A Multiple Signing” Broncos Ahead Coach Kevin Walters Announced The Two Wests Tigers Replacement Ahead Of….

The Brisbane Broncos NRLW have decided to extend the contracts of multiple players ahead of this season and will keep them at the club until the end of the 2025 season.

The Broncos have confirmed that Mele Hufanga, Gayle Broughton, Neta Nu’uausala, Tafito Lafaele, Chelsea Lenarduzzi and Skyla Adams have all put pen to paper to ink new extensions with the club.

Named the club’s NRLW Player of the Year last season, Hufanga topped the competition in line breaks (14) and was second in total tackle busts (71).

Her dominance has also seen her represent the New Zealand Kiwi Ferns on the international level, and she scored ten tries in her first season.

Fellow New Zealand teammate Gayle Broughton has also re-signed after joining from the Parramatta Eels NRLW and transitioned from fullback to a role in the halves.

A 2020 Olympics Gold medallist, she is an icon in both the NRLW and Rugby Sevens and managed four tries, four try assists, and six line-break assists in 2023.

“I am truly excited to have re-signed with such an incredible team and I’m even more eager as to what lies ahead for us in 2024,” Broughton told Broncos Media.

As Nu’uausala, Lafaele and Lenarduzzi will also remain at the club, Under-19s Queensland representative Skyla Adams has earned a contract upgrade and will be promoted to the Broncos Top 24 roster.

The tears from Adam Reynolds spoke volumes to the frustration he felt for his injury woes, with a hamstring concern marring one of the season’s most enthralling contests.

Brisbane’s inspirational leader and halfback was at his mercurial best and looked poised to replicate his miraculous feats in last week’s triumph over the Cowboys, setting up a freakish try for Jesse Arthars and guiding his side out of some daunting passages.

Broncos legend Gorden ‘Raging Bull’ Tallis has suggested that Brisbane coach Kevin Walters should leverage Tristan Sailor’s dynamic abilities in the halves for the upcoming Queensland derby against the Dolphins, especially with Reece Walsh nearing his return and Adam Reynolds sidelined due to a hamstring injury.

The prognosis on Reynolds’ hamstring tear appears to be more optimistic than initially thought, and he will likely only miss a few weeks. Tallis believes that there has to be a place for Sailor, the son of iconic winger Wendell Sailor, and that it should be alongside another young gun in Ezra Mam.

Many NRL teams would likely be chomping at the bit to have a player like Sailor at their disposal, especially considering his coverage of multiple positions. When Reece Walsh and Adam Reynolds find their way back into the team, it’s hard to see where Tristan is most relevant.

With a pivotal round 6 clash at Suncorp Stadium against the first-placed Dolphins on the cards, the Broncos are considering their options with Jock Madden appearing to be the front-runner.

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Sailor’s versatility and recent performances, particularly in the absence of Walsh at fullback, have sparked discussions about his potential inclusion in the halves alongside Mam.

“If Reece Walsh is fit, Tristan Sailor could be a fantastic option in the halves,” Gorden Tallis remarked per News Corp following Brisbane’s recent narrow defeat against the Melbourne Storm.

Sailor’s exceptional pre-season form and his adaptability, being able to play multiple positions including five-eighth and halfback, have made him a candidate for regular selection in the top 17, according to Walters.

I have no idea what Tristan Sailor is earning right now, but he’s a $700,000 player the moment the NRL brings in an 18th team.#NRLStormBroncos

Warren Smith (@WarrenSmithFOX) April 4, 2024

Options for the Broncos include recalling Madden, who previously filled in for Reynolds, or reshuffling the backline to accommodate Sailor in the halves, possibly moving Selwyn Cobbo to fullback and bringing in veteran Corey Oates on the wing if Walsh isn’t ready to return.

Former NSW Blues and Newcastle Knights star Matty Johns agrees that Sailor has exceptional promise, but lamented that Ezra Mam is a five-eighth, not a game-managing halfback.

“Jock Madden is a good young player, I think he will come into the side,” Johns said.

“I just think with Ezra, the logical thing is to move him to seven, but it would affect his game steering the side around the park. I think they will go with a specialist halfback in Jock Madden,” Johns continued.

“Tristan is the ultimate team player,” Wendell Sailor noted, further pushing a potential ‘havoc-wreaking’ partnership with Mam.

Kevin Walters also faces defensive challenges, with the Storm racking up 34 points against the Broncos in Round 5.