Brisbane teammates and rival players have criticised Brisbane coach Michael Maguire’s decision to deny skipper Adam Reynolds a Suncorp Stadium farewell.
Reynolds confirmed on Monday he had played his last NRL game. The 36-year-old had been battling a calf injury, but completed a vital training session on Monday and was keen to play in Thursday night’s match against Melbourne.
However, Maguire and Broncos medical staff were concerned at the prospect of him breaking down again and ruled him out.
“I got through training, I felt pretty good, but after talking with ‘Madge’ and the medical staff, they weren’t keen to see me go out there and finish with another potential injury, then go out like that,” Reynolds told this masthead late on Monday.
Reynolds’ comments on Monday did not sit well with the club, and the halfback is expected to clarify his comments when he fronts the media on Tuesday afternoon.
Friend and former teammate Cody Walker, who was one of several South Sydney players who offered to take a pay cut to keep Reynolds at his junior club in 2021, said on Tuesday: “I’m really disappointed for him. I just thought he deserved the opportunity to go out on his own terms, a put the jersey no one last time in his last home game.
“He’s been a great servant of our game, in particular our club and the Brisbane Broncos. He’s had success at both clubs. Given what he’s achieved at both clubs, he thoroughly deserves to go out on his terms.
“It was tough watching him do a TV interview on Monday night. You could see he was choking up at the end of it. I feel for my little mate who isn’t able to get the send-off he thoroughly deserves.”
Broncos playmaker Ben Hunt told 4BC Radio on Tuesday morning: “We were excited to have one of the best players to play our game come back and our captain and play his final game at Suncorp.
“He’s the little competitor he is. He wanted to get out there and from what I’m gauging most of the players are pretty disappointed, too. We thought he deserved that send-off.”
Gorden Tallis, who has been critical of Reynolds in the past, said on NRL 360: “If it was my decision, Adam Reynolds would wear that jersey and go out there and say goodbye to the Brisbane fans. You think you would give him a farewell.”
Reynolds finishes with 323 NRL games, including premierships at Souths and the Broncos in 2014 and 2025, as well as grand final defeats in 2021 with the Bunnies, and 2023 with Brisbane.
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