Brisbane Broncos news: Adam Reynolds back in mix for round one despite positive Covid test

The NRL has opened the door for Covid-hit Broncos skipper Adam Reynolds to make a shock Round 1 appearance against his former club South Sydney.

MACKAY, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 26: Adam Reynolds of the Broncos looks on before the start of the NRL Trial match between the North Queensland Cowboys and the Brisbane Broncos at BB Print Stadium on February 26, 2022 in Mackay, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

The NRL has opened the door for Broncos skipper Adam Reynolds to make a shock Round 1 appearance in next Friday night’s blockbuster against former club South Sydney.

The Broncos ruled Reynolds out of the NRL season-opener after he returned a positive Covid test on Thursday, citing he will not have enough time to adequately prepare for the game.

But in a shock twist of events, The Courier-Mail can reveal the door is ajar for Brisbane’s $2.4 million recruit to make his club debut in the Suncorp Stadium spectacular.

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Apart from serving the mandatory seven-day government-imposed quarantine period, the NRL has no restrictions on when players can return to the field, instead leaving the decision to clubs and their medical staff.

Players have reported varying effects from Covid. Some have been severely ill and gradually eased back into training while others didn’t even know they were infected.

Adam Reynolds returned a positive test to Covid on Thursday. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

Provided he tests negative, Reynolds will emerge from his Covid isolation on Wednesday and technically be clear to face the Rabbitohs for the first time since departing Souths after last year’s grand final loss to Penrith.

After receiving advice from the NRL in January, the Broncos implemented a club policy for treating players returning from Covid infections which includes an 11-day training and testing program to ensure they are ready for the rigours of the NRL.

However that could come under review at a meeting of club doctors on Saturday, with Brisbane football chief Ben Ikin confirming Reynolds could be back in the mix for the Broncos-Rabbitohs blockbuster.

NRL head of football Graham Annesley said it was up to clubs to decide when players returned to the field once they satisfied government regulations.

“The primary requirement of anyone who returns a positive test is to immediately commence seven days’ isolation as mandated by government regulations,” he said.

“Beyond that, everyone recovers at a different rate, so players and clubs should be guided by their own medical advice.

Adam Reynolds could still play in the Broncos’ season-opener against Souths. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

“Club doctors are best placed to assess the recovery of players before giving them the green light to return to training and playing.”

Reynolds’ first appearance against the Souths club he played 231 games for and won the 2014 premiership with was such a big occasion the NRL scheduled it to launch the 2022 premiership.

His absence would be a crushing blow for Brisbane’s ticket sales and television figures, not to mention their on-field attack as the Broncos face the prospect of fielding Albert Kelly and Billy Walters as their Round 1 halves.

The Broncos made the decision to rule out Reynolds because he would only be able return to training at the earliest on Thursday, where he would have to undergo fitness and health testing to assess the impact Covid had taken on him.

But Reynolds, 31, said he was feeling fine in the early stages of his illness.

“I actually feel OK,” he said on Thursday.

“I feel like I could play, but the NRL rules are there for the protection of players so we have to abide by them.

“How teams deal with Covid will test their depth and so forth. It’s not ideal. Every club is in the same situation so we have to get on with life.

“There’s a few of us out with Covid. There’s not many guys left in the halves. Myself, Albert Kelly and Tyson Gamble have got Covid in the last few days, so we’re a bit thin at the moment, but we’ll make do, we won’t have any excuses going into round one.

Albert Kelly was also struck down with Covid. Picture: Liam Kidston

“Every team will face these Covid challenges during the year and it’s just a matter of how we deal with it.”

As Covid infections started sweeping the game over the Christmas break, the NRL issued advice to all 16 clubs about how to manage players returning from the illness.

The document stipulated the advice was not part of the Apollo rules and regulations.

Ikin said the Broncos had been following that advice with the best interests of their players in mind.

“The Broncos’ position is we will always put player welfare first,” he said.

“The advice from the NRL in January this year, from the chief medical officer Dr David Heslop, was that ‘clinicians are strongly encouraged to adopt a precautionary approach to graduated return to sport, with respect to the Omicron variant. In the most mild case, that being a player is asymptomatic, the recommended return to sport without restriction is advised to be day 11’.

“The club CMOs (chief medical officers) have been encouraged to follow that advice. But they are meeting in Sydney tomorrow, so until something changes, the Broncos’ position on Adam Reynolds and all of our players will be aligned with the advice that came out in January.

“With respect to Adam Reynolds, that is the advice we have followed, not withholding that things might change in the lead-up to the Rabbitohs game.”

Originally published as Brisbane Broncos news: Adam Reynolds back in mix for round one despite positive Covid test