Selwyn Cobbo quits Brisbane Broncos: Winger to join Dolphins in 2026

Selwyn Cobbo is walking away from the Broncos, but the star winger is not travelling far after agreeing to terms with a rival Queensland club. See all the details here.

Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf says he is confident he can revive Selwyn Cobbo’s career after Redcliffe pulled off a stunning poaching raid on cross-town rivals the Broncos.

Embattled Cobbo will join the Redcliffe club on a one-year deal for the 2026 NRL season after being squeezed out of the Broncos by salary cap constraints.

There are some suggestions Cobbo could move to the Dolphins immediately before June 30, but he will remain at the Broncos at this stage.

The ex-Queensland Origin star has lost his way at the Broncos – dropped to reserve grade three weeks ago – but Woolf says the 23-year-old is far from a spent force.

He believes Cobbo can reprise his status as an Origin matchwinner at the Dolphins.

Selwyn Cobbo is walking away from the Broncos – but will stay in Brisbane. Picture: NRL photos

“It’s great for the club, he is an outstanding player,” Woolf said.

“Twelve months ago, he was playing State of Origin and I’m confident that with the players we’ve got here, he complements what we have got.

“With the environment we’ve got here, we can get the best out of him.”

Asked if Cobbo will be at the Dolphins before the June 30 deadline, Woolf said: “The Broncos have said no to other clubs at this stage, that’s not in our heads at the moment, we’re just worried about 2026.”

The Dolphins have backline weapons such as Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Herbie Farnworth and while Woolf doesn’t have a specific role for Cobbo at this stage, he views him as a winger or centre.

“I see him as a footy player,” he said.

“You can tell that by the way he plays multiple positions, he is so big and powerful, he has a great skill level.

“If I look at even his poor games, he still puts his hand up and carries the ball 20 times.

“I just think he is a good footy player that will fit in somewhere.

“(Season) 2026 is a little while away yet. Jack Bostock won’t be back until sometime next year (after snapping his ACL) so we’ll figure that out.”

Selwyn Cobbo was linked to the Cowboys but is set to sign at the Dolphins. Picture: NRL Images

The 23-year-old has scored 48 tries from 80 games for the Broncos since his NRL debut in 2021 and was tipped to be a superstar at Brisbane after breaking into the Origin arena as a 20-year-old.

But Cobbo has fallen out of favour under the new regimen of Broncos coach Michael Maguire, who dropped him to reserve grade three weeks ago.

Brisbane bosses have been in delicate talks with Cobbo’s management for several months but no formal offer was ever tabled as a $4 million salary-cap crunch hit at Red Hill.

Cobbo’s career at the Broncos has been on shaky terrain for several weeks with the off-contract flyer named to turn out for feeder club Wynnum Manly against Redcliffe in the Hostplus Cup on Sunday at Kougari Oval.

Mindful of Cobbo’s plight, the Cowboys made inquiries last week about broking the type of mid-season transfer that saw Broncos reject Tom Dearden join North Queensland before the June 30 deadline in 2021.

The Broncos blocked the transfer request.

Todd Payten has said he’ll only sign Cobbo for the right price. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

Dolphins CEO Terry Reader said Cherbourg sensation Cobbo would boost the club.

“The Dolphins have always said we are about continuing to build a roster that will make us one of the top teams in the NRL,” he said.

“Selwyn is an accomplished player who has done some amazing things at both Origin and NRL level already.

“But we believe he has untapped potential to go to even greater heights in our game and are excited about what he can do in a Dolphins jersey.”

Originally published as Selwyn Cobbo quits Brisbane Broncos: Winger to join Dolphins in 2026