The Brisbane Broncos have been criticised for their underwhelming send off for premiership winner Adam Reynolds.
The halfback led the club to their first trophy in 19 years last season as captain and is heading for retirement, with Payne Haas, Corey Jensen, Jesse Arthars and Delouise Hoeter also set to depart.
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Injury ruled Reynolds out of the contest against Melbourne Storm and means he has already played his final NRL match.
So ahead of the Storm game on Thursday he was presented to the crowd before commencing a lap of honour so fans could show their appreciation.
However before it was finished the big screen inside Suncorp cut to a car giveaway from sponsor KIA.
That caused dismay for many inside the stadium, with pundits also criticising Broncos for their lacklustre farewell.
“These retiring players are walking around the ground, everyone is trying to give them applause,” said Zane Bojack on ABC radio.
There’s no music, there’s no highlights, they’re doing a promotion for the car sponsor. I can’t believe what the club’s come to now. This is pathetic.”
“The bad week for the Brisbane Broncos just keeps going,” he added on social media.
“As the players who are exiting from the club did a lap of honour … the big screen switched to a promotion for KIA.”
In response to a fan also criticising the KIA ad, Bojack commented: “Yes…disgraceful.”
“Regardless whether he was playing or not, the Broncos could’ve done something to send him off,” Parramatta great Nathan Hindmarsh said on Fox League.
”They had a bit of a clap pre-game in the middle of the pitch and that was about it. There was no fanfare. It just doesn’t seem there was enough build-up.
”He’s a champion player and to not really have a big build-up … there needed to be something special.”
Fans also expressed their frustration, with a popular Broncos fan account on TikTok saying: “Honestly what the f*** was the point?
“I actually reckon he deserves an apology, it was embarrassing.
“What was the point, honestly. It’s just so sad, it just sums it all up.
“I honestly wanted to leave at the lap of honour. I think he deserves better, he had a great career, had a great career at the Broncos, won a premiership, and that’s what they do.”
“How did they get it so wrong?! Oh, how the mighty have fallen,” commented X user Richard Cohen.
“It was very weak indeed,” wrote John Cooper.
The farewell fiasco sums up a difficult week for the Broncos, which has seen their handling of Reynolds scrutinised after it was confirmed his injury would prevent him from featuring in their final two games.
Brisbane coach Michael Maguire stressed it was Reynolds who decided he was not fit to play, not him or the medical team.
“There’s plenty that goes on around every club. There’s plenty that goes on around this club,” he said post-match.
“They rallied around each other. They love their captain and we all wanted him to run out there and have a crack at it, but it just wasn’t to be.
Former teammate Cody Walker expressed his disappointment at Reynolds not being given a farewell game, while Reece Walsh ‘liked’ a social media post criticising Madge and the club.
The fullback undid his ‘like’ with Madge revealing they had a conversation about his online conduct.
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