How a boy from a horse stud became an unsung hero – and a victim of Broncos’ squeeze

6 days ago 6

This was supposed to be the culmination of seven years spent battling for his big NRL break. Instead, Ben Talty has become a luckless victim of the Broncos’ grand final ambitions.

Brought to Brisbane mid-year, the enforcer who grew up on a Hunter Valley horse stud became a focal point of coach Michael Maguire’s pack, losing just one of his 10 appearances.

But as star lock Pat Carrigan makes his comeback from suspension, Talty has been overlooked for Sunday’s decider against the Melbourne Storm.

However gut-wrenching that blow may be for the 26-year-old prop, who joins the injured Billy Walters (ACL) on the sideline, he is adamant that 2025 was a blessing.

His resurgence, he says, was never meant to happen.

“Absolutely,” Talty tells this masthead when asked if he had feared his time had passed, “but I never lost hope”.

“It always passed my mind, ‘will it ever come true?’ But I always had that burning desire and was never going to give up on it.”

From humble beginnings to Maguire’s call

Talty’s demotion – with Tyson Smoothy’s versatility to cover hooker, lock and the back row preferred – has halted his rise from humble beginnings.

Raised in Muswellbrook, a teenage Talty would embark on the near two-hour drive to training in Newcastle with his parents four times a week, eventually leading to junior representative honours.

“As a kid, I always wanted to play rugby league, but the first time I stepped into a representative program, I was 15 and said, ‘I really want to be an NRL player’,” Talty says.

Ben Talty in action for the North Sydney Bears.

“It took some time to get here, but ... I’m so grateful for it.”

While many talented players go straight from high school into elite systems, Talty waited – moving to the North Sydney Bears, where he balanced rugby league with a business cadetship.

Amid his 85 New South Wales Cup games for the club, he got the opportunity to complete a pre-season stint with the Storm last summer, culminating in a try-scoring trial against the Warriors.

It was not until June that Talty got his chance – an “out-of-the-blue” call from his manager, who told him to get to Brisbane.

Maguire offered him a train-and-trial deal until the end of 2026, which has since led to a two-year full-time contract.

“I thought something potentially could come from it, and then they wanted me to start training on the following Monday. I just got everything and came straight up,” Talty says.

“He [Maguire] just liked the way I attacked. He went over my stats with me and things I needed to work on to be able to become an NRL player.

“He had his knowledge about me and just wanted me to have faith in what I was doing, and to back myself.”

Who will be next among the late-bloomers?

While Talty has been named on the Broncos’ extended list, his rise is no less a testament to his resolve.

He follows in the footsteps of several others who bided their time – Jamal Fogarty, Cody Walker and Broncos teammates Josiah Karapani and Gehamat Shibasaki among the most successful.

The next one to join that list could be within Brisbane’s ranks.

Burleigh Bears enforcer Matthew Koellner went from the Broncos’ pre-season to his finest Queensland Cup campaign – highlighted by his grand final heroics.

The 28-year-old finished with 200 running metres and 26 tackles to help book his side’s place in the State Championship, a curtain-raiser to the NRL decider on Sunday.

It was only in 2023 that Koellner was parachuted out of the Gold Coast’s local competition with the Tugun Seahawks, and his Bears coach – former Parramatta Eels grand finalist Luke Burt – believes it is not too late for him.

“We’ve seen those older-age boys get some debuts, so hopefully he gets an opportunity in the next year or two,” Burt says.

“He’s got a fantastic work ethic, he knows where he’s come from, and he works hard. I remember two or three years ago, he didn’t have anything – it was a chance meeting, and we signed him within 24 hours.

“He’s a really hard worker, humble, and gets the job done.”

For those still pursuing their childhood ambitions, Talty has one message – “it’s all about opportunity”.

“You just have to put yourself in the spot. In the off-season I made a promise to myself; I wanted to get really fit and put myself in the best possible position to push for an NRL spot,” he says.

“It takes hard work. You can’t just say it’s hard, you’ve got to make it hard on yourself.”

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