Corey Oates has revealed he would have had one piece of advice for Selwyn Cobbo before his ill-fated podcast appearance: Don't do it.
Cobbo appeared on the Back to the 135 podcast last year, making damning comments about coach Kevin Walters that have, unfortunately for the winger, resurfaced this week.
In the comments, Cobbo labelled Walters a good person, but not a great coach.
“He's a good person, like a good bloke but I don't think he's a good coach. He's not the best coach but he's alright,” Cobbo said on the podcast.
“I feel like he's just a good person but I don't reckon he's a coach. Even though he experienced footy, been through all the grand finals and all that, but I feel like he's not a coach.
“But he's a good person, a good bloke and does a lot for the club. But the way he coaches is a bit weird, I guess. He's a good person though. He's an alright coach.”
It has left Cobbo in a tricky situation, with the Broncos releasing a statement on Sunday morning with Cobbo's apology.
It has also been noted that Cobbo has apologised personally to Walters for the comments, with the young winger who making his Queensland State of Origin debut during the 2022 season on the back of a breakout debut season.
Speaking at training on Tuesday, Oates revealed he simply refuses to go on podcasts to avoid a situation such as this blowing up in his face.
"I don't put myself in those situations," he said.
"We have just got to not get caught in that sort of area...and not get stuck in the media saying things you don't want to. You learn along the way. It is a harsh environment. You learn the hard way sometimes but so long as you learn from your mistakes, that's fine.
"If (Cobbo) had asked me if he should have done it I probably would have said 'no', but he might feel comfortable doing it. I have never done it unless it is with the club."
Questions have been raised over Walters' future in charge at the Broncos following the comments, with Cobbo's following a similarly directed outburst from Tyson Gamble last year, with the half having since joined the Newcastle Knights.
Oates said he backs Walters in his role as head coach at the club though.
"I've been here through a lot of things and I think Kevvie is doing a great job, finding out the sort of coach he is and what sort of players he is dealing with. It is not easy to do when you have got a team that struggles for so many years," Oates said.
The situation around Cobbo's comments is just the latest in a long string of issues for the Broncos, who bounced from fourth spot on the NRL ladder with seven weeks to go in 2022 to missing the finals.
