Brisbane Broncos head coach Kevin Walters has thrown a selection curveball ahead of the 2024 NRL season, confirming Selwyn Cobbo will shift into the centres.
English centre Herbie Farnworth, who was one of Brisbane's best during their 2023 march to the grand final, has left Red Hill to join the Dolphins from the start of the 2024 season.
It was widely believed that the reason Brisbane put up little fight for Farnworth's future was the emergence of Deine Mariner, who has impressed at all levels with the opportunities he has been provided so far.
A young gun centre, he was the like-for-like replacement for Farnworth, but Walters has now revealed that he won't be slotting into the centres come the start of the 2024 season.
Instead, Brisbane will turn to Selwyn Cobbo to shuffle from right wing to left centre, with the outside back already having Queensland Maroons appearances under his belt in what has been a wonderful start to his career.
An attacking weapon, it Cobbo will need to quickly upskill in defending at centre, but there is confidence at the Broncos that he will succeed, with Walters even going as far as to say he was better in the centres than on the wing.
“That's the plan – to move him into that role,” Walters told the media per News Corp.
“He's probably a bit more natural there in the centres than on the wing.
“So far he has been really good there. I guess we'll find out more when we start playing and he has to start making tackles and all those things the great centres do.”
Cobbo's wing spot will then be fought out between Mariner - who himself has had lucurative offers to join rival clubs including the Dolphins previously before re-signing with Brisbane - and Corey Oates, who missed a large chunk of the 2024 season with injury.
The veteran originally lost his spot to Jesse Arthars, who will now remain on a wing at the Broncos.
Cobbo, on the other hand, wants to play at fullback, but won't be doing so any time soon given Brisbane have Reece Walsh contracted until at least the end of 2025 and are working through the details of an extension that they hope to have finalised well ahead of the November 1 deadline when he could negotiate with rival clubs.
Good move Kevvy Cobbo’s the next Greg Inglis, we’ll see the best come out in him playing in the centre. Years to come he’ll go to fullback an Recce will end up in 5/8.