Adam Reynolds has insisted he ‘feels terrible’ about Kevin Walters’ departure from the Broncos and added that his side need to ‘take a bit of ownership’.
Walters parted ways with the Broncos by mutual consent last Thursday, with the six-time premiership winner’s three-year spell at the club coming to an end after an indifferent season for his side, finishing 12th on the ladder.
On Tuesday the Broncos announced that former Rabbitohs and Wests Tigers boss Michael Maguire will succeed him.
But talk to Triple M’s The Rush Hour with Leisel, Liam and DobboReynolds lightened the mood in the Broncos camp after Walters’ departure.
“Kind of mixed emotions, to be honest,” Reynolds told the station when asked what he thought about Walters’ departure.
‘I have a very good relationship with Kevvie [Kevin]. I think it’s terrible what happened. It’s not the news we all wanted, but that goes beyond us as players.
‘I have a good relationship with Madge [Maguire] of course from over the years. But I think as players we have to take a bit of ownership, keep our heads down and work hard during pre-season as well.”
As to whether he had spoken to Walters, Reynolds said: “In short. Obviously I am very disappointed with how everything has developed. But first and foremost, make sure he’s okay. I have a great relationship with him, he gave me the opportunity to come to Brisbane and play for this great club and I will be forever grateful for that.”
After reaching the NRL Grand Final last season, the Broncos have struggled to make an impact in 2024.
Their hopes of becoming the NRL showpiece this season were high after their 2023 performance, but those ambitions disappeared mid-season after Queensland lost six games on the rebound between May and July.
It came as the Broncos suffered a spate of injuries to key players, with Reynolds notably ruled out for 11 games with a torn biceps, while Jesse Arthars was also sidelined for eight games with a broken jaw.
Asked if he thought the Broncos would have turned things around in 2025 if Walters had stayed, Reynolds believed there were many issues beyond the former coach’s control.
“I had the belief that we would be better next year,” the Broncos captain told Triple M. “I think we had a lot of issues that went wrong, a lot of injuries and other things that Kevvie had no control over. .’
Reynolds had also previously stated that some players on the team felt blindsided when they heard of Walters’ dismissal.
But when asked if he and the team could have their say in the internal review at the end of the season, he said: “Almost everyone was interested in that internal review. It was all anonymous, so I don’t know what anyone said.
“But I was certainly a big supporter of Kev. I liked his way of coaching, I thought he was a great coach. I think I played some of my best football under him, so I have mixed feelings.”
Maguire will take charge of the club with immediate effect and will look to use his coaching experience, having worked with Wigan, the Rabbitohs, the Wests Tigers and New Zealand, to catapult the Broncos back to finals contenders.
Notably, Reynolds made his NRL debut under Michael Maguire for the Rabbitohs in 2012 and has fond memories of working with the 50-year-old coach.
The pair would work together for five years in Sydney, winning the premiership in 2014, before Maguire parted ways with the club in 2017.
But the Broncos captain expects his team to face an uphill battle during the preseason.
“Madge is a winner,” Reynolds said. “He comes in, he demands immediate success and he holds everyone accountable for his actions, on and off the field,” he told the station.
“The boys will be a bit shocked… but without a doubt we need a difficult pre-season. We clearly didn’t have a good season last year. No matter who the coach was, we had to commit and come together as a group and have a big offseason.”
When asked what the Broncos players can expect from this year’s preparation, Reynolds emphasized, “Regardless of the coach, we were in for a tough preseason. Last year we had a shortened pre-season where we were all the way to the grand final – you come back late. Representative players didn’t participate until January and then we had the limited preparation before going to Las Vegas.
He added: “When I spoke to the executive staff, I knew we were in for a big challenge.”