Tip sheet: 5 talking points for the Broncos in 2024

For 30 minutes of this year’s grand final, the Broncos were in front and well on their way to claiming their first title since 2006, before the Panthers pulled the rug from underneath them to claim their third straight title.

How the Broncos bounce back and learn from that disappointment, as well as their management of the departure of some of their more experienced players to rival clubs next season, will go a long way to ensure their vast improvement in 2023 was no flash in the pan.

NRL.com examines the key talking points for the Broncos as they launch into the 2024 pre-season.

So close, yet so far

There is no getting around the fact that the 2023 grand final will forever be remembered as the one that got away for Broncos. Once Ezra Mam crossed for a hat-trick, scoring his three tries in the space of 10 minutes, Brisbane fans were beginning to believe. However, the Panthers cemented their status as the dominant team of the decade, with Nathan Cleary inspiring them to somehow turn the tide and secure their three-peat. How that defeat colours the mindset of the Broncos will go a long way to setting up their 2024 season; will it further fuel their fire and will to succeed or will it dent their overall confidence, with the result having the potential to see things fall away after they put in such a fight to reach the decider.

Who will step up to replace Farnworth and forwards Flegler and Palasia?

At their end-of-year awards, the Broncos farewelled three players who were key performers in getting them to the grand final, with the departures of forwards Thomas Flegler and Keenan Palasia and centre Herbie Farnworth expected to be keenly felt, especially in the early stages of the new season. Flegler and Farnworth are headed to newest rivals the Dolphins and enjoyed some of the best form of their career, as did Titans-bound Palasia, who was highly valued for his contributions off the bench. While the Broncos do have plenty of forward depth to support the work of Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan, with the likes of Martin Taupau and Corey Jensen expected to push their claims alongside new arrivals Jaiyden Hunt and Fletcher Baker, they will be counting on relatively inexperienced, but capable, candidates like Deine Mariner, Delouise Hoeter or a re-deployed Jesse Arthars to make that left centre spot their own.

Skipper to set the tone  

Adam Reynolds was recruited to the Broncos as a halfback in the belief by club bosses that he could be the man to lead them to another title. They also knew his experience would bolster a young and still developing squad. While he came close to delivering on the first point by helping to guide the side into the decider, even he would admit that he did not have his best game, something which will no doubt provide further motivation to go one better in 2024. With the likes of Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam speaking often about his influence on their game on and off the field, his mindset and his ability to help reset the mental focus of wider squad will be vital. As one of four teams starting their season in Las Vegas, their Round 1 performance against the Roosters will be a key indicator of their readiness for the season ahead. 

Can young guns Ezra Mam and Reece Walsh fire again?

Overall, the Broncos have one of the more generally exciting young rosters in the NRL competition, spearheaded by the likes of Reece Walsh out the back and 2023 Five-Eighth of the Year Dally M award winner Ezra Mam. While Walsh, who returned “home” from the Warriors last season claimed more of the spotlight, both had breakout seasons, with the Broncos no doubt keen to also secure Mam’s services past 2024. Generally an unflappable presence on the field, Mam’s connection with the passionate Walsh on-and-off the field, and the way they both tied in with skipper Reynolds proved to be the secret ingredient for the Broncos, but the question will be if the two youngsters can maintain – let alone improve – their performances in the season ahead, with plenty of expectation now placed upon them.

Genuine rivals in the battle for Brisbane hearts and minds

For so long a “one-team town” – the arrival of The Dolphins this year shook up NRL landscape and you could also mount the argument that the Broncos benefited from having a new rival right on their doorstep. While Brisbane have enjoyed healthy ‘local’ rivalries with fellow Queensland clubs the Gold Coast Titans and North Queensland, with the Cowboys and Broncos having played in some epics in recent years; the Dolphins more than made a splash in their first season, with fans in the River City getting swept up along the way. The highest non-final attendance in 2023 was the 51,047 who poured into Suncorp Stadium in Round 4 for the Dolphins v Broncos match, while their return leg at the Gabba in Round 18 saw a sellout 30,606 crowd watch the Broncos prevail for a second time against the newcomers. Officially a home game for the Dolphins, their first meeting saw the Broncos unveil their ‘Our City’ jersey for their ‘away’ game, while that match also produced an iconic moment for Broncos fans, with the celebration from Kotoni Staggs after his match-sealing try leaving no doubt in their eyes whose 'home' it was. With the Dolphins having signed two of their stars in Herbie Farnworth and Thomas Flegler, that rivalry is set to continue to burn in 2024.