LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Journalist Robert Craddock has suggested that the Brisbane Broncos may be able to keep Adam Reynolds at a discounted price in 2026, drawing a parallel to Darren Lockyer's final contract.
Reynolds, who had previously been expected to retire at the end of this season, has expressed a desire to continue playing, potentially complicating the Broncos' salary cap situation.
The club had planned for Reynolds to retire, freeing up $550,000 for re-signing other players, but with his decision to keep playing, they may not be able to retain all of their off-contract players, including Kotoni Staggs and Selwyn Cobbo.
Reynolds has already attracted interest from England's Super League, but this would mean uprooting his wife and four young children, who have come to love their new home in Brisbane.
However, Craddock has proposed a solution based on the NRL's handling of Lockyer's final contract, suggesting that the league may allow the Broncos to pay Reynolds significantly less money in order to keep him in Brisbane.
The NRL had approved a 50% pay cut for Lockyer in his final two years as a one-club player, and Craddock believes a similar deal could be reached for Reynolds in 2026, potentially as low as $250,000.
This would enable Reynolds to stay with his family in Brisbane without having to move to England.
Craddock expressed his hope that Reynolds would accept a reduced contract next year and eventually transition into a coaching role with the Broncos, as he believes Reynolds would be well-suited for a first-grade coaching position.
He referenced the NRL's approval of Ben Hunt's reduced contract with the Broncos compared to his previous deal with the Dragons as a possible precedent for Reynolds' situation.
In Craddock's words, "That doesn't sound that attractive, but it means his four children can stay here on their family property and they don't have to move to England.
I've also never seen a Broncos player more suited to being a first-grade coach.
I hope he takes a cheap contract next year and then transitions into assistant coaching."