The Brisbane Broncos have apologised after Adam Reynolds' lap of honour was interrupted by car advertisements instead of footage of the retiring halfback being shown on the Suncorp Stadium big screen.
Reynolds was set to be given his farewell in front of the Broncos faithful on Thursday night, but the ceremony was marred by a decision that left fans frustrated as a Kia giveaway activation played across the stadium screens while the 36-year-old completed his lap of honour.
Fans were unable to properly watch Reynolds' farewell on the big screen, with the club copping criticism for failing to prioritise the moment as it celebrated the career of one of its most important recent players.
The blunder added another unwanted chapter to what has already been a far-from-fairytale farewell for Reynolds, who was unable to take the field for one final NRL game after a niggling calf injury kept him sidelined.
The veteran halfback had hoped to overcome the issue and finish his career on the field, but will instead retire having played 323 NRL games.
The decision was initially understood to be made by Maguire, causing him to be inundated with criticism for not giving Reynolds at least 10 minutes against the Melbourne Storm, despite both clubs being out of finals contention.
The situation prompted Reynolds to front the media and defend Maguire, backflipping and stating it had ultimately been his own decision not to play.
With Reynolds unable to finish his career on the field, Thursday night's farewell was expected to provide a fitting celebration of his immense contribution to the Broncos.
The veteran played a starring role in the club's 2025 premiership triumph and leaves Brisbane having cemented himself as one of the most significant figures in the club's recent history.
Instead, the ceremony itself became another source of frustration for Broncos fans.
The club has now acknowledged the mistake and apologised for failing to show Reynolds' full lap of honour on the stadium screens.
“The Brisbane Broncos apologise to our members and fans for not showing Adam Reynolds' full lap of honour on the Suncorp Stadium screens last night,” the statement read.
“A power outage affecting the stadium screens earlier in the program, for which Suncorp Stadium has apologised and is investigating, occurred without a contingency in place.
“This meant we were running behind schedule and were also unable to show some of the planned tribute content.
“While trying to get the game-day program back on track, a decision was made to proceed with a scheduled Kia giveaway member activation.
“We got that call wrong.
“Adam's lap of honour was a significant moment for our club and our fans, and it should have been prioritised.
“We sincerely apologise and thank everyone who came to Suncorp Stadium and stood by the team, our captain and our other departing players last night.
“We are particularly grateful to everyone who stayed after the final whistle to join us in recognising Adam and our departing players.”
Reynolds teammates also failed to mark the occasion, losing 46-20 in their final home game of the year to Storm, causing a wave of Broncos fans to leave prematurely.
Despite not lacing up the boots again in the NRL, the 36-year-old is set to remain at Red Hill in a halves coaching role next year.
