Cheika switch to NRL looms
A Michael Cheika coaching switch to the NRL looms and Morgan Turinui believes the rival code would not regret hiring the veteran Australian.
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News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Selwyn Cobbo meets with rival amid fears Broncos gun could ‘walk away from NRL'
Selwyn Cobbo's future at the Broncos is in serious doubt after the talented back met with a rival club amid fears he could walk away from his NRL career altogether. It appears increasingly likely Cobbo will be the highest profile victim of Brisbane's salary cap squeeze after the Broncos locked down several members of their roster this week. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. The Broncos announced they had re-signed Adam Reynolds, Kotoni Staggs and Blake Mozer — Staggs reportedly to a $2.4 million contract extension that leaves little room in the salary cap. Cobbo is facing a substantial pay cut from around $650,000 to $300,000 if he remains at the Broncos, and there is no shortage of clubs interested in the 23-year-old. According to Code Sports, Cobbo flew to Sydney earlier this month for preliminary talks with St George Illawarra in 'the strongest sign yet Cobbo is on the verge of quitting the Broncos'. Watch Fox League's experts discuss Selwyn Cobbo's future in the video above The Dragons signed Clint Gutherson last season and the 30-year-old fullback has another two years left on his deal, but could move to the centres. The North Queensland Cowboys are also in the mix to recruit Cobbo, especially should he choose to remain in Queensland. Cobbo has previously been linked to the Roosters, but the Sydney club is not expected to make a formal pitch for him. Cobbo, who has played fullback and wing during his career, is currently not in Michael Maguire's first choice team and has been overlooked by Queensland coach Billy Slater for State of Origin this year. Cobbo looked most comfortable playing at fullback while filling in for an injured Reece Walsh earlier this year, and when given the licence to roam, the comparisons to Greg Inglis are evident. Greg Alexander said on Fox League on Friday: 'They don't want him, do they. They've shown they're not that keen on keeping him. I'd say 'see ya later' if I was Selwyn.' Ex-Broncos coach Kevin Walters replied: 'Well that's the message they're sending. They can't keep signing all these other players and expect to keep Selwyn. 'That's fine (re-signing other players) but they're virtually squeezing him out of the club, that's their message. You can't expect someone to stay and play on half price, can you. 'There was some talk of a million dollars at the start of the year. 'I think Selwyn is a wonderful footballer. His value at any club is he can play centre, he can play wing, he can play fullback. 'You can't just upgrade and extending everyone and expect to keep them as well. Someone gets squeezed out and it looks like Selwyn will be that person. 'He'll be a great pick-up for any club. 'Surely the NRL wouldn't register his contract at $300,000. That's way unders.' The development comes amid fears Cobbo, who hails from the regional Queensland town of Cherbourg, could be lost to the NRL altogether if he opts not to continue his career in Sydney. Code Sports reports the Broncos are preparing to hold crisis talks with Cobbo and Indigenous elders over fears he could walk away from the NRL. 'He is such a special talent and it would be such a shame if he walked away from the game,' Yvonne Sampson said on Fox League on Friday. Walters said: 'I can't see Selwyn walking away from the game but he'll have to walk away from the Broncos because he's worth more than $300,000 a year.' Alexander said: 'He has gone through periods in his career where he's seemingly bowed out, had a rest and said, 'I need a break'.' Walters said: 'There's no doubt there are times he gets homesick. In my time there he got homesick. That's an ongoing management thing the club would have to work with him.' 'He loves his family in Cherbourg, he's very connected to Country, it's very important to him,' Sampson explained. Cobbo has been named as a reserve for Brisbane's round 16 game against Cronulla at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
NRL live updates: Warriors vs Panthers, Dolphins vs Knights, Rabbitohs vs Storm — blog, scores and stats
The Penrith Panthers are in Auckland at the Warriors' fortress without any of their State of Origin stars, kicking off a big day of rugby league. Later, the Dolphins and Newcastle Knights play in Perth, followed by South Sydney and Melbourne at Stadium Australia. Follow the live blog below, and tune in to our live radio coverage.
The Australian
2 hours ago
- The Australian
NRL's Pacific plan to pummel AFL in broadcast bonanza
ARL Commission boss Peter V'landys says rugby league's next TV rights deal could span up to 10 years, revealing a Pacific goldmine that will deliver broadcast billions to the NRL. V'landys plans to kick off broadcast negotiations in July after the State of Origin decider and the ARLC chairman says the inclusion of Papua New Guinea will help the code clinch the richest TV rights deal in rugby league history. V'landys will arrive in PNG this Tuesday to ramp-up the NRL's reconnaissance for the 19th team in 2028 and the next step is thrashing out a Pacific-infused broadcast deal that can blow their AFL rivals out of the water. A third network has contacted the ARL Commission to formally express interest. Up to five or six bidders are tipped to enter negotiations as current rights holders Fox and Channel 9 face billion-dollar competition for the most watched code in Australian sport. The NRL's last five-year TV rights deal was worth around $2 billion, including media rights in New Zealand, but V'landys has revealed the sport's next broadcast arrangement may be brokered for a longer term. The NRL's current TV rights deal ends in 2027. The next cycle was tipped to run from 2028-32, but V'landys says he wants to formalise rugby league's new broadcast deal by season's end in a package that could deliver a decade of certainty. That scenario would see the NRL smash their current broadcast haul with a potential fiscal TV rights bonanza of between $3 to $4 billion. 'It could be longer than five years, absolutely,' V'landys said. Asked if the next TV rights deal could be seven to 10 years in duration, he said: 'Yes, it could be. 'We're having some off-the-record talks at the moment, but we plan to start very soon and it will certainly heat up in the next couple of months. 'I definitely want it finalised this year. 'Hopefully that's the case and it's certainly our ambition to do it. 'We want certainty and we know our clubs want certainty. 'Players also want certainty, because if you do a three-or-four year deal or even longer, you know what your revenues are. 'We haven't got to that level of detail yet, but this will be a record deal. 'We have a much more valuable product now, much more valuable.' There are several variables that give V'landys confidence of broking the most lucrative broadcast deal in the code's 117-year history. One factor is the emergence of new media streaming giants, with global tentacles, such as Netflix, Amazon and Paramount. DAZN completed a $3.4 billion purchase of Foxtel in April and V'landys confirmed the world's leading sports entertainment platform will be a major player in upcoming TV rights negotiations. 'Of course they'll be keen,' he said. 'We're the number one sport in Australia. Why wouldn't they be keen? 'I can confirm we've had genuine interest. We are confident there are several parties in the marketplace and I'm confident there will be more to come when we begin talks. 'We will get a lot more dollars now than we have ever gotten because of the hard work done by the players, the clubs and the NRL.' Another significant factor is the expansion drive that will trigger the admission of the Perth Bears to the NRL in 2027 before Papua New Guinea's entry in 2028. V'landys says PNG will not only represent a fresh spectator market, but open a broadcasting gateway that could see the Pacific eventually usurp Australia as the NRL's most lucrative TV rights powerhouse. The NRL is exploring a cut-price Pacific subscription service to monetise the NRL's 19th team and the 10 million-plus Papua New Guinea fans who will back the franchise with unmatched tribalism. 'Papua New Guinea could end up, in 10 or 15 years, to be worth more in broadcast revenue than Australia,' he said. 'With PNG coming in, that is a massive arm that we have never tapped into, not to mention Perth. 'We're the most-watched sport in Australia, so we now should attract substantial offers. 'Our data shows 1.8 million people streamed the Papua New Guinea game against Australia's Prime Ministers XIII, which was an extraordinary number. 'By having a cheap subscription to watch (PNG and NRL games), we could attract millions of new subscribers in the Pacific. 'We're very mindful of pricepoint. We don't want to make it too expensive for rugby league fans to watch and support the game. 'We definitely want to get the most revenue, but at the same time, we don't want to make it unaffordable for our wonderful fans. 'The game has never been in a better place. 'This has been a planned strategy - and it will pay off big time.' Peter Badel Chief Rugby League Writer Peter Badel is a six-time award winning journalist who began as a sports reporter in 1998. A best-selling author, 'Bomber' has covered five Australian cricket tours and has specialised in rugby league for more than two decades. NRL Selwyn Cobbo flew to Sydney for preliminary talks earlier this month in the strongest sign yet that the powerhouse back is on the verge of quitting the Broncos. See which clubs are interested. NRL The might of New Zealand Rugby wants what the NRL has, with Warriors boss Cameron George approached to jump codes to become their next CEO, reveals David Riccio.
