The Broncos have been handed a big forward pack boost, with Brendan Piakura being given clearance to return to the field after concussion issues threatened to end his career.
Following a head knock in Round 20 against the Panthers, which was his fifth serious incident across his last three seasons, Piakura’s future was in doubt.
Now, according to Code Sports, the 24-year-old has been given the green light to return after consulting with one of Australia’s leading brain doctors.
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“Brendan went down to Melbourne to do some assessments and they did some specialist scanning of his brain,” Piakura’s agent Allan Gainey said.
“The Broncos sent Brendan to a specialist as a sort of precaution and he did some additional testing.
“The good news is it’s all systems go (for Piakura to play again).”
Piakura is now set to join the club’s pre-season campaign, after the Broncos back rower managed only 12 games due to his head knock issues in 2026.
Piakura underwent a similar process to Knights superstar Kalyn Ponga, who flew to Canada in 2023 after he copped four head knocks in the space of 10 months.
He also received clearance to return to the field and has since largely escaped any concussion issues.
Michael Maguire and the Broncos are also hopeful of reworking Piakura’s tackle technique in an attempt to reduce his risk of suffering further brain issues.
“He is putting his head in the wrong spot,” Maguire said.
“We’ll look at all those things. We’ve been talking about that (Piakura’s tackling style) since I’ve been here.
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“He’s had a few issues. He plays the game hard. I think we’ve just got to make sure we practise the areas of his game where, whether it’s fatigue or the application of how he does things, we definitely will work at that.
“They’re all things ‘Brendy’ and myself are talking about, about how we can help him when he’s ready to go.”
BUMPER TIGERS BLOW AS SKIPPER’S INJURY WOES EMERGE
Api Koroisau and the Tigers are reportedly set to meet with surgeons on Friday after it emerged the gun hooker’s injury was worse than initially feared.
After being taken from the field in Fiji’s final World Cup clash against New Zealand on Saturday, Koroisau was believed to have suffered a broken jaw.
However, according to Code Sports, the 33-year-old could be sidelined for the start of his 2027 club campaign after it was revealed he had suffered a facial fracture.
Koroisau could go under the knife as soon as Monday morning, with Friday’s meeting set to give the Tigers’ medical staff a clearer outline on Koroisau’s potential return timeline.
The merger club began their pre-season on Wednesday morning and Koroisau was said to be keen to return early after featuring in the World Cup to assist the Tigers’ younger players.
Interestingly, rising stars Josese Lanyon and Glassie Glassie both fronted for pre-season only days after finishing their respective World Cup campaigns.
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BEARS CONFIRM FRESH CEO APPOINTMENT
The Perth Bears have confirmed Tony Rea has been appointed as the club’s new chief executive officer after Anthony De Ceglie stepped down from his post in October.
Reports emerged De Ceglie had fallen out with sections of the Bears board, which led ARLC chairman Peter V’landys to step in, before the former media executive stood down from his post.
Perth had been on the lookout for a replacement, with Rea taking over the position on Wednesday.
The 60-year-old notched up 120 games for the Bears between 1988 and 1994, captaining the side while also spending time as London Broncos coach and chief executive.
“I’ve sat in almost every seat in a club: player, captain, development officer, head coach, director of rugby and board member,” Rea said in a club statement.
My job as CEO is not to do any one of those jobs – but rather to use that experience to lead our professional team together as one, committed to success,” he said.
“The Perth Bears have assembled an exceptional and professional team. They have achieved so much in such a short amount of time and I look forward to leading them as CEO into this next chapter.
“Our hungry and determined squad has been curated under the wise leadership of Mal Meninga. Our task is to ensure they have every support needed to be the formidable team we know they can be.
“My professional work over the last decade has exposed me, albeit from a distance, to the determination, resilience and grit of Western Australians. I’m delighted I’ll be calling WA home and even more delighted to be part of developing more rugby league talent out of WA.”