Payne Haas and Ezra Mam in brutal double blow for Broncos after embarrassing Titans defeat

Broncos fans' worst fans have been realised with Ezra Mam and Payne Haas both likely to miss the remainder of the 2024 season after picking up serious injuries on the weekend. On Saturday, Brisbane's NRL horror show reached a new low as they were battered 46-18 by a rampant Gold Coast in front of a sell-out crowd.

Leading 18-10 at halftime, the visitors were blown away by their southeast Queensland rivals in a one-sided second half as the Titans racked up seven unanswered tries as they registered their second win over the Broncos this season. And to make matters worse, scans revealed on Monday that star duo Haas and Mam are set for extended stints on the sidelines, with the pair likely to not play again in 2024.

Haas appears almost certain to miss the rest of the season, with scans confirming the prop sustained a lisfranc injury. “Scans confirmed Payne has a lisfranc injury while Ezra has a syndesmosis issue,” Broncos Head of Performance Dave Ballard said via a club-issued statement.

“We will consult specialists in coming days, with both players unavailable for selection this weekend while we map out a way forward.” During Saturday’s game, Fox League's Lara Pitt revealed Haas had his foot assessed during the warm-up but was given the all-clear. However, he succumbed to the injury during the first half.

The prop is expected to undergo surgery which would put him out of action for between three and five months. While Mam joined Haas on the sidelines late in the first half, as the playmaker picked up a syndesmosis injury.

There is a chance Mam returns this season, with the severity of the syndesmosis injury not yet made public. If it is on the lower end of the scale, the five-eighth could be sidelined for just a couple of weeks but if it is more serious he may also need surgery. And with the Broncos' finals hopes over there is a good chance they will give him time off to recover regardless, meaning he may have played his last game for Brisbane in 2024.

In another blow, the Broncos also revealed backup hooker Tyson Smoothy has been sent for an MRI after he was injured playing for feeder side South Logan Magpies in QLD Cup. “Tyson also has an ankle issue but we will wait and see what the scan shows before making any further comment,” Ballard said.

Titans hammer Broncos in second-half demolition job

The Titans were outstanding in the second half at home on the weekend, with young guns Keano Kini and Jojo Fifita leading the way as they ran riot against the Broncos. The 46-18 defeat marked Brisbane's biggest ever loss to the Titans as they slumped to their eighth defeat in nine games.

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And despite the injury toll, Brisbane coach Kevin Walters refused to use it as an excuse for the loss. "We had bodies on the field that are playing in the NRL and they need to do their job," he said. The Broncos will most likely play the rest of the season without Haas.