Selwyn Cobbo is arguably the hottest free agent in the NRL and the Broncos superstar is bucking a trend as his value continues to skyrocket.
The 22-year-old is without a contract for the 2026 season, but that hasn’t stopped him from playing arguably the best football of his career under Michael Maguire this season.
The Maroons gun struggled for form in 2024 but has returned with a bang, shifting to the wing before a classy display at fullback against the Bulldogs in Round 8.
Following that performance, the NRL world erupted and several questions now need to be answered.
Firstly, can the Broncos afford to retain him in their current salary cap squeeze?
Adam Reynolds’ desire to continue to play on in 2026 threw a spanner in the works, with the likes of Cobbo, Kotoni Staggs and Kobe Hetherington also due new contracts.
For former Broncos coach Kevin Walters, Brisbane powerbrokers will need to confirm where their priorities lie.
“Ideally, you’d love to hang on to him. But the Broncos have so many good players, you can’t really fit them all in under the cap,” Walters told foxsports.com.au.
“If Selwyn stays, that means someone else has to move on or a couple of players will have to move on. That’s the decision the Broncos will have to make.
“Most clubs would love a player like Selwyn Cobbo on their roster, so there will be plenty of clubs chasing him.”
With Reece Walsh and Pat Carrigan signed long-term and a fresh multimillion dollar deal to retain Payne Haas looming, the squeeze is on.
But to compete for a title, Maguire will be desperate to keep every ounce of talent in his squad — especially considering they’re sitting in a sweet spot, according to Walters.
“They are in a premiership window, but whether they can keep those two players, I think that would be quite difficult,” Walters said.
“Given their situation with all the other players and whoever else is off-contract. Like all clubs, you can’t keep them all.
“Who is their priority? That’s for the people at the Broncos to decide and act accordingly.”
“It’s no disrespect to Reece, we love the way he plays but sometimes he can be a little bit too erratic. I just don’t think we need that.
“We’ve got so many dangerous players in that Broncos outfit, I think Selwyn just did his job tonight. He didn’t try to get too creative, he didn’t try to draw and pass, he didn’t try to get on the block shape.
“He took his medicine when he had too. When you have Reyno, Hunt, Billy Walters and the forward pack just let them do the work.
“That’s what Selwyn did, he just chimed in when he had too.”
Rival clubs will almost certainly join that train of thought, picturing Cobbo in their No.1 jersey for 2026.
What’s more, Walters believes Cobbo has the personality needed to handle the pressures of being a marquee star.
“I think he has got great skills, he carries the ball strong. He’s very intimidating sort of person because he is very big, six=foot-three and 100 and something kilos,” Walters said.
“From that perspective he suits well for rugby league. I think he is a very casual person as well, very calm and keeps his emotions intact throughout games.”
There’s long been a myth surrounding Cobbo that he wouldn’t depart Queensland, and especially Brisbane, due to its proximity to his home town of Cherbourg.
However, he also blew that idea out of the water, saying, “Cherbourg is not going to run away” — music to the ears of recruitment managers.
But while Cobbo is without a deal in 2026, there’s a strong chance he remains at the Broncos and signs a one-year contract.
That then opens him up to become a marquee star for the 18th and 19th NRL franchises: the Perth Bears and Papua New Guinea.
Cobbo’s potential move to a new franchise mirrors that of Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, who has quickly become the face of the Dolphins.
The 23-year-old finished his time with the Cowboys bouncing in and out of the run-on side and acting as a ‘Mr Fix It’ of sorts under Todd Payten.
Meanwhile, he emerged as a genuine livewire in the No.1 jersey — and Cobbo could take a leaf out of his book when considering his future.
Adding to his value, rugby league legend Matty Johns said Cobbo was bucking a trend that has emerged in the modern game.
Fullbacks are only getting smaller, so the Broncos superstar’s size proved to be a point of difference, with shades of Greg Inglis in his game.
“It’s been a bit of a point of difference with other fullbacks this year because if you look at where the game is, the big trend used to be the GI (Greg Inglis) fullback, the Latrell (Mitchell) fullback,” Johns said on SEN radio.
“That big, robust player. But what’s happened with the faster rucks in the game is that area of defensive responsibility is in the middle of the field.
“And those big guys are going backwards and their eyes are rolling in the back of their heads and that’s why guys like Sua Fa’alogo and Jye Gray – those smaller guys – they’ve been the trend.
“But Cobbo was very good the other night, there were just so many shades of GI in the way he moves, the way he holds the football, his power. It gives them something to think about.”