Brisbane Broncos set to drop Thomas Dearden for must-win Bulldogs clash

Despite the Broncos losing their last six games in a row boom playmaker Tom Dearden still can’t get a decent run, with Anthony Seibold set to drop him for another returning star.

Boom Brisbane playmaker Tom Dearden is set to be cut for the Bulldogs clash as the Broncos prepare to unleash strike weapon Kotoni Staggs at Suncorp Stadium.

After missing the past three weeks with a hamstring injury, Staggs has been cleared to reprise his role as Brisbane’s No.1 centre as the Broncos look to overcome Canterbury and snap a dismal six-match losing streak.

Staggs was one of the form players of the NRL in the opening month, scoring five tries from just four games, and the Broncos have sorely missed his matchwinning incisions in their slide into the bottom four.

Staggs will have a final fitness test at the captain’s run today but Broncos coach Anthony Seibold expects the NSW Origin hopeful to receive the medical green-light to terrorise the Bulldogs.

That would see Staggs slot into right centre, with Herbie Farnworth to return to the left wing at the expense of Kiwi Test star Jamayne Isaako.

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Kotoni Staggs is set to make his return for the Broncos after recovering from a hamstring injury. Picture: AAP.

“Kotoni will play,” Seibold said.

“He got through everything we wanted him to do on Tuesday.

“Kotoni is a good addition to our team, he was very good against Manly and in those early rounds. He has had suspension and injury since then, so he’s a big in for us.

“I am looking forward to getting him back out on the park. We will put Herbie over onto the left wing.”

The Courier-Mail understands Seibold is considering a late reshuffle to his interchange bench.

Young gun Dearden, originally named in the No.14 jumper, is set to be squeezed out of the 17-man squad, with Cory Paix to return from injury as Brisbane‘s interchange utility.

It has been a difficult past fortnight for Dearden, who has played off the bench in a foreign role as a back-up hooker to Issac Luke and has made two key handling errors under pressure.

Tom Flegler and Ben Te‘o will be Brisbane’s bench forwards, with Seibold to decide between Jamil Hopoate and Rhys Kennedy for the final spot on interchange.

Tom Dearden is set to miss out as Cory Paix and Staggs return. Picture: Getty Images.

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While the Bulldogs are dead last with one win from eight matches, Seibold warned the Broncos could not be complacent as they chase their third win of the season.

“We have to get into a scrap,” he said.

“One thing I know about Dean Pay (Bulldogs coach) and teams that he has coached, is that at any level, they scrap hard and they fight hard.

“Watching them play, guys like Josh Jackson and Aiden Tolman and Dylan Napa, they work hard.

“They are a little bit like us, results haven’t shown on the scoreboard for them, but the Bulldogs mentality hasn’t gone away.

“We have to get down and get dirty and be consistent for two halves. If we play only one decent half of footy again, then the Dogs will (beat) us.”

Originally published as Brisbane Broncos set to drop Thomas Dearden for must-win Bulldogs clash