I reckon Selwyn Cobbo owes Xavier Coates a huge thankyou - and so do all Broncos fans.

If Coates hadn’t chosen to leave Brisbane and link up with the Storm, Cobbo probably wouldn’t be playing first grade for the Broncos, and he almost certainly wouldn’t be preparing to make his debut for the Maroons in Sydney next week.

When Coates announced his intention to head to Melbourne at the end of last season, it looked like being a disaster for the Broncos. In fact, it has been just the opposite. There is no question that Coates is an excellent player, and he has fitted onto the end of the crack Storm backline as comfortably as an old pair of slippers.

His try-scoring prowess speaks for itself, but it is my opinion - and it is one shared by Broncos’ supporters that I have spoken to - that Cobbo is proving to be a more valuable all-round player.

Looking at the top try-scorers list after 12 rounds, there is hardly anything between them, with Coates sitting in second place behind Storm team-mate Ryan Papenhuyzen on 11 tries, and Cobbo just one behind. They are equally safe under the high ball and can leap for an attacking corner kick as well as, if not better than, any other player in the NRL.

Where Cobbo does have an edge is his willingness to get involved in the tough stuff and come in off his wing to run the ball out of the danger zone or defend infield. I’m not saying that Coates couldn’t play a more physical role if instructed, but Cobbo gives the impression that he doesn’t need to be told to get stuck in. It just comes naturally and, having just turned 20, he is only going to become a more dominant contributor as he matures.

Broncos coach Kevin Walters would have been understandably downhearted when Xavier Coates left the club, but I reckon right now he wouldn’t swap Selwyn Cobbo for any other winger in the competition.

What do YOU reckon?