An NRL team has reportedly made a move to sign Selwyn Cobbo before the June 30 deadline, while another has dropped out of the race entirely for the Brisbane Broncos outside back.
One of the many off-contract players at the Brisbane Broncos, Cobbo is expected to generate significant interest from rival teams and has been in the news headlines lately.
Although it is understood thatย his preference is to remain at the Brisbane Broncos, there has been constant chatter that Cobbo is weighing up testing the open market and his future at Red Hill remains uncertain after they extended the contracts of Kotoni Staggs and Josiah Karapani.
According toย News Corp, the North Queensland Cowboys have made inquiries to secure Cobbo on an immediate mid-season transfer before the June 30 deadline, due to Semi Valemi and Viliami Vailea being currently sidelined with injuries.
It is understood that the St George Illawarra Dragons have also expressed an interest in luring him before the mid-season deadline, having met with him last week in Wollongong, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
While the New South Wales side has yet to table a formal offer to him, reports indicate that they are willing to consider an 18-month contract, which would see him earn around $600,000 for the 2026 NRL season.
However, updated reports fromย News Corpย indicate that the Broncos have blocked a potential poaching bid and Cobbo is highly likely to remain at Red Hill until at least the end of 2025, meaning he won't make a transfer move before the deadline.
โWe've had some injuries to our outside backs over the past month,โ Cowboys Football Boss Michael Luck said.
โWe have Semi Valemei and Viliame Valiea out for extended periods of time, so we are looking at everyone's list to see if there are any outside backs who can help us out.
โEvery club is looking for good players and there's no doubt Selwyn is an outstanding talent.โ
The interest from the Cowboys and Dragons to sign him before June 30 comes as The Dolphins have decided to withdraw from the race to sign the former QLD Maroons representative due to a number of reasons including his price-tag and their deep outside backs stocks they have at the moment, per The Courier-Mail.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs were also linked with Cobbo until coach Wayne Bennett confirmed there was no interest in him and he did not meet with the outside back over a potential move.
โThose discussions are ongoing,'' Brisbane Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy said on Triple M over the weekend.
โI met with Selwyn's manager last week. We are in constant dialogue with them. To be candid we are probably a fair way apart but we are not without hope.
โSelwyn is obviously an academy product who has come through our system. We know how much he loves the club. We feel the same way about Selwyn.
โHe is having a challenging run on field at the moment but he will bounce back. We are all trying to wrap our arms around him at the moment and support him and get him back to being the player he can be. Enjoying his footy."
