Brisbane paid the price for having so many players off-contract heading into a television rights year. That situation stalled a lot of negotiations and Brisbane weren't able to make the right moves going forward.
Whether Cronulla were honest in Jack's health assessment is irrelevant, at the end of the day, Brisbane made a big investment without doing their due diligence.
Injuries have only exacerbated the issue. As Boyd's deal was being finalised he did his hamstring against North Queensland and it's hindered his game significantly. Similarly, McCullough who was playing career best footy did his ACL against Parramatta a few matches prior and he hasn't been the same player since. The deals they signed on were already generous, but the injuries only made things worse for Brisbane.
Seibold's arrival at the club was handled extremely poorly by every party involved and it's led to a bitter fall-out. Seibold went in with the intention of giving this playing group a chance to adapt to his structures and those who have buckled have been shown the door. There is little in the way of depth at the club, so Seibold has looked towards the younger players who may not be ready now, but in 2-3 years time will be the future of the club. There's also some players he's stuck by who have been a part of the Broncos system for awhile and are at that stage where they'll either sink or swim and the club needs to know whether they're worth the investment.
Initial signs haven't been positive. Seibold has opted to tear strips off the player roster, releasing eight players from the Top 30 but he's yet to find any worthwhile replacements. Brisbane have also lost a couple of genuine prospects in their junior development program in Sam Walker, Jake Simpkin and Tanah Boyd. In the case of Walker and Boyd it was understandable given that Dearden is being suited up as the future halfback of the club, but Simpkin's loss is very puzzling. He's one of the best dummy halves coming through the grades and Brisbane have allowed him to walk to Wests. Even if he doesn't become a star there, the fact Brisbane weren't able to keep him sends danger signs.
While Souths didn't require many changes, Seibold's recruitment management left something to be desired. The side lost one of the best edge forwards of 2018 and he didn't replace him with anyone of considerable note. His biggest profile signing was Souths Logan Magpies fullback Corey Allan who has been very disappointing thus far for the Rabbits. Considering what's required at the Broncos, it's a concern that Seibold has done little to demonstrate his capacity to put together a quality roster.
It isn't all bad news for the Broncos. Players like Payne Haas, David Fifita and Tom Flegler have shown their class for the club and there's still some genuine prospects coming through the grades. Broncos management will just be hoping that Seibold can turn things around in 2020, because the fans won't stand for another season like this.
