Broncos great stunned after ‘alarming’ $1m contract snub
Broncos great Corey Parker has addressed the “alarming” situation surrounding Xavier Willison, as the star forward prepares to hit the open market.
Willison remains unsigned for 2028 and beyond, with rival clubs circling the Kiwis front-rower ahead of the November free agency period.
Xavier Willison. NRL Images
The 24-year-old has reportedly been tabled a monster contract extension from the Broncos worth an estimated $1 million per season, but at this stage Willison hasn’t accepted the deal and could be available to other NRL teams soon.
Brisbane officials are desperate to keep Willison long-term as the leader of the pack with Payne Haas moving to South Sydney next year.
While he now finds himself in the midst of a Rugby League World Cup campaign with New Zealand, the towering prop’s contract remains a hot topic – especially after aligning with player agent Ahmad Merhi, who also manages Haas.
Parker, who played 347 games and won a premiership with the Broncos, believes Willison’s decision to knock back a fresh seven-figure contract is a “big concern”.
“It’s alarming for a number of reasons,” Parker said on SENQ Breakfast.
“He has been offered a contract, a multi-year contract estimated around a million dollars a season. If he’s put it on hold, what’s he waiting for?
“That’s a concern, that’s a big concern for me. It’s a million dollars.
“That’s enormous, so he’s either wanting to test his value on the open market, which means he’s not happy with the mil and I wanna leave, or he’s playing the game to the nth degree and wants the Broncos to up their price.”
Willison won the Paul Morgan Medal in 2026 after a breakout season with the Broncos and has established himself as one of the game’s elite big men.
The prop had seven runs for 74 metres and made 10 tackles off the bench in New Zealand’s loss to the Kangaroos on Thursday night.
