Brisbane coach Anthony Griffin rates Friday night's rivals, the Warriors, good enough to win September's NRL grand final.
While Griffin knows his side, which boasts seven players from this year's State of Origin series, can contest for the title he believes the Warriors have both the class and talent required to take the premiership back across the Tasman for the first time.
Their clash at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night promises to be a bruising affair, with Brisbane getting out the padded tackling suits at training on Thursday in anticipation of a highly physical match.
Brisbane are close to full strength for the showdown with all their Origin stars back, although they are missing English international centre Jack Reed (broken leg).
"It's always physical, that's what you expect when you play the Warriors," said Griffin after Brisbane training in light drizzle at Red Hill.
"Hopefully that's what they expect when they play us as well."
Griffin has a healthy respect for the unpredictable Warriors, who have largely the same side which lost last year's grand final to Manly 24-10.
"They finished close to being premiers last year. At one stage they looked like coming over the top of Manly in that grand final," said Griffin.
"They've got the same team plus Nathan Friend. Potentially I think they're premiers.
"They're probably, in my view, one of the top two or three teams in the competition, despite where they're sitting on the ladder (eighth place).
"They've got strike and class right across the field and their younger forwards are learning how to grind games out now which makes them very hard to get over the top of."
Griffin dismissed fears of a possible Origin hangover for the Broncos.
But he again sounded warning bells when Kiwi star Shaun Johnson and skilful forward Feleti Mateo were mentioned.
"You just have to be as good as you can defensively against those type of players, there's no magic formula," he said.
NZN