NRL 2026: Broncos decimated even more as forward leaves club and teammate undergoes surgery

The Broncos' depth is set to be tested even further after two more injuries added to the crisis at the NRL club. While Michael Maguire's side have also granted towering forward Ben Te Kura permission to take a break from league to chase his NFL dream, which makes a difficult situation even more complicated for the reigning premiers.

Brisbane confirmed that hooker Blake Mozer would be sidelined for six weeks after breaking his jaw in Friday night's loss to North Queensland. And on Sunday the club revealed that emerging forward Aublix Tawha was undergoing surgery after fracturing an eye socket while playing for Souths-Logan in the Hostplus Cup, to further compound the Broncos' injury crisis.

"Aublix went to hospital for scans, which confirmed the fracture. He will get surgery on Monday," Broncos head of football Troy Thomson told AAP.

Maguire is already set to be without superstar fullback Reece Walsh (fractured eye socket) and veteran Ben Hunt (MCL) for Saturday night's huge showdown against the in-form Wests Tigers. And skipper Adam Reynolds is battling to prove his fitness after being named to start and then withdrawn from the Cowboys game after failing to overcome a groin strain.

To compound matters for Brisbane, rep forward Patrick Carrigan has been slapped with a two-week ban if he takes an early guilty plea for a high shot on Cowboys star Tom Chester. And a decimated Broncos side could also be without another hooker for the crucial clash against the Tigers, unless they can successfully challenge Cory Paix's category one concussion ruling.

Brisbane believe Paix's head knock should have been deemed a category two, which doesn't come with a mandatory 11-day stand down. The club revealed that Paix passed his HIA test on Friday night and was right to come back on, with Maguire confirming they will take the case up with the NRL in a bid to have the hooker cleared to face the Tigers.

Broncos grant Ben Te Kura leave to chase NFL dream

Despite the current predicament at the Broncos, the club has given permission for giant forward Te Kura to take a break from league to attend a six-week NFL training camp. The 22-year-old has made five NRL appearances for Brisbane but has seen his opportunities limited through injuries and being stuck behind Maguire's powerful premiership-winning forward pack.

Te Kura has made no secret of his desire to chase an American football dream and is bidding to follow in the footsteps of fellow Aussies Jordan Mailata and Jarryd Hayne in cracking the NFL. At the conclusion of the six-week training program, Te Kura will either return to Broncos' training or the club will extend his leave so the youngster can take the next steps towards winning an NFL contract.

Mailata - who is a Super Bowl winner with the Philadelphia Eagles - entered the NFL after gaining a spot in its international pathway program (IPP) in 2017. It's the same route Dragons star Valentine Holmes took to end up at the New York Jets before he returned to the NRL at the Cowboys in 2020.

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