Cooper Cronk labels Broncos ace Adam Reynolds the ‘smartest player in the NRL’

Queensland legend Cooper Cronk has labelled Adam Reynolds the smartest player in the NRL as the Broncos chase their first minor premiership since 2000.

Adam Reynolds has the ball on a string at the moment. Picture: Getty

Queensland legend Cooper Cronk has labelled Adam Reynolds the smartest player in the NRL as the Broncos close in on the magical 18-win milestone that has delivered three of Brisbane’s premierships.

Brilliant skipper Reynolds has put the Broncos within sight of their first minor premiership since 2000 and history shows when Brisbane win 18 regular-season games they invariably win titles.

Reynolds was outstanding in Brisbane’s 36-20 romp against Souths on Friday night, which gave the Broncos their 14th win of the season and officially clinched their first finals campaign since 2019.

But Broncos coach Kevin Walters is not satisfied with a top-eight campaign when he knows he possesses a squad with the talent and hunger to smash Brisbane’s 17-year premiership drought.

The Broncos can register their 15th win of the season with victory over the Roosters on Thursday night at the Gabba and they are on track to become of the most successful regular-season Brisbane sides in history.

Adam Reynolds has the ball on a string at the moment. Picture: Getty

Just four Broncos sides have won 18 regular-season games. Three of those teams celebrated the minor premiership-title double in 1992, 1998 and 2000 under Wayne Bennett, while Anthony Griffin’s class of 2011 reached the grand-final qualifier.

The 18-win benchmark would put Walters’ in serious contention for this year’s premiership and Cronk, a six-time title winner, believes Reynolds’ football brain can take the Broncos to the promised land.

“Reynolds is the smartest player in the competition,” said Fox League analyst Cronk, himself a former playmaker.

“The Broncos are big-time premiership contenders this year.

“They have evolved their game this season.

“The Broncos have all the ingredients (to win the premiership). They have a young forward pack that dominates with (Pat) Carrigan and (Payne) Haas, they have got a smart halfback and they have got electric tryscorers on the edge (in Kotoni Staggs, Herbie Farnworth and Selwyn Cobbo).

Adam Reynolds destroyed his former club on Friday night. Picture: Getty

“The only question mark was what happened this time last year when the Broncos fell off a cliff, but they have answered that with the way they put Souths to the sword.

“Reynolds has turned the fortunes of the Broncos around with his smarts and intelligence.

“He is improving players around him.

“If you want to look at the club’s greatest imports like (Glenn) Lazarus and (Gorden) Tallis, if Adam Reynolds delivers a premiership this year, he puts himself in that ball park.

“It’s been one hell of a signature for the Broncos.”

Walters’ troops may yet become the greatest regular-season outfit in Brisbane’s 35-year history.

If they win their final five games against the Roosters (h), Cowboys (a), Parramatta (h), Canberra (a) and Melbourne (h), Brisbane’s class of 2023 will become the first Broncos squad to win 19 matches in a regular season.

While that is a tall order, the Broncos, equal first with Penrith on 32 competition points, are well positioned to win their first premiership since 2006.

Walters warned NRL rivals the Broncos can get better in the run to the finals.

“I just feel we have so much expansion in our group,” he said.

“The reason why we have been successful this year is the depth in our squad.

“When we have our Origin guys coming back like Payne, Patty (Carrigan) and Reece Walsh, that’s a good sign.

“Each week, we keep getting closer to where we want to go.”

Former skipper Corey Parker, a member of Brisbane’s last premiership team, says the Broncos have weapons across the park to rip rivals apart in the playoffs.

“All the great premiership-winning teams have a triple threat,” he said. “They can score from the left, from the right or through the middle and the Broncos have all bases covered.”

Originally published as Cooper Cronk labels Broncos ace Adam Reynolds the ‘smartest player in the NRL’