Fans in massive backflip amid Broncos captaincy debate around Adam Reynolds and Pat Carrigan
Many have called for Patrick Carrigan to take over as skipper under Michael Maguire.
A poll conducted by Yahoo Sport Australia of more than 38,000 readers has revealed fans have had a change of heart as to who should be Brisbane Broncos captain in 2025. New coach Michael Maguire has shut down suggestions that Adam Reynolds could be replaced as the club's skipper, but that hasn't stopped calls for Patrick Carrigan to take over.
There were initially calls for change in the middle of the 2024 season after the Broncos suffered a humiliating loss at home to the Bulldogs. Club great Gorden Tallis suggested Carrigan would be the better choice, and the pressure on Reynolds hasn't died down after the Broncos slumped to a 12th-placed finish this season.
Maguire appears highly unlikely to make the switch, and Yahoo Sport Australia can reveal Reynolds is the more popular choice amongst fans anyway. Carrigan was initially the top choice ahead of Reynolds when the poll was first published, but fans have made a surprising backflip.
As it currently stands, Reynolds has 42 per cent of the votes compared to 40 per cent for Carrigan. Payne Haas has seven per cent of votes, while just three per cent want Reece Walsh as skipper and eight per cent want 'someone else' entirely. The poll of over 38,000 fans shows Maguire might be wise to stick with Reynolds for at least one more season.
Gorden Tallis critical of Adam Reynolds' leadership
Speaking in July, Tallis said: “I think the team is lacking leadership. I watch them closely… on Saturday (against the Bulldogs) somebody needed to stand up and put a stake in the ground. (Reynolds) didn’t do it, and in the (2023) grand final he didn’t get them home either. If he’s the captain and he’s not doing it, there might be a chance to put Pat Carrigan there.
“In that game on the weekend, under the pump, if I’m playing with Allan Langer, he gets out from dummy-alf, he does three or four tackles in a row, he looks at us and challenges us. There’s none of that happening at the moment. So maybe there should be a change with who gets the C next to their name.”
Michael Maguire and Patrick Carrigan back Adam Reynolds
But Maguire recently stated: “I don’t have any reason (to replace Reynolds as captain). I’ve had a long relationship with Adam and we won a comp together (at Souths). He is a winner. He’s taken that team to some pretty good places already, so as long as he’s fit and healthy and he is right, he is a great leader.”
RELATED:
Cleary's sad confession about wife amid new insight into struggles
Reece Walsh's $450,000 sacrifice that helped Broncos get Ben Hunt
Last month, Reynolds declared he's "100 per cent" still committed to skippering the team in 2025, in what will be the final year of his career. And Carrigan also backed Reynolds to continue as the leader, saying: "People that know him as a leader and the influence he has on the club, it's second to none and he should be skipper of our team."
Maguire has also spruiked the leadership qualities of Haas in an indication he could be in the running to become the next captain after Reynolds retires. “We all know what an incredible person he is, but I feel that he can lift the group – I saw him do it with the Origin team," the coach said. "He was a leader. He was in our leadership group within the Origin space. I’m going to call upon those sorts of things with Payne for sure here at the Broncos."
