Former teammate Cody Walker says he’s disappointed that Adam Reynolds won’t be given a farewell game, while a Broncos veteran revealed he was shocked that the club’s medical team made the call that the halfback wouldn’t play again.
Reynolds had been pushing hard for a home farewell at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday night against the Storm, but he wasn’t made available for selection, which led to him announcing on Monday that he’d played his final game.
Walker played 126 games in the halves with Reynolds at the Rabbitohs before the halfback made the move north following the 2021 grand final.
“It was a tough watch watching him have that interview and have him choking up on Triple M and it made me emotional just thinking about how much we played alongside each other,” Walker said.
“I’m quite disappointed and sad that he’s not going to get the send-off that he probably deserves.
“I’m not entirely sure on what the ins and outs are inside those four walls, so I can’t really comment on it, but I think that it’s disappointing that he won’t get to go out on his own shield and in his own way, which is pretty disappointing.”
Walker felt like Reynolds deserved one last cameo after 15 seasons in the NRL, including the past five for Brisbane that included a title 12 months ago.
The veteran South Sydney five-eighth says Reynolds could have come off the bench just as he did three times last year when he was dealing with soft tissue injuries.
The comments came on a day the Rabbitohs announced that Jai Arrow would “play” the final two games of the season, with the NRL allowing him to start matches and them come straight from the field after his career was cut short by a devastating motor neurone diagnosis.
“I don’t know what’s happening inside those four walls and I’m only hearing sort of second-hand information, so it’s hard for me to comment on it,” Walker said.
“But I think one of the things that we’ve shown and we proved last year in my case was that we were able to start me off the bench, bring me on for 20 or 30 minutes, and I played probably to the back end of the year like that.
“I’m not entirely sure what’s happening up there, but for him not to be able to have his own farewell and go out on his own terms is highly disappointing and I just hope he’s doing all right.”
Broncos veteran Ben Hunt spoke on behalf of the playing group who were stunned by the medical staff and coach Michael Maguire’s decision to not let Reynolds play.
“We’re all pretty shocked, to be fair,” Hunt told 4BC radio on Tuesday morning.
“We knew how hard he’s been pushing the last few weeks and seeing him train out there (on Monday) and get through that full session, we thought for sure he was going to get another run around.
“We were excited to have one of the best players to play our game come back and our captain and play his final game at Suncorp.
“I had a quick message to him just as soon as I found out and asked where he’s going, and he’s obviously disappointed. He’s the little competitor he is. He wanted to get out there, and from what I’m gauging, most of the players are pretty disappointed too.
“We thought he deserved that send-off.
“‘Reyno’ hasn’t given us a lot of details, and I’m not too sure what the conversations were between him, the medical staff, and ‘Madge’ (Maguire) and what’s going on there.
“But obviously they’ve all made that decision between them. I can’t comment too much on it … but we’re pretty disappointed that he’s not going be out there with us.”
Roosters playmaker Daly Cherry-Evans said missing out on a farewell game wouldn’t define Reynolds’ legacy.
“I don’t know the background of the story too well, but I will say that Adam Reynolds has been fantastic and one of the elite playmakers in the game for a long time,” he said.
“I have nothing but respect for him and the person he is. I haven’t had a heap to do with Adam, but the times I have met him, he’s a great fella, looks like a really great family man, and someone that everyone loves having in the locker room.
“He doesn’t get his fairytale as such, but I reckon if you asked him, his career is the fairytale.
“That’s the beauty of playing for so long; he’s got so many memories, so many achievements. “He doesn’t get one last game, but he’s had a hell of a career and he’s been an elite playmaker for a long time.
“It’s been an absolute honour to go up against him so many times.”
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