Wayne Bennett reveals how he helped orchestrate Adam Reynolds’ Broncos move
As Adam Reynolds prepares to take on the Rabbitohs, his former coach Wayne Bennett reveals how he helped orchestrate the Broncos move, as well as defending Souths star Latrell Mitchell.
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Wayne Bennett has come out swinging in support of his besieged superstar Latrell Mitchell as the South Sydney supercoach opened up about his role in delivering Adam Reynolds to the Broncos.
Bennett’s stance came as Reynolds set the record straight on his controversial departure from Souths, saying the club had every right to believe Lachlan Ilias could succeed him in the No.7 jumper.
Reynolds and Mitchell will be two pivotal figures in Friday night’s clash between the Broncos and Rabbitohs at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.
Once teammates who helped propel Souths to the 2021 grand final, Mitchell returns from suspension, while Reynolds is under pressure to get the patchy Broncos (5-4) rolling against a Rabbitohs club he never expected to leave.
At the epicentre of the narrative is Bennett, who not only has a knack of extracting the best of Mitchell, but has emerged as the high-powered middle man who convinced the Broncos to poach Reynolds.
Let’s start with Latrell.
There is a view Mitchell is a law unto himself at Redfern and is still coming to terms with balancing his rare talent and aggression after copping his latest ban, this time a one-week suspension for his heavy contact on Storm flyer Sua Fa’alogo.
For a split-second, it evoked memories of Mitchell’s sickening hit on Roosters centre Joey Manu, which saw the Rabbitohs superstar cop a six-week ban, rubbing him out of the 2021 grand final.
But as Mitchell prepares to return in the No.1 jumper against the Broncos, Bennett slammed suggestions the NSW Origin star needs to change his ways.
“What’s wrong with his ways?” Bennett said ahead of the round 10 showdown against the Broncos club that sacked him in 2018.
“I don’t care what people think of Latrell, it doesn’t worry me.
“That’s their opinion, they’re entitled to it, but that’s no drama for me.
“I don’t believe Latrell needs to change.”
On the eve of Magic Round last week, ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys made it clear the code isn’t targeting Mitchell.
Call it tall poppy syndrome, but Mitchell, for all his magic, is forever navigating a delicate and complex perception that trouble, drama and spotfires seem to rage around him.
Bennett doesn’t suggest Mitchell is perfect, but he is adamant his matchwinning maestro didn’t warrant a Magic Round wipe-out.
“Latrell didn’t deserve to get suspended,” he said. “He lowered his height to make the tackle and the player (Fa’alogo) slipped even lower than that.
“He (Fa’alogo) knocked himself out on the ground. His head hit the ground. Latrell didn’t knock him out.
“We will live with that decision, but he is Latrell Mitchell.
“Every time he gets the ball he gets booed. But that’s OK.
“I know what Latrell means to us.”
Mitchell is about as important to Souths as Reynolds is to the Broncos.
Exhibit A came last Sunday, when Reynolds had a shocker in Brisbane’s grand-final rematch against the Panthers, kicking out on the full twice. Brisbane’s talisman was off.
The Broncos were duly pumped 32-8.
Now Reynolds is chasing atonement against the South Sydney club he once bled for and led to premiership glory in 2014.
A Souths junior, the script was seemingly set in stone: ‘Reyno’ would be a Bunny for life. Then came the contract brouhaha of 2021, when Souths deemed the pint-sized playmaker a year-to-year proposition, prompting Reynolds to drop a bombshell by quitting to start a new chapter in Queensland with the Broncos.
Souths were ready to back rising young gun Ilias.
It backfired badly. Ilias is now at the Dragons.
With every fixture Reynolds chalks up as the 297-game champion approaches the 300-match milestone, the salt seems to sink deeper into the wounds of a Souths club that has been pilloried for losing the club’s only premiership halfback in 50 years.
Reynolds is entitled to be bitter. He isn’t. He says it was his call to back himself on a longer-term three-year deal at Brisbane, rather than roll the dice for his yearly supper at Souths.
“I wouldn’t say they (Souths) thought it was one year,” he said as he prepares to return to the Homebush ground where he made his NRL debut in 2012.
“I love Souths. I’ve got a lot of history with Souths. I respect that place enormously.
“What they thought at the time might have been the right decision … it could have worked out extremely well that way.
“They had a young kid (Ilias) waiting to play first grade and I believe he’s a first grader.
“Things turn out a bit different. It’s easy to write from the other side of the page there but they had a decision to make, I had a decision to make and we’re still on good terms.
“I still highly respect everyone in that place and we’ll continue moving forward.”
Incredibly, it was his then-Souths coach, Bennett, who helped orchestrate the Red Hill heist.
Broncos boss Dave Donaghy and then coach Kevin Walters flew south to seal a $2.4 million deal with Reynolds, but Bennett’s influence was significant.
“When he left here, I knew he would have longevity at the Broncos,” Bennett said.
“I encouraged Adam to go to the Broncos, absolutely.
“It was clear he couldn’t stay here with the salary-cap pressures, so I talked to Kevin Walters and ‘Alf’ (Broncos legend Allan Langer) and told them they were crazy if they didn’t get him there.
“Souths made the decision that they weren’t going to pay him so much and he wasn’t happy with that. He had other clubs keen on him, he was leaving the club and he told them he wasn’t staying, so I would rather he went to the Broncos.
“I didn’t do anything unethical, he was negotiating with a few clubs and I felt he would be best off in Brisbane.
“I thought the lifestyle would be good for Adam. I felt it would be a great fit for him and his family.”
Reynolds’ mission on Friday night will be to turn the screws on Mitchell with a kicking game befitting the eye of a surgeon. He knows every blade of grass at Homebush. But injury-ravaged Souths are backing Mitchell to relish the contest, mindful of history of tormenting the Broncos.
“Latrell is one of the best players in the competition. Every time he is not out on the field, it is a big loss for us,” back-rower Keaon Koloamatangi said.
“The stuff that happened last week (with Sua Faalogo), that’s how Latrell is, he’s an aggressive player.
“That’s what we love him for, we don’t want him to stop that.
“Obviously you have to be more careful nowadays, being closer to head and with high contact, Latrell has learned that (lesson) and his fit and firing, ready to go this week.”
The off-contract Reynolds is due to bring up his 300th game in round 14 against the Titans and Bennett has no doubt The Little Master can soldier on in 2026.
“He is a footballer,” Bennett said. “Adam knows how to train and when he is fit enough. He looks after himself and knows how to get around the field, so I had no concerns he would retire early.
“There’s no reason Adam can’t go on next year. He’s had a remarkable career already, so he doesn’t need to make it any more remarkable. But Adam just loves the game and he probably wants to play on.
“It’s as simple as that. You are retired a long time.”
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