Broncos recruitment and retention member Darren Lockyer says club was blindside by Adam Reynold’s retirement about-face

Darren Lockyer and Phil Gould were involved in an awkward exchange over Adam Reynolds’ Broncos future, with the Bulldogs supremo pressing the club legend after his shock ‘blindsided’ admission. WATCH THE VIDEO

Broncos legend Darren Lockyer has revealed Adam Reynolds’ retirement backflip blindsided the club and admitted Brisbane don’t have the salary cap space to re-sign the champion halfback on his current rate.

Reynolds has abandoned plans to retire at the end of this year and is hoping to continue his career into 2026 following a hot start to this season.

At 34 and with 293 NRL games under his belt, Lockyer said Reynolds informed the Broncos during an injury-plagued 2024 that this year’s campaign would be his 14th and final season in the NRL.

WATCH THE TENSE LOCKYER-GOULD EXCHANGE IN THE PLAYER ABOVE

But he has since changed his mind and is hoping to play on next year, leaving the cash-strapped Broncos with a salary cap conundrum as they race to find space to re-sign their skipper.

A Broncos director and member of the club’s recruitment and retention committee, Lockyer was grilled about Reynolds by Channel 9 colleague Phil ‘Gus’ Gould following last week’s shock loss to the Roosters.

The exchange with Gould, who is also Canterbury’s general manager of football, appeared to get tense towards the end.

Darren Lockyer and Phil Gould were involved in an awkward exchange over Adam Reynolds' Broncos future.

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Darren Lockyer: “This time last year, Adam Reynolds indicated this would be his last year. He’s come out and started the season well, few wins, new coach, and his form’s been good. Then he’s now indicated he’s got more in him and wants to go around again. When you’re at a club and you plan for your halfback retiring, you start making decisions around him and then when he changes his mind … Gus, you might have had this happen to you before.”

Phil Gould: “What’s the plan if he retires? If not him, then who?”

Lockyer: “Ben Hunt is here for another year then there’s a young kid called Coby Black, but he’s still got to find his feet. The thing is experienced halfbacks are so rare in the game. Do you have confidence in what’s underneath at the club or do you have to go out to market to try and replace him?”

Gould: “So what you’re saying is the Broncos, prior to this season, had planned for this to be Adam Reynolds’ last season?”

Lockyer: “That was the way he indicated, that this was going to be his last year, but he’s changed his mind. He’s entitled to do that. Only he can judge whether he knows if he can perform at this level. I know he can. The kicking game, the passing and ability to manage a game is so hard to find out there.”

Gould: “Where does Ezra Mam fit into the long-term strategy of the Broncos?”

Lockyer: “Ezra will be back in round 10, whether he starts in first grade, ‘Madge’ (Broncos coach Michael Maguire) will probably give him a few games in reserve grade. Ezra is a six, Ben Hunt can play seven or nine, then you’ve got Cory Paix and Billy Walters. So there’s a bit of a conundrum, but time will start to resolve a few things.”

Gould: “Do you have the salary cap space to accommodate Adam Reynolds if he was to go around again?”

Lockyer: “It depends on what Adam Reynolds wants to play for.”

Gould: “So that’s a no. It’s really something you haven’t budgeted for, is it?”

Lockyer: “No, but he is the type of player you’d have to change course, change plans for.”

Gould: “So you’d have to make sacrifices to fit him in?”

Lockyer: “Correct.”

The segment then ended as tension appeared to be rising between Lockyer and Gould.