Pat Carrigan has dismissed suggestions he should be named the new captain of the Brisbane Broncos under incoming coach Michael Maguire.
While Carrigan often steps into the captaincy role when Adam Reynolds is unavailable, the star forward believes Reynolds remains the right man for the job.
Carrigan, who was recently named the Paul Morgan Player of the Year for the second time—previously sharing the award with Payne Haas in 2020—continues to perform each week, earning his spot in this year’s Kangaroos Pacific Championships team.
Despite his individual achievements, the Broncos’ team performance in 2023 was a disappointment. After finishing as grand finalists the previous year, the Broncos’ 12th-place finish this season was a tough pill to swallow.
Coach Kevin Walters, who guided the team through a challenging year, was aware that an end-of-season review would be difficult. The decision to part ways with Walters came as a surprise, but the club aims to return to finals and chase a premiership under Maguire’s leadership.
On Thursday night, the Broncos held their end-of-season dinner. Walters, who declined the invitation, was absent as the players reflected on what needs to change for the future.
“It’s a hard one, to be honest; I don’t think too much about my own performance,” Carrigan said to Perth Now.
“I play a team sport for a reason, and as a club, we weren’t where we wanted to be.
“We had a lot of learning curves this year, and there’s things to build on for next year, and as a playing group, accountability is where it starts.
“I’ve had a brief chat to Madge (Maguire); a really nice fella, and he’s had a lot of success previously.
Former Broncos legend Gorden Tallis has shared his thoughts on the departure of coach Kevin Walters and the possible shift in the club’s captaincy heading into the new season.
Tallis believes Pat Carrigan is the natural candidate to step up and take on a more prominent leadership role.
“No chance, 100 per cent behind Reyno,” Carrigan said.
“People that know him as a leader and the influence he has on the club, it’s second to none he should be skipper of our team.”
Adam Reynolds and Michael Maguire are looking to rekindle their successful partnership, having previously worked together during their time at South Sydney, where they secured the premiership in 2014.
