Broncos coach Michael Maguire disclosed that he spoke with Reece Walsh on Wednesday morning after the standout fullback expressed approval for a social media post criticizing the club. However, Maguire stated that this situation is not comparable to the circumstances that led to Marty Taupau's dismissal from the club the previous year.
Consequently, Reynolds will not appear again even as supporters called for him to get at least a few minutes in the Broncos' upcoming meaningless match against the Storm on Thursday night. Ben Hunt previously voiced his disappointment regarding Reynolds not playing, and on Tuesday, Walsh seemed to escalate the issue further.
Walsh 'liked' a post that criticized how the Broncos have handled the situation before removing it later. This evoked memories of a similar incident with Taupau last year, when he liked a post from former player Elijah Taylor that attacked Maguire's training methods. Despite Taupau's claims of ignorance regarding the video, he was ultimately let go by the club.
Maguire emphasized on Wednesday that Walsh will not meet the same outcome. "I spoke to Reece this morning and we went through it," Maguire explained. "Two different scenarios (with Walsh and Taupau). I understand there's a like there on social media but we've had the conversation and he (Walsh) realizes that things move quickly on social media. But yeah, different circumstances."
Walsh incidentally was the one who informed Taupau last year about the implications of his social media activity. In a segment on NRL 360, Crawley criticized the Broncos after Reynolds felt "forced" to clarify that the decision not to play was his own. Both Crawley and David Riccio suggested that Reynolds had been pressured to shift his narrative to represent the club more positively.
Speaking at a brief press conference Tuesday, Reynolds claimed his statements had been "blown out of proportion," asserting it was his decision to sit out. "I feel it's unfair to blame Madge in the situation," Reynolds stated. "It was my choice to call time. It's been perceived as Madge's call. He's given me the opportunity to get back out on the field."
Maguire reiterated on Wednesday that Reynolds made the decision independently. "He basically said to me, I think it's time Madge. And I respect that," Maguire acknowledged.
"He said the body has had its time, and he couldn't quite reach that fairytale end, but he'll be celebrated like many players in the last home game. We'd love to see him out there (playing). He ended up calling it a day. He said he was done. Until that moment, he had a chance to play, but it got to the point where he said he's done."