As far as Brisbane are concerned, who their NRL opponent is this weekend is irrelevant as another clash with former coach Wayne Bennett looms.

The Broncos are in a battle to avoid their first wooden spoon after slumping to a 36-26 loss to Cronulla last weekend, their ninth defeat from their past 10 matches.

Only Parramatta’s narrow two-point win over Canterbury on Sunday prevented the Broncos falling to the bottom of the NRL ladder.

Bennett, the foundation coach who led the Broncos to six premierships, will be out to inflict further pain on his former club when South Sydney face Brisbane in a Friday night grudge match.

The fallout from the highly-publicised coaching swap between the two clubs in 2018, with Anthony Seibold moving to the Broncos from the Rabbitohs, has added intrigue to every meeting between the teams since.

Brisbane centre Kotoni Staggs though says the Broncos’ woes mean the opponent doesn’t matter, just the result.

“We’re not worried about that anymore, what the coaches have done,” Staggs said.

“We’re there to focus on ourself and to get the two points at the end of the day.

“We’re not going to worry about all that s**t.”

David Fifita’s return for his first match of 2020 is a huge boost for the Broncos, with the 20-year-old training strongly on Monday.

“All the boys want to play alongside him and myself as well … he’s gonna lift the team up this week and everyone’s excited to have him back in the team,” Staggs said.

The Broncos could also have Matt Lodge back in their pack for the clash with Souths but five-eighth Anthony Milford is in doubt after exiting training early on Monday with a hamstring complaint.