Cobbo shines in game one for Maroons

Sports

SYDNEY: Queensland winger Selwyn Cobbo had a blaster debut in last night’s State of Origin game one with the youngster showing his depth in the edge.
For the opening 28 minutes at Accor Stadium Blues winger Brian To’o was rarely tested with the aerial raids from Queensland but a clever grubber by Ben Hunt for Xavier Coates to chase caused mild panic for the Blues but coach Billy Slater’s frequent flyers stayed grounded.
And then the game plan looked like becoming confetti when Coates hobbled off with an ankle injury. Kurt Capewell shifted to left centre and Val Holmes to left wing and a big part of the Maroons’ arsenal was gone.
As he has done for the Broncos all season, Cobbo showed maturity beyond his years to come up with a moment of magic. Not by soaring high to pull down a Daly Cherry-Evans kick, however, but by walking a tightrope down the sideline and putting in a perfectly placed grubber for Dane Gagai to score.
The confidence Queensland took from that late try was on show with two early ones in the second half as Cherry-Evans bamboozled the Blues from a scrum-base play to cross over for their second.
Centre Valentine Holmes added to his impressive Origin CV with a 10th try in his 11th game.
All the while Cobbo grew in confidence, coming in for the tough carries to rack up a respectable 146 run metres, and staying out when the situation demanded.
– NRL