Adam Reynolds’ 300th game should have been a celebration. Instead, it marked a season in freefall, as the Broncos endured their sixth loss in seven games.
Adam Reynolds was supposed to be the story. A veteran halfback with over a decade of elite play behind him, joining the rarefied air of the NRL’s 300-game club — a feat built on resilience, discipline, and the ability to deliver under pressure.
But as the Broncos trudged off Brookvale Oval following a 34–6 defeat to the Sea Eagles, there was no joy in the milestone. No redemption story. Just another performance that left more questions than answers, and a sobering reminder of how quickly things have unraveled.
Reynolds did his part. In his milestone match, he delivered 418 kicking metres and two forced dropouts, doing what he could to apply pressure. He made a season-high 39 tackles — nearly double his average — and kicked his 41st goal of the season. But it was nowhere near enough.
Manly ran riot. Six tries to one. A defensive collapse. Haumole Olakau’atu carved the Broncos open on the right edge, and debutant Clayton Faulalo scored twice to rub salt into the wounds. Brisbane missed 35 tackles. The effort was there in flashes — but cohesion, confidence, and composure were not.
This was supposed to be a celebration. The Broncos even issued commemorative scarves to fans and tributes poured in from across the league. But what should have been a moment of honour for their captain has instead become a microcosm of the team’s current crisis: bright individual moments overshadowed by collective underperformance.
Reynolds’ season, statistically, is holding up. Across 12 games in 2024, he’s posted 3 tries, 11 try assists, 40 goals at an 81.6% conversion rate, and remains one of the smartest tactical kickers in the game. But the pressure of carrying a faltering side is beginning to show.
He’s not alone in shouldering the load. Injuries have ravaged the squad. Reece Walsh remains out, forcing Jesse Arthars to shift to fullback. Billy Walters, normally a spark off the bench, was out with a wrist injury. But the issues run deeper than personnel. There’s something frayed in the fabric — a sense that belief is starting to slip.
Still, Reynolds fronted up after the game, as he always does. Composed, measured, but clearly frustrated. The message was clear: the group remains united, the coaching staff supported. But it’s hard to shake the sense that this team, which came so close to glory last season, is now stuck in a freefall it can’t yet arrest.
With a 5–7 record and a points differential now slipping into the red, the Broncos sit outside the top eight. The weeks ahead will be defining — not just for their season, but for the culture they claim to be building.
It’s not how Reynolds would have written this chapter. A player who gave everything to South Sydney, only to be cut loose and start over in Brisbane — where he quickly became the compass of a rebuilding side. He brought belief. Stability. Hope. And he still brings it, game after game.
But football is cruel like that. Milestones don’t guarantee moments. Loyalty doesn’t shield you from the scoreboard. And sometimes, even a player as steady as Reynolds is forced to carry more than he should.
The Broncos have time to fix this. But they need to start showing it on the field — for themselves, for their season, and for the captain who deserves better than this.
Published 3-June-2025
