What is going on at the Brisbane Broncos?

It is the question that is being asked across the rugby league world.

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First, Payne Haas departed the club for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, reportedly without the Broncos having any real indication that it was coming.

And now, the departure of assistant coach Ben Te’o was leaked to the media with the playing group only finding out about his exit via social media.

“What’s going on at the Broncos?” Code Sports reporter David Riccio said on NRL 360.

“The Payne Haas situation blows up. You know, I was critical of how they handled the management of addressing that departure of the best front-rower of the game

“They claimed to me that they didn’t have time to prepare a press conference because they were blindsided by the decision of Payne Haas.

“The biggest club of what [Dave] Donaghy wants to be…they didn’t know that their best player was leaving.”

“Today they claim they had no idea their assistant coach, such a pivotal member within that coaching staff, the right-hand man to Michael Maguire, the defensive operator that helped them win a premiership, they had no idea,” Riccio added.

“What is going on? Ben Talty took to a press conference and revealed that he learnt the news of Ben Te’o’s departure via Instagram.”

Bedel breaks down Te’o’s Broncos exit | 03:58

The Broncos are now in damage control and looking for a new assistant, defensive coach and on-field trainer, all roles that Te’o filled for Brisbane.

Fox League’s Paul Crawley revealed that Te’o was a huge factor in turning around Brisbane’s season in 2025 after he acted as a go-between with the players and Madge to allow them to reset their season with a night out in Manly.

“Everyone says defence is what wins premierships and Te’o last year was credited with the fact when the Broncos were going through that tough period where they’d lost four games in a row and I think it culminated in a big loss to Manly at Brookvale,” Crawley said.

“Ben Te’o was the one that could read the room and he figured that these boys need to get out and we need to enjoy ourselves, so he convinced Madge to let them go for a beer and he’d spoken to Pat Carrigan about it.

“But it was his ability to have that rapport with the players and pull them aside and keep them on the path and then that put them on the trajectory to win the Grand Final.

“So without that, you do have to worry about what may happen going forward because Madge’s history is that he can go in and he can get the job done, but unfortunately, things can go pear-shaped after that.”

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 12: Head Coach Michael Maguire.Source: Getty Images

Riccio backed up Crawley, labelling Te’o a cushion between the players and Madge’s intensity.

“Te’o acted as a very much a cushion or a go-between, between Madge and the players and the players confided in Te’o a lot,” Riccio said.

“Across every club, the assistant coach plays a pivotal role in being that barrier between head coach and playing group and Ben was that.

“So without him there, I’m fascinated to see how they fill that void.”

Te’o’s departure prompted club legend Gorden Tallis to call for a shake up at the club.

With tensions building behind the scenes and within the playing group, Tallis believes there is one man who should be rehired and is capable of steadying the ship, thereby unifying the playing group and coaching staff – Allan Langer.

‘Bulls**t’ Crawley on Te’o’s exit | 02:56

“Madge has asked me to come in the four walls and I’ve declined. Allan Langer needs to go back and get in the four walls and get in the blue shirt,” the NRL 360 co-host added.

“There’s no one that brings a side together like Allan Langer and if I was at the Broncos right now, with that playing group vulnerable and blokes leaving with the uncertainty, he’s the guy that’s always held every team together that I’ve ever played with.”

Paul Crawley added, “Alfie had the blue shirt when Kevie [Kevin Walters] was coaching and he surrendered that when Madge took over.”

A longtime blue shirt trainer for the Broncos – a role that Te’o held at the club – Langer departed the Broncos at the end of 2024