Amid all the handwringing and pearl-clutching over the current malaise facing the Brisbane Broncos, we’ve almost forgotten that their captain and halfback, Adam Reynolds, is about to play his 300th match.
Reynolds, who turns 35 next month, will reach the milestone when the Broncos host the Titans at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night and if there was ever a time to restart their season this is surely it.
It’s a triumph for the little guy, the battler, raised in Redfern housing commission who has won premierships, played in grand finals, and scored more points than I’ve had cold beers. His 2438 points place him second on the all-time list behind Storm legend Cameron Smith (2786).
He made his debut in 2012 for South Sydney, won a comp two years later, then left the club because of salary cap restraints. He landed in Brisbane and led them to a grand final they should really have won against Penrith in 2022.
Players who have been around so long have perspective in the dark times, and he displayed that this week.
“I love turning up to work, I love trying to fight out of any situation that we are in, whether it’s good or bad, I think there’s some beauty in it all,” Reynolds told reporters. “Rugby league is a rollercoaster, and you have to make the most of each and every day. I’ve got the same passion I had as a 21-year-old I’ve still got today as a 34-year-old. Nothing has changed. I still have the burning desire to go out and compete and win.”
Like most aging legends, his body is starting to fail him but his performance against the Bulldogs during the Anzac Round demonstrates that he’s still the best kicker in general play on his day.
Reynolds kicked the competition leaders to death that night, whether it was a 40-20, or putting the ball deep into the corners. He landed sideline conversions with magnificent, bendy kicks that never looked like missing. Scored a try and set-up others.
He says he wants to play on next year and his preference is to stay in Brisbane, which he now calls home with his young family.
If anyone deserve a win in their milestone match, it’s Adam Reynolds. Let’s see what his Broncos teammates — including Reece Walsh, who returns from injury — can do about that.
And another thing …
According to reports, Queensland coach Billy Slater is poised to dump Daly Cherry-Evans for State of Origin II in Perth.
What the what?
It would seem terribly unfair given his service in the maroon jersey and that he’s the captain. Slater surely went into this series knowing if he picked him he would need to stick with him through to the end, good or bad.
Cherry-Evans wasn’t great in the series opener at Suncorp Stadium, but he wasn’t alone. He deserves the chance to redeem himself in game two.
Let’s see what happens when the Maroons team is released on Monday. It wouldn’t be the first time the rugby league grapevine has got it wrong!
