The 2018 Brisbane Broncos season is the 31st in the club's history. This rugby league team is based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Coached by Wayne Bennett, and captained by Darius Boyd, they completed the NRL's 2018 Telstra Premiership regular season in the number six position, qualifying for the finals. They were defeated in the 2nd Elimination Final by St George-Illawarra and did not progress further. Season summary Pre-season The Broncos entered the 2018 season looking to rebound from their disappointing 2017 finals campaign. The club recruited Jack Bird, Matthew Lodge, Andre Savelio and Sam Tagataese, while long-serving halfback Ben Hunt departed for the St. George Illawarra Dragons. Internationals Adam Blair, Herman Ese'ese, Benji Marshall, David Mead and Tautau Moga had also departed the club. Expectations were high despite the roster changes, with coach Wayne Bennett entering his 25th season as an NRL head coach. Early season Brisbane opened their season with a 34–12 loss to St George Illawarra against Ben Hunt for the first time, before rebounding with close victories over the North Queensland Cowboys and Wests Tigers. Rookie winger Jamayne Isaako quickly emerged as one of the club's breakout players, establishing himself as the side's primary goal-kicker and leading point scorer.
The Broncos struggled for consistency during the opening months of the competition, suffering losses to the Gold Coast Titans, Newcastle Knights and Melbourne Storm, but remained within reach of the top eight due to several close wins. Mid-season During the middle portion of the season, Brisbane began to improve defensively and recorded several important away victories over the New Zealand Warriors, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and Canberra Raiders. Young forwards Tevita Pangai Junior, Joe Ofahengaue and debutant David Fifita became increasingly influential in the side's forward pack.
The season also marked several milestones for senior players. Sam Thaiday played his 300th NRL game in Round 22 against the North Queensland Cowboys, while coach Wayne Bennett reached 800 first-grade games coached in Round 12.
Increasing media speculation surrounded the future of coach Wayne Bennett. Despite Brisbane remaining inside the top eight for much of the year, inconsistent form and pressure for long-term improvement led to reports that the Broncos board was considering a coaching succession plan. Anthony Seibold, who was coaching the South Sydney Rabbitohs at the time, was regularly linked to the role as speculation regarding Bennett's future continued throughout the season. Finals push Brisbane won six of their final eight regular-season matches to secure a sixth-place finish on the ladder with 15 wins from 24 matches. The Broncos recorded notable victories over the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Sydney Roosters and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles during the closing rounds to confirm their finals position.
Corey Oates finished the season as the club's leading try-scorer with 18 tries, while Jamayne Isaako scored 239 points in his rookie campaign. Finals series Brisbane qualified for the finals series for the ninth consecutive season and hosted an elimination final against the St. George Illawarra Dragons at Suncorp Stadium. Despite entering the match in strong form, the Broncos were defeated 48–18, ending their season in the first week of the finals.
Squad information
Cap. Nat. Player Position First Broncos game Previous First Grade RL club 128 Sam Thaiday 2003 141 Darius Boyd (c) 2006 Newcastle Knights 163 Andrew McCullough 2008 172 Alex Glenn 2009 174 Josh McGuire 2009 182 Matt Gillett 2010 199 Jordan Kahu 2013 201 Corey Oates 2013 209 Anthony Milford 2015 Canberra Raiders 212 Joe Ofahengaue 2015 213 Kodi Nikorima 2015 218 James Roberts 2016 Gold Coast Titans 223 Jaydn Su'A 2016 224 Tevita Pangai Junior 2016 225 Tom Opacic 2016 226 Jonus Pearson 2016 228 Korbin Sims 2017 Newcastle Knights 231 George Fai 2017 232 Jamayne Isaako 2017 233 Matthew Lodge 2018 Wests Tigers 234 Jack Bird 2018 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 235 Sam Tagataese 2018 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 236 Payne Haas 2018 Debut 237 Patrick Mago 2018 North Queensland Cowboys 238 Kotoni Staggs 2018 Debut 239 David Fifita 2018 Debut 240 Jake Turpin 2018 Debut 241 Gehamat Shibasaki 2018 Debut – Corey Allan Yet to debut – Eddie Blacker Yet to debut – Gerome Burns Yet to debut – Troy Dargan Yet to debut – Thomas Flegler Yet to debut – Salesi Funaki Yet to debut – Todd Murphy Yet to debut – Shaun Nona Yet to debut – Keenan Palasia Yet to debut – Mosese Pangai Yet to debut – Andre Savelio Yet to debut Warrington Wolves – Sam Scarlett Yet to debut – Myles Taueli Yet to debut
Squad changes Transfers in Date Position Player From Year/s Ref. 13 April 2017 Jack Bird Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 4 Years 11 July 2017 Andre Savelio Warrington Wolves 2 Years 15 September 2017 Myles Taueli Redcliffe Dolphins 2 Years 4 November 2017 Matthew Lodge Redcliffe Dolphins 1 Year 8 December 2017 Troy Dargan Parramatta Eels 1 Year 13 December 2017 Sam Tagataese Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 1 Year 14 December 2017 Jake Turpin Melbourne Storm 1 Year
Transfers out Date Position Player To Year/s Ref. 23 January 2017 Ben Hunt St. George Illawarra Dragons 5 Years 18 July 2017 Tautau Moga Newcastle Knights 3 Years 27 July 2017 Herman Ese'ese Newcastle Knights 3 Years 10 August 2017 Jai Arrow Gold Coast Titans 3 Years 13 August 2017 Benji Marshall Wests Tigers 1 Year 17 September 2017 Matiu Love-Henry New Zealand Warriors 1 Year 4 October 2017 Adam Blair New Zealand Warriors 3 Years 15 November 2017 Alex Barr Wynnum Manly Seagulls 1 Year 15 November 2017 Mitch Cronin Wynnum Manly Seagulls 1 Year 15 November 2017 Aaron Rockley Wynnum Manly Seagulls 1 Year 7 December 2017 Joe Boyce Townsville Blackhawks 1 Year 12 December 2017 David Mead Catalans Dragons 3 Years 21 December 2017 Sam Lavea Souths Logan Magpies 1 Year 21 December 2017 Travis Waddell Souths Logan Magpies 1 Year 29 June 2018 Marion Seve Melbourne Storm 2 1/2 Years
Coaching staff Name Role Ref. Wayne Bennett Head coach Jason Demetriou Assistant Coach Allan Langer Assistant Coach Jeremy Hicksman High Performance Manager Scott Barker Head of Performance Analysis Tannath Scott Athletic Performance Coach Fixtures
Regular season
Date Round Opponent Venue Score Tries Goals AttendanceThursday, 8 MarchRound 1 St George Illawarra DragonsUOW Jubilee OvalRoberts (2)Kahu (1/2)14,457Friday 16 MarchRound 2 North Queensland CowboysSuncorp Stadium24 – 20Pangai, Opacic, Glenn, NikorimaIsaako (4/4)46,080Friday 23 MarchRound 3 Wests TigersCampbelltown Stadium9 – 7Isaako (4/4) (1/3 FGs)11,434Sunday 1 AprilRound 4 Gold Coast TitansSuncorp Stadium14 – 26McCullough, NikorimaIsaako (3/3)30,742Saturday 7 AprilRound 5 Newcastle KnightsMcDonald Jones Stadium10 – 15Oates, MilfordIsaako (1/2)21,969Saturday 14 AprilRound 6 New Zealand WarriorsMt Smart Stadium27 – 18Isaako (2), Oates, Su'AIsaako (5/7)16,636Friday 20 AprilRound 7 Melbourne StormSuncorp Stadium20 – 34Glenn, Isaako, Milford, RobertsIsaako (2/4)32,709Thursday 26 AprilRound 8 South Sydney RabbitohsANZ Stadium24 – 20Boyd, Nikorima, Oates, RobertsIsaako (4/4)11,123Thursday 3 MayRound 9 Canterbury-Bankstown BulldogsSuncorp Stadium22 – 20Glenn, Oates, OfahengaueIsaako (5/5)22,225Saturday 12 MayRound 10 Manly-Warringah Sea EaglesSuncorp Stadium24 – 38McCullough, Thaiday, Millford, IsaakoIsaako (4/5)31,118Friday 18 MayRound 11 Sydney RoostersSuncorp Stadium28 – 22Isaako (2), Oates, Staggs, RobertsIsaako (4/6)29,009Thursday 24 MayRound 12 Parramatta EelsSuncorp Stadium18 – 10Isaako, Oates, RobertsIsaako (3/4)21,555 Round 13Bye Sunday 10 JuneRound 14 Melbourne StormAAMI Park16 – 32Boyd, Isaako, KahuIsaako (2/4)17,106Saturday 16 JuneRound 15 Cronulla Sutherland SharksSouthern Cross Group Stadium20 – 16Pangai, Milford, OatesIsaako (4/5)14,587Saturday 30 JuneRound 16 Canberra RaidersSuncorp Stadium26 – 22Oates, Glenn, Kahu, MilfordIsaako (5/5)30,495Sunday 8 JulyRound 17 Gold Coast TitansCbus Super Stadium34 – 0Nikorima, Staggs, Boyd, Ofahengaue, PearsonIsaako (7/7), Kahu (0/1)18,005Sunday 15 JulyRound 18 New Zealand WarriorsSuncorp Stadium6 – 26McCulloughIsaako (1/1)37,493Friday 20 JulyRound 19 Penrith PanthersSuncorp Stadium50 – 18Pangai (2), Nikorima (2), Roberts, Oates, Boyd, LodgeIsaako (5/5), Kahu (3/3)26,357Thursday 26 JulyRound 20 Cronulla Sutherland SharksSuncorp Stadium12 – 10Oates, LodgeKahu (2/3)22,859Thursday 2 AugustRound 21 Canterbury-Bankstown BulldogsANZ Stadium22 – 36Sims (2), Isaako, MilfordIsaako (3/5)6,434Thursday 9 AugustRound 22 North Queensland Cowboys1300SMILES Stadium30 – 34Pangai, Lodge, Roberts, SimsIsaako (7/7)19,663Thursday 16 AugustRound 23 South Sydney RabbitohsSuncorp Stadium38 – 18Oates (3), Fifita, Nikorima, SimsIsaako (7/8)29,241Saturday 25 AugustRound 24 Sydney RoostersAllianz Stadium22 – 8Isaako, Nikorima, OatesIsaako (5/7)13,263Sunday 2 SeptemberRound 25 Manly-Warringah Sea EaglesSuncorp Stadium48 – 16Oates (4), Isaako, Nikorima, Ofahengaue, RobertsIsaako (8/10)41,536 Legend: Result by round
Ladder
Player statistics
Players with no appearances are not included on the list. Player Games Tries Goals Field goals Points Jack Bird 8 0 0 0 0 Darius Boyd 25 5 0 0 20 George Fai 1 0 0 0 0 David Fifita 11 2 0 0 8 Matt Gillett 5 0 0 0 0 Alex Glenn 20 4 0 0 16 Payne Haas 3 0 0 0 0 Jamayne Isaako 25 11 97 1 239 Jordan Kahu 15 2 7 0 22 Matthew Lodge 25 3 0 0 12 Patrick Mago 12 0 0 0 0 Andrew McCullough 22 3 0 0 12 Josh McGuire 19 0 0 0 0 Anthony Milford 25 6 0 1 25 Kodi Nikorima 24 10 0 0 40 Corey Oates 23 18 0 0 72 Joe Ofahengaue 24 3 0 0 12 Tom Opacic 10 1 0 0 4 Tevita Pangai Junior 22 5 0 0 20 Jonus Pearson 2 1 0 0 4 James Roberts 23 9 0 0 36 Gehamat Shibasaki 1 0 0 0 0 Korbin Sims 22 4 0 0 16 Kotoni Staggs 9 2 0 0 8 Jaydn Su'A 15 1 0 0 4 Sam Tagataese 4 0 0 0 0 Sam Thaiday 24 1 0 0 4 Jake Turpin 2 0 0 0 0 28 players used 25 91 104 2 574
Representative honours This table lists all players who played a representative match in 2018. Player State of Origin 1 Mid-season Tests State of Origin 2 State of Origin 3 Post-season Tests Corey Allan – – – – Prime Minister's XIII & Junior Kangaroos Patrick Carrigan – – – – Junior Kangaroos Thomas Flegler – – – – Junior Kangaroos Jamayne Isaako New Zealand New Zealand Andrew McCullough Queensland – Queensland Queensland – Josh McGuire Queensland – Queensland Queensland Australia Anthony Milford Queensland Samoa – – – Kodi Nikorima – New Zealand – – New Zealand Corey Oates – – – Queensland – Joe Ofahengaue – Tonga – – Tonga Tevita Pangai Junior – – – – Tonga James Roberts New South Wales – New South Wales New South Wales – Gehamat Shibasaki – – – – Prime Minister's XIII Kotoni Staggs – – – – Junior Kangaroos Awards 2018 Dally M Awards
Rookie of the Year: Jamayne Isaako Top point scorer of the Year: Jamayne Isaako Female Player of the Year: Brittany Breayley Broncos Awards Night Held at Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre on Saturday, 6 October 2018.
Paul Morgan Medal (Player of the Year): Anthony Milford Players' Player: Joe Ofahengaue Fans' Player of the Year: Corey Oates Best Back (Allan Langer Award): Corey Oates Best Forward (Shane Webcke Award): Matthew Lodge Most Consistent (Kevin Walters Award): Alex Glenn Rookie of the Year (Cyril Connell Award): Jamayne Isaako Play of the Year: Jamayne Isaako – Round 11 vs Roosters, Jamayne Isaako try, 77th minute NRLW Player of the Year: Brittany Breayley NRLW Players' Player: Kimiora Nati NRLW Best Back: Kimiora Nati NRLW Best Forward: Brittany Breayley
QRL Awards Queensland Cup Centre of the Year: Kotoni Staggs (Redcliffe Dolphins) Mal Meninga Cup Player of the Year: David Fifita (Souths Logan Magpies) Representative Player of the Year: David Fifita (Queensland Under 18s) Rugby League Players’ Association Awards Winger of the Year: Jamayne Isaako NRLW (Women's)