He is out of contract at the end of 2025.
The Sydney Roosters and Manly Sea Eagles are likely to enter the hunt for Brisbane Broncos standout Kotoni Staggs.
The centre may not be out of contract until the end of 2025, making him unable to bargain until November 1 of this year, but that hasn’t stopped talk that he will be pursued aggressively come that date.
Brisbane would surely like to sign Staggs before November 1, but there is no guarantee.
Kevin Walters’ club is facing a wage cap constraint after recently re-signing Payne Haas and Ezra Mam, as well as second-rowers Jordan Riki and Brendan Piakura, while also holding long-term contracts with Patrick Carrigan and Deine Mariner.
The second challenge facing Brisbane in the coming weeks and months is securing the future of star Queensland State of Origin fullback Reece Walsh, who, like Staggs, is out of contract at the end of 2025.
It’s believed he won’t get to the November 1 deadline, with Walsh reportedly already agreeing to terms on a deal believed to be worth more than $1 million per season.
It is unclear how much the Broncos would have to pay to keep Staggs, but it is likely to be more than they can afford, with News Corp suggesting that the Sydney Roosters and Manly Sea Eagles will be interested.
The Roosters will lose Joseph Manu and Joseph Suaalii from their backline at the conclusion of the season, while Daniel Tupou’s retirement is also a possibility.
Billy Smith will immediately into the top 17 as an outside back, but with so few options available for 2024, it may be necessary to wait a year for a star replacement like Staggs.
Manly, on the other hand, is expected to release Josh Schuster from their squad in the near future, leaving huge issues about their outside back line moving ahead.
The Dolphins are also thought to be in the running for the star centre, but reports are mixed, with some speculating that they will pull out of the race after signing Herbie Farnworth from the Broncos at the end of 2023 and having an abundance of other backline players competing for minutes.
Staggs’ preferences for his next deal are unknown.
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