2026 Brisbane Broncos NRL Depth Chart and Predicted Team

2026 Brisbane Broncos Predicted Round 1 Team

Updated 22 January 2026

The defending premiers will be mostly unchanged from their Grand Final-winning team last season.

Kobe Hetherington and Tyson Smoothy have departed the club, with Jack Gosiewski and Ben Talty likely to come onto the bench as replacements.

Ben Hunt has confirmed that the Broncos’ “best spine has (him) at 9” (via AAP). He has trained all preseason at hooker, which means that Cory Paix will, at best, be coming off the bench come Round 1.

Brendan Piakura will be racing the clock to be fit by Round 1 after he sustained a left knee injury in early January that has ruled him out of the World Club Challenge.

Jack Gosiewski, Jaiyden Hunt and Xavier Willison are among the frontrunners for his replacement.

Fullback: Reece Walsh
Left Wing: Josiah Karapani
Left Centre: Gehamat Shibasaki
Right Centre: Kotoni Staggs
Right Wing: Deine Mariner
Left Half: Ezra Mam
Right Half: Adam Reynolds
Prop: Payne Haas
Hooker: Ben Hunt
Prop: Corey Jensen
Left 2nd Row: Brendan Piakura
Right 2nd Row: Jordan Riki
Lock: Patrick Carrigan (c)

Bench: Cory Paix
Bench: Xavier Willison
Bench: Jack Gosiewski
Bench: Ben Talty

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2026 Brisbane Broncos Squad

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

*Last updated 22 Jan 2026

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2026 Brisbane Broncos Transfers

2026 gains: 

Grant Anderson (Storm), Tom Duffy (Cowboys), Aublix Tawha (Dolphins)

2026 losses: 

Tyson Smoothy (Trinity Wakefield), Selwyn Cobbo (Dolphins), Jock Madden (Wests Tigers), Kobe Hetherington (Sea Eagles), Israel Leota (rugby union), Fletcher Baker (Bulldogs), Coby Black (Raiders)

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2026 Brisbane Broncos Depth Chart

Key: O = OUT, ID = In Doubt, SUSP = Suspended

*Last updated 22 Jan 2026

The Broncos should be unchanged from their starting lineup in the 2025 NRL Grand Final.

Ezra Mam will move back to five-eighth, as he was only coming off the bench due to his hamstring injury.

With Mam at #6, Ben Hunt moved to starting hooker, so it is assumed that will be the move to start 2026. If one of the halves go down, Ben Hunt would be the next player to cover that position. Meaning new recruit Thomas Duffy will have to bide his time in reserve grade.

Another new recruit that will need to work their way into the starting line-up is Grant Anderson. He is currently behind the two Kangaroos’ centres, but is likely to be first picked if anyone in the outside backs goes down.

As mentioned, Brendan Piakura is racing the clock to be fit for Round 1 after sustaining a left knee injury. Jack Gosiewski, Xavier Willison and Jaiyden Hunt are all in the running to take his starting spot, or jag a bench spot.

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