Kotoni Staggs is producing the big plays but his Brisbane captain Adam Reynolds says it's the little things which have built his case for a State of Origin debut.
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The Broncos centre was again destructive in a 16-7 upset win over Cronulla on Thursday night, upstaging Siosifa Talakai in their much-hyped battle.
Staggs scored a brilliant try but was equally as impressive in defence, producing a one-on-one stop of the hulking Sharks centre on his tryline and smothering him in general play.
Blues coach Brad Fittler is looking for a centre on the opposite side of the field to Staggs' preferred right edge to replace the injured Latrell Mitchell.
And Staggs is in a long queue of contenders, headed by in-form Penrith centre Stephen Crichton.
But his form surge only enhanced his chances of a NSW debut which was within reach in 2020, before a knee injury in the final round of the season.
"It's the little things you don't notice with Kotoni ... the kick chase, the defensive reads," Reynolds said.
"He was excellent; he has the highlights and flashy plays everyone looks for, but also just the little things that make great players.
"(He has) the X-factor (to play State of Origin). The confidence he's playing with and Origin is built on those (little) moments and he is producing them week in, week out."
Reynolds overcame an elbow to the nose, passing his head injury assessment to return for the second half as Brisbane nosed their way into the top eight with a 4-4 record.
"We're building, heading in the right direction," Reynolds said ahead of a date with his former club South Sydney next weekend.
"We're not exactly where we want to be, but working hard and certainly growing as a football team, more confident in the style we want to play."
Coach Kevin Walters again lauded Reynolds' influence and said star prop Payne Haas would be in doubt to face the Rabbitohs.
"He's in doubt again for sure, he's pretty sore in there tonight," Walters said.
"He's tough as old boots Payno. We'll look after him medically, he'll probably get some more scans.
Haas carried a shoulder complaint into the game with a grade one AC joint strain and was clearly troubled, eventually substituting with 25 minutes to play.
Broncos head of performance Dave Ballard said on Friday Haas pulled up OK after the win but the club will monitor him over the coming days.
"His preparation for next week's game will be adjusted to maximise his chances of playing but we will not be taking any risks," Ballard said.
Australian Associated Press
