NRL 2022: Adam Reynolds passes fitness test ahead of Broncos vs. Wests Tigers
Adam Reynolds has been cleared by the Brisbane medical team for Saturday night’s match against the Wests Tigers at Suncorp while one rookie is poised to make a statement.
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The Broncos have received a boost with star halfback Adam Reynolds cleared of illness for Saturday night’s clash against Wests Tigers at Suncorp Stadium.
Brisbane suffered a scare in the lead-up to the round 20 fixture when the Broncos’ most important player failed to train due to a stomach bug which wiped Reynolds out of Tuesday’s session at Red Hill.
But Reynolds looked a picture of health at Friday’s captain’s run and Broncos coach Kevin Walters confirmed the skipper will take his place in the No. 7 jumper as Brisbane look to cement fourth spot with victory over the Tigers.
“Adam is one of the key members of our team and he is good to go,” Walters said.
“He was a bit crook earlier in the week but he is bouncing around training now and being a pest, so he is back to good health.
“It’s good to have him on deck, which is great news for the team and good news for Adam because he loves being out there at Suncorp with the guys.”
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An emotional jersey presentation for Bronco 283, Deine Mariner. 🥺😠pic.twitter.com/dNQT4fwr2f
— Brisbane Broncos (@brisbanebroncos) July 29, 2022
The Broncos will unleash one of the club’s most exciting centre prospects since the legendary Steve Renouf with teenage sensation Deine Mariner to debut against the Tigers.
Brisbane’s surge into the top four has given Walters the confidence to blood Mariner, who has unseated former Queensland Origin player and Storm premiership winner Brenko Lee at left centre.
The 19-year-old Mariner is rated by scouts as the best emerging centre in the code after a blistering 2021 campaign that saw him dominate the Queensland rugby league scene on his way to Australian Schoolboys selection.
The Broncos have produced some champion centres headlined by Chris Johns, Gene Miles, Justin Hodges and Renouf, who remains Brisbane’s greatest tryscorer with 142 from 183 games during a brilliant 11-year career between 1988-99.
Now the Broncos believe they have unearthed another budding NRL superstar in Mariner, a well-built, explosive threequarter who was a superstar at Gold Coast school Palm Beach Currumbin.
“Deine has great speed and it’s something you can’t coach,” Walters said.
“His form in the Queensland Cup has been outstanding, so I’m looking forward to seeing him. He gets his chance and I think he will take it against the Tigers.
“It’s Deine’s opportunity to put the Broncos jersey on and play well.
“He has been in our system since he was 15 and we’ve always had an attitude of next man up, so this is his turn to step up.”
Mariner has scored eight tries in seven matches in the Queensland Cup this season, averaging 143 running metres per game for the Seagulls, convincing Walters he is ready for an NRL baptism.
Meanwhile, Billy Walters (hip) returns at hooker to face his former club, while Delouise Hoeter will remain on the wing after Queensland Origin star Selwyn Cobbo was kept on the sidelines for another week due to concussion.
ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK: INSIDE KEVVIE’S MASSIVE PAYDAY
Brisbane coach Kevin Walters has clinched a $50,000 performance bonus for leading the Broncos back to the finals and more financial gold awaits if he delivers a top-four finish.
News Corp can reveal Brisbane’s rise from wooden spooners to title contenders has activated financial bonuses in Walters’ contract as he prepares for Saturday night’s clash against Wests Tigers at Suncorp Stadium.
Walters was handed a 12-month contract extension in March and under the terms of his beefed-up deal, the Broncos coach had a slew of clauses inserted that triggered fiscal rewards for Brisbane hitting key performance indicators.
It is understood Walters stood to pocket an extra $50,000 if he could steer the Broncos to the playoffs — and last week’s 36-14 drubbing of the Eels sealed Brisbane’s first finals campaign in three seasons.
Now Walters is on the cusp of a fresh financial bonanza.
An additional $25,000 sweetener looms if Walters can maintain Brisbane’s place in the top four in the run to the finals, further incentive for the Broncos to dispose of the Tigers in their round 20 showdown at Suncorp.
It is understood Walters’ base salary this season is around $400,000, making him one of the lowest-paid coaches in the NRL, but the club legend is getting sweet rewards for Brisbane’s rapid rejuvenation.
Broncos chairman Karl Morris said Walters deserves every accolade for hauling Brisbane out of wooden-spoon mediocrity to play finals football in the space of 24 months.
“Kevvie has certainly brought the vibe back,” Morris said.
“Kevvie wanted everyone to get on the bus with him to enjoy winning again and he’s certainly done that.
“One of the big things about success is consistency and that’s what we’re seeing.
“It’s a credit to Kevvie.”
Brisbane’s decision to secure Walters until the end of 2023, on the eve of the 2022 premiership, raised eyebrows.
The Broncos coach was already contracted for this season and, at that point, had yet to convince he could engineer a finals revival after Brisbane’s 14th-placed finish in 2021 in his first year in charge.
But the Broncos’ decision to show faith in a ‘Kev-olution’ has paid dividends, both for the club and coach.
“I didn’t understand what the blowback was about,” Morris said of criticism of the decision to extend Walters.
“When Kevin was appointed, he was employed to be a long-term coach.
“We knew it was going to take him some time to turn the team around so I didn’t understand what that (criticism over the 12-month extension) was all about.
“There was no pressure from Kevvie himself about his contract because he knew he had it in him to do what he’s doing now.”
“There has been a great mixture of reasons why the Broncos are now performing,
“There has been a consistency around staff and players. They’ve concentrated on the things that were lacking at the Broncos.
“One of those things was fitness and defence. You look at how well they’re doing in those two areas and Kevvie has had a big role in addressing that.”
Brisbane enter the Tigers clash with 12 wins and are predicted to finish the NRL regular season with at least 16 victories.
That would surpass the regular-season record of Brisbane’s most recent premiership-winning team, who chalked up 14 wins in their surge to the 2006 title.
While Walters is rapt with Brisbane’s recovery mission, he says he will not be truly satisfied until the Broncos claim the holy grail for a seventh time.
“We have done some really good things at the Broncos this season but I’ve made it clear we’ve done nothing and won nothing yet,” he said.
“The guys fully understand that while we are doing what we are doing, we haven’t achieved anything when it comes to winning the big prize.
“We are winning games at the Broncos but to be honest, that’s to be expected as a Broncos person in my view.
“If you look at our history, we have a long record of being successful apart from a few tough years, so that’s what I’m trying to drive at the Broncos.
“We want to be challenging for premierships.”
Originally published as NRL 2022: Adam Reynolds passes fitness test ahead of Broncos vs. Wests Tigers
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