NRL best 17s for 2026: Brisbane Broncos

The Brisbane Broncos enter the 2026 NRL season on the back of an incredible 2025, where the premiership was the ultimate result.

It certainly wasn't in the pre-season script for the Red Hill-based outfit.

Some had question marks over their chances of playing finals football.

Certainly, that seemed to be the way things were going when Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam both blew out their hamstrings in a game against the Melbourne Storm just a month and a half out from the end of the regular season.

But then Reece Walsh turned up.

The star fullback led the way through the final weeks of the season and the finals, while Ben Hunt and Billy Walters played excellent footy in the halves. In the end, the Red Hill-based club won the premiership.

They head into 2026 with a relatively strong amount of stability. Michael Maguire will have few big decisions to make, but with a key injury, plenty of depth in the backline and young forwards knocking down the door, it's not a cut and paste job.

Here is how Brisbane are shaping up for 2026.

Recruitment report

Ins: Grant Anderson (Melbourne Storm, 2027), Tom Duffy (North Queensland Cowboys, 2026), Aublix Tawha (The Dolphins, 2027)

Outs: Fletcher Baker (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Coby Black (Canberra Raiders), Selwyn Cobbo (The Dolphins), Kobe Hetherington (Manly Sea Eagles), Israel Leota (rugby union), Jock Madden (Wests Tigers), Latrell Siegwalt (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Tyson Smoothy (Wakefield Trinity), Martin Taupau (retired), Bailey Trew (released)

Off-contract at end of 2026: Jesse Arthars, Tom Duffy, Jack Gosiewski, Payne Haas, Delouise Hoeter, Jaiyden Hunt, Cory Paix, Adam Reynolds, Josh Rogers, Billy Walters

Full squad

Grant Anderson, Jesse Arthars, Patrick Carrigan, Tom Duffy, Jack Gosiewski, Payne Haas, Delouise Hoeter, Ben Hunt, Jaiyden Hunt, Corey Jensen, Josiah Karapani, Ezra Mam, Deine Mariner, Blake Mozer, Cory Paix, Brendan Piakura, Adam Reynolds, Jordan Riki, Josh Rogers, Gehamat Shibasaki, Kotoni Staggs, Ben Talty, Aublix Tawha, Benjamin Te Kura, Reece Walsh, Billy Walters, Xavier Willison

Supplementary contracts: Hayze Perham, Va'a Semu

Who plays where?

Fullback
It's a one-way race at the back, with Reece Walsh to start and stay there for as long as he is fit.

The Kangaroos representative put together one of the best individual runs of all-time to the end of the 2025 season, and will look to pick up where he left off in the new year.

The biggest question for Walsh is whether he can bridge the gap between his best and his worst, which at this stage of his career, is too great.

The Broncos have no other out and out fullbacks in their Top 30, but if there are problems, one of the others from throughout the squad - maybe the most likely being Jesse Arthars - could take over at the back.

If Walsh was to be out for any length of time, the Broncos would have a problem.

Wingers
The wings would likely have been a bigger question if not for the dominant finish to 2025 from former Rabbitoh Josiah Karapani and Deine Mariner.

Because the duo finished like a house on fire though, and because Jesse Arthars - who was in wonderful try-scoring form early in the season didn't - it's fairly clear which way coach Michael Maguire will be leaning.

That all said, the spanner in the works is the arrival of Grant Anderson.

He mas made it clear he hasn't moved from Melbourne to Brisbane to play reserve grade, but that's probably where he will start. He is a tremendous depth option though.

Centres
One of the best centres in the game, and 2025's breakout star, will be the centre pairing for Brisbane heading into 2026.

Dally M centre of the year Kotoni Staggs will once again be partnered by Gehamat Shibasaki, who came from the clouds just to make Brisbane's first-grade side, but by the end of the year was a Queensland Origin player, premiership winner, and Australian representative.

The duo aren't under pressure for their spots early, although Anderson's arrival adds more depth in the centres, while Maguire also has Delouise Hoeter and development player Hayze Perham at his disposal should he need it.

Halves
The duo who were looking to play through the second half of the year will start 2026 in the halves.

Both suffered hamstring injuries in the final weeks of the year, with Adam Reynolds starting again at halfback by the end, while the form of others meant Ezra Mam could only land a bench utility spot.

No such issues for Mam heading into 2026. He will be the number six, partnering Reynolds.

Injury issues could strike again though, so Ben Hunt, who will be utilised elsewhere, will be on standby to roll into the halves, while Brisbane also signed promising North Queensland talent Tom Duffy for 2026.

Josh Rogers remains in the squad as the other back-up option, while hooker Billy Walters, who played at five-eighth during the closing rounds of 2025 before suffering his own ACL injury, won't be available until the second half of the year.

Middle forwards
Two of the starting three middle third players are set in stone. Payne Haas will be at prop, and Patrick Carrigan will be at lock.

Both are representative weapons, and neither understands the definition of lose. The kind of competitors any team gunning for success wants to have available to them.

Who starts alongside Haas at prop is up in the air.

If Maguire wants experience, he will go with Corey Jensen, but we suspect Xavier Willison showed enough in 2025 to grab the spot.

Regardless, both will feature in the team.

The Broncos are stacked in the middle third, with Benjamin Te Kura, Ben Talty - who signed from the North Sydney Bears in mid-2025 and became an instant win with the club - Jaiyden Hunt and development player Va'a Semu are all likely fighting for minutes.

Hooker
Billy Walters' injury through the first half of 2026, combined with the departure of Tyson Smoothy, does leave the Broncos a little short in the dummy half department, although not disastrously so.

Ben Hunt will likely start in the number nine jumper as he has done so many times at State of Origin, while being backed up by one of the game's best young players in Blake Mozer.

Beyond that, Cory Paix remains in the squad at Red Hill for 2026 and will likely be the next cab off the rank.

There is a chance Paix sits on the bench ahead of Mozer, but it would be a big call from Maguire, and one not likely to impress Mozer, who re-signed with the club during 2025.

Edge forwards
One of Maguire's surprises for 2025 was to start Jack Gosiewski over Brendan Piakura.

That had changed throughout the season, with injuries, form and suspension all playing their part, but we suspect Piakura, still a rising talent, to move back into the second-row alongside established stalwart Jordan Riki.

Gosiewski is the next man into the side, while Dolphins departure Aublix Tawha is also a chance to feature.

The Broncos are otherwise a little short in edge forward depth, with Jaiyden Hunt spending some time there last year amid injuries.

Interchange
Off the bench, we expect Blake Mozer to win the race for jersey 14 ahead of Cory Paix.

From there, things are relatively simple. Corey Jensen and Jack Gosiewski bring a middle and an edge with experience, while Benjamin Te Kura should be just about impossible to overlook.

If game day squads are extended to 19, Brisbane will look for a specialist outside back, with Jesse Arthars pipping Grant Anderson, and a spine player in Cory Paix.

Other options to feature off either a four or six-man bench include Ben Talty and Jaiyden Hunt.