NRL 2021: Broncos star Kotoni Staggs breaks silence on Dubbo incident

The NRL have urged Kotoni Staggs to stay on the right path, fining the Broncos star after his homophobic slur scandal.

NRL chief Andrew Abdo has challenged Broncos star Kotoni Staggs to save his career after hitting the Brisbane dynamo with a $10,000 fine following a homophobic slur scandal.

Staggs has come under fire from a frustrated Abdo after allegedly calling a fan a “f****t” in an incident which led to a fight at a NSW country pub last November.

Staggs was not physically involved in the Dubbo brawl which saw two of his friends plead guilty to assault charges against the fan abused by Staggs.

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But his reaction to a fan requesting a photograph is believed to have sparked the incident and seen Staggs’ name, and the alleged slur, included in court documents.

The NRL has pushed hard to improve inclusivity and rid the game of homophobia, with controversial cross-code star Israel Folau’s recent moves to return drawing heated debate.

Staggs’ fine was not made public, until now, with Abdo declaring the 22-year-old was at a pivotal point of his blossoming career as he returns from a knee reconstruction.

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Brisbane Broncos star Kotoni Staggs with friend Brogan Black. Picture: Facebook

“We have issued him with a $10,000 fine and most importantly, he has to complete an education course and he has to meet with me personally and the head of integrity, together with the club CEO, before he is permitted to play again,” Abdo said.

“We want him to understand the impact of his words on people and the responsibility that players have to the community. His language is utterly unacceptable but this is about making sure he understands the impact of that and actually changes.

“There are three components - the fine, the education course and making sure he sits down with us.

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“Getting them to meet with me is not the silver bullet, but I want to explain to them the impact this has on their personal brand, on the club brand and on the game’s brand and then there are two ways they can go from there.

“This is important in relation to Kotoni which is why we want to meet with him before he returns to the field.”

Kotoni Staggs at Broncos training at Red Hill. Pic Annette Dew

The off-contract Staggs is one of the game’s rising stars and is set to command offers above $800,000-a-season from rival clubs as he mulls over his future.

He was on the cusp of a State of Origin debut before suffering a serious knee injury in the final game of the NRL season last year.

With his blistering speed and incredible strength, the NRL is aware Staggs could be a poster boy for the game over the next decade.

But he was also caught up in the Broncos’ COVID breach and a sex tape drama last year, which is why Abdo is desperate to keep him on the right path.

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“Kotoni is an unbelievable athlete, he can be a superstar for many, many years or he can continually transgress and throw away his career,” Abdo said.

“We want him to take the high road, so any opportunity we can take to help Kotoni, we want to do that.

“Ultimately, he has to be accountable and understand what he has done.

“We want him to be a superstar, but if he keeps making poor decisions, then there will be consequences for that and he would be throwing away a wonderful opportunity.”

BRONCO BREAKS SILENCE OVER DUBBO FIGHT INCIDENT

—Chris Honnery

Broncos centre Kotoni Staggs has broken his silence over an altercation at a Dubbo hotel last year.

The 22-year-old was involved in a heated exchange at the city’s Commercial Hotel on November 6. Court documents alleged he used a homophobic slur to insult a fan.

Two of Staggs’ friends, Brogan Black, 22, and Brad McCarroll, 21, then allegedly punched the victim, causing minor head injuries, according to court documents. The pair pleaded guilty in Dubbo Local Court last month and claimed the fight started because a man made racially inappropriate remarks to Staggs.

Kotoni Staggs at Broncos training. Picture: Annette Dew

Staggs was not charged by police but has been served with a preliminary NRL breach notice following an integrity unit investigation.

He said he was remorseful about the incident.

“I know what I did is in the past now,” Staggs said.

“I have nothing against the bloke that it happened to and it’s all aside now.”

Staggs received an undisclosed fine and is scheduled to meet with NRL CEO Andrew Abdo and the integrity unit before the season starts.

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He is also required to have appropriate education courses as part of his notice.

Staggs said he was working with Brisbane welfare officer Adam Walsh around the appropriate course of action.

The Brisbane player was slapped with an undisclosed fine and is scheduled to meet with NRL CEO Andrew Abdo and the Integrity Unit before the season gets underway.

He is also required to undergo appropriate education courses as part of his notice.

Staggs said he was working with Brisbane welfare officer Adam Walsh around the appropriate course of action.

“I’m in the process of doing that now,” he said.

“The Broncos welfare officer Adam Walsh and I are doing it together so we’re just sorting out what to do there.”