The Daily Telegraph’s Michael Carayannis has slammed Brisbane Broncos youngster Selwyn Cobbo for his disrespectful comments on Broncos coach Kevin Walters.
Cobbo appeared on the Back of the 135 podcast in November 2022 and when asked his thoughts on Walters’ coaching, the 20-year-old said he was a better person than coach.
“He’s a good person and a good bloke but I don’t think he’s a good coach,” Cobbo said on the podcast.
“He’s not the best coach but he’s alright.
“He does a lot for the club but the way he coaches is a bit weird.”
Cobbo has since released a statement via the club saying that his words have been taken out of context.
Carayannis believes that this latest gaffe from Cobbo has opened up a can of worms at the Broncos and doesn’t buy the youngster’s explnaation.
“(Cobbo) has made it quite clear that he doesn’t think (Walters) can coach,” Carayannis said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“That’s a bit of an issue.
“It was a genuine and thoughtful answer.
“To say it’s been taken out of context (is ridiculous). They are his words.
“You just have to be careful with what you say.
“There’s no doubt there’s some truth to this because he didn’t say it tongue and cheek.
“No one has twisted it. It’s his voice and Selwyn just keeps going. He clearly thinks that Kevvie (Walters) can’t coach.”
The Broncos had a similar incident towards the end of last season where former playmaker Tyson Gamble said that he went to Adam Reynolds for advice over Walters on a podcast.
Carayannis added that there have been a number of examples of players oversharing on podcasts with comments that have later come back to haunt them.
“The issue for these players is that they are going on these podcasts… and they let stuff slip,”he added.
“Anthony Watmough let fly on Daly Cherry-Evans on some random Manly fan podcast a couople of years ago.
“Brandon Smith was on the ‘YKTR’ podcast and that caused him some real grief because that was a guy who was also thinking that he was talking to a mate.
“It generates news.”
The Broncos will look to move away from this latest controversy when they take on the Penrith Panthers in round one on March 3.