PLAYER Kotoni Staggs

Injuries are, but how many players have played their best footy after a knee reconstruction? Especially a player who was coming through a tumultuous period in club history and was still developing their game in the centres?

No doubt he still has some improvements to make, but based on what he's shown in 2023 he's well on track. He'd just about be the form centre in the NRL if it wasn't for Herbie.
This bloke came back better than ever after a knee reconstruction

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If you look at the first try from the Dolphins game, Herbie is receiving the ball off the back of a long movement with the defence sliding and moving backwards... I dont feel like Staggs has been getting that kind of service to date.

If you put Staggs into that situation he is absolutely destroying the defence in front of him, whereas sometimes Herbie isnt finishing it off... such as the effort in the second half where his offload was swatted dead by Isaako. The desperation attempt from Isaako was immense, but it was still a missed opportunity.

Mam has started popping up on the right, but the play seems to die before it even gets out to him... and so far Staggs has been mostly used as a decoy with Walsh receiving it on the outside and looking for Cobbo to come back under.

I'm not sure what keeps happening out on the right so far, but it looks like Staggs isnt exactly getting all that much clean ball.

The defence is possibly rushing up to stop the situation because Staggs and Cobbo are a deadly combo out there for us... but if we can start working plays to get Staggs into any sort of space or 1v1 situations then I've no doubt he'll be schooling defenders
 
He surprised me with his come back . But ,,,
Plays in the middle of the field .
Less athleticism req ...

How Pat deals with Origin / WC / Origin will be a test for him . I think he`s a little down on his best so far this season .

Bigger workload though and more physicality where Pats playing.

Hes been good so far for us, but hes setbhigh standards so he has to get roughly around the his best level, which i think he is tbh. I was pretty harsh on Patty after the Phins game but after rewatching it he didn't have a poor game like I thought he did. 1 dropped ball really was it. You could argue the Hammer try but even fresh I don't think he beats hammer to that. Paynes just playing so well he's overshadowed him a little.
 
Bigger workload though and more physicality where Pats playing.

Hes been good so far for us, but hes setbhigh standards so he has to get roughly around the his best level, which i think he is tbh. I was pretty harsh on Patty after the Phins game but after rewatching it he didn't have a poor game like I thought he did. 1 dropped ball really was it. You could argue the Hammer try but even fresh I don't think he beats hammer to that. Paynes just playing so well he's overshadowed him a little.
I'm not putting that Hammer try on Pat... you should not be relying on your middle forward to clean up grubbers behind... that's the responsibility of the fullback first and then half/centre/winger should also be spotting up on it and dropping in behind

Patty's job is basically just running interference for chasers coming through

The fact Patty was the only one even remotely close should be focussed on heavily during the video session
 
If you look at the first try from the Dolphins game, Herbie is receiving the ball off the back of a long movement with the defence sliding and moving backwards... I dont feel like Staggs has been getting that kind of service to date.

If you put Staggs into that situation he is absolutely destroying the defence in front of him, whereas sometimes Herbie isnt finishing it off... such as the effort in the second half where his offload was swatted dead by Isaako. The desperation attempt from Isaako was immense, but it was still a missed opportunity.

Mam has started popping up on the right, but the play seems to die before it even gets out to him... and so far Staggs has been mostly used as a decoy with Walsh receiving it on the outside and looking for Cobbo to come back under.

I'm not sure what keeps happening out on the right so far, but it looks like Staggs isnt exactly getting all that much clean ball.

The defence is possibly rushing up to stop the situation because Staggs and Cobbo are a deadly combo out there for us... but if we can start working plays to get Staggs into any sort of space or 1v1 situations then I've no doubt he'll be schooling defenders
I think play sometimes breaks down on that side from the forwards that are ball playing, passes dont seem to be hitting the mark or slow getting it out on some occasions alot of them would favour the other side passing right to left.

Would like to see Staggs start running a line back towards post and Walsh hitting him underneath running at a half with someone backing up incase he can get a offload away
 
How ****ing good has staggs been for us the last few weeks. He is a complete beast! 12 Tackle busts against the raiders, did anyone see him take a carry and not bust the line??
I mean I think this has been his best year, not just last few weeks. I haven't looked at the stats but I wouldn't be surprised if it was. He's been insane.
 
He kept Strange reasonably contained.

He scored a try but he didn't have as much impact on the game as he has in previous games.
 
In the past he's fired up when his contract is up, and faded out once it's signed. His best football this time has come after it was all sorted, dare I say he has matured in to a true leader?
 
In the past he's fired up when his contract is up, and faded out once it's signed. His best football this time has come after it was all sorted, dare I say he has matured in to a true leader?
Definitely agree that he's gone to another level since the re-signing. I was one that preferred Cobbo over Staggs at the start of the year... although I was also adamant that we should be trying to keep both.

This year has been far away his best from the yardage perspective, which has always been one of the slights against him... i.e. he's a Ferrari, save him for the big moments, etc.

But he's 20m a game more than his previous best... and I'd say he probably started the year slow or at least behind what his current input is.

Him getting more involved in yardage means we get more carries and more impact out of him, and when he's running he is causing issues to the defence.

I know supercoach and fantasy football is mocked, but it at least gives a bit of an idea on their impact to a game.

This has been his best year since 2021, which was only 4 games because he returned late from doing his ACL at the backend of 2020.

In 2020 he was our best player and he got that big contract at the time, because we just couldn't afford to lose him. He was our strike and we were needing to play him in the halves where he was also performing.

This year has now eclipsed that, so from that perspective it does look like this has been his best all round year.

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He kept Strange reasonably contained.

He scored a try but he didn't have as much impact on the game as he has in previous games.

Remember when commentators were talking up Strange ?
He looked out of his depth when he had to kick on the last tackle because Fogerty ran the ball on the 5th .
Not a passer , not a kicker - not a half .
 
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