Adam Reynolds becomes South Sydney’s top goal scorer in 113-year history

In the 113 years of the South Sydney Rabbitohs’ history, no one has scored more goals for the club than current halfback Adam Reynolds.

Adam Reynolds became the top goal scorer in the Rabbitohs’ 113-year history on Sunday afternoon when he landed his 804th career goal.

Reynolds drew level with Souths legend Eric Simms on 803, before slotting his 804th ten minutes before halftime as the Bunnies stretched out to a 22-0 lead over the Tigers.

HE'S GONE AND DONE IT 👏

Adam Reynolds becomes South Sydney's greatest ever goal kicker 🤩#GoRabbitohs ❤️💚 #NRLTigersSouthspic.twitter.com/GFv7aIqDLh

— South Sydney Rabbitohs 🐰 (@SSFCRABBITOHS) July 4, 2021

Reynolds is known for his intimidating accuracy with the kicking tee. Across nine complete seasons in the top flight, the 30-year-old has only finished three seasons with a goal kicking percentage of below 80 per cent.

In 2021, which will be his final season at Redfern, he is slotting goals at 81.6 per cent.

The good news could well keep coming for Reynolds in the days after Sunday’s game.

With Blues halfback Nathan Cleary struck down by a shoulder injury in Origin II, coach Brad Fittler is on the lookout for a new number seven for the final game of the series.

Reynolds, who last played Origin in 2016, is in the mix to replace the Panthers star, along with fellow New South Welshmen Mitch Moses and Mitchell Pearce.

Reynolds and Walker certainly staking late claim for Origin selection

— Dean Ritchie (@BulldogRitchie) July 4, 2021

It was a day of breaking records for those in cardinal and myrtle.

When he scored his second try of the afternoon, winger Alex Johnston became the first player since 1910 to record multiple tries in four consecutive games for the Rabbitohs.

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Reynolds in the first stanza, though.

The pint-sized halfback strolled through the Tigers’ line virtually untouched inside 10 to score what looked to be his side’s fourth try of the afternoon.

However, closer inspection revealed the Broncos-bound playmaker had put a foot on the dead ball line in what will surely go down as one of the great bombed tries.

What on 🌏 happened here...

Adam Reynolds with one of the all-time try blunders! 😂

STREAM: https://t.co/NwNm5TonQE#9WWOS#NRL#NRLTigersSouthspic.twitter.com/BfV6P7jbrd

— NRL on Nine (@NRLonNine) July 4, 2021

Adam Reynolds produced the bombed try of the century but that wasn’t the most embarrassing thing of the afternoon as the Wests Tigers sank to a new low with another humiliating defeat at their spiritual home.

You’d think a team would respond after they conceded 66 points in their most recent outing against the Storm, but the Tigers treated defence like it was optional as the Rabbitohs piled on seven tries in a 38-22 training run.

It was a good thing there were no fans at the ground because the players would have been booed off at Leichhardt Oval for the second time this season.

A month to the day after they stunned the Panthers, Michael Maguire’s side folded faster than a poker payer holding 2-7 off suit as the Origin-in-waiting halves of Cody Walker and Adam Reynolds picked them apart with consummate ease.

“For three weeks, our starts have been ordinary. We have to be accountable for that,” the coach said.

“It’s sad to say that our start looked like a training run for Souths. It’s very disappointing to see us start like that.

“I need to find men who are going to be accountable for what we’re doing. That’s not acceptable for where we’re going with the club.

“Our first half was garbage.”

With strict biosecurity protocols in place, catering was scrapped at the ground while members of the club’s media department had to keep ticking the scoreboard over for the away side. Even the person in charge of music had enough, playing Rihanna’s ‘SOS’ and ‘Toxic’ by Britney Spears at half-time.

The players seemed to get the not-so-subtle message because they lifted in the second half, but even their points had a South Sydney flavour with former Rabbit Adam Doueihi bagging a double when the visitors took their foot off the pedal.

It was another disastrous day at the office, but Maguire is confident he has the full backing of the board to turn things around.

“I’m fine. I think the club is in a very good shape to be able to take us where we want to get to,” he said.

The Rabbitohs will finish the round in third spot on the NRL ladder. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Walker’s on fire

Brad Fittler didn’t need to watch Sunday’s game to know how good Cody Walker is, and the South Sydney five-eighth couldn’t have done much more to earn an Origin recall for the dead rubber on July 14.

It took Walker just two minutes to set up the first of his three first-half try assists to go with a four-pointer of his own when he latched onto an Alex Johnston grubber.

With Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai ruled out of Game Three, Walker is the logical option to slot into the halves given he featured in every game last year when NSW lost the unlosable series.

His combination on the left edge with Latrell Mitchell is a no-brainer, while he’ll also have clubmates Damien Cook and Cameron Murray in the side as he looks to take his hot NRL form into the Origin arena.

“It’s a difficult one because they won the series, but they won’t want to lose the third game – that’s part of your instinct,” Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett said.

“I would be looking at the long term of NSW, and Queensland should be doing the same thing.”

Wipeout

It looked like Adan Reynolds had ridden the wave straight into the Blues team when he strolled through to score one of the softest tries of the season.

But he was made to look rather goofy seconds later when the Bunker took away his four points after replays showed he had inexplicably run too far and stepped on the dead ball-line.

It brought back memories of Sonny Bill Williams’ similar gaffe at the 2013 World Cup but the good people at Sportsbet appreciated the effort and still donated $5000 to Men of League as part of their Try July campaign.

“I don’t know how he didn’t get it in his head that he didn’t score,” Bennett said.

“I might laugh tomorrow, but I’m not laughing today.”