Reynolds retirement will leave two voids. How do the Broncos fill them?

2 weeks ago 8

Adam Reynolds is tipped to retire once the curtain draws on the 2026 NRL season, in a move that would present the Broncos with a war chest of close to $2 million to mount poaching raids.

The 35-year-old Brisbane skipper has not officially confirmed the decision.

However, that may change at the club’s season launch on Monday before they venture to England to face Hull KR in the World Club Challenge.

Should Reynolds confirm the looming campaign will be his last, it would leave the Broncos with two huge voids to fill, following revelations marquee prop Payne Haas had informed Red Hill bosses he would leave at the end of the year to reunite with coach Wayne Bennett on a three-year deal with the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

That would leave close to $2 million in salary cap space to retain their talent – Gehamat Shibasaki and Billy Walters their biggest off-contract names – and bolster their squad. That figure could grow further depending on what veteran Ben Hunt opts to do beyond the end of his 2026 contract.

Highly touted halfback Jonah Pezet will arrive in Brisbane from the 2027 season, the former Melbourne Storm No.7 spending a year with Parramatta before making the move north.

While Pezet has managed just 18 NRL games since his 2023 debut, Hunt told reporters last month the signing could prove one of the most astute in the club’s history.

“Madge [coach Michael Maguire] called me before they signed him and told me the plans, and I said to him, ‘I think it’s one of the best moves the club can make’,” Hunt said.

“You’ve got two pretty old buggers in me and Reyno, who aren’t going to be around for much longer. To sign a player like Jonah that can get your footy team around the park and who kicks really well, if you can put him in there with Ezra [Mam] and Reece [Walsh], it’s a no-brainer.”

But who fills Haas’ enormous shoes will be hotly debated.

While the Rabbitohs confirmed they had lodged the contract with the NRL, it remained in a 10-day cooling-off period, during which time the Broncos can still negotiate with the 117-kilogram wrecking ball.

Adam Reynolds picked up his second premiership ring last year.

The player market is light on representative-standard props Brisbane could target for next year – Penrith’s Lindsay Smith and Francis Molo from the Dolphins the biggest names following Tino Fa’asuamaleaui’s declaration he would see out his Titans contract until the end of 2030.

By November 1, however, the Broncos would be able to negotiate with players who come off contract at the end of 2027 for the 2028 campaign – Corey Horsburgh, Moeaki Fotuaika, Mitchell Barnett and Stefano Utoikamanu among the high-profile props who will assess their futures.

Until then, boom Brisbane forward Xavier Willison will be eager to prove he can fill Haas’ place.

The 23-year-old is coming off a career-best campaign in the Broncos’ premiership triumph in 2025 – averaging 111 running metres and 22.95 tackles a game from 21 appearances – and believes he is ready to graduate from his usual role off the bench and into the starting side as soon as this year.

“It’d be good to get out there with Payne and Patty [Carrigan] at the same time, I’ve just got to keep ticking boxes and see how it goes,” Willison said.

“I’ll keep doing what I can. I thought I was there [at that level] last year a little bit, and we went the whole way, so wherever the team needs me I’ll be there.”

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