Broncos end 2018 by retaining magnificent seven young guns

They are the magnificent seven Brisbane Broncos young guns with a combined 109 games of NRL experience that the club has wrapped up for at least the next two seasons.

When the Broncos recently announced the re-signing until the end of 2022 of Queensland under 20 captain Patrick Carrigan they completed a year of retention that resulted in the club's brightest talents being retained despite keen interest from rival clubs.

Kotoni Staggs, David Fifita, Matt Lodge and Jaydn Su'A are all locked in until the end of 2020 with New Zealand international Jamayne Isaako (2022) and teenaged prop Payne Haas (2024) secured for even longer.

The seven, with Lodge the oldest at 23, are not the only youthful talents the Broncos have acquired on longer-term deals but are all expected to play NRL on a regular basis in the coming seasons.

Young props Carrigan and Thomas Flegler (19), who is signed until the end of 2020, are yet to make their NRL debuts but are highly rated and are expected to follow in the footsteps of Haas and get their chance in the 2019 season at some stage.

Staggs and Lodge have been selected in the NSW Blues emerging Origin squads, Su'A and Fifita have been named for Queensland in their emerging program and 2018 leading NRL point scorer Isaako has been identified by the Kiwis as a decade-long international.

In the next 12 months, the Broncos will also aim to secure Joe Ofahengaue, Corey Oates and Tevita Pangai jnr long term to keep the burgeoning youth at the club on deck.

The Broncos retained long-term the likes of Josh McGuire, Andrew McCullough, Alex Glenn, Ben Hunt and Jharal Yow Yeh from their star-studded 2008 under 20s grand final side. Matt Gillett also played under 20s that year.

McCullough, Gillett and Glenn are still on deck more than a decade later and it is Brisbane's intention that the seven "baby Broncos" re-signed this year will follow in their footsteps.

Former Broncos captain Justin Hodges said new coach Anthony Seibold was the right man to ensure the rising talents reach their potential and to take established players to the next level.

"The next couple of years will be quite bright and I think the young guys will hit their peak, like Payne Haas who only played a couple of games this year,” Hodges said.

"Patrick Carrigan is another I think will go on, Kotoni Staggs is another along with Jamayne Isaako.

"Seibs has got a really good roster and a lot of talented players in the group. To lose someone like Josh McGuire because of the young guys coming through speaks volumes about the group. I think Seibs will do a wonderful job.

"He will really help out guys like Kodi Nikorima, Anthony Milford and Macca [McCullough], those type of guys who can take that extra step, and I think he can provide that."