Rugby league guru Phil Gould says Adam Reynolds could be the most important recruit Brisbane’s ever made.
The Broncos are in the midst of an NRL resurgence, having spent two years towards the bottom of the competition since being blown off the park in the 2019 qualifying final.
The Red Hill club is in its longest ever premiership drought, and things have been grim in the Queensland capital for too long now.
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But the arrival of veteran halfback Reynolds has breathed new life into the team. They’ve won five of nine games this year – having won 10 in total over the last two seasons – and sit just inside the top half of the league.
Gould says he knew the Broncos were on the verge of becoming a good team.
“Even during the last couple of years, even when Anthony Seibold was coaching and struggling… I looked at the individual athletes themselves, their size, their athletic ability, the way they were playing,” Gould told Wide World of Sports’ Six Tackles with Gus podcast.
“A lot of them got to NRL level too early. And it happens.
“You’ve got to go through a period where they get their education, and they’ve got to get an education which you can’t give them off the field. They’ve got to get it on the field.
“They’ve got to go out there and be educated on the field. So you deal with the ups and down with that, and it’s a process you go through with young players if you believe they’re the ones of the future.
“I’ve been through this a number of times, and it’s a different style of football you play, a different style of coaching you give.
“The better athlete, the better committed player, the better team man have come to the fore at the Broncos.
“All they need sometimes, these kids, is some exposure to some on-field leadership that brings it all to light, and that’s where Adam Reynolds has been a major purchase for them.”
Gould says Reynolds is the glue bringing Brisbane’s young, raw talent together this year.
He moved north on a two-year deal, having declined an offer from his beloved South Sydney for a one-year contract extension.
At 31 he was considered dispensable by the Rabbitohs, but at Brisbane he has shown how much value he still has to offer in the NRL. Last week he guided Brisbane to an upset victory over South Sydney.
“He will end up being the buy of the year,” Gould said of Reynolds.
“For the Broncos, they couldn’t have made a better buy in the last 20 years than Adam Reynolds is to them right now.
“It’s why we (Penrith) brought James Maloney and James Tamou to the Panthers at a very crucial time in those young players’ careers.
“Adam Reynolds is going to be vital. I don’t know how long he’ll last or how long he’ll play, but whatever time these young players can spend with Adam Reynolds, they are going to remember it for the rest of their lives.”
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