![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/poster-fallback.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not game enough to write them off yet,\u201d Tallis said on NRL 360.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m 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\u2019s getting steeper.\u201d<\/p>\n
NRL 2026 RD15NRL 2026 RD15 South Sydney Rabbitohs v Brisbane Broncos – dejection. Picture: NRL PhotosSource: Supplied<\/p>\n
While Tallis remained optimistic about their finals chances, the same couldn\u2019t be said for The Daily Telegraph\u2019s Dean Ritchie.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI look at that Broncos side and they\u2019ve just lost desire, they\u2019ve lost their hunger,\u201d Ritchie said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone knows the respect I\u2019ve got for Michael Maguire, but Madge is living in Disneyland if he thinks they can still make the finals.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you break it down, it\u2019s been a fairly insipid premiership defence, all be it they have had injuries.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re gone. They\u2019ve won five games and we\u2019re in the middle of June.\u201d<\/p>\n
Is ‘Kung-Fu Kalyn’ a ticking bomb | 03:14<\/p>\n
Fellow reporter Brent Read from CODE Sports agreed with Richie\u2019s comments.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t use an excuse on the absences,\u201d Read added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way they\u2019re playing, they don\u2019t even look like winning a game at the moment and that\u2019s the concern for me.<\/p>\n
\u201cMadge\u2019s got to put on a brave face because he\u2019s the coach at the footy club and you can\u2019t put your hand up and say the season\u2019s over.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd they do have the capacity if Reeee Walsh catches fire to win in footy games, but they\u2019re a long way off it at the moment. They\u2019re a long way off.\u201d<\/p>\n
NRL 2026 RD15 South Sydney Rabbitohs v Brisbane Broncos – Ben Hunt, dejection. Picture: NRL PhotosSource: The Courier Mail<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, their embarrassing form could have a lasting effect beyond just season with several players off-contract and fighting for their futures.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you can get Ben Hunt for $200,000-300,000, then he\u2019s a handy player for next year, but I don\u2019t think they\u2019re going to break the bank for him, nor should they, the way he\u2019s playing in recent weeks <\/p>\n
This follows comments from former Broncos captain Corey Parker who urged the premiership-winner to hang up the boots at season\u2019s end.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t want people saying, \u2018Hunty went one year too long,\u2019 or, \u2018The game\u2019s gone past him\u2019. I really wouldn\u2019t like that for him,\u201d he told The Courier-Mail last week.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d be more inclined not to sign him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat pains me to say because I\u2019ve got the utmost respect for Ben, but he\u2019s turning 37. He looks slow.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Brisbane Broncos may be sitting near the bottom of the ladder in 14th place with just five…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":738034,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":["post-738033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-nrl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/738033","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=738033"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/738033\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/738034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=738033"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=738033"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=738033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}