A recent trip to his former school has streamlined winger Selwyn Cobbo primed to put a turbulent 2024 behind him and hopefully gain a new deal at Brisbane.

The off-contract 22-year-old visited his beloved home town and Cherbourg State School with Broncos coach Michael Maguire, who wants to keep him at the NRL club long-term.

When Maguire arrived at Brisbane with a reputation as a hard taskmaster, he made a point of telling media he was also a coach who was interested deeply in his players and what makes them tick.

For Cobbo, a key to his wellbeing is a connection to his roots. As a youth he famously wrote on a Cherbourg school blackboard that he wanted to play for the Broncos when he grew up. He has achieved that goal, and has also represented Queensland and Australia.

While AAP understands the Broncos will re-sign off-contract centre Kotoni Staggs in the near future, they are also keen to find a way to keep Cobbo as well. A move for the Indigenous star interstate would deprive him of the flying visits to his "oasis".

"I went back home to get away from footy, which I like to do when we have a couple of days off," Cobbo said.

"When I go back to my home town I reconnect with all my family. Everyone in Cherbourg is my family, from the little kids all the way to the elders. They keep me grounded and it puts a smile on my face. I am able to take the shoes off and reconnect with my country.

"I love going back home. It enables me to refresh the mind, get away from footy and come back with a healthy mindset. Then I get straight back into all the hard work here at training."

Cobbo said "hopefully" the Broncos would be his long-term home.

"I loved this club growing up and have always wanted to play here," he said.

"I'm just here to play footy and have fun while I'm here. It's important that I play good footy, and if I get the chance to stay it would be great, but right now I'm taking it game by game and leaving the contract stuff to my manager."

Cobbo said he was "excited" about playing on the wing this year again where he has a win-rate of 57 per cent for the Broncos, compared with 37 per cent as a centre.

He's in great physical and mental shape to do so after hitting a rocky patch at the end of last season and turning up in November with work to do.

"I've lost about six or seven kilos," Cobbo said.

"I feel I will be mentally stronger this year. I think I'll be different. We've been doing a lot of team stuff working on the mental side of the game as well. I've had to learn that.

"There were a lot of ups and downs throughout the (2024) season. The injuries, off-field stuff, I guess I just want to leave all that behind and focus on this year with my footy."

He also explained why he sat out Game 2 of last year's Origin series after starring in Game 1 off the bench when Reece Walsh was concussed."I just wasn't mentally right at the time,'' Cobbo said.

"I just needed a break away from footy, and also needed stuff to work on in my game as well. I didn't feel like I was in the best frame of mind to play Game 2, but I was ready for Game 3.''