Kevin Walters has acknowledged that Selwyn Cobbo and Kotoni Staggs might have to accept pay cuts to stay with the Brisbane Broncos, as Reece Walsh is poised to sign the club’s biggest deal ever. Cobbo and Staggs will become free agents on November 1, while Walsh is expected to sign a new contract reportedly worth $6 million.
Both Cobbo and Staggs are crucial to the Broncos’ aspirations for regular NRL title contention, but they may need to accept lower offers than they could receive elsewhere. On Wednesday, Walters expressed his determination to retain both players but recognized the financial challenge.
“I expect to keep both,” Walters said. “We need to find a way. They are quality players who came through our academy and will demand high salaries. We must find a compromise where they stay, play for a great club, and take slightly less money for continued success.”
Walters, who won five titles with the Broncos in the 90s, noted that taking pay cuts was key to past successes and hopes Cobbo and Staggs will follow suit. “If we have the right environment, they will stay. Kotoni and Selwyn are Broncos through and through,” Walters added. “That’s my goal as a coach, despite the difficulty.”
Reece Walsh’s impending lucrative deal complicates the Broncos’ ability to offer competitive salaries to other players. Recent big-money extensions for Payne Haas, Patrick Carrigan, and Ezra Mam further strain the budget. Walsh affirmed his commitment last month, saying, “I am one hundred percent re-signing. The Broncos have been pivotal in my career, and I love the club.”
However, Walsh’s new deal could pressure the Broncos’ budget, potentially affecting Cobbo and Staggs. “A lesser club might offer Cobbo a seven-figure deal to be their No.1 fullback,” Broncos legend Corey Parker remarked. “It’s hard to see how the Broncos could match such offers for Cobbo and Staggs on the open market.”
