NRL 2024: Jock Madden backed by Kevin Walters to be halfback successor to Adam Reynolds at Broncos

Jock Madden wants the No.7 jersey and believes he’s the perfect successor to champion halfback Adam Reynolds. With his recent form, he might just have persuaded coach Kevin Walters as well. HAVE YOUR SAY.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 12: Jock Madden of the Broncos looks to take on the defence during the round six NRL match between the Brisbane Broncos and Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium, on April 12, 2024, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Jock Madden insists he is a legitimate NRL playmaker and has set his sights on succeeding champion halfback Adam Reynolds as the main man at the Broncos.

With Reynolds still sidelined by a hamstring injury, Madden is tasked with outpointing Canberra’s in-form halfback Jamal Fogarty in Saturday night’s showdown with the Raiders at Suncorp Stadium.

Madden steered the Broncos to victory in last week’s derby defeat of the Dolphins, but the jury remains out on whether he is the long-term option to succeed Reynolds at the Brisbane scrumbase.

Reynolds, who recently inked a 12-month extension, is expected to retire at the end of next season and the 24-year-old Madden is determined to prove he belongs in the Broncos’ famous No. 7 jumper – starting against the Raiders.

Asked if he believes he is the man to fill the Reynolds hot seat, Madden said: “Yes definitely, that’s the goal.

“Every time I get my opportunity now, I’ll be taking it with both hands and long term I want to take that No. 7 jumper.

Jock Madden insists he can be the Broncos halfback successor to Adam Reynolds. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

“’Reyno’ has been a great mentor for me.

“He is always giving me advice on how I can improve my game, he has been really good for me.”

Madden plays his 25th top-grade game against the Raiders and he will be buoyed by last week’s disposal of the Dolphins, which represented his first win at Suncorp Stadium after three personal losses.

The former Australian Schoolboy had a horror start – kicking out on the full inside 10 minutes – but Madden stabilised quickly to underline his composure calling the shots at Brisbane’s nerve centre.

With the Dolphins just clinging on at 16-4 after halftime, Madden nailed the coffin shut. It was his towering 56th-minute bomb that led to the Selwyn Cobbo try that buried the Dolphins.

“You have to get those errors out of your mind straight away,” he said of his early kicking gaffe.

Jock Madden helped his Broncos to a win over the Dolphins in the round six Battle of Brisbane. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

“Obviously I needed to get better, but I just thought it’s a ‘next-job’ thing and if I keep holding onto those mistakes throughout the game, it will affect my performance and the rest of the team.

“I had to brush that aside and get on with my next job.

“The boys are great here, they give me a simple role for the team.

“I just have to come out, play my brand of football and do my job for the team.”

There is a view Madden may lack the experience to take control of one of the NRL’s glamour clubs in the post-Reynolds era.

The Newcastle junior was unable to cement a spot at former club Wests Tigers, but Broncos coach Kevin Walters believes Madden is the real deal and says Reynolds’ injury setbacks are giving his understudy crucial time to develop as an NRL shot-caller.

Adam Reynolds is expected to return from a hamstring injury in 2-3 weeks. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

“Yes certainly he can (succeed Reynolds),” Walters said.

“The evidence I have seen from him, he needs to play his game and be Jock for us.

“He did his job (against the Dolphins) without overplaying his hand.

“The longer the game went, the more comfortable Jock got and that’s important for us because ‘Reyno’ won’t be playing (against the Raiders), so it’s good that Jock is getting some game time in and some winning game time.

“Winning builds lots of confidence and lots of good things around that, so Jock will get something out of this period.”

Since joining the Broncos, Madden has won three of seven games in the halves and says he doesn’t feel the pressure to perform with his limited opportunities behind Reynolds at Red Hill.

Broncos legend Allan Langer became Brisbane’s greatest halfback with his running game and Madden is backing his willingness to take the line on.

“My running game is my strength,” he said.

“With my speed, I have to take those middle forwards on and when there is some fatigue in the game and there’s an arm wrestle, I like taking teams on. That’s one of my strengths so I need to keep doing that.

“I want to have that consistency (of playing for the Broncos), but there’s things you can’t control.

“I have the mindset of what I can control and when I get my opportunity coming into the team, I have to make sure I’m mentally right.

“I know the game plan here and I have to play to my strengths as well.”