‘Make him an offer he can’t refuse’: The Godfather tattoo that could help Xavier Willison earn millions with a new Broncos deal
Xavier Willison has one of the great tattoos on his right leg, and that image could play an ironic role in him earning a new mega deal at the Broncos.
Marlon Brando may be long gone, but someone from the Broncos must play the role of the Godfather and make Xavier Willison an offer he can’t refuse to ensure the man mountain stays put beyond the 2027 season.
And a little bit of Hollywood could go a long way given Willison sports a tattoo on his right leg of the legendary Don Vito Corleone, who delivered iconic quote after iconic quote in the 1972 classic.
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“There are so many to choose from, but probably just the main one ‘I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse’,” Willison replied when asked what his favourite quote from the film is.
“It’s definitely my favourite movie. I used to watch it all the time at my nana’s (place) growing up. It’s my favourite movie, closely followed by A Bronx Tale. I like those old-school Italian mafia sort of movies.”
His Broncos tale is just getting started after becoming a mainstay in the team back in 2024, with Willison playing a key role in their run to the premiership last year.
He’ll turn 24 in a couple of weeks and will command huge offers if he hits the open market on November 1, which is why the Broncos are doing everything they can to convince the New Zealand international to stay.
There are reports that they’ve tabled a three-year deal worth about $3m, with Willison showing his value against Penrith on Thursday where he started in the middle but moved to the edge and ran for 189m.
“We’re still working through things,” he said, with Brisbane desperate to keep him given superstar prop Payne Haas is leaving to join the Rabbitohs at the end of the year.
“Definitely (my preference is to stay). They’ve given me everything. They brought me over from New Zealand as a kid, so definitely.”
A premiership push this season seems improbable, but at least the Broncos have given themselves a tiny chance of sneaking into the finals after they snapped an eight-game losing streak with a win in Sydney over the title favourites.
Reece Walsh was at his brilliant best with three try assists as the Broncos reminded everyone that they can still be a force when they have all of their stars on the park.
“It’s a good feeling. It’s fun to be back in the winner’s circle,” Willison said.
“We had all our boys back, so there were really no excuses for us not to perform tonight, and I felt like we did that.
“The last couple of weeks, I definitely felt like we’ve had the effort. The boys were trying to look after each other, it just hasn’t gone our way. Tonight everyone was there, which definitely helped.”
