From November 1, 38 players from Queensland’s NRL clubs will hit the open market as a changing of the guard looms across the Broncos, Dolphins, Titans and Cowboys ahead of the preseason.
Brisbane Broncos
Broncos marquee man Payne Haas could emerge as a shock contender for the club’s captaincy after incoming coach Michael Maguire refused to confirm Adam Reynolds would retain the job.
While Kevin Walters’ successor praised Reynolds’ leadership, having won a premiership together with South Sydney, he suggested he would have to “talk to Reyno” when asked if the ‘c’ would remain next to his name.
The halfback drew criticism for his leadership from former players – such as Gorden Tallis – as Brisbane slumped from grand finalists to 12th. And while Pat Carrigan is the presumed understudy, Maguire reserved special praise for Haas.
Could Payne Haas be a shock captaincy candidate for the Broncos?Credit: Getty Images
Maguire saw a leader in Haas during New South Wales’ State of Origin triumph this year, and with the 117-kilogram star coming off contract in 2026, becoming the Broncos’ long-term skipper could be the carrot that keeps him from hitting the open market.
“There are obviously some more leaders … but Payne was incredible,” Maguire said.
“We all know what an incredible person he is, but also the knowledge I feel he and I can lift the group with. I saw him do it in the Origin arena.
“He was in the leadership group, and he spoke very strongly about what he wanted in that space, which helped me immensely. He’s very hungry to succeed.”
DOLPHINS
Dolphins hooker Jeremy Marshall-King was ruled out of the Pacific Championships for New Zealand, but he’s expected to be in no danger of missing the start of the preseason.
The 28-year-old underwent minor knee surgery and will leave a gaping hole in the Kiwis’ No.9 stocks, given Roosters dummy-half Brandon Smith (ACL) and incumbent rake Kieran Foran (ankles) are also unavailable.
Jeremy Marshall-King leaves the field injured.Credit: Getty Images
While Marshall-King is expected to be fit in November, edge forward Connelly Lemuelu will be racing the clock for the preseason trials as he recovers from a shoulder reconstruction – ensuring he will miss Samoa’s three-Test series against England.
The Dolphins confirmed Kenny Bromwich had also received an elbow clean out but would be fit for November training, while Tom Gilbert was on track to return from a season-ending knee injury in the early rounds of 2025.
GOLD COAST TITANS
Titans’ wunderkind Keano Kini, who is firming for a shock Test debut, is set to wage a heated battle with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad for New Zealand’s No.1 jumper in the forthcoming Pacific Championships.
The 20-year-old fullback was electric in a Gold Coast side that struggled for much of the campaign, and he appears to have leapfrogged versatile stars AJ Brimson and Jayden Campbell.
Keano Kini is in line for a Test debut with New Zealand.Credit: Getty Images
But Kini has refused to consider it his jersey ahead of another three-way showdown for the role this preseason, and he’s now intent on impressing Kiwi coach Stacey Jones in the way he did Des Hasler.
After setting Titans’ records this year – running for 344 metres against the Dragons and averaging 212 metres a game – he said his family would ensure he did not become complacent, as coach Hasler seeks to transform his underperforming squad into contenders.
“My dad always keeps me reminded: it’s never your jersey, you have to earn it. You have to keep playing your best, and there’s always the opportunity for someone to come in,” Kini said.
“It would be a dream of mine to pull on the Kiwi jersey. It would be an honour to play under Stacey.”
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Cowboys head of football Micheal Luck says the harsh lessons North Queensland took from the 2022 World Cup will be what keeps the club from suffering a similar capitulation to its 2023 campaign.
After a dream run to the preliminary finals two years ago, coach Todd Payten’s men were brought back down to earn the following season, missing the business end of the year due to a slow start in which they won just three of their opening nine games.
Five Cowboys will feature in the Pacific Championships – Tom Dearden and Reece Robson (Australia), Jason Taumalolo (Tonga), Griffin Neame (New Zealand), and Semi Valemei (Fiji) – while Jeremiah Nanai will play for Samoa.
But Luck was confident the club had adapted to ensure this year’s semi-final berth was no flash in the pan, and they would not suffer from the same Test football hangover.
“It’s the conundrum our club hasn’t dealt with great over the last five years. When you have a successful season, you get players involved in rep footy, then a shorter preseason with the whole squad,” Luck said.
“It’s a double-edged sword: you want to be successful so you get players in rep footy, which makes it a more attractive club in terms of retention and recruitment.
“That’s something Melbourne, Penrith, the Roosters, and Cronulla have been successful in over the last four or five years and have managed to handle, and we probably didn’t.”
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