Season Review: Brisbane Broncos

Pre-Season Prediction: 4th

Actual Finish: 8th

Highlights

Young talent shining: For all the negativity surrounding Red Hill this year, how amazing is this young Broncos pack?

Payne Haas is set to become the game's most damaging prop while David Fifita has all the makings to be a regular rep player.

Haas has an Origin debut before his 20th birthday and will need another room to fit his future rep jumpers.

Fifita set the 9s alight and set up the tournament winning try with an incredible show of speed.

Jamayne Isaako had a few moments but largely continued his ascent to stardom. There's no player you'd rather have drop kicking for your life fortune.

Kotoni Staggs showed what he can do and looks a long term option at multiple positions.

Tavita Pangai Jr probably didn't live up to his incredible hype but showed he's still going to be in a rare class when he puts it all together.

There's some frightening young talent in this squad, many of who were amongst the Broncs best all season.

Huge Re-Signings: Joe Ofahengaue and Tevita Pangai Jr were two players likely to be on almost every club's shopping list.

Despite his past, Matt Lodge would have attracted plenty of interest too.

All three re-signed with the Broncos allowing them a nucleus of talent to build and recruit around moving forward.

TPJ's retention was absolutely key with a host of clubs reportedly ready and very willing to make him a very rich man.

It would have been a huge blow to lose any of the three but that's not something the Broncs will have to deal with after getting the jobs done.

Low Lights

No idea what to do with stars: The season and come and gone and we're still no closer to knowing the Broncos best 17.

Anthony Milford failed to spark the team in the halves. He shifted to fullback to no great difference.

Darius Boyd is there on name and reputation only after some embarrassing moments. He seemed to come to life in the halves to a point but it was pure respect that kept him in first grade.

Who is the halfback moving forward? Seibold seemed so keen to move on Nikorima yet had to ready-made replacement ready.

How does Jack Bird come back into the side after requesting and being granted a release only to be greeted by zero offers elsewhere?

He's a chance to play five-eighth or even fullback but he hasn't been fit for two years.

58 nil: I apologise in advance to Brisbane fans who will not want to relive this afternoon.

There were some horrible performances in 2019 across the competition, but this was the worst.

In an all or nothing, sudden-death final in front of a monster crowd, the Broncos might as well not have shown up.

Rumours of players playing pokies til late suite frankly don't matter, collectively the 17 who took the park that Sunday afternoon was awful.

Awful way to exit the competition.

Unneeded rebuild: Why did Seibold ship two of his biggest stars off midway through 2019 with no backup plan?

You get the feeling James Roberts was responsible for his own downfall but still, Seibold moved on a rep centre and international half and replaced them without of position youngsters.

Ultimately I'm not sure they were wrong decisions, long-term, but it absolutely ruined 2019.

Wayne Bennett handed him a side one game short of a prelim and Seibold upended it with no obvious contingency plan.

Star Player: Payne Haas

The 19-year-old wrecking ball announced himself as the NRLs next megastar forward by brushing aside all before him in 2019.

His performances earned him an Origin call up, and despite being overlooked for games 2 and 3 has a decade of sky blue in front of him.

He'll likely debut for the Kangaroos this Friday in the gong after a season that saw him named both rookie of the year and prop of the year.

He's capable of things no other front-rower is or should be capable of. His solo effort try against Penrith was worldly. Absolutely incredible.

Season Grading: C-

The Broncos made the eight, almost be default so this means a pass mark ... Be default.

The way the Broncos limped into the finals only to be absolutely belted in the finals sums up their season.

At times they were great. Other times they were downright awful.

Every side is going to have those moments but this is a star-studded Broncos outfit we're talking here.

The supposed best young forward pack ever largely failed to deliver outside of Haas and Fifita.

That said, it was Brisbane's experienced players who let themselves down in 2019.

Boyd was reduced to meme status at times while Milford failed to justify his contract value. McCullough looks set to leave while Segeyaro spent more times in the headlines than the highlights.

The Broncos brought Seibold in to win a title, instead, they now find themselves in a rebuild state they didn't need.