NRL 2022: Selwyn Cobbo cops blast from Kevin Walters for late show at training
A tumultuous build-up to the Broncos’ biggest game of the season has taken another turn after star winger Selwyn Cobbo earned the wrath of coach Kevin Walters. Find out why.
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Broncos coach Kevin Walters has read the riot act to Selwyn Cobbo after the Queensland Origin star turned up late to training on the eve of Brisbane’s biggest game of the season.
News Corp can reveal Cobbo reported for Brisbane’s captain’s run 30 minutes late after sleeping through his alarm clock in the latest ruction for the Broncos ahead of their crunch clash against the Dragons on Saturday at Kogarah.
It is understood Walters was furious with Cobbo and held an urgent meeting with the 20-year-old, who only last week was rested from Brisbane’s 53-6 loss to the Eels after claiming he was suffering burnout.
Fellow Brisbane players were said to be bitterly disappointed with Cobbo’s worrying lack of professionalism at a time when the struggling Broncos are fighting to keep their finals hopes alive by beating the Dragons.
It’s been a turbulent week for the Broncos, who were buffeted by reports a number of players were unhappy with a post-match spray from Walters following the Eels defeat, a claim the Broncos coach has denied.
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Tyson Gamble was then forced to apologise to Walters on Thursday after the Newcastle-bound five-eighth made unflattering comments about the coach, saying skipper Adam Reynolds was the club’s “go-to man”.
Now Brisbane’s preparation for a clash that will make or break their season has been marred by Cobbo sleeping in for the captain’s run.
Walters confirmed the disciplinary breach but declined to comment.
Cobbo travelled with the Broncos team to Sydney and is expected to take his place on the right wing as Brisbane look to keep their season alive by disposing of the Dragons.
In 2011, Queensland Origin star Dane Gagai was sacked by then Broncos coach Anthony Griffin — Brisbane’s opposition coach this week — after he turned up late to training at Red Hill.
While Walters will not take such a drastic stance, he is far from impressed with Cobbo.
After arriving late to training, Cobbo was asked for a please explain from Walters.
He told the coach he simply slept in, prompting Walters to advise high-performance chief Dave Ballard to make Cobbo do extras.
After finishing the captain’s run, Cobbo did more conditioning work in the Broncos gym as punishment for turning up late.
It has been a rollercoaster first full season in the NRL for Cobbo.
He was magnificent in the first half of the season, earning him a shock Queensland Origin debut, but in May, Cobbo was embroiled in trouble off the field, banned from driving for six months after being charged with driving an unregistered vehicle.
Cobbo then suffered a sickening concussion in the Origin decider and sought time off last week after telling Walters he was struggling physically and mentally with the demands of an arduous NRL season.
The Broncos desperately need Cobbo at his best against the Dragons — at the very Kogarah venue where he made his NRL debut last year — and vice-captain Kurt Capewell backed him to fire after his one-week layoff.
“Cobbo has handled everything in his stride,” Capewell said.
“He’s a kid from a small country town that’s come in here to the big smoke. He gets a bit overawed sometimes with all the people. Everyone knows him now and he’s a superstar.
“The way he’s handled this year, and through Origin, he has done really well.
“I’m excited to see him back out there and hopefully we can get him over the line a couple of times this week.”
Broncos stars hit back at revolt rumours
Brisbane stars have blasted speculation of a dressing-room revolt against coach Kevin Walters as the Broncos vowed to pick up the pieces in a last-ditch bid to save their season.
D-Day has arrived for the embattled Broncos, who must overcome a horror past fortnight and keep their slim finals hopes alive by disposing of the Dragons on Saturday night at Sydney’s Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.
Walters goes into the crunch final-round clash buffeted by rumours he is losing the dressing room after reports two Broncos players were filthy at his fiery post-match spray in the wake of last week’s 53-6 loss to the Eels.
As the Broncos prepare for their last-chance saloon showdown with the Dragons, key duo Kotoni Staggs and Kurt Capewell hit out at suggestions Brisbane players are at loggerheads with their underfire coach.
“There were no complaints,” Staggs said when asked if there was a Red Hill uprising against Walters following his dressing-room blast.
“I don’t know where you media boys got that from, but there was no-one here complaining.
“We were all there listening, we took it (Walters’ emotional address) on board and we are focused on this game.
“That’s what you want from a coach, to point out the things the guys have done wrong.
“We’ll back Kevvie giving us a spray. You can’t always let things slide, you need to hear from the coach when he speaks and a lot of people listened.
“We didn’t want to be in this position, this week is like a grand final and we have to play with everything we have got.
“If we win this week, there’s still a chance of making the finals ... miracles can happen.”
If the Broncos miss the finals, Walters can consider himself one of the unluckiest coaches in NRL history.
The Titans qualified for the playoffs last season with a dismal 10-14 win-loss record.
Brisbane go into the Dragons game with 13 wins. The last Broncos team to miss the finals with 13 victories was 31 years ago, when Wayne Bennett’s class of 1991 finished seventh before making amends by winning the club’s first premiership 12 months later.
Brisbane’s foundation team of 1988 missed the playoffs despite boasting 14 wins, and Walters could be unfortunate enough to repeat that feat if the Broncos beat the Dragons, yet ultimately finish ninth.
The Broncos have never missed the finals in three successive seasons in their decorated 34-year history.
That scenario will put the entire Brisbane football department under the microscope, but vice-captain Kurt Capewell insists Walters is not to blame for the Broncos’ late-season slide.
“Kevvie is an emotional person and wears his heart on his sleeve. That’s one thing we love about him as a coach,” he said. “I don’t think any players took it badly. We have been absolutely flogged (the past two weeks) so most of them copped it on the chin.”
Staggs was a member of Brisbane’s wooden-spoon campaign under Anthony Seibold in 2020 and is adamant Walters has transformed the Broncos.
“I was there in the dark times and it wasn’t good,” the NSW Origin centre said.
“I don’t want people to be negative on us this year. We have won the most games this season for quite a few years so we have done better than previous years.
“The performance we have been dishing up at the back end of this year is not where we want to be.
“We need to fix that as a collective group, it’s all on the line here for us against the Dragons.”
Walters opens up on Broncos drama, coaching future
Kevin Walters is confident he won’t be sacked if Brisbane miss the finals as the Broncos coach dismissed suggestions of a player rift in the wake of the Tyson Gamble affair.
A contrite Gamble personally apologised to Walters for claiming Broncos players turn to skipper Adam Reynolds for advice — not the coach — in a drama-charged build-up to Brisbane’s crunch clash against the Dragons on Saturday at Kogarah.
Reynolds fronted Gamble over his comments and the internal ruction is the last thing Walters needs as he prepares for a final-round clash the Broncos must win to keep their slim finals hopes alive.
Speaking for the first time about the saga, Walters says he has no bad blood with the Newcastle-bound Gamble and had no thoughts of axing the five-eighth for the crucial clash with the Dragons, who will end Brisbane’s season with victory in Sydney.
“Not at all, we’re a team, we’re a group,” said Walters when asked if he considered dropping Gamble.
“Tyson and I have had a chat about some stuff that was said.
“I actually think it’s a real positive because one of the reasons we brought Adam Reynolds here was to share his knowledge amongst players, staff, everybody, so I see it as a positive.
“I got coached by Wayne Bennett for 10 years and it wasn’t just him I got information from. I went to Origin camps, I picked up information from other players. I don’t mind where the guys get their information from, as long as we keep it in the team environment.
“My understanding is he was encouraging Adam and the impact he has had on our club. That’s why we brought him here and Adam is sharing his knowledge with the group.
“I’m not frustrated by it (Gamble’s remarks), I’m all about the Broncos and getting the team heading in the right direction.
“Tyson is with us for this game and we need him at his best to get us where we need to go.”
Statistically, the Broncos have made major strides on Walters’ watch this season.
Victory over the Dragons would give the Broncos 14 wins this season — twice as many as Walters’ first season in charge last year and exponentially more than the paltry three games they won under former coach Anthony Seibold in their wooden-spoon campaign of 2020.
The Broncos have a ruthless history of sacking coaches. Ivan Henjak (2010), Anthony Griffin (2013) and Seibold (2020) were all terminated after missing the playoffs just once, while Walters is in danger of back-to-back finals fadeouts if Brisbane finish ninth this season.
Walters is off-contract next season, but is adamant his job is not on the line on Saturday night.
“I don’t see that (his future as coach) as a problem,” he said. “I’m not feeling any pressure. We have had a great season and we need to continue that momentum into the Dragons game.
“I certainly think we’re a finals team. We have been in the top eight for most of the year and we just have to get it right against the Dragons.
“I think 13 is a pass mark coming where we have come from, two years ago we had a wooden spoon hanging in the office.
“I think we have seen some great progress over the past few years.
“It’s the last round, we’re still in with a chance of playing finals.
“We are equal eighth and if we get the job done against the Dragons, then we’ll see how the rest of the competition unfolds over the weekend.
“Miracles happen all the time.”
Walters scoffed at suggestions his relationship with players is fractured after his savage dressing-room spray in the wake of last week’s 53-6 loss to the Eels.
“There’s no issue,” he said. “I’ve spoken to our senior players and others and they are fine.
“I don’t think the players were offended. Certainly it was the right approach. One of my key strengths as a coach is my passion and the passion I have for the players and the club and sometimes that passion gets pushed.
“I don’t have any regrets about what I said the other night in the change room, it was my passion and feelings for this great place and I will continue to do that.”
Walters has been forced to make a late change, with back-rower Jordan Riki ruled out due to an eye injury.
Penrith-bound Zac Hosking has been promoted to the starting side with boom back-rower Brendan Piakura to make his first appearance of the 2022 season off the bench.
“Jordan hasn’t come up too well with his eye, so we have brought Brendan into the squad,” Walters said. “Brendan has had some injuries and Covid, but he is back playing some good footy in the Queensland Cup.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to head to Sydney and really finish off the season well.”
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