Once earmarked as Adam Reynolds' successor at the Brisbane Broncos, Coby Black's future has been clouded in uncertainty over the past couple of days, ever since the club found itself linked to Melbourne Storm halfback Jonah Pezet.
With Pezet all but confirmed to sign with the club for the 2027 NRL season, there have been question marks on whether Black will remain in Red Hill after the expiration of his current deal - he is contracted until the end of 2026.
However, the incumbent Under-19s Queensland captain remains one of the best young players in rugby league and has impressed officials since being discovered at the young age of 12.
Although he has yet to make his first-grade debut, Black has trained with the first-grade squad for a number of seasons, during which he has caught the attention of his club teammates.
Speaking to Zero Tackle earlier this month - and before rumours linking them to Pezet emerged - Broncos star Payne Haas backed Black to shine in the NRL once he gets his opportunity to perform on the big stage.
"He's been like a sponge and learning a lot off Reyno [Adam Reynolds] and Dozer [Ben Hunt] and they're probably the best people you can learn off because they've been through it all," Haas told Zero Tackle.
"He's been a sponge and just minding his time and when he comes on to the team, everyone will know how good he is."
While rumours emerged on Tuesday that he may not be developing as quickly as the Broncos would have liked, Black is coming off a strong QLD Cup campaign and showed his talents during the Under-19s State of Origin match.
He scored six tries, forced four drop-outs and provided eight try assists and nine line-break assists during his second season in reserve-grade in 2025.
Meanwhile, he was one of the best performers for the Under-19s Queensland side, where he put up 90 running metres, one try, one line-break, 299 kicking metres and one field-goal in only 49 minutes.
