LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Four years ago, during a tense moment at Lang Park, Adam Reynolds attempted a sideline conversion for the Penrith Panthers when they were trailing by 14 points with under five minutes remaining. Unfortunately, he missed, leading to a heart-wrenching 14-12 loss for the South Sydney Rabbitohs and marking a sorrowful end to Reynolds's career with the team.
Fast forward to Sunday night, and Penrith found themselves again at 14 points, this time with just over three minutes on the clock. Deine Mariner had recently scored, leveling the game for the Broncos.
As Reynolds approached to take the kicking tee from Brisbane's star player, he appeared unfazed by past disappointments. Reece Walsh, instrumental in Brisbane's comeback from a 14-0 deficit at halftime, had been confidently kicking during Reynolds's seven-week recovery from a hamstring injury.
However, Walsh's first attempt against Penrith just grazed the right post, and his subsequent shot from a similar distance struck the left upright after Xavier Willison's try had narrowed the gap to four points for Brisbane.
In hindsight, this may have benefited Brisbane, as they opted to maintain their offensive play instead of attempting to chase a tricky two-point field goal, which had eluded them in the first week of the finals.