Brisbane Broncos torched by own fans as massive unveiling for 2025 NRL season falls flat

The Brisbane Broncos have released their playing kit for the 2025 season which will see the NRL and NRLW teams run out in the same jersey for the first time in club history, but the unveiling has been panned by fans. In announcing the new design on Wednesday, Brisbane said it is a "modern twist" on the kit worn in Brisbane's historic 2000 grand final triumph.

But the announcement did not go down well with fans, with the design labelled "one huge fail". A video released by the club on Wednesday revealing the new jersey showcased the story of a young Brisbane fan putting in the work to try and live out his dream of becoming a Broncos player. Payne Haas and Broncos NRLW star Romy Teitzel also featured in additional imagery and vision released as part of the announcement.

The Broncos' announcement says the design is based on the jersey from 2000, stating the double stripe across the chest, gold on the sleeve trim and white trim on the sides match that of the iconic strip. However, it features none of the gold on the bottom half of the classic 2000 jersey, doesn't have a collar and even the stripes are a different colour.

In a clip announcing the kit, Broncos forward Haas said: "Obviously you think of all the great teams and people that came before us" when describing the jersey. While NRLW star Teitzel said the new jersey provides the club with a fresh start.

“It makes you realise what it means to be a Bronco. People remember what happened in that jersey whether it was in 2024 or moving forward,” she said. "As a playing group, we enjoy having new kit too because it’s a little bit of a fresh start and it’s something we can build our legacy into as well."

But Broncos fans were not impressed, stating it looks like a mix between a training strip and a rip-off jersey. The biggest gripe seemed to be the lack of any significant gold in the jersey, which has been a staple over the years.

For the new 2025 home kit, Broncos fans must also fork out $170 for a men's kit or $160 for a women's jersey, despite the Broncos announcement declaring both are exactly the same. Yahoo Sport Australia has contacted the Broncos for clarification on the reason for the pricing difference.

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Payne Haas says training standards at Brisbane are improving

Meanwhile, in a recent interview Haas inadvertently sunk the boot into his former coach Kevin Walters by admitting the standards at Broncos training were not up to scratch last season. Walters was sacked after the underperforming Broncos went from grand finalists in 2023 to finishing 12th and missing out on the finals completely this year.

“I was watching some of the other boys in the NSW team. The way they did things... I felt like we could be doing things better at the Broncos,” Haas told The Courier Mail. “I took away a lot from what ‘Madge’ (Maguire) said and what he stands for. That Origin camp made me think about how I should approach being in this team.”

Former NSW Blues mentor Michael Maguire was brought in as Brisbane's new coach largely due to his hard-nosed coaching approach and he's wasted little time implementing high standards at Red Hill. In his first full week of pre-season, Maguire has given his players a baptism of fire by putting them through their paces with some gruelling sessions in the searing Brisbane heat.

Some Broncos players were even reportedly seen using vomit buckets during their pre-season sessions as the era of hard work under Maguire is well and truly underway. The Broncos prop says there have been some "tough" sessions already with the new coach and says the intensity and no-nonsense approach is "what we need at the Broncos."

“I can’t wait to get back to full training. For me there’s nothing better than connecting with your teammates in pre-season and going through the blood, sweat and tears," he added. “I love being in the grind with my teammates and trying to achieve a goal together.”