Rabbitohs' folly brutally exposed in Adam Reynolds masterclass
Brisbane coach Kevin Walters must feel like a bloke who was accidentally sent a million dollars and told to keep it because the sender couldn't be bothered with the hassle of retrieving it.
How else do you describe his good fortune in landing Adam Reynolds at a time when his coaching career wasn't quite at a dead-end but was two turn-offs from a cul-de-sac?
Talk about being hit up the backside by a rainbow.
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Watching Reynolds torment, tease and ultimately skewer his former club on Thursday night, it's still hard to imagine some dunderhead at Souths let him walk.
The premiership-winning halfback wanted a two-year deal, the Rabbitohs said let's make it one year and we'll talk about 2023 later.
It's akin to being asked out by Margot Robbie and telling her you'll have to think about it.
As eighth Immortal Andrew Johns put it on SEN: "In an era when there are hardly any world class half-backs out there or on the market or knocking on the door, to let your world class halfback go, who controls everything and has won a premiership…you've got to scratch your head."
The Bunnies insist it was salary cap pressure that forced their hand, but nobody is buying it.
Rabbitohs' Adam Reynolds call made to look silly
You simply find a way to keep a playmaker of Reynolds' calibre, even if you have to make hard decisions elsewhere.
He is the best game manager in the NRL and makes players around him – we're looking at you, Cody Walker – look better.
And he could have fast-tracked Lachlan Ilias's education into the bargain.
Walters was asked after Thursday's match, in which man-of-the-match Reynolds contributed 16 points in Brisbane's 32-12 win, if he could quite believe he was gifted such an exceptional talent.
Managing to keep a straight face, he replied: "Yeah, well, you know, everything happens for a reason, I guess, and the Rabbitohs have their reasons.
"But from the moment I walked into his house - I don't even know the name of the suburb, it's not far from the airport - I just felt an instant connection.
"I could see him being a valuable member of our group at the Broncos. He's just fitted in really well and we're really happy we've got him for the next three years at least."
Really happy?
More like delirious.
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