Brisbane coach Michael Maguire insists he can get the best out of Selwyn Cobbo and wants to keep the enigmatic outside back and centre Kotoni Staggs at the club long-term.
That will be easier said than done, with both free agents and off-contract at the end of 2025.
The million-dollar question is: How do the Broncos afford it?
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That’s a dilemma that has more variables to it now the Broncos are also keen to explore bringing former Broncos half Ben Hunt back to the club in 2025.
Salary cap space will be the major factor in re-signing Cobbo and Staggs but Maguire is adamant it’s not an either/or proposition for him.
“They are two players I would like to keep. That is part of the salary cap,” Maguire said.
“Sitting down and going through that is not up to me. I will let the powers that be sort through that part, but those two players are world class.”
Cobbo has shown himself to be a match winner for the Broncos and Queensland but has also been underwhelming on occasions. His back-end of last season was not impressive and he has struggled with the week-in and week-out grind of the NRL.
Maguire regards the 22-year-old as somewhat of a personal project.
“He is strong, and in my opinion I can really help him grow his game,” Maguire said.
“Selwyn is young. You can see the talent he’s had here at the Broncos and when he’s played for Queensland he is destructive.
“Myself, personally, I feel as though I can help him grow as a player and a person as well. That is what I enjoy doing … growing individuals. There is a bit of work to do, as we know inside these walls, but that is something we will set out to do.”
Cobbo trained on Monday at the first pre-season field session under Maguire. It was a brutal run in extreme heat. It was clear Cobbo had plenty of work to do to get into the best shape physically.
“There is always room for improvement in any player. You saw the session but everyone will go through ups and downs of a pre-season. It is nice to see him applying himself,” Maguire said.
Staggs out-performed Cobbo in 2024 and showed at the back-end of the year the kind of form that led to him previously representing NSW and Australia.
“Kotoni definitely wants to be a Bronco and has spoken to me about what the club means to him,” Maguire said.
“Those players we want to keep here, hang on to and keep growing as Broncos.”
