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Selwyn Cobbo says his relationship with coach Kristian Woolf and a mindset refresh were crucial reasons behind his decision to extend his Dolphins tenure, in a telling boost for the coach ahead of what looms as a career-defining month.
Just six games into his time at Redcliffe after leaving the Brisbane Broncos, Cobbo has confirmed he will remain in the red jersey until at least the end of 2027.
While that eliminates the imminent poaching raid from Mal Meninga’s Perth Bears, it keeps the door open for the incoming Papua New Guinea Chiefs to make a play for the six-time State of Origin representative.
“I’m not sure, we’ll have to wait and see – my management will do all the talking,” Cobbo said when asked if a move to the Chiefs – which would come with tax-free salaries – would tempt him.
Cobbo claimed he was unaware whether any advanced negotiations had taken place with the Bears.
While Dolphins chief executive Terry Reader was confident this was just the start of Cobbo’s time in the red jersey, the latter suggested his overall happiness would dictate any long-term decisions.
After missing last year’s finals series with the Broncos, having suffered a hamstring injury and being unable to reclaim his spot, the 23-year-old said his new environment had been crucial in rejuvenating his career – averaging 174 running metres and 3.5 tackle busts a game in 2026.
“All my family and friends back home [in Cherbourg], I gave them a call yesterday and they were pretty happy,” Cobbo said. “They will still support me wherever I go … [but] I love it here.
“Last year wasn’t the best year for me, but I learnt a lot. I enjoyed my time at the Broncs, and am very grateful for everyone there who helped me along the way, and [I’m] super proud of them.
“If I’m comfortable and happy, my footy’s all good.”
While the Dolphins possess one of the game’s most lethal attacks, they are yet to prove they are a premiership force.
Three seasons in the finals wilderness has led to their current 2026 standing – with two wins and four losses, their latest a heartbreaking 23-22 defeat to the Penrith Panthers in Darwin.
Shane Flanagan’s departure as Dragons coach following 11-straight defeats, and Anthony Seibold’s Manly axing three games into the season, speaks volumes to the industry’s results-driven nature.
Another campaign outside the top eight will turn the heat up on Dolphins coach Woolf, whose side face Melbourne, Canterbury and South Sydney following their clash with the Warriors on Saturday in New Zealand.
But Cobbo spoke glowingly of his relationship with Woolf.
“He’s been helping me off the field, making sure my head’s right with my mind space, and he’s told me just to go out there and play my footy, relax and back myself with what I do,” he said.
While Cobbo suggested he had areas of his game to fine tune before contemplating a State of Origin recall for Queensland – he sits third in the competition for handling errors – two rising stars on the Dolphins have surged into reckoning for Maroons debuts.
Max Plath and Kulikefu Finefeuiaki have arguably been the side’s leading players this year, with the latter tipped to take one of Queensland’s back row spots for the series opener on May 27.
Only Warriors’ enforcer Jackson Ford, who typically punches out 80 minutes in the middle, betters Finefeuiaki for post-contact metres (485).
Plath, meanwhile, has the chance to do what his father – four-time Broncos’ premiership champion John Plath – could not and garner an Origin cap, with his versatility enabling him to cover lock, backrow, five-eighth and hooker.
Dolphins teammate Felise Kaufusi, who wore the Queensland colours 17 times, believed now was the time for Plath – who has averaged 42 tackles a game this season – to be parachuted into the fold.
“Players like that you love to play with because you know what you’re going to get,” Kaufusi said. “He’s a tough bugger, he’s willing to go out there and do the hard work.
“I think Origin is all about the small moments, and the jobs that happen in between the tries that no one looks at. I’ve seen that over the last three years, and I think he fits that Origin arena.”
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