“That was me done”: Reynolds gives insight into Rabbitohs’ departure

The newly minted Brisbane Broncos captain and halfback Adam Reynolds has opened up about his surprise South Sydney Rabbitohs exit.

Reynolds had spent a decade at the Rabbitohs, winning the 2014 premiership and playing in the 2021 grand final for the club.

It came as a surprise when he left, with the club not willing to provide him anything more than a one-year deal to remain at Redfern, despite Reynolds wanting to stay long-term at the club, and even willing to accept a pay cut.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald though, Reynolds revealed it was the one-year deal which saw him look elsewhere as he chased career certainty.

“I can still remember having a chat with someone at the club, they basically tried to get me to sign a one-year deal and then find me another club for the following year,” Reynolds told the publication.

“That was the moment I knew I had to get out and look at finding some security for my family.

“It was about a month before Magic Round. We were only a couple of months into the negotiations. I remember saying that that was me done. I had four young kids and my salary was about to be cut in half. We never got to a figure, but that was ballpark. I was fine with that, but I wanted two years.

Despite negotiations falling apart, Reynolds says there are no hard feelings toward the club he played 231 games for.

“It’s another game - I’m a Broncos player,” Reynolds told reporters on Monday.

“Coming up against an old team doesn’t really matter.

“I made the decision to look after my family. Everyone else in my position would have done, It’s business at the end of the day."

Reynolds also revealed that it was former Broncos and Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett, who convinced him to sign with the Broncos.

“I didn’t really know anyone or have any relationships with anybody at the Broncos, but it was mainly Wayne who talked the club up,” he said.

“He had his dramas here, but he didn’t have a bad word to say about the place.

"I have a lot of respect for Wayne, and when he says nice stuff about a place, I had to listen.”