NEWS Gun Reynolds replacement Broncos want but 'can't afford'

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Brisbane is starting to look at life after Adam Reynolds as the champion halfback nears the end of his NRL career.

The 2014 premiership winner is contracted for 2025 but is currently long odds to sign another deal in the NRL beyond that.

It means the Broncos need a new No.7 - and at the moment there is no answer staring the Red Hill club in the face.

Reynolds told Wide Wide of Sports during pre-season he thought Ezra Mam had the ability to transition into a quality halfback and potentially replace him in the jersey.

But coach Kevin Walters didn't put Mam in the No.7 jumper once in 2024, despite having the perfect opportunity when Reynolds spent nearly three months sidelined by injury.

Legendary five-eighth turned Broncos director Darren Lockyer admits Mam doesn't strike him as a natural halfback.

"Not in the short term," Lockyer told Wide World of Sports' QLDER.

"I think Ezra is very much a player that plays what's in front of him, he's not an organising player.

"I think (Panthers playmaker) Jarome Luai this year, when he had to go to seven he was really impressive. But he's got a few more years' experience under his belt (than Mam).

"I think Ezra maybe in the long term is an option, but in the short term no."

The inability of Mam to step up leaves Brisbane with a glaring issue heading into 2025.

There's been ongoing speculation the club will try to bring Sam Walker back to Queensland.

Walker, 22, is in the midst of contract negotiations with the Roosters but rumours suggest he will want as much as $1.5 million a season in the coming years. Kalyn Ponga is currently the NRL's highest earner and pockets about $1.4m a year from Newcastle.

Walker is the most promising young halfback in the league and is considered next in line to Daly Cherry-Evans' Queensland jumper.

And while the Broncos would no doubt love to bring him home, Lockyer concedes the club won't be able to.

"Sam's a quality player, and I feel like the Roosters without Sam can't win the premiership," Lockyer said.

"He's getting better with every year and every game of experience.

"The salary cap probably restricts you from bringing someone like that to the club at the moment, because he's demanding big money.

"He's already got a decent offer on the table from the Roosters, even though it's well below what he's asking.

"The Broncos at the moment would not be in the market, could not afford that type of player."

Reynolds' exit at the end of next year won't free up a lot of money given he accepted a significant pay cut to re-sign with the Broncos for 2025.

And with guns like Reece Walsh and Payne Haas already on big dollars, the club will find it tough to splash the cash on bringing another superstar into the fold any time soon.

Lockyer says the Reynolds succession plan will likely fall to a young gun who will still only be 19 next year.

"The spine long term, I think there's a couple of players there... there's a young kid called Coby Black coming through, he's been pretty impressive in Q Cup," Lockyer said.

"He will have another year under his belt while Adam's there, and he's learning from Adam.

"I think there's options there, but you don't replace Adam overnight. It will take time."

WWOS
 
Honestly, if Black isn't showing signs of being ready by '26, I would be looking at Jake Clifford. Cowboys extended him for the '25 season, but Thomas Duffy is highly rated at the club and considered their future halfback so I can't see Clifford staying there long-term. I think he's matured quite a bit since his time at Knights where he had some mental issues. He seems to have gotten over that and Cowboys have looked a better side with him at halfback.

Moses would be great, but I think he'll end up staying at the Eels and if we can't afford Walker, we can't afford Moses.

Trindall from Sharks is another to keep an eye on. He'll be at that age where halfbacks start to understand the game better. Whether he does or not, who knows? But one to look at.

Ideally, Walker would be the preferred option, but he's not taking a 200k paycut.
 
The challenge for the club and the coaching staff is to build a structure that allows a young halfback to come in and just do his job. He doesn't need to make the game winning plays all the time. He just needs to guide the team around the park, defend well and have a good kicking game. He will grow into the position with experience and development. At 19 he isn't going to be the finished article.
 
Honestly, if Black isn't showing signs of being ready by '26, I would be looking at Jake Clifford. Cowboys extended him for the '25 season, but Thomas Duffy is highly rated at the club and considered their future halfback so I can't see Clifford staying there long-term. I think he's matured quite a bit since his time at Knights where he had some mental issues. He seems to have gotten over that and Cowboys have looked a better side with him at halfback.

Moses would be great, but I think he'll end up staying at the Eels and if we can't afford Walker, we can't afford Moses.

Trindall from Sharks is another to keep an eye on. He'll be at that age where halfbacks start to understand the game better. Whether he does or not, who knows? But one to look at.

Ideally, Walker would be the preferred option, but he's not taking a 200k paycut.

Nobody will go to you blokes. Pressure cooker from fans and can't play behind a soft team...lean times for broncos
 
Black was sitting on the bench at the Storm game so he's clearly earmarked in the queue.

It's interesting that Badel has been banging the drum for us to throw the bank at Sam Walker. So whatever he's hearing must suggest someone is telling him Black isn't as close to ready as we think and signing Walker might actually be a possibility.

Make of that what you will.
 
Black was sitting on the bench at the Storm game so he's clearly earmarked in the queue.

It's interesting that Badel has been banging the drum for us to throw the bank at Sam Walker. So whatever he's hearing must suggest someone is telling him Black isn't as close to ready as we think and signing Walker might actually be a possibility.

Make of that what you will.

I have - he's got nothing.
 
What's Black's Hostplus stats like, from what I've seen he's not killing it, and I'd expect for someone next in line for the Broncos would surely be making impact.
 
What's Black's Hostplus stats like, from what I've seen he's not killing it, and I'd expect for someone next in line for the Broncos would surely be making impact.

5 Games
1 Try, 13 Goals
6 Try Assists, 4 Line-Break Assists

Not bad, but still very raw. He's at that stage of his career where you'd feature him strongly in the trials and look to give him a start around the rep. period. Things could change if he happens to leapfrog Madden and Rogers in QCup.
 
I have - he's got nothing.
Well he talks to everyone: the players, the coach, the board, club admin, the NRL official, the player agents, the scouts, police and other sports journalists. His entire life rotates around the Broncos. And, of course, he works for the Broncos owners.

But I'm sure he'd rather just make stuff up than rely on any of his sources.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure he knows better than to trust Bennett now after he got trolled over that "secret dinner" with Farnworth.
 
Well he talks to everyone: the players, the coach, the board, club admin, the NRL official, the player agents, the scouts, police and other sports journalists. His entire life rotates around the Broncos. And, of course, he works for the Broncos owners.

But I'm sure he'd rather just make stuff up than rely on any of his sources.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure he knows better than to trust Bennett now after he got trolled over that "secret dinner" with Farnworth.

'Super' secret.
 
The reason why young halves fail 101.

It takes time, the kid has barely even got through a season of QLD Cup. He's played 5 games in QLD Cup.

Yeah something I've been saying for years now.

What kills young halves careers is throwing them in before they're ready to handle the physicality and the grind of the NRL and not giving them the support and time they need to develop.
 
Yeah something I've been saying for years now.

What kills young halves careers is throwing them in before they're ready to handle the physicality and the grind of the NRL and not giving them the support and time they need to develop.
And yet here we are pursuing Sam Walker, a half who debuted by 18, as did many Broncos halves such as Benji Marshall, Ben Ikin, Karmichael Hunt, Darren Lockyer and Allan Langer.

Coby Black will be 19 at the start of next season. An old man.
 

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