The Broncos are already laying the foundations for their 2026 season with assistant coach Matt Ballin set to remain loyal to Michael Maguire, while a Dolphins star could be on his way over to Red Hill. The Dolphins are set to offload a number of NRL players following their end of season ceremony and the Broncos are keen to swoop on outgoing forward Aublix Tawha for next season.
Tawha made a name for himself in 2025 after going toe-to-toe with Roosters firebrand Spencer Leniu in round 23. While the Roosters hammered the Dolphins, Tawha stood up to the NSW prop in a fierce contest.
The 26-year-old featured for the Dolphins in their last nine games in 2025, but according to The Daily Telegraph there isn’t a position in the 30-man roster for Tawha next year. And the Broncos are set to swoop on the forward to add more muscle to their front-row.
Tawha appears set to become one of the few players to make the transition from the Dolphins to the Broncos. Fletcher Baker is departing the Broncos with Tawha to take his place. The Broncos would welcome another forward with injuries taking its toll on the front-row in 2025.
Ben Te Kura struggled to crack into the first team, before injuries set him back. While Xavier Willison and Corey Jensen have played alongside Payne Haas throughout the season. More depth to the
The Dolphins will see up to nine players leave their squad ahead of next season with veterans Mark Nicholls and Kenny Bromwich both retiring. But with Selwyn Cobbo, Brad Schneider and Super League star Morgan Knowles all joining the club at Redcliffe, the Dolphins’ roster is already full.
And Tawha’s expected signing isn’t the only win for the Broncos before their current season is over. Highly respected assistant coach Ballin is also expected to remain under Maguire for another season.
Maguire joined the Broncos and made changes to the coaching staff upon his arrival. Although Ben Te’o, Trent Barrett and Ballin remained as the assistant coaches. Ballin, a former Manly and Tigers No.9, signed under former coach Kevin Walters. Since then he has become a highly-sought after coach.
The Cowboys and Titans were both reportedly seeking to bring him over to help after a poor season for both clubs. Although in a major win for the Broncos and Maguire’s coaching team, The Courier Mail has reported Ballin will remain in Brisbane for another season.
While he was attracting interest, Ballin is expecting a child with Channel 7 reporter Alissa Smith and is settled in Brisbane. Ballin will remain with coaches Te’o and Barrett on the coaching staff. The Broncos are currently on a signing spree having retained Ben Talty, Cory Paix, Jensen and Hayze Perham across the last few weeks.
