Defending a premiership isn’t a victory lap. It’s more like taking the first carry of the season straight into three defenders — no space, no sympathy, no excuses.
That’s where the Broncos find themselves in 2026.
At the Clive Berghofer Centre in Red Hill, they’re not the hunters anymore. They’re the standard. The premiers. And every side in the competition has circled them on the draw.
There’s reason for confidence — and reason for caution.
After throwing the kitchen sink at Hull KR in the last 20 minutes last week to go down 30-24 in the World Club Challenge but scoring at a point per minute in those last 20, Madge may feel a bit of deja-vous.
This team has required some revving up in the last year, it does not purr like a well tuned engine, it produces large doses of fumes and spits and then powers down the track and sets a new dragster record.
The big names out are real. Selwyn Cobbo’s strike has gone to the Dolphins. Kobe Hetherington’s work rate now belongs to Manly. Martin Taupau’s experience is no longer there when things get tight. Those aren’t small departures.
The ins matter too. Grant Anderson adds reliability and defensive polish. Tom Duffy gives depth in the halves. Aublix Tawha brings size and aggression through the middle. None are headline-grabbing splashes — but premiership sides aren’t built on headlines. They’re built on balance.
This isn’t a rebuild. But it’s not complacency either.
The Broncos enter 2026 as reigning premiers after that hard-earned grand final win over the Melbourne Storm. That title wasn’t flashy. It was disciplined. It was physical. It was controlled by captain Adam Reynolds when the pressure peaked.
Backing it up will demand even more.
The Spine Still Sets the Standard
As fans, we know this: if the spine fires, Brisbane are dangerous.
Reece Walsh isn’t just electric — he changes defensive structures. Reynolds and Ezra Mam give the side composure and spark in equal measure. When they’re connected, Brisbane can score from anywhere.
Through the middle, Patrick Carrigan and Payne Haas remain the barometers. If they win the ruck, the Broncos win momentum. When they don’t, the edges get exposed. That’s the simple truth.
Head coach Michael Maguire deserves credit for embedding defensive discipline in 2025. But year two is always different. The edge comes from within now, not from proving a point.
Early Tests
Billy Walters’ ACL recovery leaves questions around the hooking rotation early. Brendan Piakura’s Round 3 target return helps, but depth will be tested immediately.
And the 30–24 World Club Challenge loss to Hull KR? That wasn’t catastrophic — but it was instructive. Champions can’t afford to drift out of contests. The defensive standard has to be there from Round 1.
Round 1: No Grace Period
The title defence begins March 6 under lights at Suncorp Stadium against the Penrith Panthers.
That’s not easing into a season. That’s diving straight into it.
Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy said last year there was no better way to open — and he’s right. This is the stage you want as champions.
“There’s no better way to start 2026 than under lights at Suncorp Stadium, in front of our members and fans,” Donaghy said in a club statement last year.
“No one could forget that energy and atmosphere at home against Penrith in the prelim – it was one of those defining Broncos’ moments. To open the new season against Penrith, at home, that’s the kind of stage we want and will set the tone for 2026,” he added.
Penrith arrive with Nathan Cleary cleared to play. They won’t blink. Neither can Brisbane.
A First Month That Will Tell Us Plenty
Round 1 – Panthers (Suncorp Stadium)
Round 2 – Eels (Suncorp Stadium)
Round 3 – Storm (AAMI Park)
Round 4 – Dolphins (Suncorp Stadium)
Three of the first four at home is an opportunity — but it’s also pressure. If Brisbane start flat, the noise will come quickly.
Projected Round 1 Outlook
Official teams are confirmed during match week, but expect continuity.
Walsh at fullback. Reynolds and Mam steering the attack. Carrigan and Haas setting the tone in the middle. Corey Jensen and Jordan Riki working the edges. Ben Hunt’s versatility stabilising the spine.
The likely bench rotation — Xavier Willison, Ben Talty, Aublix Tawha and Grant Anderson — offers size and adaptability.
It’s a strong 17 on paper.
But paper doesn’t win back-to-back titles.
Red Hill Sets the Tone
At training, intensity looks sharp. Standards appear uncompromising. But this is the NRL. No one cares what you did last year.
The Broncos have the roster. They have the coach. They have the belief.
Now they have to prove they still have the edge.
And fans will back them — loudly — while demanding they earn it again.
Published 24-February-2026
