Adam Reynolds reveals how former mentor Wayne Bennett saved his marriage from ending in divorce

Adam Reynolds was on the brink of divorcing the mother of his four children when two innocuous words from former South Sydney mentor Wayne Bennett saved his personal and professional lives.

Adam Reynolds has revealed how Wayne Bennett saved his marriage and helped him through the toughest period of his career to rebuild his life and football in Brisbane.

As he prepares to face his former Souths club on Friday night, Reynolds lifted the lid on a cunning recruitment tactic from Brisbane which convinced him to quit the Rabbitohs and wear the Broncos’ No.7 jumper.

But if not for the rock-solid support of Bennett, Reynolds admits there are no guarantees he would have been calling the shots for the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium, and even less chance his marriage would still be intact.

Speaking for the first time about his marriage crisis, Reynolds says he was on the brink of divorce with the mother of his four kids, wife Tallara, before he reached out to his former Souths coach Bennett for help.

Reynolds’ relationship struggles came during 2020 as the NRL emerged from the Covid pandemic and a heart-to-heart with Bennett convinced him to start a new chapter - on and off the field - with the Broncos in 2022.

Wayne Bennett helped save Adam Reynolds’ marriage and deliver the halfback to Brisbane.

Reynolds’ move to Brisbane has turned his life around. The 35-year-old is so content with his family in the River city he never plans to leave and Bennett’s return to Suncorp on Friday night is a reminder of the trusted mentor who saved Reynolds from losing it all.

It was a tough part of my life,” Reynolds told the Inside Ball podcast featuring Kevin Walters, his former Brisbane coach, and co-host Ben Dobbin ahead of the Broncos-Rabbitohs clash.

“Wayne saved it (his marriage).

“One thing I have been good at is parking my emotions to the side and focusing on what I need to at the time.

“If I’m at home, I’m focusing on the family. If I’m at the game, I’m focusing on the game and trying to get better.

“I was lucky that Covid (had ended) and we could resume footy, because it was a distraction from my personal life.

“It was the end of 2020. It was a really tough part of my life.

“He is very good at reading the room.

“I wasn’t giving out too much and he grabbed me aside one day and said, ‘What’s up’.

“I opened up to Wayne because he gets the trust of the person and for him to give me guidance and regularly check in with me was good.

Adam Reynolds and Wayne Bennett share a close bond.

“It was hard to navigate through that time.

“If I didn’t have that guidance from Wayne, I don’t know where I would have been.”

Ironically, it was another breakdown for Reynolds - his contract bust-up with Souths in 2021 - that opened the door for him to consider embarking on a fresh start with the Broncos.

The move north has been cathartic in every sense.

Reynolds left a self-confessed “shoebox” 260sqm home in Sydney, which he sold for $2.265 million, and bought a monster six-bedroom house on Brisbane’s northside, complete with a cinema, for $2.15m.

The rejuvenation has extended on the field, with Reynolds defying the doubters who feared he was a banged-up, year-to-year proposition.

The Broncos halfback last month chalked up his 300th NRL game, has amassed 74 matches for Brisbane, captained the club to the 2023 grand final and has inked a 12-month extension for the 2026 season.

None of it would have been possible without Bennett, who credited Reynolds’ resilience for fighting through a dark chapter in his life.

“I think the world of Adam,” Bennett said.

“I really do. He is a special person.

“We just gel. He’s a great guy and I like everything about him. The way he handles himself, the way he conducts himself.

“We built a great relationship and friendship at Souths and it remains to this day.

“I was instrumental in getting him to Brisbane. I spoke to ‘Alf’ (Broncos great Allan Langer), because Souths weren’t going to keep him, and I just thought Brisbane would be great for him and his family.”

Asked about helping Reynolds through his relationship ructions, Bennett said: “Well, as a coach, the players are part of my team. Everyone in my team gets looked after and cared for. That’s how it works with me.

Adam Reynolds after losing his last game in South Sydney colours - the 2021 grand final. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

“He’s done remarkably well in Brisbane. They’ve made a difference to Adam and he has made a difference to them.”

It took a clever selling pitch from the Broncos to win Reynolds over.

The premiership playmaker was all-but signed and sealed with the Sharks. Reynolds had passed his Cronulla medicals and was about to ink a three-year deal to play under Craig Fitzgibbon when Broncos boss Dave Donaghy and then coach Walters arrived at his home.

Walters and Donaghy opened up a bag. They pulled out a pristine Broncos jumper with the No.7 on it, the guernsey made famous by Allan Langer.

Done deal.

“Yep, the good old Broncos No.7 jersey got me,” Reynolds said with a laugh.

“I’d seen that sort of thing in the NFL before.

“Dave and Kev flew down, came to my house and presented me with this jersey. I remember looking at it and thinking how much I admired the Broncos and Allan Langer from afar and how I thought the Broncos were flash as a club and organisation.

“It was nice that they felt they could trust me to go and do the job for them and their organisation and that jersey moment was a good little touch that won me over.

Coach Wayne Bennett and Adam Reynolds at Rabbitohs training in 2020. Picture. Phil Hillyard

“When I put it on, it was a little bit different to the old red-and-green of Souths, but I liked it ... it was the change I needed.”

Now Reynolds is ready to ramp up Brisbane’s finals charge after a rollercoaster season - and kill off Bennett’s Bunnies finals hopes in the process.

“We certainly haven’t played for 80 minutes yet,” he said.

“That’s probably the frustrating thing, knowing the team that we have and how good we can be and obviously not showing that is frustrating, but it’s a long season and we’re continually working to get better.

“We get another opportunity this weekend to go out and play our brand of football and do it consistently for 80 minutes.

“If we implement our game plan and play to our potential, there’s no reason why we can’t beat any team in the comp.”

Originally published as Adam Reynolds reveals how former mentor Wayne Bennett saved his marriage from ending in divorce