Kotoni Staggs lifts lid on eye-opening clash with Reece Walsh ahead of Eels game

Yahoo

13 hours ago

Kotoni Staggs has moved to rubbish any drama surrounding his on-field clash with teammate Reece Walsh as the Brisbane Broncos look to continue their momentum against the Eels this weekend. Walsh was seen spraying Staggs after his teammate dropped the ball in good attacking position against the Titans in round 19.
There were suggestions there was frustration amongst the playing group after Walsh and Staggs' moment during the victory against their Queensland rivals. The fullback looked like he was going to put Staggs through a gap when the centre dropped a pretty straightforward pass.
The two were seen having a go at each other, although most fans pointed out the clash with Staggs simply shows the duo care about the result. While Staggs and Walsh clearly get along, plenty was made of the footage after the win.
And having enjoyed a weekend off with the bye, the Broncos are set to return rested and ready to close the gap on the top four. And Staggs has praised Walsh's demand for improvement within the playing group, which is what makes him one of the best fullbacks in the game. But he also suggested it's this same attribute, which often prompts the leaders to step in.
"Walshy is someone I love playing with. He is a competitor and he doesn't like losing," Staggs said with a grin. "So when things don't go his way he does blow up a bit. We've just got to calm him down at times."
Walsh and Staggs combined for a long-range try later in the game with the duo putting the moment to rest. And Staggs said this is what makes Walsh great. "You've got to be in the right position at the right time, which I was. I put a bit of footwork on and he was pushing up through the middle as a good fullback does and got the try for us," Staggs said.
At the time, coach Michael Maguire was quick to defend Walsh and claimed the scenes showed how much he cared about winning. "Reece, he loves his footy and he's striving to continually be the best, and that's all the boys and that's the perfection they're chasing," Maguire said.
"Whether or not it's him trying to get the ball to him early or not, Reece does wear his heart on his sleeve and that's why we love him and the boys love playing with him. At times he's going to execute something and other times he's going to be working out how he gets it done. So I think as long as he keeps competing the way he is, the boys love playing with him."
Brisbane Broncos seeking top four position
The Broncos have turned around a mid-season slump to climb back to fifth on the ladder. Maguire was facing real pressure as coach after four-straight losses at one stage, but the team has responded with five consecutive wins.
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Ben Hunt is back and starting in the No.9 jersey, while Walsh's return from a knee injury has changed the team's attack in recent weeks. While they remain four points behind the Warriors, they will fancy their opportunity to get two points against the Eels this weekend. And Staggs feels the team have become closer across the season as they block out the noise.
"I just think we have gotten closer," Staggs said. "We are all buying into what is going on at training and we have shifted some things around as well. We do have the team to win the premiership. We just have to believe in one another and keep turning up for one another. We have strike players on the field and we have just got to get the ball in their hands."