Selwyn Cobbo makes stunning Kevin Walters admission

The spotlight is once again on Kevin Walters’ coaching after vision emerged of a star tearing his ability to shreds.

Kevin Walters and Selwyn Cobbo.

The spotlight is once again on Kevin Walters’ coaching after Brisbane Broncos youngster Selwyn Cobbo described him as a “good person” but not a “good coach”.

The comments in question from Cobbo came on the ‘Back of the 135’ podcast in late October last year, but have since resurfaced on Reddit on Saturday night.

In it, Cobbo was asked whether he thought Walters was a good coach or not and was honest in his assessment of the former premiership winner.

“I reckon he’s a good person,” Cobbo said.

“He’s a good person, like a good bloke but I don’t think he’s a good coach. He’s not the best coach but he’s all right.

“I feel like he’s just a good person but I don’t reckon he’s a coach. Even though he experienced footy, been through all the grand finals and all that, but I feel like he’s not a coach.

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Coach Kevin Walters has copped unwanted criticism. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

“But he’s a good person, a good bloke and does a lot for the club. But the way he coaches is a bit weird, I guess. He’s a good person though. He’s an alright coach.”

Cobbo released a statement via the Broncos’ website on Sunday to defend Walters and claim his comments had been “taken out of context”.

“Today’s article on a podcast I did last year has been taken out of context. It was two guys chatting and joking about silly things like the comments about Kev that had been made by Tyson,” Cobbo said.

“The fact is that Kev is a very good coach, as are all of our coaches at the Broncos. I was lucky enough to play Origin for Queensland last year and that is off the back of the coaching of Kev and his team.

“Kev has taught me a lot since coming into the NRL squad and provided me with great support as I adjusted to the professionalism of NRL.

“I was late to training a few times and instead of cutting me, he educated me and supported me.

Selwyn Cobbo has apologised to Walters. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

“When I felt burnt out late in the year, Kev rested me and when he thought I was ready he gave me more responsibilities.

“I have already contacted Kev to apologise and I’d like to extend that to his family and the whole Broncos club for this unwarranted attention over some silly comments from me.”

Cobbo’s criticism of Walters came after former Broncos playmaker Tyson Gamble was scrutinised last season for an appearance on a podcast where he too touched on Walters’ coaching credentials.

Speaking on the ‘Marshie’s Corner’ podcast, Gamble had described Broncos halfback Adam Reynolds as a “mastermind” and the “go-to man for everybody”.

“Kev’s the coach but Reyno is the go-to man for everybody. If you’ve got a question about the team or footy, you go to him,” Gamble said at the time.

“It’s not a knock on Kev but ‘Reyno’ has been around for so long.

Brisbane Broncos outside back Selwyn Cobbo. Picture: Jerad Williams

“Kevvie really understands footy and he’s a good bloke in getting the team up and about but the modern day is so different to the way Kevvie played footy.

“There are some similarities with how you have to be with attitude and stuff, but Reyno is the mastermind around our attack at the moment.”

Gamble insisted the comments were a “joke” and had been taken out of context and turned “into something it isn’t” but they did not go down well at Red Hill, according to The Daily Telegraph’s David Riccio.

“They’ve gone down like a lead balloon,” Riccio said on Triple M at the time.

“This is the final round of the season for them if they can’t secure a finals berth and one of their key playmakers is making comments that it isn’t Kevin Walters who is the mastermind.

“They are stunning comments to make and it’s gone down like a lead balloon.”

Unfortunately for Cobbo his comments are not likely to go down any better. Reynolds called Gamble in the wake of the drama, telling Triple M the departing playmaker was “apologetic”.

Coach Kevin Walters with Tyson Gamble, Brisbane Broncos training, Red Hill. Photographer: Liam Kidston

“I rang Tyson to try and clear some of the air there and he was apologetic towards Kevin,” Reynolds said.

“Knowing Tyson, he wouldn’t have deliberately gone out to say something like that or to hurt the coach or anything like that.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Kevvie. He has made my job and my role at the club a lot easier.

“We wouldn’t be in the position we are as a club if it wasn’t for Kevin. Everything I drip feed through the playing group is through Kevvie.

“Those comments are a bit out of line, but speaking to Tyson he was deeply apologetic towards those words and he said, he got it wrong.”

Cobbo enjoyed a breakout 2022 season, averaging 122 metres and scoring 15 tries to go with 21 linebreaks, 92 tackle busts, later rewarded with his State of Origin debut.

The 20-year-old was in high demand but inked a new extension back in June last year to stay at Red Hill until at least the end of the 2025 season.

Originally published as Selwyn Cobbo makes stunning Kevin Walters admission