Fake NRL Fan Pages Spread Disinformation About Brisbane Broncos

Several Facebook pages masquerading as Brisbane Broncos fan communities are spreading fabricated stories about players and supporters, an investigation has revealed. The pages—Southern Blades Nation, Broncos Daily Hub, and Outback Rugby Nation—create fictional content designed to drive traffic to external websites filled with advertisements.

One widely circulated post falsely claims that Broncos star Payne Haas refused to wear equipment featuring the LGBT rainbow symbol. The fabricated quote attributed to Haas states: “Football should focus on the game—on competition and winning. It shouldn’t become a platform for political or ideological messages.”

The post has garnered nearly 500 comments, with many users appearing to believe the fictional account. Comments include supportive messages such as “On ya Payne” and defenses of his supposed stance. However, there is no record of Haas ever making such statements.

In another instance of digital manipulation, a post shows what appears to be Broncos fans performing Nazi salutes at a game. A reverse image search reveals this to be an AI-altered image originally depicting U.S. ice hockey fans at a game in Texas. The manipulation included digitally replacing the fans’ clothing with Broncos shirts and changing the hockey stadium background to an NRL field. Telltale signs of AI manipulation are evident, including gibberish lettering on the jersey shoulders.

The deceptive pages have also posted a fabricated story claiming a Gold Coast Titans supporter was arrested after storming the field at a Broncos game to “possibly attack one of the players.” The accompanying image was manipulated from a 2021 photo showing a Boston Celtics fan being arrested for throwing a water bottle at an NBA player. The uniforms of the arresting officers in the manipulated image do not match Queensland Police standards.

Another false story claimed a Broncos assistant sparked controversy by exposing herself in a “bold photoshoot.” The image accompanying this fabrication clearly displays Google’s Gemini AI generator logo in the bottom right corner, confirming its artificial origin.

The disinformation campaign extends beyond the Broncos. The same network of pages posted false condolences regarding Melbourne Storm player Tui Kamikamica, contributing to unfounded rumors of his death. AAP FactCheck had previously debunked similar false claims about Kamikamica on pages targeting Melbourne Storm fans.

This appears to be part of a broader pattern targeting NRL supporters. AAP FactCheck has identified several fake fan pages spreading false information about players, staff, and supporters across multiple teams, including the Penrith Panthers, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Sydney Roosters, and Melbourne Storm.

The phenomenon highlights the growing challenge of disinformation on social media platforms, where fabricated content can quickly gain traction and appear legitimate to unsuspecting fans. These pages exploit team loyalty to generate engagement and drive traffic to external sites for advertising revenue.

For the NRL and affected clubs, such disinformation presents a reputational risk, with false stories potentially damaging player and club images before they can be debunked. The fabrications range from controversial political stances to criminal behaviors and false death notices, all designed to provoke emotional responses from fans.

Social media users are advised to verify information through official team channels and legitimate news sources before engaging with or sharing content from unverified fan pages.