NRL club legend offers advice to youngster amidst coaching comments controversy

In news that has shocked the NRL and the wider rugby league media after Brisbane Broncos star Selwyn Cobbo had comments from a podcast resurface in which he described his Head Coach Kevin Walters as a “good person” but not a “good coach”.

The comments in question from Cobbo came on the ‘Back of the 135’ podcast in late October last year, but have since resurfaced on Reddit on Saturday night.

According to Fox League, he said: “I reckon he’s a good person, he’s a good person, like a good bloke but I don’t think he’s a good coach. He’s not the best coach but he’s alright.

“I feel like he’s just a good person but I don’t reckon he’s a coach. Even though he experienced footy, been through all the grand finals and all that, but I feel like he’s not a coach.

“But he’s a good person, a good bloke and does a lot for the club. But the way he coaches is a bit weird, I guess. He’s a good person though. He’s an alright coach.”

Cobbo has retracted the comments and the head coach in question, Walters, has responded that it hurt when asked about it, but now another member of the Broncos organisation has had his say.

Corey Oates is one of the Broncos’ greats and at just 28-years-old he looks set to overtake legends such as Darren Lockyer and Steve Renouf to become the club’s all-time leading try scorer.

Currently on 117 tries for the Broncos, he looks sure to head into second place ahead of Lockyer (122) in the upcoming season but he’s still 25 tries away from Renouf, who retired with Wigan Warriors, and his 142 tries.

Oates’ advice to his teammate came when speaking at the club training ground earlier today.

“I don’t put myself in those situations,” Oates explained.

“We have just got to not get caught in that sort of area…and not get stuck in the media saying things you don’t want to. You learn along the way. It is a harsh environment. You learn the hard way sometimes but so long as you learn from your mistakes, that’s fine.

“If (Cobbo) had asked me if he should have done it I probably would have said ‘no’, but he might feel comfortable doing it. I have never done it unless it is with the club.”

With uncertainty now looming over the position of Walters and the poor position it puts the club in, Oates was sure to support his head coach.

“I’ve been here through a lot of things and I think Kevvie is doing a great job, finding out the sort of coach he is and what sort of players he is dealing with. It is not easy to do when you have got a team that struggles for so many years.”