$4.3m, 13-player exodus facing Madge... and how new coach could ...

The Broncos could look decidedly different under expected new coach Michael Maguire with nearly half their squad coming off-contract by the end of 2025 to the tune of a whopping $4.3 million.

Maguire is widely tipped to be the new Broncos’ coach after Kevvie Walters’ brutal sacking, with his signing expected to be made official this week.

But within his first year at the Broncos helm, he could have a very different looking team.

Five players in the Broncos’ top 30 in Corey Oates, Delouise Hoeter, Josiah Karapani and Martin Taupau are all without deals beyond 2024, while Tristan Sailor will link with St Helens in the Super League.

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The Broncos only have four players signed to long-term contracts in Reece Walsh (2029), Ezra Mam (2029), Pat Carrigan (2028) and Payne Haas (2026).

However, the fact they are all on big money will directly affect how many of the 2025 off-contract class the Broncos can hold onto.

Walsh’s long-term extension is yet to be made official, but his four year $4.4 million extension through until the end of 2029 is expected to be rubber-stamped soon.

Mam is also signed for the next five seasons on a $1 million a season deal, while Carrigan is locked in for the next four years on a contract worth a reported $900,000 annually.

Meanwhile, Haas has two years to run on his $1 million a season deal that expires at the end of 2026.

One of the major factors in the Broncos’ slide from second to 12th in 2024 was the club’s failure to replace 2023 Grand Final stars Tom Flegler (Dolphins), Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins), Kurt Capewell (Warriors) and Keenan Palasia (Titans).

2024 recruits Fletcher Baker, Jack Gosiewski and Jaiyden Hunt struggled to make the impact the Broncos desired and all three have an uncertain future beyond 2025.

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A whopping 13 of Brisbane’s top 30 squad is coming off-contract at the end of the 2025 season, meaning they are free to negotiate with rivals from November 1 for 2026 and beyond.

Halfback and skipper Adam Reynolds, who is on a reported $500,000 in 2025, is predicted to retire at the end of next season, but if Michael Maguire becomes the coach he may opt to keep his former premiership winning Souths No.7 for as long as it takes him to find a suitable replacement.

The Broncos have been linked with Roosters star Sam Walker, but with three players already earning $1 million a season, they may struggle to fit another one into their salary cap.

Of the Broncos’ potential No.7 replacements on their books, Mam is better suited to the running five-eighth role, while Jock Madden is a handy back-up at best, but doubts remain around his ability to be a consistent NRL halfback week to week.

Two representative stars who are off-contract in 2025 are star centres Selwyn Cobbo and Kotoni Staggs and the Broncos could struggle to hold onto both.

Cobbo is on a deal worth a reported $625,000 a season, but could command as much as $1 million a season on the open market as a fullback.

Selwyn Cobbo could command $1 million on the open market.Source: Supplied

Staggs is also an Origin and Kangaroos star, whose deal is worth a reported $700,000 and the Broncos will find it difficult to give both centres pay rises, so they may have to prioritise one.

That will be a conundrum because Staggs is playing the better footy at the moment, but Cobbo is more versatile, younger and has a bigger ceiling.

The Broncos have three hookers coming off-contract in 2025 in Blake Mozer, Tyson Smoothy and Cory Paix and with Billy Walters signed until 2026. They won’t be able to keep them all.

Smoothy is the incumbent bench utility and on a reported $180,000, while Paix has been on the outer with the club likely to let him go from his bulky $325,000 deal when it expires, if not before if he can find a new club.

Mozer has the biggest ceiling of all the Broncos hookers and has been highly touted as a star of the future from a young age.

He will likely need a pay rise when his $200,000 deal expires and he could command at least double that on the open market, with plenty of clubs in need of class at dummyhalf.

Mozer is seen as Walters’ heir apparent and with Kevvie now out of the club, his son’s future is less clear under a new coach, so he will be under intense pressure to perform.

Bench forward Kobe Hetherington is on $400,000 a season and has been given permission to negotiate with rivals by the club.

Kotoni Staggs could be squeezed out of the Broncos.Source: Getty Images

Props Corey Jensen ($300,000) and Xavier Willison ($250,000) have struggled to cement their places in the Broncos side and will have plenty to play for in the final year of their deals.

Willison is younger and has a higher ceiling, but will be under pressure given the club’s struggles in the pack in 2024.

Back-rowers Jaiyden Hunt ($200,000) and Jack Gosiewski ($150,000) didn’t light the house on fire in 2024 and will be under immense pressure.

Israel Leota was a development player in 2024, but will be promoted to the Broncos’ top 30 in 2025 and will be out to impress the incoming coach.

After the departures of Flegler, Farnworth, Capewell and Palasia, the pack is where the Broncos need to go to market.

Off the props off-contract in 2025, Storm enforcer Tui Kamikamica and Knights counterpart Leo Thompson are probably the two best.

The best of the back-rowers coming off-contract are arguably Sharks star Briton Nikora and Storm counterpart Trent Loiero.

Sam Walker is the perfect replacement for Adam Reynolds.Source: Supplied

The Broncos will also need a halfback if Reynolds retires and a centre if they can only keep one of Staggs and Cobbo.

The best halfbacks in the off-contract class of 2025 that are a realistic chance of coming to the Broncos are Roosters star Sam Walker and Dragons veteran Ben Hunt.

If they miss out on Walker, Hunt could be a short-term solution while the Broncos wait for a suitable long-term replacement for Reynolds.

Hunt wants to return home to Queensland and a reunion with the club he took to the 2015 Grand Final would make sense if he is willing to take a pay cut.

Should the Broncos lose Cobbo or Staggs the best centres hitting the open market in 2026 are arguably Bronson Xerri and Tommy Talau.

Both impressed at their new clubs the Bulldogs and Sea Eagles in 2024 and could be potential targets if they do not strike extensions.

Depending on who the Broncos’ incoming coach chooses to retain, the point is he will have a potential $4.3 million checkbook ready to turn the Broncos back into title contenders in the next couple of seasons.

NRL OFF-CONTRACT CLASS BY POSITION 2025

FULLBACK

Corey Allan, Tom Chester, Kade Dykes, Clayton Faulalo, Clinton Gutherson, Albert Hopoate, William Kennedy, Daine Laurie, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Ryan Papenhuyzen, Will Pryce, Sean Russell, James Tedesco, Taine Tuaupiki, Reece Walsh, Blake Wilson

WING

Josh Addo-Carr, Selwyn Cobbo, Robert Derby, Haze Dunster, Jojo Fifita, Sione Finau, Tony Francis, Robert Jennings, Alex Johnston, Edward Kosi, Israel Leota, Ken Maumalo, Marcelo Montoya, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Tyrone Munro, Xavier Savage, Charlie Staines, Sam Stonestreet, Christian Tuipulotu, Semi Valemei, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak

CENTRE

Grant Anderson, Braidon Burns, Josh Feledy, Asu Kepaoa, Zac Laybutt, Ali Leiataua, Haizyn Mellars, Fletcher Myers, Brent Naden, Adam Pompey, Jordan Samrani, Aaron Schoupp, Harley Smith-Shields, Kotoni Staggs, Tommy Talau, Robert Toia, Viliami Vailea, Bronson Xerri

FIVE-EIGHTH

Adam Doueihi, Kieran Foran, Te Maire Martin, Jaeman Salmon, Josh Schuster, Cody Walker

HALFBACK

Jake Arthur, Daniel Atkinson, Tanah Boyd, Daly Cherry-Evans, Jake Clifford, Tom Duffy, Kyle Flanagan, Jackson Hastings, Bailey Hayward, Ben Hunt, Drew Hutchison, Lachlan Ilias, Sean O’Sullivan, Jonah Pezet, Adam Reynolds, Brad Schneider, Toby Sexton, Blake Taaffe, Chad Townsend, Braydon Trindall, Sam Walker

PROP

Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Paul Bryan, Toby Couchman, Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui, Viliami Fifita, Wiremu Greig, Emre Guler, Tuku Hau Tapuha, Thomas Hazelton, Jack Hetherington, Jaiyden Hunt, Corey Jensen, Tui Kamikamica, Oregon Kaufusi, Kitione Kautoga, Josh Kerr, Josh King, Ben Liyou, Shaquai Mitchell, Davvy Moale, Michael Molo, Mark Nicholls, Josiah Pahulu, Keenan Palasia, Josh Papalii, Alex Seyfarth, Toafofoa Sipley, Sebastian Su’a, Daniel Suluka-Fifita, Ryan Sutton, Leo Thompson, Sam Tuivaiti, Lazarus Vaalepu, Xavier Willison

HOOKER

Jayden Brailey, Gordon Chan Kum Tong, Bronson Garlick, Harrison Graham, Brendan Hands, Siliva Havili, Riley Jones, Danny Levi, Soni Luke, Joey Lussick, Cameron McInnes, Tyler Moriarty, Blake Mozer, Cory Paix, Reece Robson, Brandon Smith, Tyson Smoothy, Luke Sommerton, Tom Starling, Jake Turpin

SECOND ROW

Fletcher Baker, Kenneath Bromwich, Ethan Bullemor, Egan Butcher, Bryce Cartwright, Ben Condon, Ryan Couchman, Matt Doorey, Dylan Egan, Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Ryan Foran, Jackson Ford, Mavrik Geyer, Jack Gosiewski, Jacob Halangahu, Harrison Hassett, Jacob Host, Felise Kaufusi, Connelly Lemuelu, Trent Loiero, Ben Lovett, Dylan Lucas, Toni Mataele, Dean Matterson, Luca Moretti, Briton Nikora, Kai Pearce-Paul, D’Jazirhae Pua’Avase, Preston Riki, Dan Russell, Simi Sasagi, Kelma Tuilagi, Brandon Tumeth, Teig Wilton

LOCK

Josh Curran, Jack de Belin, Adam Elliott, Chris Faagutu, Tohu Harris, Kobe Hetherington, Aitasi James, Kurt Mann, Justin Matamua, Kurtis Morrin, Joe Ofahengaue, Fonua Pole, Riley Price, Hohepa Puru, Dylan Walker

BRONCOS

2024 squad: Adam Reynolds (2025), Ben Te Kura (2026), Billy Walters (2026), Blake Mozer (2025), Brendan Piakura (2027), Corey Jensen (2025), Corey Oates (2024), Cory Paix (2025), Deine Mariner (2027), Delouise Hoeter (2024), Ezra Mam (2029), Fletcher Baker (2025), Jack Gosiewski (2025), Jaiyden Hunt (2025) Jesse Arthars (2026), Jock Madden (2026), Jordan Riki (2027), Josiah Karapani (2024), Kobe Hetherington (2025), Kotoni Staggs (2025), Martin Taupau (2024), Patrick Carrigan (2028), Payne Haas (2026), Reece Walsh (2025), Selwyn Cobbo (2025), Tristan Sailor (2024), Tyson Smoothy (2025), Xavier Willison (2025)

Development players: Bailey Trew (2024), Coby Black (2024), Israel Leota (2025), Josh Rodgers (2024)

2025 losses: Tristan Sailor (St Helens)

Coach: N/A