Kev takes fight to Benny
Broncos coach’s warning to Dolphins: hands off our young guns Farnworth and Cobbo
BRISBANE coach Kevin Walters has taken the fight to Wayne Bennett, declaring the Broncos will stave off a Dolphins poaching threat for young guns Herbie Farnworth and Selwyn Cobbo.
Farnworth and Cobbo are two of the hottest backline prospects in the NRL and again underlined their potential in Brisbane’s 38-0 Magic Round massacre of Manly at Suncorp Stadium last Friday.
The dynamic duo have attracted interest from a raft of NRL rivals headlined by the
Dolphins, with coach Bennett upping the ante last week by meeting the off-contract Farnworth for talks in the lead-up to the Sea Eagles showdown.
Cobbo, meanwhile, is a free agent for 2024, with the Broncos ramping up extension talks last to week to block a poachPETER ing bid from the Dolphins, who formally expressed interest in the 19-year-old wing sensation in pre-season.
The Broncos have lost a number of potential superstars in recent years, including David Fifita (Titans), Reece Walsh (Warriors) and Sam Walker (Roosters), but Walters believes Brisbane’s form revival will keep Farnworth and Cobbo at Red Hill.
“I’m confident we will keep those guys, they can see we are building something special here,” Walters said.
“It does gets tricky when you have a number of guys offcontract and you have to get your balance right with the salary cap. But in the case of Herbie, he has cut his teeth here.
“It has been tough going for him coming into first grade, but like the rest of us, Herbie can see good times ahead at the Broncos so we want to make sure we keep developing him as a player because he is a special one for us.”
Farnworth played his 50th NRL game in Brisbane’s thumping Manly win and the British flyer has been the club’s most consistent player in the opening 10 rounds this season with his pace, footwork and power running in the centres.
The Dolphins have the funds to outbid the Broncos in a bidding war, but the 22-yearold has made it clear money is not his sole motivation. Farnworth wants to play at a club that can aid his personal development by being a finals and title contender and the Broncos are getting results at the perfect time.
Farnworth confirmed he was reaching the pointy end of negotiations, with a final call expected on his future within a fortnight.
“I don’t think I will make a call this week, but it’s definitely coming to these next couple of weeks,” he said.
“I’m not going to rush things. When the moment is right I will make the call. When it suits both parties, we’ll come to an agreement.
“It would be awesome to play finals football. I haven’t played finals since I’ve come into the NRL so I’d love to experience it.
“Being the big club that we are, the Broncos should be in there every year, but we’re not getting too carried away. The Knights are coming off a win so it will be a tough game next week away from home.”