What was claimed
Facebook pages feature news about the Brisbane Broncos club and its supporters.
Our verdict
False. The claims are fake.
AAP FACTCHECK - Facebook pages are pumping out disinformation about the Brisbane Broncos players and supporters.
The pages, called Southern Blades Nation, Broncos Daily Hub and Outback Rugby Nation, fabricate content about the club to lure supporters to external sites littered with adverts.
One widely shared post claims Broncos star Payne Haas has publicly refused to wear a helmet or use equipment featuring the LGBT rainbow symbol.
It claims the prop addressed the issue publicly, quoting him as saying “Football should focus on the game — on competition and winning.
"It shouldn’t become a platform for political or ideological messages."
At the time of writing, the post has nearly 500 comments with many appearing to believe the claim.
"On ya Payne," one Facebook user said.
"You can’t force him to do this," writes another. "He doesn’t force his religion on you so don’t force your beliefs on him."
The incident is entirely fabricated. There is no record of Haas making any such statement.
Another post includes an image that appears to show fans performing a Nazi salute at a game.
However, a reverse image search reveals the photo has been manipulated.
It appears to be based on an image of US ice hockey fans during a game in Texas, according to Yahoo News reports.
The fans' clothing has been digitally changed to Brisbane Broncos shirts in the image, while the hockey stadium in the background has been changed to an NRL field.
The Broncos jerseys feature gibberish lettering on the shoulder, a hallmark of AI manipulation.
Another post claims a Gold Coast Titans supporter was arrested at a Broncos game after he stormed the playing field to “possibly attack one of the players”.
However, a reverse image search shows that the photo has been manipulated.
The original depicts a Boston Celtics fan who was arrested for throwing a water bottle at an NBA player, according to the Boston Globe.
The uniform of the arresting police officers also does not match the uniform of Queensland Police.
Another post claims an assistant at the Broncos “sparked widespread controversy” for exposing herself in a “bold photoshoot".
However, the image features the Gemini logo from Google’s AI generator in the bottom right corner.
The pages also posted condolences to Melbourne Storm player Tui Kamikamica, contributing to false reports that he died.
AAP FactCheck previously debunked a similar post on a disinformation page targeting the Melbourne Storm.
AAP FactCheck has identified several apparent fan pages posing as NRL supporter groups that spread false claims about players, staff and fans.
As well as the Broncos, there are pages targeting supporters of the Penrith Panthers, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm.
AAP FactCheck is an accredited member of the International Fact-Checking Network. To keep up with our latest fact checks, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, BlueSky, TikTok and YouTube.
