Having already signed Dane Gagai from the Knights, the Brisbane Broncos have now reportedly convinced a Newcastle teammate to join him. The Broncos have been on a recruitment drive in recent months after a historically bad premiership defence that will see them finish 14th on the NRL ladder.
They’re losing nine players from this year’s roster, including Adam Reynolds and Corey Jensen to retirement. Payne Haas, Gehamat Shibasaki, Jesse Arthars, Grant Anderson, Delouise Hoeter, Jaiyden Hunt and Jack Gosiewski are all departing as well.
Wilson De Courcey (second from right on left) will reportedly join Michael Maguire (R) at the Broncos. Image: Getty
They’ve signed Gagai, Mitch Barnett, Jonah Pezet and Shawn Blore for 2027, as well as extending the contracts of Ben Hunt, Billy Walters and Hayze Perham. And The Courier Mail is now reporting that Wilson De Courcey will join Gagai in leaving the Knights to join Brisbane.
The 20-year-old centre made his NRL debut in Round 5 against Canberra, and also played in Round 6 against the Tigers. He didn’t set the world alight in his two opportunities in first-grade, but has been a revelation in NSW Cup with 33 tries in 35 games since last season.
Wilson De Courcey played two games at NRL level for the Knights. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
He’s reportedly agreed to join the Broncos on a two-year deal from 2027 and will compete for a spot with Gagai, Kotoni Staggs, Deine Mariner and Josiah Karapani. Michael Maguire’s side also have rising stars Antonio Verhoeven and Phil Coates coming through the ranks.
“Realistically, I’d like one more senior player to help there,” Maguire said recently. “We’ve got Mitch Barnett, Xavier (Willison) and Patty (Carrigan) as our starters, but we’re looking for one more forward who can complement what’s coming off the bench.
“When you look at our depth, we need to be better in that space. We’ve actually got some really talented kids coming through, but they’re probably one or two years short at the moment.”
Broncos slump to 45-year low in premiership hangover
The Broncos beat the Bulldogs 34-20 on Thursday night to round out their season. But the victory was just their eighth on the season – the worst return of any defending premiers since Canterbury in 1981.
They’re just the third side in the NRL era to miss the finals in the year after winning the premiership. “We’ve pushed hard and one thing I know is the group moving into the next phase of where we go, they understand the highs of 12 months and then this period,” Maguire said.
