Adam Reynolds in shock retirement call amid Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam dilemma

Adam Reynolds has been caught up in a brutal call to consider retirement after the halfback endured a tough night during his team's NRL grand final loss. The Broncos were 20 minutes away from winning an NRL premiership after holding a 16-point lead against the Panthers.

Reynolds had endured a tough night up until this point, which involved two poor drop-outs and a knock on going against him. Nathan Cleary came to life with 20 minutes to go as the Panthers roared home to win 26-24.

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Reynolds also missed a tackle as Cleary stormed over to score the match-winning try. The Broncos halfback had been superb all year having helped lead his team from outside the top eight last year to the grand final.

However, there was no escaping his sub-par performance in the grand final showdown and NRL reporter Brent Read was critical of the halfback's night. “What disappointed me was they bought Adam Reynolds, that’s the game, that 20 minute period is what they bought him for, to get them over the line,” Read said on NRL 360. “And Adam came up with some plays in the last 20 minutes that completely changed this game, it wasn’t just the dropouts."

Read added that one halfback stood up and dragged his team over the line, while the other disappeared in the big moments. The Broncos are going to face plenty of pressure to keep a number of young players under the salary cap in the next two years, with superstars Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam most likely going to demand a lot more money.

Selwyn Cobbo and Kurt Capewell are also coming off contact in the next few years. This comes as reports suggest Brisbane decision-makers are set to offer Reynolds a one-year contract extension so he can play through 2025.

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However, Phil Rothfield was the most critical of Reynolds and suggested the Broncos can't afford to pay him too much money and risk losing their future stars in Walsh and Mam. “What Adam Reynolds showed me last night, he’s looking for a contract extension, beyond next year for 2025,” Rothfield added.

“From what I saw last night I’d love to see him play next year and then pull up stumps. The Broncos can’t really afford to give him more because they have got to keep Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam."

Rothfield said Reynolds was in the back-end of his career and it showed in the NRL grand final. However, Broncos great Gorden Tallis hit back and claimed Reynolds deserved the chance to prove himself throughout the 2024 season.

Reynolds was clearly devastated after his second loss in an NRL decider, and the Broncos player couldn't hide his devastation at full-time. But there were ugly scenes when Panthers fans booed when Reynolds was called onto the stage to give his runner-up speech.

Perhaps the treatment goes some way to explaining why Reynolds didn't acknowledge the Panthers players in his speech. Many pointed out that the Broncos captain failed to congratulate the winners for their triumph, although it appeared to be a genuine mistake. The Broncos captain took to social media after the game to congratualte the Panthers and apologise for forgetting.

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