The Brisbane Broncos may be sitting near the bottom of the ladder in 14th place with just five wins, but that hasn’t caused former club legend Gorden Tallis to write them off.

Despite taking aim at the club in recent times – in particular skipper Adam Reynolds and head coach Michael Maguire – the three-time premiership winner has still left the door open on Brisbane’s season, revealing that he can still see them making the NRL Finals.

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This optimism comes as the club slumped to their sixth consecutive defeat over the weekend, which saw them humiliated by the South Sydney Rabbitohs and concede 48 points in the process.

“I’m not game enough to write them off yet,” Tallis said on NRL 360.

“I’m not prepared to write them off yet because they can go on the run and this side has gone on a run before, but the mountain’s getting steeper.”

NRL 2026 RD15NRL 2026 RD15 South Sydney Rabbitohs v Brisbane Broncos – dejection. Picture: NRL PhotosSource: Supplied

While Tallis remained optimistic about their finals chances, the same couldn’t be said for The Daily Telegraph’s Dean Ritchie.

Ritchie argued that even though they have been hit hard with injuries and missed players due to State of Origin responsibilities, their drop in form goes beyond personal changes

Instead, he suggested that they have lost their edge and they no longer resemble the same outfit that won the premiership just 12 months earlier.

“I look at that Broncos side and they’ve just lost desire, they’ve lost their hunger,” Ritchie said.

“Everyone knows the respect I’ve got for Michael Maguire, but Madge is living in Disneyland if he thinks they can still make the finals.

“When you break it down, it’s been a fairly insipid premiership defence, all be it they have had injuries.

“They’re gone. They’ve won five games and we’re in the middle of June.”

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Fellow reporter Brent Read from CODE Sports agreed with Richie’s comments.

However, he did note that once superstar fullback Reece Walsh returns, as well as centre Kotoni Staggs, lock Patrick Carrigan and front-rower Payne Haas, they could catch fire and make a play finals football.

“You can’t use an excuse on the absences,” Read added.

“The way they’re playing, they don’t even look like winning a game at the moment and that’s the concern for me.

“Madge’s got to put on a brave face because he’s the coach at the footy club and you can’t put your hand up and say the season’s over.

“And they do have the capacity if Reeee Walsh catches fire to win in footy games, but they’re a long way off it at the moment. They’re a long way off.”

NRL 2026 RD15 South Sydney Rabbitohs v Brisbane Broncos – Ben Hunt, dejection. Picture: NRL PhotosSource: The Courier Mail

Meanwhile, their embarrassing form could have a lasting effect beyond just season with several players off-contract and fighting for their futures.

One of these players is veteran playmaker Ben Hunt who wants to continue playing for the Broncos despite his age and was originally embroiled in early contract extension talks before their poor run of form began.

“If you can get Ben Hunt for $200,000-300,000, then he’s a handy player for next year, but I don’t think they’re going to break the bank for him, nor should they, the way he’s playing in recent weeks

This follows comments from former Broncos captain Corey Parker who urged the premiership-winner to hang up the boots at season’s end.

“You don’t want people saying, ‘Hunty went one year too long,’ or, ‘The game’s gone past him’. I really wouldn’t like that for him,” he told The Courier-Mail last week.

“I’d be more inclined not to sign him.

“That pains me to say because I’ve got the utmost respect for Ben, but he’s turning 37. He looks slow.”