LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Reynolds has voiced his strong opinion regarding the recent decisions made during the opening week of the 2025 NRL finals, which featured four compelling matches. The Bulldogs put up a valiant effort despite their loss to the Storm, while the Sharks and Panthers easily overcame the Roosters and Warriors, respectively. Additionally, the Raiders suffered a heartbreaking defeat against the Broncos in unforeseen circumstances.
"What I am interested in, Ronny Mulitalo is one of the biggest in-your-face taunters in the game, if he does that this week, is he going to get 10 in the bin?," Reynolds stated, questioning the inconsistency in officiating.
He continued, "It was a ridiculous call, Hudson Young should never ... if that was the case, I would have spent 65 minutes in the sin bin every week. That's how I played, and I walked the line. I am going to watch Mulitalo, I'm going to watch every time."
Reynolds added, "It was an absolute terrible call. Reece Walsh deserved 10 in the bin, because it was a head butt and you can't do that, but I'm also glad he got off and I'm glad he gets to play. But, Hudson Young should have not been sent off. And the worse thing is, the NRL has come back and said that he got it right!"
Looking ahead, Reynolds believes that the Raiders face a formidable challenge this weekend against the Sharks. "Canberra coming off that loss, their mindset, they thought they won the game twice; Ricky Stuart went off like he had won the grand final twice," he noted. "So, them coming off that loss, Sharkies coming off a big win at home when no one gave them a chance, the mindset of the teams is very different. Young squad at Canberra, so young, I don't care what you say, it is hard to just dust that off. You had that and 95 minutes; you went an extra 15, so you pushed your body to the limit."
Reynolds asserted that if Canberra manages to secure a win, it would be a more challenging game than the one that follows. "If Canberra win this one, that's their harder game than the next one. Because Canberra have gone down to Melbourne and done a job before. So, I think this is their tough game," he concluded.