The Broncos’ miserable premiership defence is now in contention to be declared the worst in rugby league history as Immortal Andrew Johns blasted Brisbane’s star-studded roster, declaring “they couldn’t care less if they win or lose”.

As Reece Walsh sweats on whether an ankle operation will cost him the Australian No.1 jersey, and the Sharks and Warriors also await scan results on key playmakers Braydon Trindall (dislocated shoulder) and Luke Metcalf (hamstring), the Broncos are plumbing new depths just 10 months after ending their 19-year premiership drought.

Brisbane’s 40-6 loss to the Warriors on Saturday night was their 15th for the season, the most of any defending premiers’ follow-up campaign in 118 years.

The ignominy of finishing as wooden spooners is unlikely, but remains in play if Brisbane lose their remaining games against Canberra, Melbourne and Canterbury. The last-placed Dragons are in far better form but sit six points behind on the ladder ahead of Sunday’s clash with Wests Tigers.

Only two defending premiers have fallen all the way to last place the following season: Wests Magpies in 1952-53 (in a 10-team NSWRL competition) and Canterbury in 1942-43 (they finished equal last in an eight-team competition).

Coach Michael Maguire dismissed questions over Brisbane’s motivation against the Warriors as “garbage” in a tense post-game press conference that he cut short after three minutes on Saturday night.

But Johns was in no doubt about where the Broncos’ heads are at as he singled out Chanel Harris-Tavita’s 13th-minute try, when Payne Haas and Billy Walters failed to back up their teammates as inside defenders, with the Warriors No.6 strolling through for one of seven four-pointers.

“The Chanel Harris-Tavita try was absolutely disgusting,” Johns fumed on The Sunday Footy Show.

“The way they didn’t tie in on the inside, it was horrible. That showed that they don’t care. They couldn’t care less. They don’t care if they win or lose at the moment.”

The Broncos have won just once – albeit a stirring upset of high-flyers Penrith – in their past 13 games, with the blowtorch now well and truly being applied to Maguire and the game’s biggest club.

Brisbane will conduct a club-wide off-season review of their disastrous campaign, though club officials have maintained all year that Maguire’s position is not under scrutiny given he delivered their first premiership since 2006.

The two-time title-winning coach comes off-contract in 2027, and while chairman Karl Morris has publicly forecast extension talks with Maguire, those discussions won’t be broached until after the season.

Walsh, meanwhile, is due for scans on Sunday afternoon after suffering syndesmosis damage in a hip-drop tackle by Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad. The Warriors fullback was served a two-week ban after being sin-binned on Saturday night as well.

More to come