NRL 2022: Brisbane Broncos v Cronulla, why Adam Reynolds rejected $2.4m Sharks bid
He went as far as meeting with rival coaches but now Adam Reynolds reveals why he chose to sign with the Broncos in a high-stakes bidding war.
Broncos maestro Adam Reynolds is primed to terrorise Cronulla after rejecting a $2.4 million poaching bid from the Sharks to chase the challenge of breaking Brisbane’s 16-year premiership drought.
Reynolds is Brisbane’s man-of-the-moment heading into Thursday night’s crucial clash against the Sharks after the champion halfback delivered his best game in Broncos colours to sink the Bulldogs.
Now the Brisbane skipper is hellbent on coming back to haunt the Sharks, who were in the box seat to win Reynolds’ signature last season before the Broncos prevailed in a high-stakes bidding war.
The Sharks and Broncos were both desperate for a premiership-winning playmaker.
Before he even stepped into the Cronulla hotseat, new Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon identified Reynolds as the perfect purchase to lead a Shire revival and he met with the former Souths ace for formal negotiations exactly 12 months ago.
Stream every game of every round of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership Season Live & Ad-Break Free In Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >
The Fitzgibbon talks were so promising several media outlets reported the Sharks had won the race for Reynolds, but the pint-sized halfback dropped a bombshell by inking a three-year deal with the Broncos.
Reynolds’ manager Steve Gillis confirmed the Sharks were Brisbane’s major threat in the big-money battle for the 237-game NRL veteran.
“We spoke to the Sharks,” Gillis said.
“The Sharks put together a good offer and they were keen, but you can only play for one club at a time.
“Craig Fitzgibbon was at the Roosters at the time (as an assistant) but he had just been appointed Cronulla coach.
“We had a good chat with Craig, he was great, it was a tough decision to make.
“They were really keen but Adam felt he wanted a complete change for his family from Sydney. That was the primary reason to leave Souths. He wanted a fresh start.
“The offers were about the same really, so money wasn’t the major factor.
“The big misconception was that Adam didn’t want to leave Sydney, but it was never the case.
“Adam was more than happy to live in Queensland and he showed that by joining the Broncos.”
For Reynolds, the decision was multi-faceted. Family aside, the 31-year-old’s competitive fire was stoked by the prospect of restoring Brisbane’s glory days and delivering their first title since 2006.
The former NSW Origin playmaker also had great respect for Broncos legend and now assistant Allan Langer, admitting ‘Alfie’s’ diminutive 165cm frame gave Reynolds the belief that, at 173cm, he could also succeed in the NRL.
“Alf is an icon of the game, not only of the Broncos but rugby league. He is someone I looked up to,” Reynolds said.
“I was inspired by his small stature and being a smaller bloke myself, people said Alf couldn’t do this or that and he proved them wrong.
“The Broncos are just a big club with a huge history. I looked at the players who had worn this jersey and I wanted to be a part of it. I have always had a thing about the Broncos, when we have played against them in the past, they just had an aura about them, so to be involved with the club was huge and my wife also wanted a fresh start by moving north.
“I’m a competitive person. I like a challenge and what better challenge than to get Brisbane back on track challenging for premierships again.”
Another major factor was Reynolds’ rapport with Broncos coach Kevin Walters. The pair hit it off immediately at their first meeting and Walters backed Reynolds to continue his good form by outpointing Hynes on Thursday night.
“Hynes has been great for Cronulla, but we are very happy we landed Adam,” Walters said.
“Adam was our prime target and everyone has seen the last few weeks the influence he has over the side.
“The Broncos haven‘t had a halfback like Adam for some time and in our talks, we built a good connection straight away. I felt we had an instant bond.
“Maybe it’s because we are former halves, but we just had a link and I connected well with Adam’s wife. She was a big part of the discussions and I got a great vibe that their family would fit well into the Broncos and the Brisbane life.”
HYNES HEIST: HOW BRONCOS MISSED DREAM HALVES COMBO
By Travis Meyn, Peter Badel, Brent Read
The Broncos have hit back at suggestions they low-balled Cronulla sensation Nicho Hynes after being blown out of the water by the hungry Sharks with a $1.5 million bid for the NRL rising star.
Hynes will come up against the club he nearly joined when the Broncos host the surging Sharks at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday night.
As they plotted their Red Hill rebuild last year, Broncos coach Kevin Walters and CEO Dave Donaghy gave Hynes a tour of Brisbane’s $27 million headquarters and pitched their vision of the Brisbane renaissance.
With South Sydney star Adam Reynolds already signed, the Broncos made Hynes an offer worth around $1 million over three years to leave the Melbourne Storm to play five-eighth or fullback for Brisbane.
It was a significant pay-rise for Hynes, who was a bench utility at the Storm and genuinely interested in joining the Broncos, but incoming Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon landed an eleventh-hour blow on Brisbane’s bid.
The Sharks trumped the Broncos with a three-year deal worth about $1.5 million which gave Hynes the opportunity to live closer to family on NSW’s Central Coast and be Cronulla’s first-choice halfback.
Donaghy, who knew Hynes from his days as CEO at the Storm, denied the Broncos low-balled the improving playmaker and said family ties were the deciding factor in their failed pursuit.
“On a personal level I’m really happy for Nicho, he has worked really hard on his game and life and is getting what he deserves,” he said.
“He is a great young man and player and is bucking the trend of players who have left Melbourne (and struggled). He has taken his game to an even greater height. I’m really proud of how he has gone about it.
“We understood family is really important to him and where he wanted to base himself. We couldn’t compete with that.
“We put forward to his agent an offer that was very close to what he was asking for. We didn’t low-ball him from that point of view.
“We didn’t get to the negotiating table because he wanted to be closer to his family on the Central Coast.”
Hynes, 25, has proven to be one of the signings of the season, taking his game to another level at Cronulla after being handed the No. 7 jersey.
He has registered five try-assists and eight line-break assists in the opening seven rounds to help the Sharks into the NRL’s top four.
Meanwhile, Walters has struggled to find consistency at five-eighth and fullback, the positions Hynes would have been in the mix for if he joined the Broncos.
A Broncos team boasting Reynolds and Hynes in the spine may have been a formidable force, but Walters said it didn’t work out and the club had moved on.
“We had a chat with Nicho, he was available and a few clubs were chasing him. I think there were five or six clubs who were chasing his signature,” he said.
“I was looking at him as a fullback or a six to potentially play with ‘Reyno’ if they both came, but once it didn’t happen, we moved on and we were fortunate enough to secure ‘Reyno’.
“We have no hard feelings towards his decision and we respect that. I wish him all the best, but hopefully he doesn’t do too well this week.
“We’re wary of Hynes. He is a quality player, but we’re very happy with where Adam is as well, so it should be a cracking contest between the halves.
“I’m confident Adam can win the battle of the halves.”
In hindsight, the Sharks have scored a bargain with Hynes on $500,000-a-season if he can continue the form that he has started the year with.
His agent, Andrew Purcell, said Hynes was deadly serious about joining the Broncos until Fitzgibbon and the Sharks came to the table with an irresistible pitch.
“Brisbane were part of the negotiations and Nicho gave serious thought to joining the Broncos,” he said.
“They are a huge club and would be attractive to any player. Ultimately, Cronulla ended up getting their man through Nicho’s conversations with Fitzgibbon and offering a package that was more in line with the role he was going to play at the Sharks.
“Fitzgibbon was confident in his ability to play the type of role after holding several meetings with him throughout the negotiation process.”
More Coverage
Join the conversation
Kangaroos selection shocks: NRL legends’ Test careers appear over
Mal Meninga has dropped a major selection bombshell by overlooking both James Tedesco and Kalyn Ponga for Kangaroos selection, with the list of surprise omissions and debutants not ending there. See the full squad.
Read more
‘Bewildering’: Decision to omit Kernick from Jillaroos slammed
Sydney Roosters star and women’s Dally M winner Olivia Kernick has been overlooked for Test selection as coach Brad Donald shakes up a squad which lost its last match to the Kiwis.
Read more