Brisbane skipper Justin Hodges admits he didn’t believe initially they could vie for the NRL title in Wayne Bennett’s first year back at the helm.

“To be honest not in the first year, definitely not considering the last few years where we have scraped into the eight,” said Hodges on Friday.

One week out from the finals, Hodges said the second-placed Broncos now believed they could win a seventh premiership under Bennett, who returned after a seven-year absence.

“The guys have worked the hardest I have seen in the off-season, changed their mindset and you can see the respect the guys have for each other on the field,” he added.

“When you have a side doing that, they are hard to beat.”