NRL 2024: Broncos rookie Coby Black to make Queensland Cup debut for Souths Logan | Sport Confidential
The Broncos’ halfback succession plan for Adam Reynolds is gathering steam, with boom 18-year-old rookie Coby Black taking the next step toward an NRL debut. See the full SPORT CONFIDENTIAL
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Here comes the man in Black.
The Broncos’ scrumbase succession plan for champion skipper Adam Reynolds is gathering steam with boom 18-year-old halfback Coby Black to make his Queensland Cup debut this Saturday afternoon.
Sport Confidential can reveal Black will turn out for Souths Logan and he faces the ultimate baptism for a young playmaker – an overseas trip to play the Hunters in rugby league-mad Papua New Guinea.
Black last month made headlines when he scored a staggering 46 points to lead Burleigh’s under-18s Mal Meninga Cup side to a 130-0 rout of Wide Bay Bulls, a record scoreline in Queensland state competitions.
Now an injury to veteran playmaker Albert Kelly has opened the door for Black to be promoted to senior company, with the promising halfback to make his Magpies debut alongside former NSW Origin prop Tevita Pangai Jr.
Broncos coach Kevin Walters will be watching closely. With Reynolds tipped to retire at the end of next year, Jock Madden and Black are two options to wear the No.7 jumper made famous by Allan Langer for the long haul.
Black played for the Broncos in a pre-season trial against Wynnum Manly in February and is a product of Marsden High, the school which produced Origin stars Cameron Smith and Israel Folau.
The teen freak is on a Broncos development contract this season and will be added to Brisbane’s full-time roster in 2025.
SAILOR QUITS TRIPLE M NRL ROLE
Wendell Sailor is set to walk away from calling NRL games.
The Broncos legend has relished his tenure at Triple M but has revealed plans to scale back his role with Triple M next season.
Sailor has been a long-time expert analyst for the network but ‘Big Del’ celebrates his 50th birthday in July and has other life plans next year, including spending more time with his son, Broncos utility Tristan.
“I’m not calling any more football after this year,” he said.
“I’m having a break from commentating.
“I have been calling the footy for a long time. I will do the Rush Hour show and then I will get back and do grassroots stuff.
“I’m going to go and support my kids.”
Sailor said a recent heart-to-heart with his former Broncos super coach Wayne Bennett played a role in his decision.
“I spoke to Wayne and he has been really good for me,” he said.
“He said ‘Del, when you were at your best, what were you doing?’ I said just being around people, doing the corporate stuff with you.
“I’m going to get back to doing corporate stuff, playing golf and supporting Tristan and my daughter.
“I am 50 next year and my son and daughter need me around, so next year I will have a break from calling footy.”
DYNAMIC DUO EYE EELS JOB
It’s official. Jason Demetriou and Josh Hannay are eyeing off the Parramatta Eels head-coaching job.
Sport Confidential can reveal sacked Souths coach Demetriou and Queensland Origin assistant Hannay have formally expressed interest via their management in succeeding Brad Arthur, who was axed a fortnight ago.
Demetriou and Hannay share the same management stable and their agent, Chris Orr of PSM, has advised Eels management the pair are keen on taking charge of Parramatta in 2025.
It’s now up to Eels bosses to make the final call on Arthur’s successor.
It is understood they finalised a shortlist on Thursday. They may opt to overlook both Demetriou and Hannay and head in a different direction.
Knights assistant Brian McDermott and former Titans coach Justin Holbrook have also been linked with the post, but the latter is happy with his role supporting Trent Robinson at the Roosters.
Demetriou has won four premierships in the lower grades and has NRL coaching experience, while Hannay has served a fine apprenticeship and is highly regarded by Maroons mentor Billy Slater.
Hannay has been an excellent right-hand man for Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon and would relish the chance to break Parramatta’s 38-year title drought.
“With all due respect to the position and what comes with it, in my mind, I couldn’t be more ready,” Hannay said.
“I don’t say that lightly.
“In terms of appeal, I currently get enormous job satisfaction working with both the Cronulla Sharks and the Queensland State of Origin side.
“’Fitzy’ and Billy are wonderful to work alongside and both have allowed me to have meaningful influence within the respective programs.
“I wouldn’t walk away from that easily, and it’s for that reason I’ve intentionally distanced myself from recent coaching vacancies as the necessary level of appeal just didn’t exist.
“The Eels role, however, does appeal.
“On face value there is a lot going for the club on and off the field. We’ll see what happens. In the meantime my focus will remain with the Sharks and Maroons.”
COBBO’S BIG SECRET
Maroons utility Selwyn Cobbo is sporting a secret message that he doesn’t want to share.
Cobbo has the words “Bad Energy” tattooed on his left wrist.
We asked Cobbo what the ink referenced, but he wasn’t willing to divulge.
“Oh, it means nothing to be honest,” he said.
“Youse don’t need to know about that.”
Billy Slater will be hoping Cobbo can bring plenty of energy when he comes off the bench for Queensland on Wednesday night.
SHOOSH
Which NRL head coach and his assistant have had a huge falling out. Don’t be surprised to see major changes at the club in question’s coaching unit very soon.
DUMMY-HALF GETS DEARDEN
Queensland hooker Harry Grant has stitched up five-eighth Tom Dearden for apparently big-noting himself in Camp Maroon.
Dearden will wear the No. 6 jersey in Wednesday’s series-opener in Sydney after Storm star Cameron Munster was ruled out due to injury.
And Grant reckons Dearden has wasted no time asserting his authority.
“He is going around the dressing room asking ‘who’s Munster?’ and saying he’s going to force Munster into Origin retirement,” Grant said with a smirk.
We find that hard to believe, Harry!
DCE’S ORIGIN NERVES
Daly Cherry-Evans may be Queensland’s captain but he doesn’t take anything for granted when it comes to State of Origin selection.
Cherry-Evans refused to assume he would be picked for Game One until his phone rang on Sunday night.
On the other end was Maroons assistant coach Nate Myles given Billy Slater was busy ringing debutant J’maine Hopgood and axing David Fifita.
“I love my time in camp as much as ever and I still get just as nervous on a Sunday waiting for the phone to ring,” Cherry-Evans said.
“This time Nate called. I saw Billy in Sydney on Saturday.”
Cherry-Evans has reason to be nervous given what happened to Blues rival James Tedesco, who was axed from the team for Penrith grand final hero Dylan Edwards.
“I have been there before. I have been dropped from Queensland and it sucks,” DCE said.
“There are really no words to explain it because we as footy players want to keep doing it forever and ever.
“I’m not here to say the door is shut on Teddy to play for the Blues ever again but obviously it hurts initially. As a friend of Teddy’s it was definitely disappointing.”
PNG TEAM NOT TOO TAXING
ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys has scoffed at suggestions Australian stars won’t move overseas to play for a Papua New Guinea NRL team.
As revealed by Sport Confidential a fortnight ago, Papua New Guinea is the raging favourite to be the NRL’s 18th team as part of a $600 million funding deal with the Federal government.
The parties are in the advanced stages of talks and the Federal government expects to reach agreement with the NRL on a PNG team by July.
V’landys has ruled out initial plans for a PNG team to have an Australian headquarters in Cairns. The 18th team will be based full-time in Port Moresby with V’landys to investigate the prospect of a state-of-the-art, high-security living compound for Australian players who sign with the proposed PNG team.
There is a view Papua New Guinea, which has the second highest crime rate in the world, is too dangerous, but V’landys insists a Pacific club would not be a turn off for NRL players.
The NRL will discuss major tax benefits with the Federal government to entice the code’s top players to live and play in PNG.
Asked if Australian NRL stars would want to live in Port Moresby, V’landys said: “Yes.
“I know a lot of my staff (at NSW Racing) get headhunted to go to Hong Kong and there’s only one reason – because they only pay 15 per cent tax over there. They are able to save up a fair bit of money.
“Look, the players won’t have to be there forever, and they could earn double or three times what they would have earned if they lived in Australia.”
V’landys is confident the Federal government will support tax incentives for PNG NRL stars.
“If you want that fanaticism, you need to be based full-time in Papua New Guinea,” he said.
“Needless to say, one of the big things for us is the tax concessions.
“You want people to go to PNG with the necessary skills to be able to deliver what we want to deliver (an NRL team).
“In order to do that, the players need an incentive and that’s tax benefits.”
LETHAL LEEK
New Australian middleweight champion Mitchell Leek is ready to begin his title defence.
Leek is unbeaten from 10 professional fights and the hard-hitting Victorian will put his middleweight title on the line when he takes on Jack Brubaker at the Melbourne Pavilion on June 19.
Leek clinched the vacant middleweight belt with his defeat of Adrian Rodriguez three weeks ago and he faces a torrid first-up defence against the tough-as-nails Brubaker.
Brubaker (18-5-2) has previously fought the Tszyu brothers, Tim and Nikita, but Leek vowed to bash the ‘Cronulla Cowboy’ in his quest to one day win a world title.
“I am highly confident,” Leek said. “Although this is my toughest opponent yet I think I have the power and boxing IQ to derail his game plan and beat him.
“He is tough but toughness only lasts so long when you’re getting punched in the head at the same time.
“The last 12 months I have learnt and improved more than I have in the five years I’ve been boxing. This is also a reflection of titles and opposition I have faced in the last year.
“My goals going forward are to work my way to the top of the division beating the top names.”
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