By Nick Wright
Kotoni Staggs just seems to relish a one-on-one battle.
So when he came up against Cowboys star Valentine Holmes on Saturday, it was only natural that he produced his most prolific performance of the year, in a 42-18 triumph to earn the Carl Webb memorial medal.
“He’s had some big moments this year, he’s probably been one of our best players throughout the season,” Broncos captain Adam Reynolds said of Staggs.
Kotoni Staggs was a revelation for the Brisbane Broncos against the North Queensland Cowboys. Credit: NRL Photos
“He’s consistent, you can see what it means to him to be out there, and he’s a leader in this team.
“He leads through his actions, and I thought he was fantastic tonight and a big reason why we won.”
North Queensland continually sought to exploit their dynamic left edge of Holmes, Tom Dearden and Murray Taulagi, but Staggs was up to the task time and again.
He shut down the State of Origin flyer each time. Holmes frequently looked on the cusp of bursting into the clear, only for his opposite number to wrap him up in a textbook tackle.
Given how prolific the Cowboys have been down that side, the Brisbane gun’s 19 tackles were all arguably the most crucial.
And when the chance to strike presented itself, Staggs was ready to answer the call.
His try off a close-range scrum, standing up to Holmes in a head-to-head face-off, broke an 18-all deadline before his linebreak soon after laid the foundation for Jordan Riki’s match-sealing effort.
Kotoni Staggs celebrates with fans after the Brisbane Broncos defeated the North Queensland Cowboys.Credit: NRL Photos
Remarkably, Staggs wasn’t done yet, looping on the other side of the field after a Reece Walsh break – created from his own tackle on Dearden, which forced an error – before bursting three tackles to score his second.
He finished with 163 running metres, four linebreaks and 11 tackle busts, prompting coach Kevin Walters to laud him and prop Corey Jensen as the “top two or three players every week”.
Throughout the Broncos’ recent horror run, the side seemed to have lacked heart, but Staggs was all passion in this one.
No Ezra Mam. No Payne Haas. No Selwyn Cobbo.
And yet despite heading into halftime down 18-12, they went on a second-half tear, keeping the faintest of finals hopes alive.
“We’ve been under a lot of scrutiny, [but] not pressure from inside the walls,” Walters said.
“There’s always faith from all the coaching staff and the players that we could turn it around somewhat, but I’m just really proud of all the group and all the staff and all the players for their efforts.
“I thought it was a direct result of the work that’s gone into the team and the work the players have been doing. I thought the defence was really good … I just felt there was a good connection among the group.”
But the performance spelled danger for the Cowboys’ run home.
Coach Todd Payten’s men still have a bye in hand, so something meteoric would be needed to knock them out of the top eight, but it makes next week’s battle with a desperate Canberra side so crucial.
Their final two matches are against the ladder-leading Storm and resurgent Bulldogs, but while their ladder position is a slight concern for Payten, the nature of their performances is more concerning.
They showed signs of fragility against a 12-man Tigers side the week prior, leaking 30 points, and will be hunting consistency off the ball to make an impact in September.
Tom Dearden cuts a dejected figure after his North Queensland Cowboys were run down by the Brisbane Broncos.Credit: NRL Photos
Payten hinted team changes could be afoot after Saturday’s second-half capitulation, left to lament an 18-6 lead deep in the opening term before being completely shut out.
“I think we let down ourselves, our fans – we definitely let down the old boys,” Payten said.
“Right across the group, we just had too many guys miss assignments, and some guys missed it on multiple occasions. The game was there for our taking, we just couldn’t, we weren’t good enough.
“There’s a logjam of teams, and you need to find ways to win and get it done when it really matters.”