Broncos captain Adam Reynolds reveal Cyclone Alfred fears after emergency dash home to Brisbane

Following an emergency dash home to Brisbane after their demolition of the Roosters in Sydney, Broncos skipper Adam Reynolds has revealed he fears the great “unknown” of Cyclone Alfred.

Brisbane skipper Adam Reynolds admits he fears about the great “unknown” of the Cyclone Alfred threat after Broncos players made an emergency dash home overnight.

Broncos hierarchy booked a private charter flight for Brisbane players – with the authorisation of Queensland Premier David Crisafulli – in the wake of their 50-14 season-opening defeat of the Roosters on Thursday night in Sydney.

As soon as they completed their nine-try rout, Broncos players raced to the sheds for a quick shower before leaving Allianz Stadium for their charter.

With Brisbane airport temporarily closed as Cyclone Alfred inched closer to landfall, the Broncos flew into Toowoomba and arrived just shy of midnight before a two-hour bus ride home.

Millions of Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast residents have begun preparations to fortify their homes and Reynolds, born in Sydney, spoke of his concern for the potential of major cyclone damage.

“It’s the unknown,” Reynolds said.

Adam Reynolds has revealed his fears of the “unknown”. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

“Not too many people have been through a cyclone, so for us it was about getting home as soon as possible with our loved ones and making sure they are OK.

“We are thinking of everyone that could be affected through the cyclone.

“It’s not something we want to go through but it’s important to bunker down and make sure everyone is OK.”

Despite uncertainty back home, Broncos stars put their worries aside, submitting a ruthless display as Brisbane launched their new era under coach Michael Maguire in style with a thumping win.

Reynolds said while cyclone concerns for their families were in the back of their minds, they were determined to make a statement against the Roosters in pursuit of a first premiership since 2006.

“We checked in early and we had 80 minutes to worry about the game,” he said.

“We had a job to do for 80 minutes and now we can turn our attention to getting back home and being with our families.”

The Broncos chartered back to Brisbane immediately after the match. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Broncos chief executive Dave Donaghy confirmed Brisbane’s squad returned home safely late on Thursday night.

“The team arrived into Wellcamp Airport in Toowoomba at about 11.30pm before boarding a bus back home, getting in around 1.30am,” he said.

“We are extremely grateful to the team at Wellcamp for opening up their gateway to Brisbane for us to allow us to get the team and staff back to their families.

“We would also like to sincerely thank the NRL, broadcasters and the Roosters for working with us to ensure we could leave the stadium as quickly as possible after the game.

“The safety and wellbeing of our people has always been our priority.

“We are thinking of all of our members, fans and the wider communities in Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast and hope everyone stays safe today and into the weekend, while we see how Cyclone Alfred pans out.”

Originally published as Broncos captain Adam Reynolds reveal Cyclone Alfred fears after emergency dash home to Brisbane