Brisbane Broncos assistant coach Ben Te’o has revealed he’d shunned an offer from the Gold Coast Titans to remain at the NRL premiers in 2026. Te’o and Trent Barrett served as Michael Maguire’s assistants in 2025, helping the Broncos win their first premiership in 19 years.
Te’o and Barrett were actually appointed by former coach Kevin Walters just weeks before he departed in 2024, but Maguire kept them on when he took the job. The decision worked wonders, as Maguire, Te’o and Barrett formed a premiership-winning coaching staff.
Te’o, who serves as Maguire’s defensive coach and brought a harder edge in 2025 that was lacking from the team, has now re-committed for 2026. The former Broncos player, who won a comp as a player under Maguire at Souths in 2014, told The Courier Mail he received interest from new Titans coach Josh Hannay to switch clubs.
Ben Te’o (R) is Michael Maguire’s defensive coach for the premiership-winning Broncos. Image: Getty/AAP
Te’o admitted he was tempted by the Gold Coast offer, but ultimately decided to stay put with a desire to try and help the Broncos go back-to-back. “We’ve got the World Club Challenge and the opportunity to go deep into next year’s finals. They’re the things that motivate me,” he said.
“They’re hungry to improve because this was Madge’s first season as coach and my first season with some of my defensive systems. You have to think that second time around it’s going to run a bit smoother and we can really dial into the detail.
“There’s a lot of improvement and we had some hiccups this year which I’d like to think won’t happen second time around. Improvement’s a big thing that we’re all chasing.
“We’re a well-balanced team. Me and Madge have a relationship that goes back a long time. We won a premiership as coach and player, and now as colleagues. It’s been great to learn off of him and also the other coaches.”
Ben Te’o celebrates with Ben Hunt after the Broncos’ triumph in the NRL grand final. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
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As well as retaining Te’o, the Broncos also recently re-signed Corey Jensen, Cory Paix, Ben Talty and Jack Gosiewski. But they’ve bid farewell to premiership heroes Koby Hetherington and Tyson Smoothy, as well as Selwyn Cobbo, Jock Madden and Israel Leota.
Trent Barrett still holds desire to be NRL head coach
Meanwhile, Barrett told SEN radio on Friday that he’ll also be back in 2026, but still holds a desire to be a head coach. Barrett has previously coached Manly, the Bulldogs and Parramatta, but only holds a 31 per cent winning record as a head coach.
Trent Barrett chats with Michael Maguire at a Brisbane Broncos training session. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
“I’ve probably had two false starts with Manly and Canterbury and probably was warned against both of them at a young age by people I probably should have listened to,” he admitted. “But I’m a hell of a lot better coach for the experiences that I have been through. The assistant stuff I love, but deep down, you would love another crack at it.
“One thing I have learned is that you have to go to a club that suits you… not only your personality, but I guess the way you coach, the way you recruit and the players you recruit, what they got there and how well run the club is.
“And that’s one thing with Brisbane. It is the best club I’ve seen by quite a length in terms of the field (and) how they do things, the size of it, the support they get, the facilities. It’s huge. And we’re lucky enough to have some brilliant players, which makes my job easier as an attack coach. I would like another crack, but I’m certainly in no hurry.”