Brisbane Broncos coach Michael Maguire has given Adam Reynolds a strict deadline to prove his fitness ahead of the club's final home game of the season, with the retiring veteran facing a race against the clock to secure an NRL farewell.
Reynolds is set to hang up the boots at the end of the season, but with Brisbane unable to qualify for the finals, Thursday night's clash against the Melbourne Storm could be his final opportunity to pull on the Broncos jersey at home.
The 36-year-old has been sidelined with a calf injury and has not played since Brisbane's 30-6 loss to the Newcastle Knights in Round 22.
Reynolds conceded two weeks ago that he may not be able to return in time, despite his strong desire to feature one final time in front of the Broncos' home crowd.
“It will be tough to get there, but I'll be doing everything possible,” he told the media.
“We've done a lot of hard work to get to where we've been since I arrived, so to get back out there with the boys one last time would be a fairy tale.
“I've had a fantastic career; it's something I'm extremely proud of.
“If it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be.”
The veteran playmaker currently sits on 323 NRL games and is desperate to add one more before bringing his decorated career to an end.
He made some progress on Friday, completing a solo running session, but Maguire has stressed that Reynolds still has plenty to prove before he can be considered for selection.
“I will make a decision on Monday,” Maguire told The Daily Telegraph.
“We will give ‘Reyno' every opportunity, but he has a bit of a way to go.
“He had a run on Friday, but it wasn't high-intensity training; he is working his way through that.
“Reyno is keen to play every week, but it's whether the body says he is allowed to play and, right now, it's a wait-and-see.
“He has to tick a few boxes to get himself right - he has to get through Monday's session.
“A calf strain takes time, and they are tricky.
“He has to allow the body to recover, and if he can't get through Monday, I don't want to put him out to do something that he can't do.
“I would love for Reyno to have another game, but we have to respect where his body is at too.
“And also from a team point of view, we have to respect everything that goes into a good performance.
“Ultimately, it's about our performance as a team, and Reyno respects that, too.
“He has to be capable of getting through the game.”
Reynolds left South Sydney to join the Broncos in 2022 and has played a major role in transforming the club's fortunes, helping guide them to two grand finals before steering them to the 2025 premiership.
If Reynolds is unavailable for selection in Round 26, he will be given one last chance for a well-deserved NRL farewell against the Bulldogs in Sydney on Thursday, September 3rd.
