Brisbane Broncos star Kotoni Staggs says he would be honoured to lead the team if given the opportunity, as the club prepares for a significant leadership transition with captain Adam Reynolds retiring at the end of the season.
The Wiradjuri mn said he would welcome the chance to take on a bigger role at the Broncos, with the club set to lose a wave of experience at the end of the year.
Several senior players will depart Brisbane, including Reynolds, who has confirmed this year will be his last in the NRL.
Reynolds’ retirement, combined with other players signing with rival clubs for next season, means the Broncos will be searching for a new captain and a refreshed leadership group heading into next year.
With the captaincy set to become vacant, Staggs was asked whether leading the Broncos is something he would aspire to.
“To be honest, if you asked me that a couple of years ago I probably would have said no,” Staggs said.
“But the position I’m in now, I’m grateful and obviously get to lead this team around on and off the field.
“If that ever came up and I was the one, I’d take it with both hands like anyone else within this club. That would be a great honour.”
The powerful centre said leadership at the Broncos extends beyond a single player, pointing to other senior figures within the squad.
“I see Patty [Carrigan] there and what he’s done for this club as well, and I feel like he’d be the perfect person to slip into that position,” he said.
While decisions around next year’s captaincy are unlikely to be made until later in the season, the Broncos’ evolving roster means several players are expected to emerge as candidates to help guide the club into its next era.
Next in line of Indigenous captains
If appointed captain, the proud Wiradjuri star would join a small group of Indigenous leaders in the club’s history.
Staggs would become just the fourth Indigenous captain of the Broncos, following Gorden Tallis, Sam Thaiday and Justin Hodges.
Staggs said his journey from regional New South Wales continues to drive him to inspire the next generation.
“I’m from a small community in Wellington in New South Wales,” he said.
“There’s a lot of kids whose dream is to be where I am. I’ve walked in their shoes and it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to be in this position.
“I love doing what I do and I love going back home to keep footy around with the kids there and tell them that dreams do come true if you work hard.
“Every time I go out there I wear my heart on my sleeve and always think about where I’ve come from and the journey of where it all started.”
For now, Staggs said the focus remains on improving on the field after Brisbane’s opening round loss to the Penrith Panthers.
“We’ll get better and learn from that game going onwards,” he said.
“Teams always come after us. That doesn’t change the way we need to go about things.
“We’ve just got to focus on what we can do in this building and on the field. We’ll review the game and see what we need to fix and do better.
“Premiers was last year and that’s last year. We’re focused on this year and we’re going into this competition like every other team going for the same prize.”
