Pat Carrigan signs four-year extension with Brisbane Broncos

The Brisbane Broncos have announced star forward Pat Carrigan has re-signed with the club until the end of 2028. The news comes 24 hours after reports surfaced of a six-club race for Carrigan’s signature.

In his 61-game NRL career, Carrigan has already captained the powerhouse club, and he is touted to lead the Broncos, Maroons and Kangaroos in the future.

The 25-year-old was targeted by the Canberra Raiders and Melbourne Storm, as well as two unnamed Sydney teams who were reportedly prepared to pay upwards of $800,000 per season for his services.

The Broncos recently lost centre Herbie Farnworth and forward Thomas Flegler to the Dolphins, clearing salary-cap space for signings such as Carrigan’s to cement the club’s future.

An Easts Tigers junior in Brisbane, Carrigan made his first-grade debut for the Broncos in 2019. He led his club through difficult times at a young age in 2021 before an ACL injury in round nine derailed his season.

The Broncos lock returned to the field at the top level in 2022 and enjoyed the best season of career, earning State of Origin selection for Queensland to take on the New South Wales Blues. He went on to claim the Wally Lewis Medal as the Maroons won the series 2-1.

Carrigan’s Herculean efforts on both the club and representative stages earned him a ticket to England to play for Australia at the Rugby League World Cup at season’s end. He appeared in all five of the Kangaroos’ matches as they won their 12th title since 1957.

Carrigan has hit the ground running for the Broncos in 2023, leading the club in a shock one-point victory over the defending-premier Panthers in Penrith in round one.

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