The Broncos have confirmed that highly touted assistant coach Ben Te’o has sensationally quit his role at the club just three rounds into their premiership defence.
Reports surfaced on Tuesday morning that the defensive specialist tendered his resignation following a disagreement with coach Michael Maguire over tactics ahead of last week’s grand final rematch.
Te’o won a premiership in 2014 at the Rabbitohs playing under Maguire and had been a crucial member of the coaching staff, with the club confirming the news on Tuesday afternoon.
“The Brisbane Broncos can confirm that NRL assistant coach Ben Te’o has resigned from his position within the club’s football department,” the club statement read.
“The club is in ongoing discussions with Ben regarding his future and the timing of his departure. Arrangements have not yet been finalised.
“First and foremost, the club is focused on supporting Ben and his family through this process and prioritising their wellbeing and welfare.”
Players had been asked about the shock news earlier in the day at their weekly media commitments.
“I saw it on Instagram this morning and I haven’t read too much into it,” Broncos forward Ben Talty said.
“I don’t know what’s coming or how true the situation is, so I can’t really comment on that (him leaving).
“Benny is a fantastic coach. He’s our defence coach and we try to pride ourselves on our defence as a team.
“Ben is an exceptional coach, but I don’t really have a comment because I don’t know too much about the situation.”
Fellow forward Brendan Piakura has evolved his game after learning off Te’o, who was one of the most physical edge forwards during his time in the NRL.
“He’s done really well for me,” he said.
“Learning off him, he was a really great player and a great coach as well. We won a grand final with him.
“Us players really took his practices into the games.”
The news comes on the back of last week’s public spat between the club and Broncos legend Gorden Tallis following his criticism of how Brisbane and skipper Adam Reynolds handled a rib injury.
The off-field dramas come at a bad time for the glamour club just days out from the Battle for Brisbane where they’ll face the Dolphins in a Friday night blockbuster.
Superstar prop Payne Haas looks set to miss the match with a shoulder injury and will leave a gaping hole in the middle of the field.
“It’s a huge loss,” Piakura said.
“Everyone knows the calibre of player that Payne is and what he brings to the team, but we’ve got other boys that can fill into his role and make it the next man up.”
Reynolds is a good chance of playing this week, with Talty and other big men like Xavier Willison needing to step up big time if Haas is ruled out.
“I’m not sure whether he’ll be in or not yet because I know there is some discomfort in his shoulder,” Talty said.
“If he’s not to play, he’s quite hard to replace, so it’s going to be a big role for me and Xavier and the rest of our middle forwards to step up to the plate and play a bigger role.”
Originally published as ‘Resigned’: Broncos confirm bombshell Ben Te’o coaching decision, Payne Haas set to miss Battle for Brisbane