CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 17: Josh Reynolds of the Tigers looks on during the warm up before the start of the NRL trial match between the North Queensland Cowboys and the Wests Tigers at Barlow Park on February 17, 2018 in Cairns, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire has spoken out about the Josh Reynolds situation for the first time.
The five-eighth has been given permission to speak with rival clubs after enduring a tough year of injuries, however, Maguire says he is as dedicated as ever to the club.
“I have a good relationship with Josh, he’s a great fella," Maguire told the club website.
"I’ve obviously felt for him a bit over the last few months with not being able to get on the park because he wants to be playing first grade.
“With the knowledge of potentially Benji staying at the club, we had that conversation with him [Josh] and what he wanted to do with his future.
"He was keen to have a look around and we’ve granted that but obviously, he has a contract with us. It’s an opportunity for him to see where he is at and once he gets back on the field, we'll we know what type of player he is.”
The Tigers coach said that the decision to allow Maguire to explore his options is to give him the best chance to succeed and find a good role somewhere.
"At the end of the day, you're always looking at the salary cap and your list of players and we're not satisfied with where we are as a group," Maguire said.
"We're continually trying to improve as a team.
"For Josh, this is an opportunity to see where he can go moving forward.
"At this moment in time, with Benji and Luke here, they've tied up those positions in the halves. Granted, Josh wants to play five-eighth but Benji has ben playing some good footy, and I've been upfront with Josh and spoke to him about where we are at this present moment.
"I've always admired the competitiveness about how he is as a person — he's certainly a very capable player."