Brisbane Broncos urged to be cautious with any Adam Reynolds contract extension

Brisbane skipper Adam Reynolds made a number of questionable plays in the grand final, and now he’s come under fire from club legend Gorden Tallis.

Adam Reynolds of the Broncos speaks on stage after the 2023 NRL Grand Final match between Penrith Panthers and Brisbane Broncos at Accor Stadium on October 01, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Broncos legend Gorden Tallis has questioned whether Adam Reynolds should soldier on and has called for Brisbane bosses not to rush into a contract extension for the champion playmaker.

Reynolds has come under fire for failing to steer the Broncos to the premiership from a seemingly unassailable 24-8 lead in Sunday night’s gut-wrenching 26-24 grand final loss to the Panthers at Accor Stadium.

So magnificent all season, Reynolds made a number of questionable plays in the decider, headlined by three risky short dropouts – two of which led to penalties – and running on the last tackle in the final 10 minutes of the game.

The turnover from the last-tackle running play led to Penrith halfback rival Nathan Cleary scoring the matchwinner five minutes later to steal the NRL premiership and break Brisbane’s hearts.

Reynolds turns 34 next July and is currently in negotiations with the Broncos on a 12-month extension for the 2025 season, which the club hopes to finalise before the start of the 2024 premiership.

Adam Reynolds of the Broncos speaks on stage after the 2023 NRL Grand Final match between Penrith Panthers and Brisbane Broncos at Accor Stadium on October 01, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

The former Souths title-winner joined Brisbane on a three-year deal and was expected to retire at the end of 2024, but such has been his brilliant form for the Broncos, it’s convinced Reynolds to play on in 2025.

Tallis has enormous respect for Reynolds’ remarkable NRL portfolio spanning 12 seasons at the top level, but says the Broncos should take a wait-and-see approach on giving the skipper a new deal.

“I would wait till halfway through next year,” NRL 360 and Fox analyst Tallis said when asked if Brisbane should sign Reynolds for a further 12 months.

“There is no doubt as you get older, (it gets harder).

“I would till halfway through the year because that gives you time.

“Reynolds is at the club, he is there and they can monitor how his body is going.

“He is ageing and everyone has a use-by date.”

Speaking in the sheds as he digested Brisbane’s epic collapse, Reynolds said: “As long as the club wants me there and I’m feeling good, and it’s mutual, I’m more than happy to keep playing for this club.”

Adam Reynolds battled injuries all season. Picture: Adam Head

Reynolds has been one of the greatest buys in Brisbane’s 35-year history and his game management has been a pivotal factor in the Broncos revival that underpinned their charge to the grand final this season.

But amid his brilliance, Reynolds has had to play tough and be smart with injury management.

The 274-game stalwart has had a number of niggles since joining the Broncos, including hamstring, neck and calf injuries, and Reynolds played through the pain barrier in the grand final after hurting his hip flexor in the 25th minute.

Thirty-something NRL players can fall off a cliff quickly in their twilight years, but Broncos medical staff are confident they can manage Reynolds for another two seasons to play beyond his 35th birthday.

Regardless of the result Adam Reynolds wrote himself into Brisbane Broncos history books! pic.twitter.com/OGYx7MHQaY

— Triple M NRL (@TripleM_NRL) October 2, 2023

In the lead-up to the NRL decider against Penrith, Reynolds scuppered concerns about his body and is adamant he wouldn’t be a liability for the Broncos in 2025.

“I’m extremely confident I can play on,” he said.

“I’ve missed a few games this year with concussion, but there hasn’t been anything major with the body aside from a few niggles here and there.

“Every player that has played the game during the finals would have a few niggles.

“It’s a long season.

“But that’s my plan to extend and go another season. The club is building towards something special and I want to be a part of it.”

Reynolds lamented his inability to nail Penrith’s coffin shut as Cleary took charge in the final 20 minutes.

“It would have been nice to get the result,” he said.

“I don’t think you have to lose a grand final to win one.

“If you’ve got the team to do it, you’ve got the team to do it.

“We certainly had the team to do it. We just weren’t clinical at the end.

“You’ve got to give them credit. They are a champion team and play to their strengths.

“Nathan Cleary was probably the difference in the end.”