NRL 2021: Brisbane Broncos urged to chase Adam Reynolds

A former Broncos playmaker has urged the club to up the ante in its pursuit of Adam Reynolds, believing his experience could help the club’s rebuild.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 23: Adam Reynolds of the Rabbitohs is tackled by Darius Boyd of the Broncos during the round 23 NRL match between the Brisbane Broncos and the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Suncorp Stadium on August 23, 2019 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Former Brisbane playmaker Ben Ikin has urged the Broncos to launch a poaching raid on Adam Reynolds as the off-contract South Sydney halfback explores a career shift to Queensland.

The Rabbitohs are in danger of losing Reynolds with the two parties at contractual loggerheads as South Sydney refuse to budge on the 12-month extension they have tabled for the 209-game local junior.

The Courier-Mail understands Reynolds, who turns 31 in July, is seeking a three-year contract with an asking price of around $700,000 per season.

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The Cowboys have been linked with Reynolds, while the Broncos have cash to spend given two of their playmakers, $1 million pivot Anthony Milford and rookie halfback Tom Dearden, are off-contract at season’s end.

While Broncos recruitment chiefs are watching the Reynolds saga closely, they have yet to make any official approach to the former NSW Origin half-back’s management.

Brisbane’s scrumbase trio of Milford, Dearden and Brodie Croft steered the club to their first-ever wooden spoon last season and Ikin believes the Broncos should target the halfback who broke Souths’ 43-year premiership drought in 2014.

“The Broncos should absolutely sign Adam Reynolds,” said Ikin, a 150-game veteran who played five-eighth in Brisbane‘s 2000 premiership win.

“Reynolds is on the market and he might be keen to come to Brisbane and could potentially form a great halves combination with Anthony Milford.

“Given the state of the Broncos, they should be considering signing any quality player at the moment.”

There is a view Reynolds will not leave Redfern given his longstanding ties to the South Sydney region.

But Reynolds’ manager Steve Gillis says the premiership-winning halfback is open to a fresh start, including a move to Queensland, if clubs such as the Broncos or Cowboys tabled the right deal.

“Adam is open to all offers,” he said.

Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett (right) has appealed for Souths hierarchy to retain Adam Reynolds. Picture. Phil Hillyard

“Adam has made it clear he won’t be accepting a one-year term and if things don’t change I don’t expect him to be at Souths. That’s the bottom line.

“In a perfect world, Adam’s preference is to stay exactly where he is. He is the captain, he has won premierships there and has mates and family there, but if things don’t evolve from Souths’ end, he will have to step up the process with other suitors.

“Adam will investigations all options. I believe he has another three years in him.

“If he signed a three-year deal, he would be 34. Benji Marshall (fellow Souths playmaker) is 36 this year, so there’s no reason Adam can’t play on beyond another 12 months.”

Adam Reynolds is being linked with a move to the Broncos or Cowboys.

Ikin believes Reynolds offers everything the Broncos need in a chief playmaker.

“I like his calmness,” Ikin said.

“I like the detail in his game, he is a first-class goalkicker and excellent general-play kicker.

“Reynolds hasn’t got as many brilliant moments in him as some of the other playmakers in the competition, but the gap between his best and worst performance is pretty small and he knows how to manage a team.

“He has played in a lot of big games at the Rabbitohs, he has won a comp, he has been in a stack of preliminary finals.

“I know it has been a criticism the last few years that he hasn’t been able to take them to the next level, but there is a whole lot of tools that Reynolds has got that would be very useful at the Broncos right now.”