New South Wales coach Michael Maguire has plenty of tough decisions to make when selecting his first State of Origin team, but one headache the Blues coach will be happy to have is central.
Between starters Bradman Best and Stephen Crichton, established Origin stars like Tom Trbojevic and Latrell Mitchell and up-and-comers like Izack Tago and Zac Lomax, Maguire has plenty of options to choose from.
But Brisbane’s fiery Kotoni Staggs continues to play the kind of tough football that could make it impossible to pass him by, whether at center or on the bench.
Staggs has some Origin experience – he spent 52 minutes of his only appearance in the 2022 series opener before succumbing to a shoulder injury – and is hell-bent on ensuring he isn’t a one-hit wonder in the series. interstate.
“I want to get back there, I didn’t really get my chance when I played because it was cut short,” Staggs said.
“But if I play well for the Broncos, that will speak, that’s how they pick you. As long as I keep doing that, keep doing my job, don’t change anything, don’t try to be the hero and figure it all out myself. If I play as a teammate, I expect them to look at me.
“He (Maguire) just said there are a lot of people looking for the same position as me and all I can do is play my part and play my game.”
Staggs is a more complete and consistent player than he was two years ago; Although running with the ball in attacking situations has always come naturally to him, he admits that he didn’t always like to work hard from his own side.
As such, his impact could be limited to whatever balls his halves could provide. But over the past 18 months, Staggs has agreed to work hard on his own, and the results have been evident.
Staggs recorded career-highs in tries, line breaks, missed tackles and meters per game last year as he enjoyed his best year in senior grade, which ended with his Test debut for Australia.
This year he has only crossed the line once, but his all-round game is still strong: in 2024 he will average more meters per game than ever before.
“He was more concerned about getting the ball early and getting the carries on his side. I’ll be honest, I didn’t really want to put up with the tough carries,” Staggs said.
“But the way to change my game, to let my teammates know that I’m there to help them, is to get the ball early or endure difficult carries on our part. I love it now, I thrive on it, I love getting more involved now.
“Even if I’m not scoring tries or running people over, I’m doing my job and the guys can see that.”
Staggs’ maturation as a player has led him to take on a leadership role among the young Broncos team.
The 25-year-old has 110 Broncos games to his name, tied with Payne Haas for the second most of any player in the Brisbane squad, and is doing what he can to build on that experience.
Staggs has shown a particular interest in young midfielder Deine Mariner, who has joined him on the right flank so far this season.
“He has already played several games and his confidence grows every week. He made some mistakes against the Tigers, but you can think about them or keep your head up and make it personal,” Staggs said.
“He didn’t go into his shell, which was good. I just want to be there as a mentor for him, teach him some things and get him where he needs to be.
“I grew up quite calm, but I’ve been in the higher grade for a while now. I don’t like to lead with my words, although sometimes it has to be done, I prefer actions. I want to show them what I do in the field so they want to be a part of it.
“I love picking them up when they’re down, that’s my way of leading by example. “We are a young team, but I want to be a leader, I want to show them that they can reach another level.”