Brisbane Broncos star forward Jordan Riki has been tipped to leave the club at the end of 2027, owing to a falling out with coach Michael Maguire.
The New Zealand international is one of the club's most experienced forwards, but is off-contract at the end of 2027 and would be free to negotiate with rival clubs from November 1.
It's understood this is exactly what will happen, with Riki exploring his options to leave Red Hill.
“I think it's done. I got told the Jordan Riki and coaching relationship is like oil and water. It doesn't mix,” Journalist Ben Dobbin said on Triple M's Sunday Sin Bin.
“They're resigned to the fact that he will be moving on. They are pretty confident that he will go somewhere else."
It's understood the Broncos are concerned he will leave, and would like to retain him long-term, but that is looking increasingly unlikely.
Whether the falling out is enough to make the push for an immediate release a possibility is unclear, but it's the latest knock on Maguire, whose Broncos fell apart in 2026 amid constant speculation that he had lost the playing group over his training methods.
Brisbane, who went from premiers to the bottom four this year, struggled to put any sort of consistent performances together, and adding to issues around selection and the club itself, finishing with Adam Reynolds not getting a farewell game, and having his goodbye ruined by a sponsor contest, they are in a tricky spot heading into 2027.
Maguire has been given full backing of the board, but must be under pressure for the new campaign owing to the awful results this year.
Riki, a permanent fixture on the edge, will be joined by Shawn Blore next year, with the duo likely to start as Brendan Piakura continues to battle through a number of concussions.
His likely departure at the end of 2027 has already seen the Melbourne Storm and New Zealand Warriors floated as potential destinations, although the Storm have denied it, while the Warriors are looking for a replacement for Kurt Capewell, who will likely retire at the end of next year.
“All the mail I got was the Melbourne Storm, but that has been absolutely categorically denied by people at Melbourne and by the Broncos,” Dobbin said.
“The Broncos said we don't think he'll be here, but it won't be at the Melbourne Storm.
“I think the Warriors are in for Jordan Riki to bring him home.”
Riki, now 26 years of age, has 135 games under his belt for the Broncos to go with a single Test for New Zealand.
