Kobe Hetherington has wasted no time proving he belongs in Brisbane’s long-term plans after new coach Michael Maguire shut down his potential move to the Wests Tigers and handed him the starting lock position for 2025.
Linked with a move to either the St George Illawarra Dragons or Wests Tigers in the past, there were constant fears that Hetherington had played his final match at Red Hill and would follow his former coach out of the club.
This came as the Broncos aim to reclaim their success of the 2023 season in which they made the NRL Grand Final, and Michael Maguire looks to shake up the roster after taking over from Kevin Walters.
Only contracted to the end of the season, it has now been revealed that his management have entered talks with the Broncos over a contract extension to keep him at Red Hill for the forseeable future.
“It was a good meeting and they are very keen, but it has to be the right offer. Kobe wants to stay but he doesn’t have a problem with moving as well.”
Once given permission to explore other deals under Kevin Walters, Hetherington now wants to cement his place at Red Hill for years to come.
“It’s just wearing the Broncos logo, I got signed here straight out of school and it’s where I want to be. They signed me as a kid. I’d like to be here long term,” Hetherington said, speaking with News Corp.
Likened to QLD Maroons legend Trevor Gillmeister, Hetherington recently represented the PM’s XIII in Papua New Guinea and will use the next 12 months to impress Maguire.
Able to play anywhere in the forwards, he could very well find himself as either a starting front-rower or in the back-row as the Broncos are still trying to fill the holes in their forward pack left by Thomas Flegler, Kurt Capewell and Keenan Palasia.
The son of former QLD Maroons and Kangaroos representative Jason Hetherington, Kobe has made 77 appearances for the Brisbane Broncos since his debut in 2021 – 22 of those coming from last season.
“Everyone knows what Madge is like – he’s tough, and hard, and that’s how I like to play my footy,” Hetherington said.
That approach was on full display in the Broncos’ trial match against Canterbury, where Hetherington impressed with his work rate and defensive impact.
His performance justified Maguire’s decision to keep him, and he now hopes his form will translate into a contract extension beyond 2025.
The reshuffle has also seen Carrigan adjust to life in the front row, a transition he and Hetherington have worked on together throughout pre-season.
“He’s (Carrigan) buying into it and there’s not much difference between lock and front row, we work well together and I can build off him, and I’d like to think he can build off me too,” Hetherington added.
While the Broncos have had their share of injury concerns this off-season, things are looking positive ahead of Round 1, with Haas, Reece Walsh and Kotoni Staggs all cleared to face the Roosters.
Jesse Arthars, meanwhile, has been impressed with the competition for spots during pre-season, a sign of Brisbane’s squad depth heading into the new campaign.
“I think that’s probably been one of the better things about the pre-season – we’ve got the depth there, and there’s a lot of competition for spots,” Arthars said.
“Everyone’s just working hard every day just pushing each other to be better, and it’s just rubbing off on every player.