Broncos teammate floats massive Reece Walsh twist as claims about Selwyn Cobbo rejected
Patrick Carrigan has had his say ahead of Brisbane’s clash with the Bulldogs.
Patrick Carrigan has suggested Reece Walsh’s injury layoff might have come at the perfect time for the Brisbane Broncos fullback to freshen up and refocus after a lukewarm start to the NRL season. And teammates have also rejected suggestions Selwyn Cobbo will struggle at fullback as Walsh’s replacement due to his bigger frame.
Cobbo will take over in the No.1 jersey as the Broncos face the Bulldogs on Thursday night. Walsh is out for 4-6 weeks with a knee injury, forcing coach Michael Maguire into a reshuffle.
Deine Mariner has won a recall onto the wing as Cobbo shifts to fullback, where he’s played numerous times over the last few seasons. Last year he starred in a 13-12 win over Manly in Magic Round, making 228m from 19 runs with two line breaks and 11 tackle busts.
However his performances at fullback have been hot and cold, and he made four errors in a game against Penrith there in 2023. He can expect a working-over from the kicking games of Bulldogs halves Matt Burton and Toby Sexton on Thursday night, but Carrigan is confident Cobbo is up to the challenge.
“I just love playing with ‘Selly’. He has done a job for us before,” Carrigan said. “He played there in Magic Round last year and that game speaks for itself, so I have got all the confidence in him that he can do the job again.”
Selwyn Cobbo facing huge test against Bulldogs
Many believe Cobbo’s bigger frame make him vulnerable to the faster nature of the modern game. There is a view that the lightning speed of the game these days has made it tougher for fullbacks with a bigger body.
Smaller fullbacks like Keano Kini and Jye Gray have been thriving in recent times, while the elite No.1s of the game are the ultra-fit guys like Dylan Edwards, James Tedesco and Kalyn Ponga. But Broncos prop Corey Jensen said on Wednesday: “I think (Cobbo) will be fine. It is a different game and there are a lot more smaller fullbacks, but there is a place for the bigger, mobile fullback (like) Latrell (Mitchell).
“Selwyn has a really strong running game and we expect him to get involved a lot on Thursday night. He has been there before and done the job. He is a different kind of player to Reece but has different attributes he will bring to the team. We have confidence he can step into the role.”
Reece Walsh injury a blessing in disguise?
Meanwhile, Carrigan has suggested Walsh’s stint on the sidelines might be a blessing in disguise. “You don’t want injuries, right, so I don’t think you want to be in that position, but it can always be a positive,” Carrigan said.
“It gives an opportunity to maybe look at some footy and work on some different things, but a lot of the good things that we’ve been doing have come off the back of him too. I had a break, a longer one, in 2021 with an ACL and it helped refresh and rejuvenate me. So if you can take the positives out of it and get better in a little way, then I’m sure he’ll be fresh and ready to go when he comes back.”
The loss of Walsh was compounded on Wednesday when Jordan Riki was a late withdrawal with an infection. Brendan Piakura comes into the starting side at second-row, while Tyson Smoothy has been promoted from 18th man to the bench.
