Payne Haas as the centrepiece of the organisation.
Signing with the South Sydney Rabbitohs would leave a big hole to replace in the Broncos forward pack and team as the club also heads into life without Adam Reynolds, who has announced his retirement at the end of the 2026 season.
Coming off winning a premiership last season, the Broncos are still a very good chance this season and made a huge splash in the off-season, signing Eels half Jonah Pezet on a three-year deal commencing from the 2027 season, which signals the club making a push to keep the team competitive for the future.
With Payne Haas' contract coming off the books, assuming he doesn't backflip on the Rabbitohs, the Broncos will have significant cap space to use for the 2027 season and beyond.
So, how could the Broncos build their roster post the Payne Haas era?
In terms of replacing Payne Haas, there's no better or similar player that they could target now or from November 1st later in the year when the players coming off contract at the end of the 2027 season become available to talk to and send formal offers.
The best way for Brisbane to construct their roster would be to develop their junior players and emphasise keeping their best young players, particularly in the forward pack.
Xavier Willison is off-contract at the end of the 2027 season and continues to develop and get better, even building versatility in the back row when the Broncos have needed coverage in that position.
A big body young forward that, when he does get significant play time in the front-row position, can be a dynamic and dangerous cover when he does the hard yards bringing up the ball and creates second phase footy with just his sheer physicality and unwillingness to go down.
Benjamin Te Kura has shown promise in the Broncos system, having some first-grade appearances.
While he has shown similiar defencies in his game to the likes of Nelson Asofa-Solomona, being one of the biggest and tallest players in the game can be an asset in the game if utilised properly.
Having an injury at the back end of last season put Te Kura on the sidelines for six to eight weeks.
Head coach Michael Maguire unlocked more potential out of his forward pack last season, and there is an expectation of him to keep pushing the floor and ceiling of his roster year in year out, so Te Kura has the chance to put his coach on notice to get game time in the future.
Maguire has also developed and embraced the journeymen players in the league, with players like Jack Gosiewski improving significantly in the 2025 season, especially when players like Brendan Piakura had injuries that kept him out for long periods over the course of an NRL season.
Ben Talty has made strides in his all-around game, and the former North Sydney Bears forward signed before the transfer deadline was a huge bench contributor for the second half of the season and played in the Grand Final victory.
The Broncos also have to extend Gehamat Shibasaki, who is off-contract at the end of the 2026 season.
With several teams expected to pursue the 27-year-old centre, Shibasaki will be looking for a significant upgrade in his contract, as he is currently making around $140,000 per season.
Shibasaki has also played State of Origin and for the Kangaroos, which makes him an appealing player to sign on a multi-year deal.
Patrick Carrigan has two years left on a five-year extension given in 2023, starting from 2024.
Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam are in the second year of their five-year extensions, while Kotoni Staggs and Blake Mozer enter the first year of their three-year extension.
There is a significant use of their salary cap on their top players, and the Broncos must balance out their books.
In terms of recruiting players to join the Broncos, expect two-year deals or one-plus-one team option deals that are designed as 'prove it' deals.
Players like Samuel Hughes, Tom Ale and Ata Mariota, who are all in their mid 20s, could be good short-term players to grab on team-friendly deals, while preserving cap space for key extensions or if there is a proven player that they can target.
If the Broncos wanted to go in the direction of more established players that could be pushed out from other clubs due to salary cap constraints or priorities being elsewhere, players like Toby Rudolf, Tui Kamikamica and Marata Niukore could be solid options with finals experience, while Broncos players like Te Kura find footing in the NRL.
Maguire is also not afraid to bring in veteran players to his teams with already established nuclei by targeting someone like Scott Sorensen with premiership-winning experience, who could bring versatility to the forward pack, or Matt Eisenhuth for a well-defined role player archetype.
Wildcard options from the NSW or Queensland Cup competitions that fit what Maguire is looking for to potentially address key roster issues or solve a play style adjustment that pushes the club in a better direction could be a legitimate venture for the Broncos, who have premiership glory or the season is a failure every season.
In any direction the Broncos choose, it is essential they get it right, and for a team that is building a spine of Reece Walsh, Ezra Mam, Jonah Pezet and Blake Mozer, the rest of the roster needs to be compelling to be a premiership contender every year.
