Adam Reynolds has insisted he “feels terrible” about Kevin Walters’ departure from the Broncos and added that his team “needs to take a bit of responsibility”.
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 following his team’s indifferent season, finishing 12th in the standings.
On Tuesday, the Broncos revealed that former Rabbitohs and Wests Tigers boss Michael Maguire will succeed him.
But talking to Triple M’s Rush Hour with Leisel, Liam and DobboReynolds lifted the lid on the atmosphere inside Broncos camp following Walters’ departure.
“To be honest, there’s a little bit of mixed emotions,” Reynolds told the radio station when asked how he felt about Walters leaving.
‘I have a very good relationship with Kevvie (Kevin). I feel terrible about what happened. It’s not the news we all wanted, but that is above us as players.
‘I have a good relationship with Madge (Maguire), obviously, over the years. “But I think as players we have to take a little responsibility, keep our heads down and work hard during the preseason as well.”
As to whether he had spoken to Walters, Reynolds said: “Briefly.” Obviously I’m very disappointed with how everything has turned out. But first and foremost, make sure it’s okay. “I have a good 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 impress in 2024.
Their hopes of reaching the NRL showpiece this season were high after their exploits in 2023, but those ambitions were dispelled midway through the season after the Queensland team lost six games in a row between May and July.
It came as the Broncos suffered a series of injuries to key players, with Reynolds notably ruled out for 11 games with a torn biceps, while Jesse Arthars was also notably sidelined for eight games with a broken jaw.
When asked if he thought the Broncos would have turned things around in 2025 if Walters had stayed, Reynolds believed there were a lot of issues that were out of the former coach’s control.
“I thought we were going to be better next year,” the Broncos captain told Triple M. “I think we had a lot of problems that went wrong, a lot of injuries and other things that were out of Kevvie’s control.” .’
Reynolds had also previously stated that some of the team’s players were shocked to learn of Walters’ firing.
But when asked if he and the team had a say in the end-of-season internal review, he said: “Virtually everyone was present at 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 coaching style, I thought he was a great coach. “I think I played my best football under him, so I had mixed emotions about it.”
Maguire will take charge of the club with immediate effect and will look to use his coaching experience having worked with Wigan, the Rabbitohs, Wests Tigers and New Zealand to catapult the Broncos back into finals contention.
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 in Sydney for five years, winning the premiership in 2014, before Maguire parted ways with the club in 2017.
But the Broncos captain expects his team to face a tough blow during the preseason.
“Madge is a winner,” Reynolds said. “He comes in, demands immediate success and holds everyone accountable for their actions, both on and off the field,” he told the radio station.
‘The boys will be in for a bit of a shock… but we definitely need a tough pre-season. Obviously last year we didn’t have a good season. “No matter who the coach was, we needed to hunker down and come together as a group and have a great offseason.”
When asked what Broncos players can expect from this year’s pre-season, Reynolds insisted: “Regardless of the coach, we were in for a tough pre-season. Last year we had a shortened pre-season all the way to the grand final – you come back late. The representative players didn’t join until January and then we had limited preparation before going to Las Vegas.
He added: “Talking to the acting staff, I knew we were in for something big.”