NRL Round 6 2024: Brisbane Broncos win 28-14 over Dolphins
Selwyn Cobbo had a barnstormer against the Dolphins and his coach Kevin Walters says the Broncos have only scratched the surface of his abilities at centre.
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Brisbane coach Kevin Walters has warned the NRL the Broncos have only scratched the surface of Selwyn Cobbo’s talent as a centre after his barnstorming destruction of the Dolphins.
Cobbo continued his Battle of Brisbane rampage on Friday, posting a double, including a 70-metre runaway try, in a man-of-the-match display that set up the Broncos’ 28-14 victory at Suncorp Stadium.
Cobbo has become the Dolphins’ derby demolition bogeyman.
In the first three Battles of Brisbane, the Queensland Origin flyer has amassed a whopping 503 metres, 18 tackle busts and six tries, including last year’s matchwinning hat-trick to snatch a 24-16 victory at the Gabba.
But it was Cobbo’s latest effort, which opened his tryscoring account for the 2024 premiership, which convinced Walters the Indigenous ace can become one of Brisbane’s great centres.
A full-time winger last season, Cobbo was shifted to the centres this season to replace Dolphins defector Herbie Farnworth and Walters says the 21-year-old is only just getting started on Brisbane’s left edge.
“There was plenty to like about Selwyn,” Walters said.
“He is just a big body, he can run, he can tackle, he is strong.
“It’s pretty exciting where Selwyn can get to as the year develops as a centre three-quarter for sure.”
At 105kg, Cobbo is a menacing presence not only in attack but in defence, with the Maroons young gun also showing good speed and awareness to produce a first-half trysaver on Jamayne Isaako.
The Cherbourg sensation will play just his seventh game at centre against Canberra next Saturday night and says he is relishing his stint in Brisbane’s left-centre slot made famous by his Indigenous mentor, Broncos great Steve Renouf.
“I hadn’t scored all year but it was great to get two,” Cobbo said in the wake of his Dolphins rout.
“It has been pretty challenging (moving to centre) but I am having fun there as well, working outside of Ezra (Mam, five-eighth) and inside of whoever is on the wing.
“I am grateful whether I play centre, wing or fullback. I will do my job for the team.
“I will play anywhere Kevvie wants me.”
Asked to describe his toughest challenge moving to centre, Cobbo said: “I guess defensive-wise. I am working with Ezra and getting up (together) with him, staying square and making my tackles once the ball goes past me.”
Dolphins’ injury crisis deepens with loss of superstar fullback
Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett is resigned to losing superstar Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow for up to a month and could also be without star prop Tom Flegler for next Friday’s clash against the Eels in Darwin.
The Battle of Brisbane inflicted more casualties on the Dolphins with the ‘Hammer’ (hamstring) to join Herbie Farnworth (AC joint) and Felise Kaufusi (hamstring) on the sidelines for the round 7 trip to TIO Stadium.
Utility Kodi Nikorima will be assessed for a calf injury, while there is no guarantee Flegler will recover from his shoulder problem to bolster the Dolphins pack for the torrid road trip to the Top End.
Tabuai-Fidow will have scans over the weekend but Bennett fears his classy fullback is no hope of being fit to face the Eels as injuries threaten to derail the Dolphins’ promising early-season start.
“Hammer told me he hasn’t had a hamstring injury for a while, but he could be gone for three or four weeks,” said Bennett, who lamented Brisbane’s four-try blitz in 14 minutes after halftime.
“We lost our way for that period and that cost us.
“We just didn’t complete and we knew they scored a lot of tries off kicks, we knew the dangers with that and we got a bit loose.
“I was happy with our effort. We could have thrown our hands in the air and they could have put 50 on us.”
It wasn’t Brisbane’s finest win but Broncos coach Kevin Walters lauded the individual efforts that proved decisive after his troops led 6-4 at halftime in a scrappy affair.
Xavier Willison and Pat Carrigan were outstanding in the middle, while Selwyn Cobbo and Reece Walsh each posted 70-metre runaway tries after the break to bury the Dolphins.
“It’s important at this time of the year to bank points which we haven’t been able to do consistently,” he said.
“Xavier Willison has been really consistent for us and Kotoni Staggs was good with some of his carries, the toughness he played with set the standard for us.”
Of Cobbo’s two-try effort, Walters said: “There was plenty to like about Selwyn.
“He is just a big body, he can run, he can tackle, he is strong.
“It’s pretty exciting where Selwyn can get to as the year develops as a centre three-quarter for sure.
“The Battle of Brisbane is always hard. We were a lot better in the second half once we fixed up our discipline.”
Walsh, Cobbo steal the show as Broncos claim victory in Battle for Brisbane
The Dolphins’ injury crisis intensified with superstar Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow hobbling off as Broncos duo Selwyn Cobbo and Reece Walsh landed a one-two punch to seal Brisbane’s 28-14 derby victory at Suncorp Stadium.
Kevin Walters’ troops clinched a third consecutive victory in the Battle of Brisbane, with a near-sellout crowd of 46,224 watching the Broncos’ individual class trump the desperation of Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins.
The Dolphins muscled up early but the loss of Tabuai-Fidow (hamstring) in the 21st minute was a crushing blow for a Redcliffe outfit already missing key trio Herbie Farnworth, Felise Kaufusi and Tom Flegler.
After a patchy start, Brisbane soon found their groove, with two-try Cobbo and the returning Walsh (facial fracture) delivering the killer blows as the Broncos posted four tries in a 14-minute second-half blitzkrieg.
The loss knocked the Dolphins (3-2) off the top of the ladder, while Brisbane moved to an even 3-3 record ahead of next Saturday’s clash against the Raiders at Suncorp Stadium.
HAMMER BLOW
The Dolphins’ derby hopes suffered a huge setback when star fullback Tabuai-Fidow limped off.
It was a pointless ‘Hammer’ blow. The Origin speed demon tweaked his hamstring during a needless pursuit of Corey Oates, who had streaked away, both oblivious to the fact play had already been halted after Brisbane were penalised for a late tackle.
Without their X-factor, Redcliffe lost their game-breaking edge. To compound their pain, his fullback replacement Kodi Nikorima strained his calf in the dying minutes.
DYNAMIC DUO
The Dolphins had guts and grit. But the Broncos had the matchwinning diamonds in Cobbo and Walsh.
Centre Cobbo was a handful, opening his tryscoring account for 2024 as he charged for 177 metres with six tackle busts. And while Walsh tried too hard in the first half in his return from injury, ‘Reece Lightning’ streaked 75 metres in the 52nd minute to leave the Dolphins floundering at 16-4.
X-FACTOR
Broncos young gun Xavier Willison produced the best game of his fledgling career with a powerhouse performance in the middle.
Missing key prop Payne Haas (knee), the Broncos needed some midfield grunt and Willison duly provided it as the 21-year-old powered through the rucks.
In just his 14th NRL game, the 199cm monster amassed 120 metres and five tackle busts and his 34th-minute bargeover try from close range was reward for Willison’s workrate and energy.
COMEBACK COREY
It was a bittersweet night for Oates.
The Broncos veteran had a dreadful first half, dropping two high balls, but he atoned in the 45th minute, catching a sublime Ezra Mam ball at speed and crashing over to give Brisbane a crucial 10-4 lead.
Oates’ 120th career four-pointer saw him join Michael Hancock in equal third on Brisbane’s all-time tryscoring list, behind only Darren Lockyer (122) and the legendary Steve Renouf (142).
HALF THE BATTLE
This was a confidence-boosting victory for Jock Madden.
After three defeats at home as a starting playmaker, Madden broke his Suncorp duck in the decorated No.7 jumper filling in for injured skipper Adam Reynolds.
Madden had a rough start. His 10th-minute clearing kick nearly sailed into Row C, but he stabilised well, unleashing the towering bomb which led to Cobbo’s 56th-minute try and allowed the Broncos breathing space at 22-4.
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