Brisbane Broncos great floats shock Kotoni Staggs theory amid dramas surrounding Ezra Mam
The fate of Brisbane five-eighth Mam is likely to have major ramifications.
Brisbane great Corey Parker has singled out gun centre Kotoni Staggs as a left-field choice to replace Ezra Mam at five-eighth next season, in the potential absence of the Broncos No.6. Mam is waiting to receive the results of a secondary drug test after he was involved in a traffic collision last month while allegedly unlicensed.
The five-eighth allegedly failed a roadside drug test and has since checked himself into a rehab clinic after a four-year-old girl suffered a fractured hip in the crash. It's understood the NRL and Broncos are leaning towards giving Mam a second chance and not terminating his five-year, $4 million contract but if found guilty, Mam is facing a big ban and a lengthy stint on the sidelines.
It presents new Broncos coach Michael Maguire with a major decision about who would play alongside veteran No.7 Adam Reynolds in the halves, with Parker insisting Staggs has the game to do the job. The 26-year-old Staggs has experience in the halves having played at No.6 against the Cowboys in 2020 and also for Tonga in a Test against New Zealand in 2022.
Staggs also played halfback for Tonga in a famous 16-12 upset victory over the Kangaroos in 2019 and could complement Reynolds' craft and organisational game as a devastating ball-running No.6. Staggs has also demonstrated his goalkicking ability after filling in for Reynolds at various stages and he is a strong defender that would help shore up Brisbane's middle.
Parker says the Broncos also have the option of partnering Jock Madden with Reynolds in the halves but believes Staggs' superior running game and defence makes him the ideal choice. “Talking to Madge, defence is going to be a big focus next season so you have to look at who fits the bill," Parker said according to The Courier Mail. “From a defensive point of view, Kotoni has a robust frame and he is hard to handle full stop. You wouldn’t need Kotoni to worry about a kicking game, but he is a strong ballrunner and could work well with Reynolds, who can just steer the team around the park.”
League great Scott Sattler also sees the merits of playing Staggs at No.6 after declaring that Mam is probably looking at an "eight to 10-week suspension" as a "best-case" scenario" if found guilty. “Kotoni is a strong body and he has a kicking game," Sattler told The Courier Mail. “If you are a back-rower you would think twice about taking him on because he would test you out physically. I think Kotoni would be a great, aggressive running five-eighth to help the Broncos if Mam is out for an extended period.”
Ben Hunt also linked with a return to the Broncos
The Broncos have also been heavily linked with a move for veteran No.7 Ben Hunt, who's made it clear his preference is to return to Brisbane after parting ways with the Dragons. Hunt mutually agreed a release from the final year of his $950,000 contract but the Broncos would have a tough task fitting him under an already stretched salary cap. If Mam is stood down by the NRL until the matter is resolved, Brisbane might be able to apply for salary cap dispensation for a like-for-like player, which would make a play for Hunt easier.
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Maguire already has a big job on his hands trying to keep hold of both Staggs and Selwyn Cobbo, both of whom are free agents and off-contract at the end of 2025. The Broncos coach has made it clear he wants to retain both players but they may have to settle for less money than they could get elsewhere, with a large chunk of Brisbane's cap tied to the likes of Mam, Reece Walsh, Payne Haas and Patrick Carrigan.
Staggs out-performed Cobbo in 2024 and showed the kind of form at the back-end of the year that saw him picked for NSW and the Kangaroos in the past. "Kotoni definitely wants to be a Bronco and has spoken to me about what the club means to him," Maguire said. Those players we want to keep here, hang on to and keep growing as Broncos."
with AAP
