The Brisbane Broncos have been hit with another setback after captain Patrick Carrigan was charged by the NRL Match Review Committee with a Grade 2 Careless High Tackle, placing the star forward on the verge of a multi-game suspension.
Carrigan is facing a two-match ban with an early guilty plea after the charge was classified as his second offence, with the penalty escalating due to his disciplinary record. Should the Broncos choose to challenge the charge at the judiciary and lose, the suspension would increase to three matches.
The incident occurred during Brisbane’s bruising derby defeat to the North Queensland Cowboys, where Carrigan was sin-binned for a high shot on Cowboys centre Tom Chester in the opening stages of the contest. The charge compounds what is quickly becoming a difficult stretch for the Broncos, who are already battling injuries and inconsistency early in the 2026 NRL campaign.
If Carrigan accepts the early plea, he would miss upcoming clashes against the Wests Tigers and Canterbury Bulldogs, depriving Brisbane of one of its most influential forwards and on-field leaders. A failed judiciary challenge would extend his absence further, adding to the club’s mounting concerns as they attempt to steady their season.
Carrigan’s looming suspension comes at a particularly poor time for Brisbane, with the Broncos already missing several key players through injury. The potential absence of their captain now threatens to further test the squad’s depth and resilience in the coming rounds.
For a Broncos side hoping to remain among the NRL’s contenders, another suspension to a key figure only deepens what supporters are calling an emerging nightmare in Brisbane.
