State of Origin 2024: Selwyn Cobbo set to earn Maroons recall as Valentine Holmes, Murray Taulagi fight for their spots
Queensland coach Billy Slater is facing a backline selection conundrum, with a Broncos bolter putting pressure on an out of form Cowboys duo as he plays for an Origin recall.
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Broncos weapon Selwyn Cobbo is on the brink of a State of Origin recall as Cowboys duo Valentine Holmes and Murray Taulagi fight for their Queensland futures.
Cobbo is 80 minutes away from being back in a Maroons jersey for the June 5 series-opener against NSW in Sydney.
The Brisbane back only featured in Game One of last year’s series on the wing, with a hip injury seeing him sit out the second match before he was overlooked for Queensland’s tilt at a 3-0 whitewash.
But Cobbo’s hot NRL form in 2024 after shifting to centre has put him firmly on the selection radar of Queensland coach Billy Slater and he is all but certain to be in the 17 when the team is named on Monday.
Cobbo’s four Origin appearances have come on the wing, but he has been playing centre for the Broncos this year and deputised at fullback in the absence of Reece Walsh at Magic Round.
Cobbo will revert back to centre for Sunday’s clash with the Titans at Suncorp Stadium in his last opportunity to impress Slater.
Maroons selector Darren Lockyer said Cobbo’s versatility made him the ideal Origin player and the 21-year-old had matured this year.
“That (Manly game) would do a lot for his claims,” Lockyer said.
“He’s gone from the wing and adapted to the centres really well and against good opposition he made a good fist of fullback in 80 minutes.
“If you lose an outside back you’ve got to make sure you’ve got that covered.
“There was one year recently where we lost two outside backs early on. You’ve got head knocks to contend with so from a selection point of view versatility definitely plays its part.
“As he’s matured he has probably got a bit more discipline. He used to have a few mistakes in his game and he has got better in that department.
“When he is playing centres he makes his tackles. There were concerns about how he would handle centre defensively but he doesn’t miss his tackles.
“At fullback his error count was down and his work rate was up.”
With Walsh a certainty at fullback, Storm flyer Xavier Coates on one wing and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow at centre, there are seemingly two positions up for grabs in Queensland’s back five.
Cobbo will be hard to overlook, leaving either Holmes or Taulagi to be the odd man out.
An Origin specialist and clutch goal-kicker, Holmes appears to have his nose in front of Taulagi, who made his return from a four-week hamstring injury against the Rabbitohs at Magic Round.
But Cowboys co-captain Reuben Cotter urged Slater not to forget about Taulagi’s efforts for the Maroons last year as the North Queensland duo present their final audition against the Tigers on Friday night.
“He had a great game on the weekend, I thought he was one of our best,” said Cotter, a Queensland forward.
“He brings so much energy to a team with his communication on the edge and his yardage carries are some of the best in the game.
“I think he’s been playing well. He’s had his first game back and gets another one this weekend.
“If he gets selected he will do a job for Queensland.”
Cobbo will celebrate his 22nd birthday on the day of Game One and Broncos teammate Kotoni Staggs said he deserved a Maroons recall.
“I reckon he deserves a Queensland jumper for sure, he is only learning and is still young,” he said.
“He loves learning and has been going really well this year.”
WALTERS BACKS MAM AS MUNSTER REPLACEMENT
Former Maroons coach Kevin Walters has declared Broncos sensation Ezra Mam is ready for an Origin baptism of fire as Queensland’s new five-eighth.
The Maroons’ No. 6 jersey is up for grabs after Melbourne superstar Cameron Munster was ruled out of the entire 2024 series with a groin injury aggravated at Magic Round last weekend.
Queensland selectors and coach Billy Slater will convene on Sunday night to select a team for Game One of the series at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on June 5.
Cowboys co-captain Tom Dearden is the front-runner to replace Munster following his remarkable Origin debut in the 2022 decider.
The other contender is Mam – Brisbane’s 21-year-old pivot who scored a stunning hat-trick in last year’s grand final loss to Penrith.
Walters played 20 games for Queensland before coaching the Maroons to two series wins in four years from 2016-19 on his way to becoming head coach of the Broncos.
And he believes Mam is ready to don Maroon and enter league’s toughest arena.
“I believe he is ready but my opinion doesn’t matter too much,” Walters said.
“Billy is fortunate he’s got a couple of good choices with Ezra and Tom Dearden.
“Munster is going to be a big loss, but those young fellas are great.
“We’ve seen what Tom can do at that level. It will be interesting.”
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