Hodges gives big Madge sacking verdict & Haas claim

Former Brisbane Broncos star Justin Hodges has discussed several key topics following the club’s final game of 2026.

The Broncos beat the Bulldogs in their finale, winning only their eighth match of a dismal season.

Hodges insists something has to change, and he predicts that could be the departure of head coach Michael Maguire if things don’t improve within six weeks of 2027.

“Something has to change. You can’t keep using the excuse of a lot of unrest, and this and that,” Hodges told The Late Show with Matty Johns.

“It’s about competing, and you are playing for the Broncos. This year has been horrible.

“Something has to change next year, and if it doesn’t change in the first five or six weeks, we probably will see changes.”

Hodges still lives in the Brisbane area and touched on the fans’ frustrations this year.

Hodges continued: “I think it’s been pretty much the same, probably even a bit worse (the frustration from the fans compared to the media criticism).

“The fans have really shown their anger to the side. They have been very boisterous at the games, offering their opinions. It has been one of those years you flush down the toilet and start again.”

Meanwhile, Payne Haas played his final game for the Broncos in the win over the Bulldogs, with Hodges still feeling that his departure is a damning indictment of where Brisbane are at.

Hodges added: “They won tonight, but Payne Haas has carried the Broncos for five or six years. For him to talk out in the way that he did, something must have happened for that to happen.”