Brisbane Broncos' coach Kevin Walters has anointed four players in the running to wear the Brisbane Broncos' fullback jersey in 2022.
While boom youngster Tesi Niu recently re-signed and seemingly has the running on the jersey after a phenomenal finish to 2021, Walters didn't declare he was a certainty.
Niu finished 2021 with 16 games under his belt, but he played every game after Round 15 at fullback and impressed, scoring seven tries and assisting another three in the ten games, while he was solid defensively and under the high ball.
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Walters said he was certainly the favourite to start at the back.
“We have got some good options there (at fullback), which we're going to look at in the pre-season,” Walters told broncos.com.au.
“Tesi Niu finished the season really strongly there so he'd be the obvious candidate to start the season next year."
Niu will be challenged for the number one jersey by another pair of youngsters in Selwyn Cobbo and Herbie Farnworth.
Farnworth has spent a majority of his NRL career in the outside backs, making all 20 appearances in 2021 in the centres, while Cobbo bounced between the centres and wing since a mid-season debut.
Walters also refused to rule out the possibility of Jamayne Isaako returning to the fray after seemingly falling out of favour throughout the course of 2021.
“We're also going to put some work into Selwyn Cobbo and Herbie Farnworth, and of course you've got Jamayne Isaako there as well," Walters added.
“For those guys it’s getting some work into their legs in that role; it's a very important role in today's game.”
The Broncos finished in the bottom four for the second year running in 2021, but have signed Adam Reynolds, Kurt Capewell, Brenko Lee and Corey Jensen from outside the club for 2022, while also letting go of players like Anthony Milford as they look to revamp and rebuild the club.
