Adam Reynolds started to see good things happening at Wests Tigers about 12 months ago.
That was around the same time his former teammate and Tigers coach, Benji Marshall, reached out to join the club on a two-year deal worth around $1.5m.
From what he learned playing against these Tigers a few times, Reynolds knew a few young players had talent, and they just needed game time and experience.
Marshall explained to Reynolds why he thought he would be a good halfback partner for Jarome Luai. It was not lost on him that he had the opportunity to reunite with Api Koroisau, with whom he won a premiership at South Sydney more than a decade ago, and a man Reynolds described as “one of the most underrated players in our game”.
Former Tigers CEO Shane Richardson flew to Brisbane and went to Reynolds’ home to pitch him the idea of ending his career in Sydney.
Naturally, Reynolds began to monitor the Tigers more closely than most other clubs.
But an agreement with the partnership club did not materialize and the Brisbane captain re-signed with the Broncos for one more season. He led the team in the major league last season and now he is hunting for another one before hanging up his hat.
He couldn’t bring himself to uproot his family again, and he loves his new life north of the border.
Two years after Reynolds was cheered by Tigers fans in Campbelltown’s east venue when he pinched himself, then jumped to his feet to try and make a save, there will be no such love for the Broncos and Reynolds in the same venue. It will be standing room only at the top of the hill.
The full-back told this headline that the Tigers were never going to stay at the bottom of the NRL ladder for too long, especially with Marshall in charge.
“It was only a matter of time before Benji shot the boys,” Reynolds told this masthead.
“Benji saw the game differently than most when he was playing. He’s one of the smartest players I’ve ever met.
“Benji was also good with team spirit, and I knew he would motivate this group and get them to play the kind of football that is good enough to win games and go into the Premier League.
“I spoke to Benji a few times last year about joining the club. He thought I’d be fine, and I thought the same. ‘Richo’ (Shane Richardson) also flew over to my house and pitched the idea.
“They both talked about where they saw the club going. They talked about how I could work with Jarome.
“When you play against people, you get a sense of where they are in their career, and where they might end up.
“I didn’t know how long it would take a few young Tigers to turn into good footy players, but it wouldn’t be far.”
Reynolds noted that the Tigers were now better at ensuring each other’s defense. As for their attacks, it all starts with the master architect Koroisau.
“He’s their heartbeat, everything starts with him, he’s smart, tough, and you can tell the guys who play with him,” Reynolds said.
Koroisau replaced the suspended Isaac Luke in the 2014 grand final against the Bulldogs, played finals football with Manly, then won the first two titles with Penrith before landing at the Tigers.
For his part, Koroisau denies that success has seemed to follow him in the NRL.
“I don’t know about that. I also won two wooden spoons in my first two years here,” he said this week.
“What I liked about us this year is our stability, we have been under pressure, we have dropped by 10 points in the match, but we are not shocked, we are not looking to change things, we are happy to remain in the fight.
“I also like the overall culture that we’ve built. The guys train really well, they come out every day, cross that white line, turn it on, and turn it off (noise) as well.
“That has to be driven by the big boys. Hats off to Alex Twal, who’s been big for us, (and) Terrell May and Adam Doueihi. Those guys have taken over and that (leadership) stuff, and that’s helped me and ‘Romy’ a lot, and so we’re not trying to do too much.”
Koroisau even has an impact on the next generation of Tigers, including Latu Fainu, who has never forgotten one important lesson from a co-captain he likens to an older brother.
“He always tells us to ‘pay the price’,” Fainu said of Koroisau.
“That means work; at the start of the game, get in the circle, do your job, and the points will come later. Whatever you have to do, that’s your job.”
Koroisau is in the form that has brought him back into the Genesis conversation. The Tigers welcome the return of Luai from a knee injury, as well as center Taylan May (shoulder), whose individual match against Kotoni Staggs will be one of the highlights.
Marshall said on Thursday it was difficult to drop Jock Madden, who had done an impressive job at fly-half with Luai out.
Samuela Fainu (knee) doing strength training, Heamasi Makasini has returned to left wing, where he trained all summer – and did his best to emulate All Blacks legend Jonah Lomu. run over Dylan Edwards in trials – and Patrick Herbert, who made his debut in four years last weekend, has kept his place in the stands.
Michael Maguire, who was sacked by the Tigers in mid-2022, is back with the Broncos, and he would love nothing more than to be released from his team before kick-off. The last time the Broncos started an away team against the Tigers, they were beaten 48-0 during a horror show at Leichhardt Oval in 2020.
But this latest competition smacks of stalking ‘Madge’.
The Broncos list of absentees cannot be overlooked. Walsh has a broken cheekbone. Ben Hunt has a knee injury. Hooker Corey Paix is out for a shock. Pat Carrigan has been suspended. Even Reynolds suffered a grade two concussion a few weeks ago, and will do well to push through the pain.
The good times hope to continue in the Tiger City. The opposition number 7 always knew they were coming.
