With the grand final on the line, a battle of the halfbacks emerged and Nathan Cleary upstaged his Broncos rival Adam Reynolds.
The 33-year-old veteran playmaker joined the Brisbane club ahead of the 2022 season, handing him a three-year contract after the Rabbitohs refused to budge on their one-year offer.
Reynolds has been an integral figure in Kevin Walters’ side’s charge to grand final, but failed to deliver when his team needed it most, allowing Penrith to claw back a 16-point deficit.
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“What disappointed me was they bought Adam Reynolds, that’s the game, that 20 minute period is what they bought him for, to get them over the line,” The Daily Telegraph’s Brent Read said.
“And Adam came up with some plays in the last 20 minutes that completely changed this game, it wasn’t just the dropouts.
“Nathan put up a cross-field kick and he let it bounce, he also got caught on the fifth tackle at one point. That for me, you look at the two halfbacks, when you look at the two halfbacks.
“One stood up and dragged them over the line.”
“If the Broncos get to the grand final and win, they have justification there and Reynolds has been unbelievable this year,” NRL360 host Braith Anasta said.
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“But if you actually do watch the game, one or the other halfback had to stand up and Adam didn’t.”
Broncos powerbrokers have reportedly begun negotiations to extend Reynolds’ contract a further year, keeping him in Red Hill until the end of 2025.
But with both Ezra Mam and Reece Walsh due hefty salary upgrades, The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield made a huge call.
“What Adam Reynolds showed me last night, he’s looking for a contract extension, beyond next year for 2025,” Rothfield said.
“From what I saw last night I’d love to see him play next year and then pull up stumps.
“The Broncos can’t really afford to give him more because they have got to keep Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam.
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“And I think he showed last night he is well and truly at the back end of his career. I’m saying he missed a couple of games too going into the finals.”
However, league legend Gorden Tallis believes he deserves the chance to prove he is worth an extension during the 2024 season.
Meanwhile, both Read and Anasta labelled Rothfield’s suggestion “harsh” but did explain the 2023 grand final will likely “haunt” the experienced halfback.
“I think that’s a bit harsh, I don’t know (if he can play in 2025) but I think he certainly deserves the right to go around in 2024 and if he goes well,” Read said.
“He had a great season and he had a bad 20 minutes, but that doesn’t mean he should pack up stumps. He’s had a pretty good year.”
“Let’s not dismiss the year he has had, this is not by any means putting Adam down, he’s had an amazing year,” Anasta said.
“But your halves is what you pay big money for to win grand finals.”
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