Brisbane have a premiership to defend, a superstar fullback ready to dazzle, and a squad that looked every bit like a dynasty in the making.
Instead, three games into 2026, the Broncos find themselves staring at an 0-2 record (0-3 including World Club Challenge vs Hull K.R.), being defeated in England and embarrassed at home by the Panthers, then gutted in the dying minutes by a resurgent Parramatta side.
The same wounds keep opening. The same lapses keep appearing.
The final scoreboard keeps hurting.
This isn't bad luck, a bad draw, or a bad week.
This is a team repeatedly making the same six mistakes, and until they're fixed, the premiership defence is over in everything but name.
4. Reece Walsh's involvement and engagement
Walsh is Brisbane's most dangerous weapon and his influence is directly tied to the team's fortunes.
His ball security has been a problem.
In freezing temperatures against Hull, Walsh committed two errors including dropping a high kick to hand Hull KR a try-scoring opportunity.
Against the Eels, the unforced error dropping Moses' long range kick set up Parramatta's second try through Isaiah Iongi.
Walsh's brilliance is undeniable, scoring two tries against the Eels, running 222 metres and having six tackle breaks.
It has been pointed out on The Loose Carry Podcast in the off-season, the difference between Walsh's best and his worst continues to be a huge gap.
That’s a perceptive analysis.
I’d summarise it by saying that most of the players are not concentrating on what they have been trained to do.
If each one does what he is supposed to do (and has the skill to do) then the team would not have the problems that it is facing.