Facing NRL exile, Staggs turned his life around. He has advice for Mam

Before he became one of the leaders of the Brisbane Broncos, Kotoni Staggs faced the prospect of exile from the NRL.

A string of off-field incidents threatened to curtail his rise, at a time in his life he now admits proved the catalyst to face the mirror.

“There were times where I didn’t do the right things outside of footy, and it got me into some trouble,” Staggs says.

“But I had a look at myself away from footy and I needed to take a good look at myself and see what I wanted to do, how I wanted to be looked at after footy is done and how I want people to judge me.”

Within a year, Staggs became the victim of a leaked intimate video, before being fined $10,000 for directing a homophobic slur towards a pub patron.

He was later sanctioned $20,000 and suspended for two games while completing education and personal rehabilitation programs for allegedly making unwanted advances towards a woman while drinking alcohol, as he recovered from a ruptured ACL. No charges were laid.

Staggs’ career was in limbo.

But throughout the past four years, he has transformed himself, crediting his fiancee Brittany Becht for his turnaround and ascent into the Broncos’ leadership group, after the pair met in 2021.

“Every player has an important woman in their life. I’ve got a lot in my life – they’ve got me to where I am,” Staggs says in the lead-up to the NRL’s Women in League round.

“I have a beautiful partner, and she’s the main reason that’s turned my outside life into a positive thing, and she’s helped me get back on track.”

Having come through his tumultuous period, he believes maligned five-eighth Ezra Mam can achieve the same.

“I put everything aside, and I just wanted to play good footy and not be in the media for the bad things, and be in the media for the right things,” Staggs says.

“I want to show these younger boys coming through what the right thing is to do, set a good example for them and be the best person I can be.”

Mam will make his comeback from a nine-game suspension following his involvement in a drug-driving related car crash that injured a mother and her daughter.

Instead of being parachuted in to face South Sydney, he will instead line up in the Queensland Cup for Souths Logan Magpies this weekend.

“Everybody makes mistakes, but he’s learnt from that. I’ve been through that and learnt the hard way, and I think he’s taken it pretty deep what he’s done wrong, and he’s trying to push that to the side now,” Staggs says.

“We’ve always had his back from day one when it all went down, and our love and support has been with him. He’s got the confidence now, he knows we’ve got his back.

So important is Staggs to Brisbane, he has become one of their most crucial retention priorities amid a daunting salary cap juggling act.

The 26-year-old is joined by star Selwyn Cobbo as the most high-profile off-contract Broncos, with halfback and skipper Adam Reynolds also expressing his desire to play on beyond 2025.

Cobbo’s market value may well have skyrocketed since replacing the injured Reece Walsh at fullback – running for 223 metres and 10 tackle busts in his side’s Magic Round loss to the Panthers.

However, Staggs believed the Maroons ace’s best long-term position would be in the centres, and he backed the pair to remain at Red Hill.

“The way he plays the game, he needs that early ball, and centre is a position where you can get that. But you put any number on the back of him, and he’ll do the job,” Staggs says.

“He’s got management out there who’s going to work out a deal, and the club’s going to organise all that out, but I’d love him to stay at the Broncs.

“I’ve always wanted to be at this club as a young kid, and I’ve been here for almost eight years now.

“I don’t see myself being anywhere else. I love the club, and it’s done a lot for me and helped me along my path and journey in and outside of footy.

“I just left that in my management’s hands, they’re sorting that out with the club. Hopefully, it gets sorted soon.”