Broncos halfback prodigy Coby Black quits club
Coby Black, the teenage halfback once groomed to be Adam Reynolds’ long-term successor, will depart the Broncos following the club’s recruitment of several playmakers.
Teenage sensation Coby Black has dropped a bombshell on the Broncos by quitting the club to chase his NRL dreams at Canberra.
This masthead can reveal Black is on the move with the halfback once groomed to be Adam Reynolds’ successor to depart Brisbane at the end of next season before linking with Ricky Stuart’s Raiders in 2027.
The Broncos were advised of Black’s decision on Monday night as Raiders coach Stuart looks to bolster his scrumbase stocks following the departure of Jamal Fogarty to Manly.
A fortnight ago, Brisbane pulled off the signing of Melbourne young gun Jonah Pezet, who will join the Broncos in 2027, and his impending arrival via the Eels has left collateral damage at Red Hill.
Black, who turns 20 in March, was hoping to be Brisbane’s main man in 2027, but the signing of the 22-year-old Pezet convinced the Queensland under-19s halfback to explore other options.
Off-contract at the end of next season, Black officially became a free agent on November 1 and just 10 days later, after preliminary talks with Canberra, the Green Machine have struck.
Black’s departure means the first domino has fallen in the battle to be Reynolds’ successor, with Pezet and Cowboys recruit Tom Duffy set to battle it out for the No.7 jumper over the next 12 to 24 months.
Duffy started his pre-season with the Broncos last week and is keen to make a statement at Red Hill given that the 22-year-old former Queensland Cup halfback of the year is only on a 12-month deal.
But the one certainty is that Black’s Broncos career is coming to an end with the promising playmaker keen to continue his NRL development under legendary halfback Stuart at the Raiders.
Just last week, Broncos coach Michael Maguire said Black had a bona fide future at Red Hill and vowed to give the Brisbane whizkid every chance to succeed.
“I haven’t given up on Coby at all,” Maguire said.
“We have signed Johan Pezet but that’s in 12 months time when he comes into the equation.
“For Tom (Duffy) and Coby, they are on our books this season and Coby has had a good 12 months of development.
“I have been really pleased with how Coby is developing and with Tom Duffy coming in, he will add to the strengths of our halves.
“I have two young halves who are hungry to come in and get better.
“I will be watching Coby and Tom closely. They are the future. As we showed this year, you need depth to be able to succeed and those two guys are definitely two live options on our roster.”
The Broncos have put a lot of time and effort into Black.
The Gold Coast-born schemer scored 46 points last year for Burleigh in a 130-0 thrashing of Wide Bay in the Mal Meninga Cup before progressing to the Queensland Cup this season, where he played 16 games for feeder club Souths Logan.
Black also kicked the winning field goal for the Queensland under-19s this season, showcasing a booming boot that is one of the strengths of his game.
Maguire said he was wary of throwing Black into the NRL furnace too soon but the teenager has made his own mind up, clearly believing the door is closing on him at the Broncos following the signings of Pezet and Duffy.
“I know we have got Jonah but at the end of the day, you need to have depth with your spine,” Maguire said.
“Coby is a great young kid and he’s a few years younger than Jonah.
“He has been a big part of the Broncos over the last two years and he has a big pre-season ahead of him.
“There is a great opportunity in front of him this season.
“He is a genuine talent, but it takes time to really develop as a senior half in our game.
“He has been in a really good spot where he has been able to be with ‘Hunty’ (Ben Hunt) and ‘Reyno’ and watch their development.
“Coby has learnt a lot from those two and he has to learn the pressures of playmaking and the different aspects of controlling a game. We are still going through that phase with him.
“Young halves can get thrown in too early and I’m conscious of that.
“I’m really pleased with his progress and it takes depth to bring the best out of everyone.”
The Broncos are happy for Black to see out the final year of his deal before chasing regular NRL game time in the nation’s capital.
Originally published as Broncos halfback prodigy Coby Black quits club
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