NRL 2023 Brisbane Broncos news: Selwyn Cobbo primed for return ahead of State of Origin showdown
Selwyn Cobbo has been on light duties at Broncos training as he recovers from a hip injuries but the star winger has given his club side and state a big boost.
Queensland have received a boost with star Broncos winger Selwyn Cobbo confident of playing in Saturday night’s clash against Newcastle at Suncorp Stadium.
Cobbo has been named by Broncos coach Kevin Walters and the young gun expects to play after missing last week’s clash with a hip injury.
Cobbo took a blow to his hip in Queensland’s 26-18 defeat of NSW in Origin I and while he has been on light duties at Broncos training, he is set to face the Knights.
The Queensland team for Origin II is named after this weekend’s round of NRL action.
“The hip is going good,” Cobbo said.
“I had a rehab run today and hopefully I am back this weekend.”
Cobbo says he is driven to emulate his Origin hero Greg Inglis as the Broncos young gun prepares to help Queensland muzzle NSW superstar Latrell Mitchell in the return bout at Suncorp Stadium.
Saturday’s clash with the Knights contest will be the final game before the naming of the Queensland side for Origin II and Cobbo is primed to use the Suncorp showdown as a springboard to locking horns with Mitchell at the same venue 11 days later.
Mitchell was a late scratching for Origin I due to a calf injury, but if he is passed fit for Game Two, the Blues dynamo will look to terrorise Queensland’s right edge featuring Cobbo and centre Valentine Holmes.
Described as Brisbane’s version of Latrell, the 107kg Broncos flyer is relishing a battle with Mitchell, warning NSW he can get better as he outlined his plan to emulate the Origin feats of his idol, Maroons legend Inglis.
“I feel like there is more coming,” said Cobbo, who celebrated his 21st birthday on Monday, just five days after his two-try haul fired Queensland to a 26-18 defeat of the Blues in Origin I.
“Everything is moving pretty fast for me at the moment.
“I wouldn’t think I’d be playing at this level at this age.
“As a kid you always have that one person you always looked up to and mine was Greg Inglis (Queensland centre great).
“I loved how he performed, what he also did off the field for his community and us (Indigenous) mob.
“I always wanted to be like him.”
Asked about the prospect of facing Mitchell for the first time in Origin II, Cobbo said: “I’ll have to wait and see about that. I love the work he does off the field for his mob as well.
“We’ve all got our own style. He is just Latrell Mitchell. Everybody knows what he is like. He performs at his best.”
Broncos legend Steve Renouf has acted as a mentor to Cobbo over the past two years given their geographical and Indigenous ties.
Renouf hails from Murgon, just 6km from Cobbo’s hometown of Cherbourg, and has a warning for the Blues: the 37-game NRL whizkid has only scratched the surface of his talent.
“I have no doubt Selwyn can get better in Origin,” said former Maroons and Australia centre Renouf.
“He has so much talent and Selwyn knows that.
“He is at the right club to succeed, he has Kevin Walters (Broncos coach) here and if he is going to nurture anyone in the outside backs, it’s ‘Kevvie’.
“Just watching the game (Origin I) the other night, to watch Selwyn score two tries and that one in the corner where he slid in, he knows exactly what he is doing.
“He is not playing any different to when he was at home.
“The good thing with Selwyn is he does stuff with a smile on his face and that is so good to see.”
Cobbo suffered a sickening concussion in last year’s Origin decider at Suncorp and is determined to deliver better memories in his fifth game for Queensland.
“It was pretty hard for me,” he said of his heavy head knock.
“I think I missed four games. It was pretty hard to get back where I am today. Thankfully the physios got me back on track.
“It (his concussion) was pretty unfortunate last year. I think I played two minutes. I can’t wait for Game Two at Suncorp and to see the whole family show up.
“State of Origin is a different level to clubland, it’s very competitive.”
QUESTION MARK STILL REMAINS OVER BRONCOS’ CREDENTIALS
The Queensland and Storm legend who had his heart broken by Brisbane in the 2006 grand final has declared the Broncos are ready to smash their 17-year premiership drought.
Former Melbourne and Maroons playmaker Cooper Cronk believes the Broncos can finally end the longest title drought in their decorated history in the wake of Brisbane’s gutsy defeat of the Sharks on Saturday night.
And Cronk’s assessment was supported by NRL Immortal Mal Meninga, who said Brisbane were certainties for the top four after watching them outlast big guns Cronulla with a defensive desperation that won premierships.
Cronk was a member of the Melbourne team that was famously upset 15-8 by the Broncos in the 2006 decider, which remains Brisbane’s most recent premiership victory.
Now NRL playmaking champion Cronk says Kevin Walters’ class of 2023 has the defensive hunger and attacking class to win the club’s seventh premiership – provided they overcome the demons of last season’s pre-finals collapse.
“The Broncos have gone up a few cogs in the terms of the respect level for which team can win the competition,” said Fox League’s expert analyst Cronk in the wake of Brisbane’s grinding 20-12 win over title contenders the Sharks.
“They have all the ingredients (to win the premiership).
“They have got all the foundations and threats to make some noise in September. Kevin Walters has done a great job and the younger guys have all improved.
“The only question mark I have on the Broncos is what happened to them late last year (Brisbane lost five of their last six games to miss the playoffs by one win).
“We won’t get an answer until we get 19 rounds into the competition.
“Last year they were fourth after 19 rounds and fell away, so there’s still that question mark, but this is a good football team.
“Right now they are a better team this year than they were last year at the same stage. They are on top of the competition.
“They were sensational (against Cronulla). They arguably shouldn’t have won that game. The Sharks had more possession, but the Broncos had the energy in their defence and attack to come up with the winning try.
“Physically they are aggressive in defence, they have the skill set and now they are putting that consistency together.
“Kevin Walters has a real team on his hands, no doubt.”
Australia coach Meninga, who captained Canberra to three premierships in 1989-90 and 1994, says his former Raiders teammate Walters has turned the Broncos into a legitimate title force this season.
“They have the desire,” Meninga said.
“I think they are better than they were last year. They had a tough off-season, but they had a chat about what went wrong and they have solved it.
“Adam Reynolds (Broncos halfback and captain) is the ultimate leader, he has a great kicking game and he is the jockey steering this team.
“The Broncos just keep turning up for each other, that has become part of their DNA on the back of what happened last year. There’s not much more they can do. If they keep being desperate, that’s what you want from a team.
“I can’t see them not being in the top four and once they get to the finals who knows what happens.”
The Broncos (10-4) face Newcastle at home this Saturday night entrenched in the top four, but premiership skipper Reynolds warned Brisbane have achieved nothing yet.
“We can’t get too carried away and be happy with where we are at,” Reynolds said.
“We’re heading in the right direction but the NRL is a tough competition and you have to be up mentally and physically every week.
“Last year is a constant reminder that we fell away at the back end and it’s possible it could happen again, but the coaching staff have done a great job to prepare us and the players are responding.
“We have gone past what happened last year. We’re 12 months ahead now, we understand each other’s roles better and what’s expected of each other.”
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