Off-contract Broncos star Selwyn Cobbo open to leaving Brisbane
Without a contract for 2026, free agent Selwyn Cobbo reveals he is open to leaving the Broncos, as the Brisbane star confronts the toughest decision of his NRL career so far.
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Free agent Selwyn Cobbo is open to leaving the Broncos, revealing beloved hometown Cherbourg “is not going to run away wherever I go” as the Brisbane star confronts the toughest decision of his NRL career.
Cobbo goes into next Sunday’s Magic Round clash against Penrith still without a contract for 2026 and his market value soared towards the $1 million mark with a superb display in last Thursday’s 42-18 rout of the Bulldogs.
Filling in for injured superstar Reece Walsh at fullback, Cobbo dispelled doubts about his fitness in the backfield, terrorising the Bulldogs to underline why he is one of the NRL’s most precocious backline talents.
Now pressure is mounting on the Broncos to navigate a $6 million salary-cap crunch to keep the off-contract Cobbo at Red Hill.
Four rivals have expressed interest in Cobbo and a fifth, newly-minted expansion team Perth, are circling, with Bears director Billy Moore declaring the Queensland Origin star would be the perfect poster boy for the NRL’s 18th club in Western Australia.
The Broncos are doing everything possible to retain Cobbo, but have yet to table a new deal as they crunch the salary-cap numbers with 13 top-liners off-contract this year.
One trump card for the Broncos is the view Cobbo is keen to remain close to Cherbourg, the hometown to which he retreats regularly seeking the solace of family and friends in his Aboriginal community.
Speaking after Brisbane’s defeat of the Bulldogs, Cobbo was coy about his future, but indicated he isn’t worried about being away from Cherbourg if he is forced to leave the Broncos.
“Cherbourg is not going to run away,” Cobbo said.
“It’s always home.
“I can always go home whenever I can.
“I love going back home when I can, it’s not going to run away and wherever I go, I can always go back home.”
Broncos coach Michael Maguire is adamant Brisbane can afford to keep Cobbo and strike centre Kotoni Staggs, also off-contract, but the Cherbourg flyer will have to give up at least $250,000 to stay at Red Hill.
Cobbo is on around $650,000 this season.
NRL suitors have discussed offers north of $900,000, while the addition of the Bears in 2027 and Papua New Guinea in 2028 is set to send the player market into a frenzy for top talent.
There are few NRL athletes like Cobbo.
The 22-year-old is capable of playing fullback, centre, wing, lock and five-eighth and the conundrum for the Broncos is his preference to wear the No.1 jumper that is the domain of first-choice custodian Walsh, who inked a $4.4 million extension last year.
Cobbo is happy at the Broncos, but if the Maroons young gun wants to be a full-time fullback, he will have to consider leaving Brisbane.
Asked if he wants to stay at the Broncos next year, Cobbo was non-committal, saying: “For now, I just want to play footy. I will let my manager sort out all that.
“I will keep putting on the jersey and showing up every week and put a good performance in for the team.”
Cobbo is weighing up signing a one-year deal with Brisbane, which could buy the Broncos another 12 months to free up cap space and put together a more lucrative, long-term contract.
But a 12-month extension still opens the door for the Bears, who can approach free agents from November 1 this year.
A move across the Nullarbor would represent a seismic life change for Cobbo, but Bears director Billy Moore believes Brisbane’s match-winner would be a revelation for the NRL’s 18th team.
“Selwyn Cobbo is a bit like Kalyn Ponga in the sense he could be a marquee player,” Moore said.
“The Bears will also need players that can promote the game in a new market and Cobbo would have massive appeal to a younger brigade of fans in the west.”
For now, Cobbo is keeping his mind on the job as he holds the Broncos’ fullback fort for the next month. The 105kg brute insists he has the aerobic engine to play fullback and is drawing inspiration from his childhood hero, South Sydney legend Greg Inglis.
“It’s not really a big responsibility,” he said of replacing Walsh.
“I have been watching what I’ve been eating and doing extra conditioning to get more metres in games and do more work for the team.
“’GI’ (Inglis) was my idol growing up. He was one of the greats to play the sport and I just want to make my own name and show what Selwyn Cobbo can do.
“I guess I just love being around the action (at fullback), not on the wing.
“I like being around the middle and I feel more free with the ball. I can get thrown the ball at any time. I get involved more.
“That’s what I love doing, getting involved.”
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