Bound for the Broncos
SOUTH Sydney halfback Adam Reynolds is set to reject a massive offer from Cronulla and will sign with Brisbane by the end of the week.
Reynolds has told teammates he is definitely leaving Redfern, having accepted Brisbane’s terms for a threeyear deal worth $2.25m – or $200,000 less than what the Sharks tabled in a last-bid offer on Monday night.
All that remains before Reynolds (pictured) puts his signature on the contract is to pass a medical exam with Brisbane’s doctors, but that is considered a fait accompli.
He has already passed a medical with the Cronulla doctors, at his own instigation, with the Brisbane lifestyle believed to have been the key in swaying the South Sydney playmaker to head north and take up the challenge of resurrecting the struggling Broncos juggernaut.
Reynolds has consulted Souths coach and former Brisbane mentor Wayne Bennett on the appeal of playing for the Broncos as he mulls over the final contract of his NRL career. The off-contract Reynolds will arrive in Brisbane on Friday for the Rabbitohs’ Magic Round clash against Cronulla at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday, but is expected to sign his contract when he meets with Broncos officials.
Reynolds’ opponents this week, the Sharks, were hopeful of snaring the premiership playmaker with incoming Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon having outlined his plan to bring the Rabbitohs ace to the Shire.
The Sharks gave Reynolds a deadline of 5pm Wednesday to make his decision, but it was too late. He has instead made Brisbane his preference as they possess one of the most talented packs in the NRL but are rudderless as they struggle through numerous combinations in the halves hoping to get it right.
It is the first major coup for rookie Brisbane coach Kevin Walters and chief executive Dave Donaghy, who began at the club a fortnight ago and flew to Sydney last Sunday week for talks with Reynolds.
Reynolds has privately told a handful of his closest Souths teammates in recent days he will not be at the club next year, despite suggestions Rabbitohs bosses could table an 11th-hour upgrade to keep him at Redfern.
It will come as a bitter blow to Cronulla who, at one point, were a firm favourite to secure his signature.
The Sharks sacked John Morris last month with one reason offered being his inability to attract toppling talent to the club.
Fitzgibbon, currently an assistant at the Roosters, was championed as a coach rival players “would play for” and will be disappointed to miss out on Reynolds.
Reynolds met with Fitzgibbon and was highly impressed with his thoughts on how he planned to resurrect the Sharks and his football acumen and at one point looked to be heading to the shire.
However they will now have to look elsewhere.