A tiny outback Queensland town, breeding ground of far more sporting legends than it has any right to produce, now has a new idol to cheer on — rugby league's softly spoken smiling assassin, Selwyn Cobbo.
Cobbo, who turned 20 on Sunday, has lit up the NRL this season for the Brisbane Broncos, to such an extent he has earned a State of Origin debut for the Maroons tonight in Sydney.
The 190 centimetre, 90 kilogram winger is from the Aboriginal community of Cherbourg, about three hours north-west of Brisbane, which sits on the Barambah Creek.
Cherbourg's in Wakka Wakka country, right on the border of Gubbi Gubbi territory.
It was previously known as Barambah and before that the Barambah Industrial School, a mission created in 1901 in the wake of the Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act — designed to segregate Indigenous peoples from the European population, in essence forcing them to leave their traditional homes and communities.
After a bleak early period beset by poverty, drought and disease, the community, made up of some 28 tribal groups, gradually grew and established its own identity.
That identity was in part forged on the sporting field.
There was cricketer Eddie Gilbert, Cobbo's grandfather, who famously dismissed Sir Donald Bradman (who called him the fastest bowler he ever faced).
And there was Frank "Big Shot" Fisher, who has a bridge named after him across Barambah Creek between Cherbourg and Murgon.
Fisher was a legendary rugby league player from the 1930s, who so impressed the touring Great Britain side that he received an offer to play in the UK — only he wasn't allowed to leave the mission because of the Protection Act.
A five-eighth, Big Shot has been called the "Aboriginal Wally Lewis" and inspired future generations of rugby league talent in the South Burnett area, including Steve Renouf, Willy and Esi Tonga and Chris Sandow.
He was named in the Indigenous Team of the Century and his granddaughter, Cathy Freeman, was a decent athlete as well.
The name of the town was changed to Cherbourg in 1932 due to confusion over mail delivery with nearby Barambah Station.
At last count, the population was about 1,300. Murgon, where much of the town works or goes to school, has a population of about 2,400 and is about 10 minutes up the road.
In Cherbourg there's a general store, a sports complex, hospital, community centre, ration shed museum and a state school.
And while it's made up of many peoples, it's said that all of them speak the language of rugby league.
Something in the water
Selwyn's father, Shamus Cobbo, reckons there might be something in the water around their way.
"Mate, we live by the Barambah Creek, could have something to do with it down there, the water in that creek," he jokes.
"We've got a good sporting history in Cherbourg, and [Selwyn's] is just another one of those stories.
Shamus Cobbo says kids as young as his toddler grandson start playing league.
"They start off very, very little, running around with a football in their hands.
"They're pretty much born with football in the air these fellas."
Born to play
Watching Cobbo, whose strong but lanky frame is surprisingly graceful, it's hard not to compare him to a few rare gems from the past who played with such elan: the likes of Greg Inglis and Israel Folau. He's that joyous to see in liquid motion.
Inglis himself has given Cobbo simple instructions for his Origin debut: "Rip in."
The teenager not only has all the traits you'd desire in an outside back — size, power, footwork, speed — but anyone who's seen him at close hand also talks about his whip-smart footballing brain.
When he's not streaking away from the chasing pack or leaping high above defenders, he's using his guile to bedazzle opponents.
Like one moment in round 7 against the Bulldogs — after receiving a flick pass from Kotoni Staggs, Cobbo took less than half a second to realise he was about to be tackled into touch.
He darted a glance infield before rolling a perfectly weighted kick across for Rhys Kennedy to run onto and score.
You have to be immersed in rugby league from day one to be able to think like that at age 19.
Maroons hooker Ben Hunt calls him a "silent assassin".
"I think I've heard him say about three or four words the whole camp so far," Hunt said.
"But as soon as you get out on the footy field, he's just got a presence out there."
'You can't catch Cobbo'
Cobbo grew up playing for the Cherbourg Hornets, before becoming the first Indigenous school captain at Murgon State High in the 75-year history of the school.
He was already an inspiration for young kids in the town, now he's an idol.
Murgon High principal Simon Cotton describes Cobbo as an "outstanding" student and a role model who paved the way as an Indigenous leader at the school.
There have been two more Aboriginal school captains in three years since Cobbo became the first.
On the footy field, he clearly had a brilliant rugby league brain, says Mr Cotton.
Ryan Brown runs the Murgon Clontarf Academy, a program designed to keep local boys in school and give them pathways to work after school.
He says Cobbo has had an enormous impact on local kids by showing them what hard work can achieve.
"He was a leader as soon as he stepped into the academy. Quiet, humble, shy, but always led from the front.
"I see his footsteps, I see his leadership, from where he's left marks behind him, and the boys are just walking through them but making their own stories as well."
President of the Hornets committee Lynette Brown says the town is "abuzz" ahead of Cobbo's debut.
"I think it's changed a lot of NRL teams, people have changed their team to the Broncos and people changed teams from New South Wales to Queensland now, so everyone's very proud."
Ms Brown, whose husband coached Cobbo until under-12s, says you can't necessarily pick the great players when they are little kids, but Selwyn's personality and attitude have never changed.
"That humbleness you see in him now, at the Broncs, like that's what we saw growing up, in him playing footy growing up."
Luella Blair of the Hornets committee says: "The football that he played growing up, you could see the passion and the determination he had.
Another committee member, Kimberley Barrett, says Cobbo never gave up on his dreams, despite never being picked for representative football through the junior ranks.
"His mum and dad were saying 'the big time will come'. And he made it.
"And he is a big inspiration. Not just here in Cherbourg, but to everybody."
The ladies say it's common now to hear cries across the training ground of "I want to be fast like Selwyn" and "You can't catch Cobbo!"
Rugby league with a smile
Renouf, whose mother is from Cherbourg but grew up in Murgon, has been something of a mentor to young Cobbo, who he describes as "softly spoken".
"He'll come out of his shell," says the Broncos and Maroons great.
"He's quiet boy but he loves his rugby league. And he loves getting the ball in his hand.
"I think the most important thing for Selwyn is how quickly his footy has developed.
"He goes home now and all the young kids are yelling out his name: 'Selwyn Cobbo'.
"They love their rugby league out there and he's given them a new idol, someone to look up to."
Renouf says the South Burnett is such a great breeding ground for rugby league players because the people just love the game so much.
"He's a typical kid from Cherbourg when you watch him play and he does it with a smile on his face.
"He's building his persona as Selwyn Cobbo. He's a lovely kid, comes from a lovely family.
"That's just the way his nature is.
"We all just love watching him play."
Renouf says although Origin is an intimidating environment, Cobbo will be most at ease with the ball in his hands.
"Give him as much ball as you like, New South Wales, because he just wants it and he just wants to run with that footy."
He also has an ominous warning for future generations of Blues.
And Cobbo himself? He'll be smiling, of course, and doing his thing.
"I'll feel nervous when I run onto the field but at the same time, you know, you'll see me with the biggest smile on my face," he says.
"It will be challenging and tough, when the tough times occur during the game, I'll still have the biggest smile on. Because I just love playing footy, this is my passion, so yeah, I love it."
