Adam Reynolds has credited the Brisbane Broncos for saving his career as he prepares to potentially play in the third NRL grand final of his career.
Reynolds made the jump to the Broncos from the Rabbitohs in 2022, bringing a wealth of knowledge and finals experience with him up to a club which had found itself lingering on the wrong half of the ladder.
But as their preliminary final against the Warriors at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night looms, Reynolds says he feels more prepared than ever thanks to being rejuvenated by his new club.
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"It (the move to Brisbane) put me in love with the game again. You can go through the motions when you've been in one place for some many years" Reynolds told reporters on Wednesday.
"Not saying I didn't enjoy my time, I loved my time there (at South Sydney), but you put yourself around new faces, new people, new outlook on life. It's obviously matured me a bit more than I needed."
Reynolds is already a premiership player, winning with the Rabbitohs in 2014, but has also been on the losing side of the big dance.
He says the experience on the big stage with his old club has laid a crucial foundation, but the "opportunity" to make the move to rejuvenate his career is driving him this time around.
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"I never thought I'd be up playing for the Broncos in a prelim final. I'm grateful for the opportunity to come up here firstly and play my football for the team that's worked extremely hard to put ourselves in this position," he said.
But it's not just a new outlook on his career and finals that Reynolds is grateful for.
His teammate and five-eighth Ezra Mam has been right by Reynolds' side, leaning on the 33-year-old for advice as his begins his NRL journey.
"As an experienced player, I love that side of things, I wish I'd done a little more than what I did when I was a young fella," Reynolds said.
As for Mam's future, his contract expires at the end of this season, meaning from November 1, other clubs can table offers for the five-eighth.
"I'd love to stay at the Brisbane Broncos, they've helped me out and I've had my debut here. But it's not really my focus at the moment, I'm just focused on playing this weekend and putting good football together for the fans," Mam said.
The Broncos host the Warriors in a preliminary final at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
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