Walsh ‘like’ deleted as fear of Broncos revolt laid bare
Fears of revolt inside the Brisbane locker room have been laid bare as the fallout to the Adam Reynolds farewell saga intensifies.
The veteran halfback was effectively denied the opportunity to say goodbye to the NRL with one last game at Suncorp Stadium.
Adam Reynolds, Reece Walsh, and Ben Hunt of the Broncos. Getty Images
He was left off Michael Maguire’s team sheet ahead of Thursday’s game against Melbourne, and won’t play against the Bulldogs in Sydney next week, meaning his time in the game has come to an end.
A Reynolds interview on Monday suggested he felt he was fit and wanted to play against the Storm this week, but was denied the opportunity by coach Maguire and his medical staff. Reynolds then fronted media on Tuesday wearing Broncos attire and walked back his comments, claiming he had made the decision himself.
But the club’s PR exercise has done little to convince critics this isn’t the doing of Maguire, who is facing the wrath of Brisbane diehards after a dismal defence of their 2025 premiership triumph.
News Corp noticed an intriguing Instagram “like” from superstar fullback Reece Walsh on Tuesday on a Fox League post that was highly critical of Maguire for refusing Reynolds a farewell game. Walsh has since deleted the “like”.
Last year, forward Marty Taupau was sacked by the Broncos after liking a post from former Tigers player Elijah Taylor criticising his former coach Maguire.
Fellow veteran halfback Ben Hunt went on radio on Tuesday morning to openly question the club’s decision not to give Reynolds one last game.
With Thursday night’s game being a dead rubber, to the point the NRL is using it to trial rule changes, Broncos legend Darius Boyd says he would have offered Reynolds the chance to run out in front of fans at Suncorp Stadium and bid farewell.
“I would have given him the opportunity, I think he deserves the opportunity,” Boyd told Wide World of Sports’ QLDER.
“Having said that, I’m not the coach, I’m not under the pressure they are under, so it’s easy to sit here and say that now.
“But what he’s done in the last five years for the club... his resume speaks for itself, his leadership, the character of the guy as well.
“If he was available to play 10, 20 minutes, even if it was off the bench to give the team a lift, the fans would be up and roar when he gets on the field.”
Reece Walsh’s deleted Instagram like. Instagram
Maguire was the toast of Brisbane last year when he led the team to its first NRL premiership in 19 years.
But rumblings of player discontent have simmered throughout 2026, kickstarted by the bombshell decision of Payne Haas to quit the club and join South Sydney at season’s end.
9News Queensland reporter Adam Jackson says tensions within the playing group now threaten to boil over in light of the Reynolds saga.
“I think it’s crazy that he hasn’t been afforded a farewell, given what he’s earned at that club,” Jackson said on QLDER.
“I feel he deserves that. Even if you’re not starting him, put him on the bench, give him the final 10 minutes, get the crowd involved in the game. Both clubs are out of finals contention, the Storm will have a lot of respect for Adam Reynolds.
“The telling thing is the players’ reaction, the players didn’t even know. He had the training session on Monday, he completed it fully, a lot of the players just assumed that he would play.
“There needs to be an explanation as to how this happened because I feel maybe Adam Reynolds, Michael Maguire and maybe some other people aren’t on the same page here.
“There’s a fear there could be a backlash in the playing group, if they want Adam Reynolds to play and the coaching staff have made this decision.
“It also surprised me the leadership group weren’t consulted... I don’t know why you don’t at least get the leaders aside and say hey, this is the medical report, what do you guys think, let’s have a more collaborative approach on it.”
Reynolds played 231 games for South Sydney, including winning the 2014 premiership under Maguire, before joining the Broncos in 2022.
The Broncos sit 15th on the ladder and are set to lose Reynolds, Haas, and former Origin centre Gehemat Shibasaki after this season.
