Brisbane’s premiership-winning duo Adam Reynolds and Michael Maguire claimed the NRL crown in 2014 with South Sydney, only to fall short the following season.
They know exactly what not to do this time as the Broncos try to defend their title this year.
Double up: Brisbane pair Michael Maguire and Adam Reynolds won a premiership together with South Sydney in 2014. Credit: Steve Siewert
Reynolds, Maguire and the Broncos fly to England late Monday for next weekend’s World Club Challenge.
Part of the preparations will include an opposed session against the Darren Lockyer-owned London Broncos, whose coach Jason Demetriou was the man who helped deliver Reynolds to Brisbane after cutting him loose from his childhood club Souths.
After he won the 2014 grand final with the Rabbitohs, Maguire had his players on a flight to Arizona for a training camp six weeks later. He had them humming at the start of the following year, which included wins in the Auckland Nines and World Club Challenge, when the club’s part-owner, Russell Crowe, famously ditched the Oscars to be at Langtree Park in St Helens to watch his team.
Souths also won four of their opening NRL five games. But they could not maintain that early intensity, and flamed out in the first week of the finals.
‘Madge and I have been in this position before. We’re talking about a different squad, but we know what to expect.’
Adam Reynolds
Some of the senior players were also disappointed their chance to celebrate what they had just achieved was wrapped up too soon.
Captain Reynolds said it was easy to draw comparisons to what happened at Souths, but added the Rabbitohs weren’t helped by the turnover of senior players, including the departures of Sam Burgess and Ben Te’o, while there was also off-field police drama in Arizona involving Luke Burgess and John Sutton when the pair were arrested for disorderly behaviour. Charges against the duo were later withdrawn.
The Broncos, Reynolds said, had been spared any unwanted headlines since their grand final win over Melbourne, while they were fortunate to keep the core group intact.
“If anything, we’re way ahead of where we were 12 months ago, and I feel like there’s no reason we can’t improve again,” Reynolds said.
Talking shop: Michael Maguire and Adam Reynolds at Redfern Oval in 2014.Credit: Getty Images
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much depth in the squad.
“You learn from all your experiences, including the good and the bad. We had a fair turnover of players across two years at Souths back then … We skimmed over the celebrations at that time, and our focus was on going back to back – we were hellbent on doing that.
“We started the year in red-hot form, but then burned out.
“That won’t happen again. We’ve enjoyed the celebrations up here, and we all know it’s going to take hard work, discipline and luck to win it again. It won’t be easy, but we can do it.
“‘Madge’ [Maguire] and I have been in this position before. We’re talking about a different squad, but we know what to expect.”
Reynolds turns 36 this year and is yet to make a call on playing on. The street-corner tip is he will retire and move into coaching at Red Hill, especially with the arrival of playmaker Jonah Pezet next season, but his immediate focus is getting one over Hull KR – and their coach Willie Peters, whom he worked with at Souths – next weekend.
One player who has impressed Reynolds this off-season is his right-edge back-row bodyguard, Jordan Riki.
“He’s been unreal, he’s come back in the best shape I’ve seen him, and for me he’s been the pick of the trainers through the pre-season,” Reynolds said.
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