The 2026 season was a disaster for the Brisbane Broncos, with Michael Maguire's side going from winning the premiership to the bottom four in 12 months.
As things unravelled on and off the field, real signs of discontent around the club are present, and the club now needs to begin life without Payne Haas and a host of other players.
The experience departing Brisbane will be a blow for 2027, although they bring in new experience in a game that is getting faster.
The end of 2027 could be a transformative change for the Broncos though, with the club likely to lose more of their older players and have a long list of players currently off-contract.
There is one big retention target in Xavier Willison, who it would appear is close to re-signing anyway, but beyond that, Michael Maguire and his staff could well raid the open market for reinforcements.
Here is the road to November 1 for the Broncos, and the players they will be looking at for 2028.
Current 2028 squad
Mitch Barnett, Shawn Blore, Patrick Carrigan, Tom Duffy, Ezra Mam, Cory Paix, Jonah Pezet, Jordan Riki, Preston Riki, Va'a Semu, Kotoni Staggs, Antonio Verhoeven, Reece Walsh, Billy Walters
Off-contract at the end of 2027
Cameron Bukowski, Phillip Coates, Dane Gagai, Ben Hunt, Josiah Karapani, Deine Mariner, Blake Mozer, Hayze Perham, Brendan Piakura, Ben Talty, Aublix Tawha, Benjamin Te Kura, Xavier Willison
Current 2028 best 19
1. Reece Walsh
2. Antonio Verhoeven
3. Kotoni Staggs
4. No player signed.
5. No player signed.
6. Ezra Mam
7. Tom Duffy
8. Mitch Barnett
9. Billy Walters
10. Va'a Semu
11. Shawn Blore
12. Jordan Riki
13. Patrick Carrigan
Interchange
14. Cory Paix
15. Preston Riki
16. Jonah Pezet
17. No player signed.
18. No player signed.
19. No player signed.
The Broncos will almost certainly lose Ben Hunt and Dane Gagai at the end of 2027, and while you can safely assume Xavier Willison will re-sign, there are other issues.
It's understood Jordan Riki may be an early departure, and the spine is less than set with Jonah Pezet failing to impress at the Eels in 2026.
Shawn Blore's arrival adds something, but the fact that Mitch Barnett is on the wrong side of 30 and Payne Haas joining the Rabbitohs ahead of 2027 leaves some searching to do in the middle third, as well as Michael Maguire and his coaching staff.
Option 1: Campbell Graham (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Experience and talent in the outside backs is a clear problem for the Broncos as they head into the next couple of seasons.
There is no question Antonio Verhoeven and Phillip Coates should be the future of the club in those positions alongside an established leader in Kotoni Staggs, but in the interim, there are some gaps.
That could be filled quite well by Campbell Graham, who can play at either centre or wing and proved again towards the back end of the 2026 season that he is one of the better defensive outside backs in the competition.
That is critical for Brisbane given the number of tries they leaked on the edges throughout the course of the campaign.
Certainly, Graham won't come cheap, but when you cast your eye over the market, he is probably the one player Brisbane really needs come the start of 2028 even as he heads towards the end of his career.
Trying to buy another premiership. They used to develop players now it just buy from other clubs, disgraceful mob. Its no wonder they have no team morale.
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