There have been suggestions the 22-year-old would never play outside of Queensland – but that’s not the case.
Selwyn Cobbo has rejected suggestions he’ll never leave the Brisbane Broncos because he wants to stay close to his home town of Cherbourg, dropping a hunt hint that he might be set to depart the NRL club. Cobbo is currently without a contract for the 2026 season and has been a free agent since last November.
Broncos coach Michael Maguire has stated that he wants to keep Cobbo, but extension talks have been put on hold to allow the youngster to focus on playing at his best. The reality for the Broncos is they may not be able to afford to keep Cobbo due to big-money deals handed to the likes of Reece Walsh, Payne Haas, Patrick Carrigan and Ezra Mam.
They also need to re-sign Kotoni Staggs, while Adam Reynolds has thrown a big curveball in the plans by stating he wants to keep playing in 2026. Many are of the belief that Cobbo will take less money to remain at the Broncos, especially if it means he can remain close to his home Indigenous community of Cherbourg – 265km northwest of Brisbane.
Selwyn Cobbo destroys myth about staying close to home town
But the 22-year-old has now destroyed that narrative and said it won’t play a part in a decision on his future. Cobbo visits his home town whenever he can, but made it clear after starring in a 42-18 win over the Bulldogs on Thursday night that moving away from Brisbane would not be a barrier to him signing a deal with a club based in another state.
“Cherbourg is not going to run away,” Cobbo said. “It’s always home. I love going back home when I can. Wherever I go, I can always go back home.”
Complicating matters for the Broncos is Cobbo’s brilliant display at fullback on Thursday night. The 22-year-old will fill-in at No.1 for the injured Walsh over the next month, and has the chance to earn some big money if he keeps playing well.
It’s been suggested that Cobbo could attract million-dollar offers from rival clubs, and the fact he’s set for a stint at fullback fuels that notion. The Broncos could retain Cobbo on much less money if he was playing on the wing, as they don’t earn nearly as much as fullbacks.
Selwyn Cobbo linked to NRL expansion teams
But new NRL franchises in Perth and PNG – set to enter the competition in 2027 and 2028 respectively -will no doubt have their eyes on him. Many believe Cobbo will ink a one-year extension with the Broncos for 2026 before signing a big-money deal with either Perth or PNG.
“For now, I just want to play footy,” he said. “I will let my manager sort out all that. I will keep putting on the jersey and showing up every week and put a good performance in for the team.”
Cobbo said he wasn’t daunted filling in for the injured Walsh, helping the Broncos win their third game from three attempts when he’s been wearing the No.1 jersey. “It’s the next man-up. I just love putting on any jersey,” he said.
“It’s not really a big responsibility. I just take it as another game and just have to do my job and do what’s best for the team and get everyone sorted in the D-line … do my carries and just play my game.”
