Latest news with #KotoniStaggs
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Telling new footage comes to light after Reece Walsh's clash with teammate
Fan footage of the Brisbane Broncos celebrating a try-saving play from Gehamat Shibasaki against the Titans shows how tight-knit the playing group is. And it flies in the face of suggestions about a heated on-field clash between Reece Walsh and Kotoni Staggs. Walsh was seen spraying Staggs after his teammate dropped the ball in good attacking position on Sunday night. Staggs initially apologised, but when Walsh kept going he appeared to snap back and tell his fullback to knock it off. Some commentators thought it showed there might be fractures in the playing group, but it looks like it's completely the opposite. Fans have pointed out that Walsh's clash with Staggs simply shows they care, as you hardly ever see disinterested players call out their teammates' mistakes. And vision of how the players reacted to a try-saver from Shibasaki dispels any thought of a fractured group. The State of Origin player knocked the ball out of Jaylan de Groot's grasp when he looked destined to score a certain try. Most players wouldn't have bothered, but Shibasaki showed his desperation and commitment to save the four-pointer. The on-field referee sent the decision to the Bunker official, who confirmed it wasn't a try. Fan footage is doing the rounds on social media of the moment the players saw the replay of Shibasaki's effort, and they immediately got around their teammate to celebrate. Walsh and Staggs were among a number of players who went straight to Shibasaki to hype up the star centre, and fans were loving what they saw. I love that — Matthew__Tabet (@tabet_matthew) July 13, 2025 This is beautiful to see man — 🌟 (@JBroncosEra) July 13, 2025 As for Walsh's clash with Staggs, Broncos captain Adam Reynolds and coach Michael Maguire both stated it was completely normal in the heat of the moment. The players patched things up when Staggs set Walsh up for a try not long after. "We're trying to be perfect out there," Reynolds said after the game. "It's not always going to go to plan, but we're adults, we talk about a situation when it happens. Sure enough, they fixed it up and scored a long-range try so they're working hard, and it's always good to have that feedback on the field." Pete Badel has labeled this a 'Heated Reece Walsh-Kotoni Staggs on-field confrontation' 😂 — NRLCentral (@centralNRL) July 13, 2025 Maguire added: "Reece, he loves his footy and he's striving to continually be the best, and that's all the boys and that's the perfection they're chasing. Whether or not it's him trying to get the ball to him early or not, Reece does wear his heart on his sleeve and that's why we love him and the boys love playing with him. At times he's going to execute something and other times he's going to be working out how he gets it done. So I think as long as he keeps competing the way he is, the boys love playing with him." RELATED: Knights offer contracts to two Origin players amid Ponga blow Jett Cleary takes massive step out of brother Nathan's shadow The majority of Broncos fans actually saw the positives in Walsh and Staggs jawing at each other, as it shows they're so close that they feel comfortable doing that. One person wrote on social media: "If you've ever played footy before you know this is normal. This is good for the Bronx." Another commented: "Two passionate players who love the club. Good to see." While a third added: "Fans want to see that, it means they have standards and are accountable to them."
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Reece Walsh takes a cheeky dig at 'rivalry' rumours between himself and a Brisbane Broncos team-mate following heated on-field exchange
Reece Walsh took to Instagram to throw a cheeky dig at claims that a rift has developed between himself and his team-mate, Kotoni Staggs, after the pair were involved in an explosive confrontation during the Broncos' 26-14 victory against the Titans on Sunday. The pair were later seen making up and shaking hands following the heated altercation. Adam Reynolds and Michael Maguire later explained they were not bothered by fiery feud, adding it shows the desire of two competitors wanting to win at all costs. The frosty words came after Walsh had thrown a bullet pass out wide to his centre, that could have set him up for a try with just 30 seconds to go before half-time. Staggs dropped the ball and Walsh's anguish was immediately evident. The full-back gave the former New South Wales star a chiding over the error, with Staggs responding by raising his hand to calm Walsh. The Queensland full-back continued to berate his team-mate, staring him down and pointing at him as he voiced his grievances. Staggs, a member of the Brisbane leadership group, didn't let him off the hook, appearing to fire a few choice words back at Walsh. Both players enjoyed standout performances on Sunday afternoon, with Staggs being handed the Player of the Match award, making 236m with the ball in hand and 15 tackles. Walsh, meanwhile, set up Jack Gosiewski for a try before the break, to give Brisbane a 14-2 lead heading into the sheds. But the pair quickly put the feud behind them. After half-time, Walsh released Staggs out wide, before the centre offloaded the ball back to his team-mate, setting him up for a superb 65m try. But after the match, Walsh took to social media appearing to rubbish claims of a rivalry between himself and Staggs. Brisbane had published an image of Staggs on their Instagram account, lauding his stats from the game. They captioned the post: 'The numbers from our POTM.' The Broncos full-back reposted to his own story and ironically added two 'yawning emojis', implying this was a standard day at the office for his 26-year-old team-mate. Despite the pair appearing to put their differences aside on the pitch, Fox Footy's cameras caught Walsh fumin again inside the dressing room at half-time. The Herald Sun reports Walsh's frustrations arose because Brisbane's game plan had been to find space, ship the ball wide early and utilise Staggs' ability to break tackles. But after the move didn't come off, Walsh was left seething. 'We are trying to be perfect out there,' Adam Reynolds said when asked about the heated moment. 'It won't always go to plan. 'But we are adults, we talk about the situation when it happens 'And sure enough, they [Walsh and Staggs] fixed it up and scored a long-range try. 'They are working hard. It's good to have that feedback on the field.' Broncos boss Maguire also had no problem with the outburst. 'Reecey loves his footy and is continually striving to be the best like all the boys,' Maguire said. 'That's the perfection we're chasing. 'Whether or not it's trying to get the ball early to Kotoni or not, Reecey does wear his heart on his sleeve and that's why we love him. 'At times he will execute something and at other times he will be working out how he gets it done.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Brisbane Broncos fan's VERY cheeky reference to Kotoni Staggs sex tape during win over Gold Coast Titans
Brisbane's fifth-straight win wasn't the only talking point after their 26–14 triumph over the Gold Coast Titans on Sunday night. During the live broadcast from Robina, a travelling Broncos fan caused a stir with a bold sign referencing a scandal from five years ago. The sign, which read 'Suck my toes Kotoni', was a direct nod to a 2020 sex tape involving Broncos centre Kotoni Staggs. The woman holding it wore Broncos supporters gear and was caught on camera during the match. Her sign quickly went viral online, sparking reactions across social media platforms and prompting a fresh wave of attention toward the infamous scandal. The reference ties back to a controversial moment in 2020, when a sex tape of Staggs was distributed without his consent. The footage was recorded by then 18-year-old McKenzie Lorraine Robinson during a consensual sexual encounter arranged via Instagram. Staggs gave permission for the act to be filmed but only for private viewing. The footage, shot from a first-person angle, featured explicit scenes including toe sucking. The pair did not meet again, but Robinson continued to message Staggs in the months that followed. Eventually, a snippet of the video was sent to Staggs directly. On August 4, 2020, the video appeared on social media, reportedly circulated to multiple sporting organisations. Staggs made a formal complaint to police, leading to Robinson being charged with distributing prohibited visual recordings. Under Queensland law, the offence carries a maximum sentence of three years' imprisonment. She pleaded guilty in Brisbane Magistrates Court and was fined $600, avoiding a conviction. Magistrate Tina Privatera considered her early guilty plea and opted against recording a conviction. Robinson's lawyer claimed the footage was sent to a friend whom she trusted, and it was that friend who then circulated it publicly. Despite not intending for the video to become public, Robinson was held accountable for its distribution. Sunday's clash was Brisbane's fifth consecutive win, keeping them fifth on the ladder and within reach of the top four, but Staggs was involved in a heated on-field moment during the tense Queensland derby. But tensions briefly flared just before half-time, as Broncos fullback Reece Walsh and Staggs appeared to exchange frustrated words on the field. With seconds left in the half, the Broncos were in a familiar attacking shape down the right side. Walsh, floating behind the decoy runners, threw a sharp pass intended to put Staggs on the outside of Brian Kelly, but Staggs couldn't handle the pill. Pete Badel has labeled this a 'Heated Reece Walsh-Kotoni Staggs on-field confrontation' 😂 — NRLCentral (@centralNRL) July 13, 2025 Fox League commentator Cooper Cronk called the moment 'a clunky catch' but defended the centre, saying 'pressure was on him.' Immediately after the mistake, the broadcast showed Walsh speaking to Staggs, with the centre appearing to offer an apology. As the teams headed into the sheds, Deine Mariner put an arm around Walsh. The cameras then caught another moment of visible frustration from the Broncos fullback. Walsh's emotions carried into the break. Ben Hunt, covering the half-time interview duties, had a quiet word with Walsh afterwards. 'He plays with high emotion, I suppose he thought his right centre should've caught that,' Bryan Fletcher said during the broadcast. Inside the sheds, Walsh had another brief outburst before calming down. Post-match, captain Adam Reynolds was asked about Walsh's emotions and the exchange. 'We're trying to be perfect out there, It's not always going to go to plan,' Reynolds said. 'But we're adults, We talk about a situation when it happens.' He confirmed the pair had resolved the issue quickly, with the team scoring a long-range try shortly after. 'They're working hard, and it's always good to have that feedback on the field,' he said. Coach Michael Maguire also weighed in, saying the game plan was designed to give Staggs early ball. 'Reece, he loves his footy and he's striving to continually be the best,' Maguire said. 'That's all the boys. That's the perfection they're chasing.' He defended Walsh's passionate approach. 'Reece wears his heart on his sleeve and that's why we love him.' 'At times he's going to execute something, and other times he's working out how he gets it done.'
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Reece Walsh explodes at Broncos teammate in fiery on-field scenes
Broncos skipper Adam Reynolds has responded to the fiery on-field confrontation between teammates Reece Walsh and Kotoni Staggs during Brisbane's 26-14 win over the Gold Coast. Fox League cameras captured Walsh and Staggs exchanging words just before half time after the Broncos centre dropped a pass. Whatever the issue was between the two was quickly put behind them though, with the star duo combining for Walsh's stunning long-range try shortly after half time. Reynolds was asked about the incident between Walsh and Staggs but brushed it off as anything serious. 'We're trying to be perfect out there, it's not always trying to go to plan,' Reynolds said in the post-game press conference. 'We're adults, we talk about the situation when it happens and sure they enough they fixed it up and we scored a long range try 'They're working hard and it's good to get that feedback on the field.' The polarising Walsh enjoyed one of his better outings of the season. In addition to his try, the fullback ran for 125 metres, had five tackle busts, two line break assists and a try assist. Coach Michael Maguire chimed in on Walsh's passion for the game and why it makes him great. 'Reecey loves his footy and he's striving to continuously be the best which is the perfection they're chasing,' Maguire said. 'Reecey wears his heart on his sleeve and that's why we love him and why the boys love playing with him.' Fox League's Bryan Fletcher agreed with Maguire, believing there's nothing to see here given Walsh's tendency to play with immense passion. 'This is the way he plays,' Fletcher said of Walsh. 'He is of high emotion and he thinks his right centre should have caught that ball.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Walsh magic sinks Titans as Broncos win five in a row
Brisbane fullback Reece Walsh came up with the big plays to sink Gold Coast and heap further pressure on Titans coach Des Hasler. Brisbane won their fifth game in a row 26-14 at Robina on Sunday to stay fifth in the NRL standings and keep alive their top-four hopes. The last-placed Titans had chances to win, but failed to ice the key moments. It was a far from convincing display by the Broncos, who were error-riddled in the first half. Luckily for them their opponents were no better. Walsh scored a try and set one up when the match was on the line, while centre Kotoni Staggs was a powerhouse and the best player on the field. The scores were locked at 2-2 until the Broncos scored twice in the final four minutes of the first half to take a 14-2 halftime lead. The Broncos finally went over in the 34th minute, and it was rookie 26-year-old prop Ben Talty who scored his first NRL try in just his second match. Staggs swooped on a loose pass minutes later when it appeared the Titans would score, and back-rower Jack Gosiewski scored at the other end after a Walsh pass. Walsh started and finished a long-range try after the break and topped it off with a back-flip somersault to boot to give his side a 20-2 lead. Two tries to Titans centre Jojo Fifita inside nine minutes lit up the 24, 553 fans. An AJ Brimson grubber and a superb interchange between half Jayden Campbell and forward Chris Randall set up the four-pointers. The Titans went close to levelling before Broncos hooker Billy Walters scored at the other end. Broncos second-rower Brendan Piakura knocked-on early while attempting to score after an Adam Reynolds kick and was concussed in the process. He failed his HIA and did not return. Speculation has been intense that Hasler is a dead man walking with his future prospects with the club, despite being contracted until the end of 2026. His side played with commitment on Sunday, but also a lack of attention to detail. Titans centre Brian Kelly had a shocker, with five errors costing his side dearly.
