Billy Slater Expresses Sympathy for Kotoni Staggs After Two-Game Ban
Billy Slater has shown a level of understanding for Kotoni Staggs following the Broncos star’s two-game suspension after a controversial incident during a match against the Roostes. The former New South Wales coach, Phil Gould, has also expressed his support for Staggs despite the fact that he won’t be available before Laurie Daley names his squad for Origin I.
Staggs was sin binned late in his team’s 38-24 loss to the Tricolours after using a forearm to hit Hugo Savala in the head. On-field official Adam Gee described the move as “rubbish” before the Bunker intervened and instructed the referee to send the 28-year-old off.
Staggs has since been charged with a grade two dangerous contact offense and has accepted an early guilty plea, which will see him sit out two matches. He is expected to be available for the first Origin game on May 27 if selected by Daley.
While the moment of aggression was always going to result in some form of punishment, Slater believes it might not have warranted a two-week ban. “I actually feel for him a little bit, because he plays with this high-energy aggression,” the Queensland coach said on Nine’s The Billy Slater Podcast.
“Did he overstep the mark? Absolutely he did, without a doubt. He took it a little bit too far, but he’s paid a huge price. He’s paid a price for his team and any momentum or possibility of winning that game against the Roosters and he lives with that now, it sits with him and he will feel that. Now he sits on the sideline for the next two weeks, that is a huge price for overstepping the mark in one situation.”
Slater added, “I get it, I don’t condone what he’s done and he’s definitely in the wrong … but it’s a very hefty price. I was even going, is it 10 minutes in the bin or just a penalty? I thought that was probably it. Then when I heard two or three weeks, I was like wow. It was probably just the intent around it and it was very unnecessary, that’s all it was and now they’re gonna pay a bit of a price there for Kotoni’s one moment.”
Staggs would have normally escaped with a lighter sanction, but his prior indiscretions worked against him, which Slater was quick to point out. “I know it was his second offence and it was a grade two,” he said.
“The weeks are just the result … I know the match review committee look at the grading and that’s it. How many priors you have is on you, it’s not on the match review committee, they just look at the incident and grade it for what it is. I’m not having a go at the match review committee here, this is solely on Kotoni – but it’s just the result looks heavy.”
Gould later made his Blues selection comment on Nine’s 100% Footy.
Staggs will miss Brisbane’s fixtures against the Sea Eagles and Warriors. The timing of his suspension could also hurt his chances of a State of Origin recall, with plenty of other high-profile stars gunning for a centre spot in Daley’s NSW team. Latrell Mitchell is all-but guaranteed to play left centre, with the likes of Staggs, Stephen Crichton, Bradman Best and Casey McLean in the mix for the other spot.
