In a Brisbane derby that had it all, it seemed only fitting that the game-sealing try for the Broncos would come from a former Redcliffe Dolphins grand final winner.
With fulltime approaching in a tightly-contested match, Kotoni Staggs was able to field a last-roll-of-the-dice grubber from Anthony Milford as the Dolphins were pressuring their try line to run the full length of the field and claim the victory for the ‘visiting’ side.
The first Battle for Brisbane, while at times was lacking in quality due to poor ball control - made up for any errors with plenty of drama, grit, guts, big hits, intriguing storylines and exciting rugby league.
Staggs goes 100 metres
While much of the pre-game attention centred around the former Broncos in the Dolphins line-up, which last night totalled seven players with the late inclusion of Milford and of course, coach Wayne Bennett, it was left to the former Dolphin to write the concluding statement.
“When I first made my way to Brisbane from Wellington, New South Wales, that was my feeder club and I've got a lot of respect for the Redcliffe Dolphins and for them giving me the opportunity to start off with when I first came to Brisbane,” Staggs said in the winning Broncos sheds after the match.
“And you know, we won the Intrust Super Cup out there, the grand final when I was there.
“They will always hold a special part in my career and it’s just good to have them in the game.”
However, despite his playing background with Redcliffe, Staggs was not tempted to join the new NRL side and he showed his loyalty to his current team after scoring the match-sealing try, with the emotion pouring out of him as he made no bones about whose ‘house’ he thought the teams were playing in.
“I just said this is our home, there might have been an ‘f’ word there but, just a bit of emotional and yeah, it was just a good way to finish the game,” Staggs said.
"We knew that it was the battle was coming up against them, it was about who owns Suncorp and (with) another Brisbane team coming in ... it was just a good way to finish the game.
"That just come straight to mind when I scored and you know, it is our home.”
The win means the Broncos are now 4-0 to start the season, but Staggs said there was still plenty to improve on for the side, given the scrappy nature of the game which saw both sides struggling to keep above a 50% completion rate at halftime.
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“We didn't complete our sense the way we wanted to, we didn't really start the game the way we wanted to as well,” Staggs said.
“But we just get better from that game and look back to what we did right and what we can now work on and it's just another two points as well.
“It’s four games in a row now, and the boys are going to get a lot of confidence from that.”
Having now claimed the first Battle for Brisbane and bragging rights at Suncorp Stadium, the Broncos will have to wait until next year to try and claim an official ‘home’ win at the venue, with their next match up in Round 18 taking place at the Gabba.
However, the derby has ignited a new Queensland rivalry and Staggs was excited to be part of more games in the future.
“All of the Queensland teams are always a good game, the Cowboys have been a good game (against the Broncos) in previous years and now we've got another one now with the Dolphins and it just started tonight.”