Looking back on the 2025 NRL season, it couldn't have gone much better for the Brisbane Broncos.
Winning the premiership under coach Michael Maguire who had previously found a variety of success at each level of rugby league, he broke the 19-year premiership drought and re-established the club to be the benchmark of the competition.
Their squad remained mostly unchanged moving into the 2026 season and the Brisbane side was expected to make a run for the trophy they were defending.
As the regular season heads towards its conclusion, the inconsistent performances and an immense amount of pressure on the club have left Broncos fans asking one question: what went wrong?
Injuries have been a significant issue for every team in the NRL; the Brisbane Broncos have most definitely had their fair share of injuries. Key players such as Payne Haas, Adam Reynolds, Reece Walsh, Patrick Carrigan and Kotoni Staggs have been among their injury group over the season.
Constant changes to their squad, including an inconsistent forward pack and spine, have disrupted combinations that were the foundation of their premiership success in 2025.
However, many other teams have faced significant injuries to their squads that haven't resulted in losing 15 games. Brisbane has lacked depth in their squad and couldn't replace the leadership and quality they lost.
Brisbane found much of their success last year through their spine, which proved to be lethal and broke many teams defences.
Throughout the 2026 season using the spine that found them winning the premiership last season, they have struggled to consistently influence games. Their experienced and winning halfback, Adam Reynolds, has found himself in injury crises and with this being his last season in the NRL, the physical demands of a long season seem to have taken its toll on the star.
With his retirement announcement for the end of the season, the club's halfback combination becomes uncertain moving into 2027. Reynolds' halves partner, Ezra Mam, found himself in the spotlight after struggling to find consistency over the season.
Mam was criticised over his game management and defence with coach Michael Maguire dropping the five-eighth during their losing streak. A key part of their spine and one of the club's superstars, Reece Walsh, was another player that found himself in an injury crisis over the season.
However, the superstar was still involved in key moments to help the club find success but opposition teams found a way to limit his impact.
The Broncos struggled to dominate the middle without Patrick Carrigan and Payne Haas, often expecting Walsh to overplay his hand which resulted in unnecessary errors and rushed plays.
Whilst injuries sidelined many of their key players, their returns to the field failed to solve the club's losing ways, making wins extremely difficult to come by.
Coach Michael Maguire has certainly found success in his coaching roles, including bringing the Broncos a premiership last year, guiding South Sydney to the premiership in 2014, leading the Kiwis to win the Pacific Championship in 2023 and winning the Origin series with NSW in 2024.
However, with the dramatic turnaround of this season after their success last year, Maguire has found himself criticised through his methods of coaching. His highly speculated style raised questions about whether his coaching contributed to pressure within the club.
Assistant coach Ben Te'o departed with the club mid season with there being reports of a disagreement with Maguire over defensive philosophies and coaching methods. However, players from the Brisbane Broncos never publicly addressed the rumours.
Michael Maguire's coaching style has been shown to be relentless and can turn clubs around in a season, but questions remain over whether the immediate success can be long-term.
Do the Brisbane Broncos look at other options after the 2027 season if Maguire can't drive the club to success? The Broncos next season are set to lose key players from their squad; Adam Reynolds, Payne Haas, Grant Anderson, Jesse Arthars and Gehamat Shibasaki.
The Broncos' response to the departures have been under scrutiny due to the age of some of their players they have signed. The Brisbane side welcome Dane Gagai and Mitch Barnett, who are in the later stages of their careers. With the youth talent that the Brisbane team possesses, the club seems to be trying to balance their young talent with experience.
However, with Michael Maguire's position as head coach potentially being looked into, are these the right signings for Brisbane? With Adam Reynolds retiring, the rebuild begins in the halves.
The Broncos have secured Jonah Pezet as his potential long-term replacement, and the 23-year-old has demonstrated a lot of promise but poses as a gamble for a club who is already struggling with consistency. That gamble is two-fold given his rough year at Parramatta.
With the signing of Dane Gagai on a one-year deal, questions circulate on why the club has gone with Gagai as he turns 36 in 2027. The criticism around the signing hasn't come from the lack of talent, it opens up a conversation about why the Broncos have chosen veterans over developing their younger players.
Dane Gagai provides the squad with experience and leadership, but not a long-term solution. The Broncos historically have been able to attract players to their club, they are the biggest club in Queensland and play out of Suncorp Stadium.
However, with the addition of the Dolphins, the club has faced competition for talent. Looking at the results of this season, Redcliffe hold an edge for incoming signings.
With a rebuild ahead, have the Broncos recruited for the team they are losing, or for the team they want to become? The Round 23 loss to the Dolphins again exposed the significant issues the club are facing.
The Brisbane side looked confident and powerful throughout the first half but their consistency concerns that they have been facing all season crept in.
The Broncos with no chance to make the finals, can now experiment with their potential halves pairing of Tom Duffy and Ezra Mam.
Brisbane's remaining weeks of the season will be an early indication of whether the club are focusing on a rebuild or hoping their current squad can find the form they produced to win the premiership just one year ago.
Ultimately, Brisbane's significant fall wasn't caused by one poor decision or an individual, it is a club-wide issue.
