Brendan Piakura will line up against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs on Friday night, the club he was just a whisker away from signing with five years ago.

Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett had all but signed Piakura to join them in Belmore on a $1.2 million contract; however, it was a last-minute ditch effort from former Broncos coach Kevin Walters that made him stay in Brisbane.

Piakura's agent, Allan Gainey, revealed to the Daily Telegraph the incredible tour Walters gave Piakura of Suncorp Stadium, causing him to stay at the club that has now seen him achieve premiership greatness.

“He was very close to going to the Dogs,” said his agent Allan Gainey.
“The decision came right down to the wire, and I thought he would make the transition, and I thought he would choose the Dogs.

“He had several clubs keen – Melbourne, the Titans, the Roosters, he met with several clubs, and it came down to two, the Bulldogs or Broncos.
“The turning point was Kevin Walters. He walked Brendan out onto Suncorp Stadium and said, " Mate, you can play in front of 40,000 people every week; this will give you some of the biggest thrills of your life in this place.
“Brendan was very close to Trent Barrett. Trent was coaching at the Bulldogs, and he had gone up to see Brendan, and Brendan was keen to play with him. Now Trent is at the Broncos, which is good because they get along great.
“It's turned out to be the right decision in the end.” 

The incredible eleventh-hour Houdini act from Walters half a decade ago has snowballed into Piakura contributing immensely to the Broncos side, recording 54 NRL games and representing the Cook Islands on three occasions. 

“Brendan can have a laid-back attitude, but the Broncos have been very good with him,” Gainey said.
“Brendan is just all fun; there is nothing too serious in his life. To get him to return a phone call, I'm a better chance of getting Vladimir Putin (Russian president) to call me back.
“He will never die of stress.
“All the reports on him at a young age were very good.
“Brendan was rated in the top two in the Broncos program at his age.
“He has a great build, his ability to hit is scary, and he has great movement off his feet.
“He has all the tools, but it took him a bit longer to realise his potential in the NRL, and he probably hasn't reached it yet.
“Even though he has won a premiership, he can get better.”With Trent Barrett now within the coaching ranks at the Broncos, it has all worked out accordingly for Piakura, who, fair to say, made the right decision to stay put in Red Hill.

Despite a trail of concerning head knocks during the 2025 season, the talented Cook Islander has gone from strength to strength and has become an integral part of the Broncos' engine room.