Brisbane Bronco Coby Black has told the club that he will be departing the team at the end of next season.
The 19-year-old who featured in Queensland’s U19 side this season is reportedly set to join the Canberra Raiders following the reigning premiers’ signing of Jonah Pezet for the 2027 season, which sees Black fall down the pecking order.
Reacting to the news as it broke, Bryan Fletcher admitted that the news caught him off guard, considering that Ricky Stuart said on the program earlier in the year that they would look to sign an experienced half to pair with Ethan Strange in the halves.
“No one saw this coming,” he said on SEN 1170’s The Run Home.
“I can understand why he is going, but it is interesting him going to Canberra.
“Because when we spoke to Sticky (Ricky Stuart) when Jamal Fogarty had said he was signing with Manly, we asked him, ‘what are you going to do? Do you want a bit of a journeyman?’
“And he said, ‘Yeah, I’m not going to put a kid straight in’.
“But now, it looks like Ethan Sanders is going to have a bit of competition, healthy competition. He’s (Black) only a pup himself.”
In a club statement, Brisbane’s GM of Recruitment and Pathways, Simon Scanlan, thanked the 19-year-old for his services with the club.
“Coby has come through our Academy program from the age of 14 and has worked really hard to progress through to our NRL top squad.
“While we’re sad to see him leave, we thank him for his dedication and commitment and sincerely wish him every success as he takes the next step in his career.”
