Jan 15th, 2018

Jan 15th, 2018

Australia Test lock Josh McGuire has said his Brisbane Broncos side now have all the pieces needed to win the NRL premiership.

The 27-year-old returned to Broncos training on Monday, completing running drills alongside fellow Kangaroos forward Matt Gillett and high-profile recruit Jack Bird.

McGuire said Bird's addition from the Cronulla Sharks, plus the side's heavier forward pack, meant they have the versatility required to claim their first title since 2006.

"Matty Lodge, Payne Haas, Korbin Sims ... they must be eating a lot of chicken because the boys are growing every year, they're all 120kg," he said.

"We've got a really big team and add Jack Bird to that team, Darius Boyd (hamstring) and Andrew McCullough (knee) to come back too; we've got a great spine, some electrifying outside backs, and we've added some great size to our forward pack."

Brisbane competed well last year to finish the regular season third, but proved no match for the Melbourne Storm in the preliminary final.

The eventual premiers and fellow grand finalists North Queensland both boasted hulking forward packs.

While McGuire protested that the small forwards still held value in modern football, he said the sight of the new, bigger bodies at training excited him.

"Size does help in certain situations, but I know myself as a small forward you can turn up in key moments when guys get tired," he said.

"It's up to us to find that balance and the coaching staff to put the right guys in the right positions."

With the full squad now back from holidays, Brisbane will complete a three-day training camp on the Sunshine Coast.

After a season extended by Australia's successful Rugby League World Cup campaign, McGuire admitted he hadn't been too busy during the break.

"I went to the pub a lot with Gillo (Gillett), put a few bets on and .... probably reeling in fish was all the training I did," he said.

But the one-time front rower, who made his NRL debut with the Broncos in 2009, looked sharp in his return and said his motivation this year was simple.

"It's every player's desire to win a competition ... I definitely don't want to be one of those players (never to win one)," he said.

©AAP2018