Brisbane Broncos halfback Adam Reynolds has revealed the only time he's ever been "pissed off" at Brisbane, despite the call eventually leading to a premiership for the club.
In excerpts from his new autobiography, On My Own Terms, Reynolds admitted he was blindsided by the shock sacking of former coach Kevin Walters.
He described his sacking as the only occasion he's felt genuinely angry at the club.
"Not for one second did I expect him to get sacked," Reynolds wrote.
"And still to this day, I think he was hard done by.
"The Broncos have only pissed me off once, and it was when they sacked Kev."
Reynolds said the playing group learned of Walters' dismissal through the media rather than directly from club officials, something that left the squad frustrated and disappointed.
"Not only did they cut loose a good man and a good coach, but they left it to the media to break the news to the players," he said.
"Most of the boys were on holiday when word got out.
"Kev's son Billy, our dummy-half, broke the news to me."
Reynolds revealed he initially thought the story was a joke until it was later confirmed by Broncos chief executive Dave Donaghy, who apologised to the squad for how the situation unfolded.
"We were shitty as a group that we were virtually the last ones to know," Reynolds wrote.
"I sent Kev a text apologising to him for not being able to get the results that could have kept him in a job, and saying I wished the news was not true."
The veteran playmaker said Walters' leadership style reminded him of Wayne Bennett, emphasising simplicity, trust and player accountability.
"He was very similar to Wayne in his coaching style," Reynolds said.
"He kept things simple and placed a lot of responsibility on the playing group."
Just four days after Walters' departure, Michael Maguire was appointed Broncos head coach, the man who first gave Reynolds his NRL debut at South Sydney in 2012.
"I was excited to work with him again," Reynolds said of Maguire.
"I started my NRL career under him."
While the decision ultimately paid off for Brisbane, with Maguire leading the club to its first premiership since 2006, Reynolds' words underline the deep respect he and his teammates still hold for Walters' tenure at Red Hill.
