McCullough targets 300-club after Seibold chat

Andrew McCullough is on track to become the youngest player in Broncos history to play 300 games after new coach Anthony Seibold told the hooker his future is secure at Brisbane.

The 28-year-old, now 10th on the club's all-time game list with 236 NRL games under his belt, was aware of reports that Souths hooker Damien Cook was in Brisbane's sights after Seibold had got the best out of the NSW rake in 2018.

McCullough, on contract at the Broncos until the end of 2021, confirmed Seibold had quashed those rumours and told him that he wanted him on board and Cook would not be coming to Brisbane.

"It is clarity," McCullough said.

"Not all news is good news but you'd rather know one way or the other and Seibs has told me straight that he wants me here.

"I don't know where all the other stuff comes from. It could be just for the sake that [Seibold and Cook] worked together.  It has even been [said] that because I've worked with Wayne I could go to Souths but it is all hearsay. I'm happy in Brisbane and Seibs wants me here.

"I have another three years here but you always want to know. I have been in that situation before [when Cameron Smith was linked to the club] and the Broncos were up front.

"At the time I didn't think it was good but in reality it put me in good stead and I trained the hardest I could that year and grew as a player. Now everything is out in the open and we move forward."

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Only three Broncos have played 300 games for the club – Darren Lockyer, Corey Parker and Sam Thaiday – but McCullough is on track to reach the milestone by the age of 31. He indicated his current deal may not be his last as he targets playing on into his mid-30s.

"Growing up you'd be happy to play one game let alone close to 250 at this stage," he said.

"I love being around the younger guys and that is the whole reason I played football in the beginning, because of the camaraderie. A lot of people lose sight of why they play rugby league to begin with but  as long I am enjoying turning up to training, wanting to compete and hate losing it will put me in good stead for hopefully another five, six or seven years."

Now fully fit after putting last year's ACL injury behind him, McCullough said Lockyer's example in his twilight years still resonated with him and was one he intended to follow.

"When Locky was 34 he'd turn up in January after Christmas and still win all the fitness and conditioning drills and it let you know that no matter what you have done in the game you can still be better and keep improving," McCullough said.

"It certainly made you want to become a better player and trainer.

"I’m just trying to improve on last year. I wasn’t out running like this last year so I am ahead of where I was."

McCullough was deep in conversation with Seibold before a Broncos training session in a sign that the new coach will lean on one of his most senior players to lead the way and set a strong example for the young squad.

"It was about my role in the team and, looking forward from what we actually did today, about how we want to do certain things," McCullough said.

"We’ve lost some experience with Sam [Thaiday] and Josh [McGuire] both gone so he was just picking my brain and vice-versa."