NRL: Maguire wants Staggs and Cobbo re-signed for Broncos

Brisbane Broncos coach Michael Maguire wants Kotoni Staggs and Selwyn Cobbo in his backline beyond the 2025 NRL season and has urged the club to re-sign the pair.

The two stars — who formed Brisbane’s centres pairing in 2024 — are off-contract with the Broncos at the end of 2025.

However, after strong pre-season showings, Maguire is eager to lock the duo down for longer than a year.

“I’ve said I want to keep both,” he said on Monday.

“I tell everyone who I want, and it would be great for both of those boys to be here.

“That’s up to the organisation to get that sorted. I tend to stay away from that.

“I like to just make sure I’m coaching.”

Financially, Brisbane may face challenges in retaining the two backs, with Cobbo on $750,000 and Staggs at $800,000.

Each could likely generate interest close to the $1 million mark from other clubs, and with the signings of Ben Hunt, Payne Haas, Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam, the Broncos will be running their salary cap tight.

According to Maguire, both Cobbo and Staggs are thriving ahead of the 2025 season — promising signs as the Broncos look to bounce back from their disappointing 12th-place finish in 2024.

“They’ve jumped into training,” he said.

“I’ve sort of known Kotoni for quite some time and to watch him develop into who he is now — he’s a leader — is really good to see.

“You learn your lessons as a young bloke and now he’s one of the leaders.

“And Sel is doing work in the background working hard, as well.”

Maguire also shared that he is happy with competition around the No.9 jersey evolving pre-season.

Tyson Smoothy, Billy Walters, Blake Mozer and Cory Paix are all in the mix, while Hunt is expected to feature at hooker once Mam returns from suspension to play in the halves.

“I probably won’t give away too much there because I’ve just said to the boys, ‘Go and compete’,” Maguire said.

“I’m very fortunate that I’ve got some really good dummy-halves.

“With the craft they’re learning and what I’m trying to get them to understand and running the game plan, they’ve all shown they’re very capable.

“So it’s going to be good competition over the next month to drive to where we want to get to.

“But I could go in any which way with these guys.”

Ahead of the 2025 season beginning in Las Vegas on Sunday, March 2 (AEDT), Brisbane sit on the third line of betting to win the title across NRL bookmakers.

The club is paying $8 at PlayUp to claim its seventh premiership, sitting behind last year’s grand finalists — the Melbourne Storm ($3.75) and Penrith Panthers ($4.75).

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