Shades of Darren Lockyer: How Adam Reynolds can become Broncos’ on-field ‘guru’

Brisbane’s ‘Little Master’ Adam Reynolds has been hailed as the new-age Darren Lockyer and is ready to lead the Broncos to this year’s NRL premiership.

Adam Reynolds is a big-game “guru” for the Broncos. Picture: Liam Kidston

Adam Reynolds is primed for a halfback shootout with Warriors wizard Shaun Johnson, with Brisbane’s ‘Little Master’ hailed as the new-age Darren Lockyer and ready to lead the Broncos to this year’s premiership.

Reynolds and Johnson will wage a scrumbase battle for the ages when the evergreen 33-year-olds trade tactical blows in Saturday night’s Broncos-Warriors preliminary final blockbuster at Suncorp Stadium.

Johnson is in major contention for this year’s Dally M Medal, while red-hot Reynolds is in career-best form and two wins away from orchestrating Brisbane’s first premiership in 17 years.

Brisbane’s most-capped player, Lockyer remains the club’s last premiership skipper, the 355-game playmaking icon engineering the Broncos’ stunning upset of Melbourne in the 2006 grand final.

Now the Broncos believe Reynolds is the talismanic “guru” to snap the drought, with former skipper Alex Glenn likening the champion No.7’s ice-cool calmness to the big-game poise of Lockyer.

“I think this Broncos team can go all the way with ‘Reyno’,” said 285-game club legend Glenn, who played back row in Brisbane’s heartbreaking 2015 grand-final loss to the Cowboys.

Adam Reynolds is a calming influence who can lead the Broncos to a title. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

“It helped having Darren Lockyer as our captain because he was the guru out on that field ... and these boys have the ability to do that (win the title) with Adam Reynolds steering the side. I wish I got to play alongside Reyno.

“I played against him for a long time (when Reynolds was at South Sydney), I had to run lines at him and the thing I have always admired and respected is his determination to never give up.

“I definitely believe in him steering the ship.

“His footy smarts and being the general on the field, that’s something we have been missing at the Broncos and it’s good to have it back again.

“It’s great to see him at our club for the right reasons – he can bring that premiership success back to the Broncos.”

Reynolds was in sublime touch a fortnight ago, producing the finest performances of his 273-game career in Brisbane’s 26-0 finals drubbing of the Storm.

Now the 2014 premiership winner confronts the ultimate scrumbase showdown with the in-form Johnson, who put Brisbane on notice with a man-of-the-match display in the Warriors’ 40-10 whipping of Newcastle last week.

Darren Lockyer wins the Clive Churchill Medal in 2000. Picture: Mark Evans

Johnson has good memories of Suncorp – he starred in a 56-18 belting of the Broncos as a Warriors rookie in 2013 – and Reynolds knows their halfback duel will largely shape whether Brisbane progress to the NRL decider.

“If he doesn’t win it (the Dally M Medal) he will certainly be very close,” Reynolds said of Johnson.

“He has had one hell of a year. It doesn’t motivate me, but I certainly enjoy watching him play.

“I have had many a battle with Shaun over the last decade and I love playing against him. He is a great competitor. I know what he brings to the table.

“He is the heartbeat of the Warriors team and he has had a fantastic season. It is just another one of those clashes I am looking forward to.”

The veteran duo’s numbers this season are remarkable. Reynolds has 19 try assists, 16 line-break assists and a 423-metre kick average, while Johnson has 29 try assists, 26 line-break assists and is kicking for an average 520m.

Reynolds is confident Brisbane’s young guns won’t crack in the preliminary final pressure-cooker and says he won’t be satisfied until he clinches a second premiership ring by delivering the Broncos’ seventh title.

“It is nothing out of the ordinary. We have been playing for 30-odd weeks now,” Reynolds said of the sudden-death occasion.

“The mindset doesn’t change. It is exciting. We are where every team wants to be and we are grateful to be in this position.

“You always want to leave the best legacy that you can.

“For me I don’t play the game for individual accolades. It is a team sport and I try and make everyone around me better. I try and apply that within my role.

“It is obviously a goal of mine to win a premiership every year regardless if it is my 10th or first year.

“I know how hard they (premierships) are to get to.

“Opportunities like this don’t come around often so I have to make the most of it.”

Originally published as Shades of Darren Lockyer: How Adam Reynolds can become Broncos’ on-field ‘guru’