NRL 2022: New halfbacks hold key to Queensland teams rising back up the ladder
Queensland’s three NRL teams have new halfbacks in 2022 and they will be under pressure to lift their teams back into premiership contention. All three are up for the challenge.
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They are the terrific trio tasked with leading Queensland’s NRL teams back into premiership contention and fans of the Brisbane Broncos, Gold Coast Titans and North Queensland Cowboys will finally get a glimpse at their new halfback wizards.
After gruelling pre-seasons, the Broncos’ Adam Reynolds, Titans’ Toby Sexton and Cowboys’ Chad Townsend are ready to launch their 2022 title campaigns.
For the Broncos, Reynolds is one of the most important recruits in Brisbane’s 34-year history on the back of the club’s two toughest seasons.
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An NRL premiership-winner with South Sydney, Reynolds has arrived at Red Hill with the task of leading Brisbane out of the doldrums.
And it is a quest he cannot wait to begin, with Reynolds ruled out of Friday night’s blockbuster against his former club at Suncorp Stadium due to Covid.
Reynolds is expected to make his first appearance for the Broncos in their round 2 clash against the Bulldogs on Sunday week.
“I am dying to get out there and play for the club, it’s been on my mind for a while wanting to put that Broncos jumper on after not playing in the trials,” Reynolds said.
“Coming to a new club, you don’t know what to expect, but I can’t be happier here. I’ve settled in quickly.
“There is a rich history at this club. In the time they have been in the competition they have done wonderful things.
“I’m as hungry as ever. Every player at the start of the year should have a goal to win the comp and for me, having that hurt from last year (losing grand final), it’s given me that extra drive to perform a bit better and train a bit harder.
“Being at a new club, it’s the most excited I have been in a long time. I’m representing the Broncos and the way they have treated me since I got here, it feels like I have been here a lifetime.”
Reynolds, 31, could be the halfback the Broncos have been searching for since Ben Hunt joined the Dragons in 2018.
Hunt helped Brisbane to the 2015 NRL grand final, which they lost to the Cowboys in golden point, and the Broncos have struggled to replace him over the past five years.
In Reynolds they have a 231-game premiership-winning No. 7 with excellent leadership attributes and experience on the big stage.
And Reynolds has seen enough since arriving at Red Hill to believe the Broncos should play finals this year for the first time since 2019.
“We can play finals for sure,” he said. “If we have fallen short, we have done ourselves no favours. Not making the top eight this year would be a huge disappointment and a wasted season because there are so many talented players at this club.
“The results haven’t been there in recent years but I can’t see any reason why we don’t play finals this year. Coming from Souths, I know what it takes to succeed and there are exciting times ahead for this club.”
While the Broncos have opted for a proven performer at No.7 this year, the Titans have invested in youth.
Sexton, 21, has long been regarded as the Gold Coast’s great halfback hope, with the Titans locking him up until 2024 before he had even played an NRL game.
A local product from Palm Beach Currumbin and an Australian schoolboys sensation, Sexton made his NRL debut last year and played four games before being dropped for Jamal Fogarty on the eve of the finals.
With another pre-season under his belt and the faith of coach Justin Holbrook, Sexton believes he is ready for the rigours of being a fulltime NRL halfback.
And he will get the ultimate test first-up when the Titans face the Parramatta Eels at CommBank Stadium on Sunday.
“I’ve done as much as I can in pre-season to prepare myself for the season ahead,” he said.
“I’ve put on 3kg and physically feel a lot better and ready for it. It’s up to my footy now.
“I’m really excited, it’s been a long pre-season and I’ve put in a lot of work. I’ve made some good headway in my game.
“As an individual and a team we’re a lot further ahead than last year. It’s just about playing footy now. The coaching staff have put a lot of confidence in me and I use that as a strength as opposed to thinking if I don’t perform I won’t be playing.
“It’s only a good thing. I’ve just got to do my job in the team and hopefully that goes a long way to getting the results we want.”
Following four consecutive bottom four finishes, the Cowboys have opted to bring in an experienced head at halfback to help rebuild their battered club.
Townsend, 31, was Cronulla’s No. 7 in the Sharks’ drought-breaking 2016 grand final win against Melbourne and arrived in Townsville with 192 NRL games under his belt.
Townsend has been a consistent performer throughout his 11-year NRL career and impressed coach Todd Payten so much that he was handed the Cowboys’ co-captaincy alongside Jason Taumalolo.
The Cowboys have a respected leader at halfback in Townsend who believes the club has the building blocks in place to get back to its best and he will kick off his stint at North Queensland against the Bulldogs in Townsville on Sunday.
“I think we just need consistency. We need consistent performances on the field,” he said.
“The foundations for me have been built over the off-season and I’ve said it to a number of people that this off-season has been one of the best I’ve been a part of.
“We need to increase our mental toughness. We’ve done it in the preseason, but at the end of the day, consistency is what it’s going to come down to.
“I’m really confident with what my role is going to be here at the Cowboys.
“I feel like I’ve faced all the ups and downs that this game has to offer and I’m still going and I’ve got plenty left in the tank and I can’t wait to get out there, play for my teammates play for this badge and also this region up here in North Queensland.”
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