The Gold Coast Bulletin

‘Reyno’ will cop pay cut

Broncos champ keen to extend career

- Peter Badel

Adam Reynolds is set to take a pay cut to extend his career at the Broncos as halves partner Ezra Mam declared they have the scrumbase strike force to smash Brisbane’s 18-year title drought.

The Broncos are in the advanced stages of talks with Reynolds and are on track to announce a 12-month extension for their champion skipper before their season opener against the Roosters in Las Vegas on March 3 (AEDT).

And such is Reynolds’ love for the club, the former South Sydney ace is willing to take less to stay to keep his lethal partnershi­p with Mam intact. Just turned 21, Mam inked a five-year, $4m mega deal on Tuesday and the five-eighth whiz-kid backed Brisbane’s plans to extend Reynolds, insisting they are the masterand-apprentice magic act to deliver Brisbane’s first premiershi­p since 2006.

“I’d like to see him sign on as long as he can, as long as his legs work,” Mam said of his senior halves cohort Reynolds.

“He has been very good for me in my learning the last couple of years.

“Having him as a mentor in my career has been very helpful and I can see my game developing even more because of a player like him.”

Reynolds, who turns 34 in July, has been a crucial sounding board for Mam (both pictured). The 274-game halfback has pulled the strings of a Broncos machine that charged to last year’s decider, in the process allowing Mam to play what he sees with his matchwinni­ng instincts and flashy feet. Reynolds was initially expected to retire after completing his three-year deal with the Broncos, but such has been the skipper’s sizzling form, he will sign on for another term.

Reynolds is on $800,000 this season, but his salary will decrease in 2025, giving the Broncos extra funds to upgrade Mam, whose hat-trick in last year’s grand final almost lifted Brisbane to title supremacy.

Asked if he and Reynolds can take the Broncos all the way this season, Mam said: “No doubt. It is not just ‘Reyno’. It is the whole team and staff included ... and the support system at the club. It is about us all having a clear head and knowing what the goal is.

“We are not just going into a season looking to play footy. We like to go into a season winning. The main goal is for us to win the grand final.”

It is understood the Dolphins offered Mam in excess of $900,000 a season to spearhead a new era at Redcliffe, but the Indigenous playmaker said he never once considered leaving.

“I never looked any further than the Broncos,” Mam said.

“I grew up a big Broncos fan, I debuted here and they have looked after me since I was a young kid, 13, coming into the developmen­t system. That loyalty the club has showed me made the decision very easy for me. “I’m happy to spend a more time at the Broncos. “All that interest was through my management and I told my management that I didn’t want to look further than the Broncos and that’s the way we handled it.” lot

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