Brisbane legend Gorden Tallis has taken aim at club captain Adam Reynolds and suggested he's not up to the job after failing a leadership "test".
The Broncos suffered a dismal 40-6 loss to the Dolphins on Saturday which ended their chances of playing finals this season.
It completed a dumbfounding fall from grace for the team that almost won last year's grand final, only to have it stripped away by some Nathan Cleary magic.
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But Reynolds – who was knocked out of the contest by an illegal Felise Kaufusi shot on Saturday – failed in his duties well before that game, according to Tallis.
The three-time premiership legend was fuming at the skipper's response when teammate Billy Walters quit his role with radio station Triple M over their supposed treatment of his father and coach, Kevin.
"I put pressure on Adam Reynolds," Tallis told Triple M's Sin Bin.
"Kevvie came out and stood up for him (Reynolds). Now Kevvie has been under the pump and silence (from Reynolds) … crickets.
"It was just a test (for Reynolds). Billy Walters said no to coming on this station and his captain jumps straight in (to appear on the shows).
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"If one of my players said no to come on to this, it's one in, all in. That's the problem.
"I wouldn't do it. He (Reynolds) can say no. You can say no.
"You have to be on the same page and you have to be one in, all in."
Much of the heat for Brisbane's demise has fallen on coach Walters, who has now led the team to miss finals three of his four years in charge.
But Tallis – who is close friends with Walters – did not want to hear about it.
"That's rubbish, he was three minutes away from winning a premiership, his job is not under the pump," he said.
"The whole place is and the players are. The players are the ones who own their performance. It's just the players. They need some new faces at training and they need to harden up.
"They have to take some ownership."
Tallis instead doubled down on his criticism of Reynolds.
The skipper was busted in a drunken wrestle with teammate Patrick Carrigan on the eve of this season, although some reports claimed Reynolds was trying to contain a situation rather than inflame it.
"There was a push in the taxi ranks, there's all that. Everything has happened," Tallis said.
"It's the players. And no Broncos player has come out and owned it."
Reynolds has since responded to the criticism from Tallis during a press conference on Monday, standing firmly behind his coach.
"It is his opinion. He is entitled to his opinion," the skipper said.
"Kev brought me here and has given me a great opportunity to come up to a great club and do something special. I love the place and I am forever grateful.
"Kev has done a fantastic job leading this club and is the right man for that job. We believe in him. We just need to get on board and follow the instructions from Kev.
"I have never seen anyone more passionate about the club and someone who loves the club and it has to rub off on the players."
The Broncos finish their season against the ladder-leading Storm on Thursday night.
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