When does it stop? What next for the Broncos after the Adam Reynolds’ circus?
Just pick Reynolds, it was never this complicated
Brisbane butchered Adam Reynolds’ farewell, turning what should have been a warm celebration of a 323-game champion into an awkward exercise in buck-passing, hostage-style videos and damage control.
Reynolds completed Monday’s training session and wanted to play, while Brisbane were out of finals contention and facing a match with no consequence for either club’s season. I understand Michael Maguire not wanting his captain’s final image to be of him hobbling off or being knocked out again, but Reynolds has enough experience to protect himself, steer the side and contribute for 10 or 20 minutes from the bench.
If Maguire had already decided Reynolds would not play regardless of fitness, he should have told him and the club early, then arranged a proper lap of honour. Instead, Reynolds honestly expressed his disappointment without attacking Maguire or Brisbane and was dragged in front of the cameras the next day to extinguish a fire he did not start.
The solution was painfully obvious: if Reynolds trained and was fit, pick him. Brisbane chose theatre instead.
Walsh’s Instagram like has trapped the Broncos
Reece Walsh’s Instagram like is not the crime of the century, but Brisbane’s previous treatment of Martin Taupau has left the club trapped by its own standard.
Taupau was sacked after liking a post criticising Maguire’s coaching methods. Walsh, the Clive Churchill medallist and Brisbane’s best player during last year’s premiership run, has now liked similarly themed criticism of the Reynolds decision. Brisbane will not sack Walsh and should not, while fining footballers for tapping a social-media button is absurd, but doing nothing exposes the Tupou punishment as a convenient excuse rather than a principle.
More importantly, my mail is Walsh is off Maguire at the moment, and the like only underlines the tension. Ben Hunt also publicly supported Reynolds receiving a farewell game, meaning this is no longer outside noise that Brisbane can dismiss as another media storm.
Maguire accepted responsibility for the decision, which was admirable, but the subsequent suggestion that club officials would not allow Reynolds to play unless he could manage 80 minutes added another layer of deflection. Everyone owns a piece of this mess, which usually means nobody wants the invoice.
Maguire survives but the 2027 season starts now
Maguire should coach Brisbane next season, but his immunity has expired. A premiership 12 months ago gives him credit, not ownership of the joint.
I remain a huge fan because he has won everywhere he has gone, yet Brisbane’s players are clearly unhappy with many of his methods and I reckon the relentless intensity of everyday life is wearing them down. Last year’s giant-killing premiership run, powered by Walsh’s extraordinary football, may have papered over problems that injuries and a colossal failed title defence have exposed.
Karl Morris has announced a root-and-branch review and said Maguire is Brisbane’s long-term coach, although it remains curious that the chairman, rather than Dave Donaghy, has become the club’s dominant public voice. Brisbane cannot repeat the mistake of dumping an established coach for a rookie, as happened when Anthony Seibold replaced Wayne Bennett and the club collected its first wooden spoon.
I think Maguire will remain, but Brisbane must start next season quickly, sit in the top four and hum. If not, the bonfire will be waiting.
Souths remembered that footballers are human
South Sydney’s handling of Jai Arrow is everything Brisbane’s Reynolds farewell was not: human, thoughtful and alive to what binds a playing group together.
Arrow was stranded on 98 South Sydney appearances when Wayne Bennett approached him in the gym with a plan to run him out for the final two matches, subject to the necessary approvals, before taking him off so he could reach 100. He will also captain the club, completing a deeply emotional gesture that has raised awareness for MND and lifted the people around him.
Souths still need a result from their final two games, so Bennett is accepting the risk that emotion could overwhelm his players before kick-off. He understands, though, that his side can be fuelled by emotion rather than frightened of it.
Emotion is a double-edged sword, Nathan Cleary’s milestone did not lift Penrith that night, but great coaching is knowing when to use it. Bennett saw a person, a dressing room and a moment. Brisbane saw a medical checklist.
Souths must keep Walker and finish the Duncan deal
South Sydney would be mad not to retain Cody Walker, because their young halves remain another 12 months away and replacing him with a superior playmaker would be easier said than done.
Walker has declared himself mentally fresh and eager to continue beyond next year, although his contract talks were parked after the Jack Cogger incident. That episode became a wake-up call: Walker straightened himself out, spoke with the appropriate people at the club and understands opponents will continue trying to bait him. I reckon he still has the football, and his relationship with Bennett gives Souths a chance to structure a deal that suits everyone.
Talis Duncan is the other priority, with the parties very close to what could be a three-year agreement. He has excelled in the centres while Latrell Mitchell has been out, despite being a natural back-rower, and his ability on either side makes him elite emerging talent rather than another prospect requiring endless patience.
Jacob Preston is already off the market after signing a deal containing ratchet clauses. Souths cannot afford to hesitate with Duncan. He wants to stay, and they need to close it.
Luai cashed in , but the Tigers paid for the contradiction
Jarome Luai had every right to maximise his career earnings, but the Wests Tigers were entitled to expect more than slogans about loyalty before being used as a stepping stone.
Luai arrived as the club’s $1.2 million-a-year Batman, promoted a team-first message and helped improve training standards and parts of the culture last season. Yet after applying heat to Lachlan Galvin over his exit, Luai effectively treated the Tigers in much the same way 12 months later, even if he did not break his contract or attack Benji Marshall on the way out.
The PNG expansion opportunity turned his head, while third-party arrangements requiring Tigers approval made an already difficult situation messier. I’m told Luai and Benji are no longer as close as they were, and I would be surprised if they are currently on the same page.
Luai has copped relentless criticism and deserves respect for continuing to front it. I also think a fresh start alongside Mitchell Moses will revive him next season. Both things can be true: Luai is a brilliant footballer who expertly cashed in, and his Tigers deal became a spectacular failure.
