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Broncos players raise ire with visit to ousted ex-NRL teammate

Two Brisbane Broncos players have drawn the ire of club officials after a catch up with ousted former teammate Jamil Hopoate, who recently pleased guilty to two charges of assaulting his partner. Pictures: Instagram/Getty Images
Two Brisbane Broncos players have drawn the ire of club officials after a catch up with ousted former teammate Jamil Hopoate, who recently pleased guilty to two charges of assaulting his partner. Pictures: Instagram/Getty Images

Brisbane Broncos stars Anthony Milford and Alex Glenn have reportedly found themselves in hot water with club officials after meeting up with ousted former player Jamil Hopoate.

The pair were pictured with former teammate Hopoate in an image posted to Instagram by another former teammate, now Wests Tigers player Joe Ofahengaue.

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Ofahengaue has since deleted the post, but Milford and Glenn nonetheless put Broncos officials offside by meeting with Hopoate, who was let go by the club at the end of last season.

Hopoate recently pleaded guilty to two two charges of common assault over an assault on his partner, Shae Beathe, outside a Club Panthers venue in Port Macquarie in December last year.

The former Bronco allegedly hit Beathe to the ground after the pair were asked to leave the club starting an argument, with Hopoate also spitting at a security guard before allegedly driving away from the scene.

He was pulled over by police and subsequently charged with mid-range drink driving, after recording a blood alcohol level of 0.095.

Milford and Glenn took the opportunity to catch up with their former teammates while the Broncos remain in Sydney, where the team has been based since the most recent coronavirus outbreak in Sydney.

Milford has come under intense pressure after a lacklustre start to the season, with speculation that the team's highest paid player may not be offered a contract beyond the 2021 season.

Brisbane won't rush into Reynolds talks

Brisbane won't rush into contract negotiations with Adam Reynolds despite coach Kevin Walters hinting his interest in the off-contract South Sydney star.

Reynolds sent another message about his playing future in Thursday night's 35-6 win over the Broncos, playing a role in four of the Rabbitohs tries.

The 30-year-old also nailed the first two-point field goal of the year, as he again guided Souths with precision.

Reynolds was again told this week by Souths he would not be offered more than one guaranteed year at the club, with the premiership-winning halfback to look elsewhere.

The Broncos are certainly one club that could do with him.

Their last-tackle players were particularly poor on Friday night, while off-contract five-eighth Anthony Milford continues to be under pressure.

Brisbane's Anthony Milford remains under pressure in the early rounds of the 2021 season. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Brisbane's Anthony Milford remains under pressure in the early rounds of the 2021 season. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Tom Dearden has been juggled in and out of the club's No.7 jersey all year, and was again taken off with 10 minutes to play at Stadium Australia.

Asked if Reynolds showed Brisbane precisely what they needed with their kicking options on Thursday, Walters was unequivocal in his praise.

"He shows every team he is the best kicker in the game, in my opinion," the Broncos coach said.

"Not just our side, he kicks most teams to shame. He's a good player and a valuable player for South Sydney.

"That's for sure."

Reynolds has already been approached by North Queensland, and could remain an option for several other clubs.

But Brisbane would pose as another serious option for the former NSW State of Origin playmaker.

"We were well aware of him before tonight," Walters said.

"I'm not sure where he's at with South Sydney. We will let him settle with what's happening there.

"I have enough to worry about with our own side rather than who is going to be playing where next year."

Meanwhile Walters defended Milford's performance on Thursday night, just days after publicly stating the No.6 wasn't playing well enough to earn a new deal.

"I thought he had probably his best game of the year tonight. Defensively he was much better," Walters said.

"(The kicking) is (a concern). So many parts of our game to work on. It's just a matter of where you start."

With AAP

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