Kotoni Staggs has defended Brisbane captain Adam Reynolds amid calls for his sacking and has hit back at "haters" as the Broncos' season from hell reaches flashpoint.
The 13th placed Broncos travel to Gold Coast on Saturday four points outside the NRL top eight, where a loss would virtually end their finals hopes.
The Broncos were dismal in their 41-16 loss to Canterbury on Saturday and Titans ambassador and former skipper Gorden Tallis, speaking on NRL 360, took aim at Reynolds.
"I think the team is lacking leadership," Tallis said.
"On Saturday, somebody needed to stand up and put a stake in the ground.
"(Reynolds) didn't do it, and in the (2023) grand final he didn't get them home either.
"If he's the captain and he's not doing it, there might be a chance to put Pat Carrigan there.
"Maybe there should be a change with who gets the 'C' next to their name."
Strike centre Staggs was having none of it and was not surprised former players were putting the boot in.
"(Reynolds) has just come back from being out injured (for 11 weeks) and you can't blame him for what we have been doing. They will pick out anything they can and we just ignore it," Staggs said.
"One hundred per cent (Reynolds is the right man to captain Brisbane). He has done it for the last two years. He led us to a grand final last year. It is not just on Adam. There are 13 guys on the footy field to play their part.
"I still believe he can lead us to a grand final."
Staggs said criticism from Broncos old boys was nothing new.
"It has been like that in the past. I was here in 2020 when we hit rock bottom and it is just the same old thing coming back out," he said.
"We have a great bunch of boys here and we have to stay strong and have each other's back. That noise doesn't get inside these doors here and we just brush it off."
Chris Johns, who won premierships in 1992 and 1993 with Brisbane, said on SEN Radio that the Broncos players had received "too many pats on the back" while other pundits have accused the players of having big egos and a higher opinion of their own form than warranted after losing seven of their last eight games.
"There is going to be pressure on the Broncos. We are a big organisation," Staggs said.
"Whether we are winning or losing there are still people hating us. They don't like to see the Broncos win. We know what we have got to do and we will do it.
"I still believe this team can go all the way. I am not going to give up and certainly all the boys here are not going to give up. We are going to go out there (against the Titans) and put everything on the line."
The Broncos received a boost on Wednesday when second-rower Brendan Piakura trained well after missing last week's loss with a groin strain.
