NRL 2021: Souths’ star halfback Adam Reynolds refuses to sign one-year contract extension

Adam Reynolds admits he was left stunned and rattled by South Sydney’s contract offer and would be tempted by a rival club with a better deal.

Rabbitohs halfback Adam Reynolds has dropped a pre-season bombshell by declaring he and Souths were on “different pages” over contract negotiations and he would reject a short one-year extension offered by the club.

“It is pretty disappointing, if I’m being honest,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds, 30, will come off contract Redfern after this season and is seeking a three to four-year contract at Redfern to conclude his decorated career.

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Could Adam Reynolds leave the club he has so loyally served since 2012?

Yet the former NSW halfback was left stunned and rattled by the club’s one-season contract offer for 2022.

“We have started the conversations. Look, I love the club and everything they have done for me, but, at the moment, we’re not on the same page with where we’re going and what we’re thinking,” Reynolds said.

“They have said they’d want to keep me on longer but they are only tossing up one-year deals at the moment, which is pretty disappointing, if I’m being honest.

“I don’t particularly want to be signing one-year contracts and that’s no disrespect to the club. Any player you ask would want the security rather than short contracts. I have a young family and have to think about weighing up all options.

“I still feel like I’ve got a lot longer left in me but whether they see that or not, I don’t know. That’s a conversation I’m going to have to have.”

Reynolds’ drama came on the day the Rabbitohs formally announced star fullback Latrell Mitchell had signed a new two-year deal keeping him at Souths until the end of 2023.

With Mitchell locked in, Souths chief executive Blake Solly said his club would now focus heavily on re-signing three off-contract State of Origin stars – Reynolds, Dane Gagai and Jaydn Su’A.

Reynolds is chasing more than a one-year deal.

Retaining Reynolds would mean the club must extend his contract offer or face the champion halfback quitting the club he joined back in 2012.

“We’re not on the same page, which is the main thing. I still feel I have a good three, four years left in me. And that’s quality footy, I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t believe in myself,” Reynolds said.

“For me, I want to play the rest of my career here – no doubt about that - but I don’t see myself signing two, three or four more (one-year) contracts.

“There are a lot of factors which obviously go into contracts and the make-up of the team. If you look around, we have a number of great players in this side. It becomes tough and unfortunately, that’s the position I’m in at the moment.

“I’ve got four kids and a mortgage. It’s brutal game, rugby league, and anything can happen at any time.”

Asked to confirm he had received only one-year extension offers, Reynolds said: “Yeah, at the moment. That’s what they’re thinking.”

Latrell Mitchell is signed with the Rabbitohs until the end of 2023.

Reynolds conceded he would be seriously tempted by a rival club who lodged a long-term deal.

“You’d definitely have to consider it,” he said.

“That’s part of the business. At the end of the day, my main focus is playing out my future here (at Souths) – and maybe a future here after footy.

“I love the club and I want to play the rest of my career here but at the moment we’re definitely on different pages.

“Obviously there are some great young players coming through the ranks as well. There is a lot to weigh up. It is what it is. It’s a waiting game.”

Reynolds was unsure how negotiations would conclude, particularly with a new coach, Jason Demetriou, taking over next season.

“I don’t know at the moment,” he said.

“It’s something we will have to sit down and talk about. We haven’t talked dollars and figures yet. It’s not what I’m about,” he said.

“I feel fitter than I have for the last five, six years and feel like I’m coming into my best footy yet. I’m pretty sure my best footy is yet to come.

“It’s great they got Latrell’s deal done. He is an important player at this club and, no doubt, he will lead this club one day in the future.”

There are some close to Souths who privately feel Reynolds should test the open market after this season.

There has already been links between Reynolds and Gold Coast Titans.

“We have kicked on negotiations with all three players but they are very much in their infancy,” Solly said.

“We prioritised Latrell and Junior Tatola at the start of the year and we are fortunate to have them locked away. Now our full attention will turn to Adam, Dane and Jaydn.”

Asked how tough it would be to retain all three players, Solly said: “It will be difficult, no doubt about it, primarily because they all had great seasons in 2020. It will be difficult but we would love to keep all three and we will do our best to do that.”

Mitchell’s new deal ends wayward speculation he wanted to leave the club after just one year.

“It’s perfect here (at Souths). We’re in the heart of Redfern. I get to enjoy myself, I get to be myself,” Mitchell said.