Canberra couldn't contain them at the weekend but nine Broncos weren't going anywhere after they became trapped in a hospital lift.

The players - including Karmichael Hunt, Peter Wallace, Corey Parker, Michael Ennis and Nick Kenny - were on their way to visit sick kids at Brisbane's Mater Children's Hospital when the lift jammed between floors for almost 45 minutes.

Several other players, including captain Darren Lockyer, who caught a second lift, signed autographs, played games and put smiles of the faces of the sick kids who were waiting in the hospital's Starlight room.

The experience tested the stress levels of a few players, especially Ennis, as they sweated it out in the lift along with four other members of public.

"There was 13 of us in there, so there wasn't much room," said Kenny

"Everyone tried to keep it light-hearted and keep their shoes on and not break wind.

"There was a lot of joking."

Broncos media manager Trad McLean kept the players updated by mobile until the lift mechanics arrived.

"We were calling Trad regularly for an update and he kept reassuring us they'd only be five minutes but after 11 phone calls we lost confidence in him," said Kenny.

While most of the players didn't want to comment, Hunt emerged from the ordeal jokingly saying he'd telephoned his mum on his mobile to "say goodbye".

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