Adam Reynolds has revealed he and his family will spend the rest of their lives in Brisbane, backflipping on initial plans to retire to the Gold Coast. And it’s all because the Titans rejected the chance to sign the two-time premiership-winner when he left Souths.
Reynolds played 231 games for the Rabbitohs and won the 2014 premiership there, but left in acrimonious circumstances when the club only offered a new one-year deal. He switched to the Broncos instead, and this season led Brisbane to their first premiership in 19 years.
But his move to the Broncos nearly didn’t come about, and he actually had a desire to join the Gold Coast Titans instead. In a stunning new revelation, it came to light on Tuesday that the Titans were offered the chance to sign Reynolds – but they knocked it back without much thought.
The Brisbane captain’s autobiography, ‘On My Own Terms’, was released to the public on Tuesday. One of the big bombshells is the revelation that the Titans didn’t want a bar of the star halfback when he was leaving Souths at the end of 2021.
Adam Reynolds with wife Tallara and their four kids. Image: AAP
How Gold Coast missed chance to sign Adam Reynolds
Reynolds’ manager Steve ‘Chimes’ Gillis contacted the Gold Coast once it became clear the Rabbitohs were only prepared to offer Reynolds a one-year extension. Reynolds had always planned to retire to the Gold Coast once his career eventually ended, so it made sense for him and his family.
The Titans were one of the first clubs Reynolds reached out to after extension talks with Rabbitohs CEO Blake Solly stalled. But incredibly, the Gold Coast hierarchy knocked it on the head straight away.
Adam Reynolds and his family were initially keen to end up on the Gold Coast. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
“One of the first clubs Chimes reached out to was the Titans,” Reynolds writes. “I always wanted to retire to the Gold Coast, my family liked the area and the beaches and cafes and the idea of having a dinghy, or something slightly flashier, docked in one of those canals that snake through the back of properties.
“Chimes figured he’d pose the question to see if there was any appetite for a halfback. ‘Reynolds on the move, mate, he’d love a chat. Let me know if you think it’s worthwhile,’ Chimes texted a Titans official on April 6 the day after I’d met with Blake.
“‘Probably not, but thanks anyways, Chimes,’ the official responded on April 7. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to talk to Reynolds? I’ll even toss in some steak knives,’ Chimes responded. But the conversation went no further.”
The Titans had Tanah Boyd, Toby Sexton and Jamal Fogarty in the halves at the time. None are there anymore, with Boyd at the Warriors, Sexton heading to Catalans in France and Fogarty set to join Manly after a stint in Canberra. The Titans are still searching for a successful halves pairing, and ended up with Kieran Foran when they could have had Reynolds.
Adam Reynolds seriously considering joining Wests Tigers
Before extending with the Broncos for 2026, Reynolds considering taking $1 million more to move back to Sydney to partner Jarome Luai in the Wests Tigers’ halves. “Some nights I’d go to bed convinced I was going to sign with the Tigers,” the 35-year-old writes.
“The family would remain in Brisbane, but the Tigers were happy for me to make frequent trips back and forth to Queensland. It was hugely appealing.
“But then I kept asking myself how on earth I could ever leave Brisbane and my mates at the Broncos. The money was good from the Tigers, and the reports I was giving up close to $1 million by staying put were not wide of the mark. But I made the call to stay put, and I couldn’t be happier.”
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Instead of retiring on the Gold Coast when the time comes, Reynolds says he and his family will remain in Brisbane – and he hopes to join the Broncos’ coaching staff when he hangs up the boots. “The eventual goal is to become an NRL head coach,” he says. “If you asked me where I saw myself in 10 years’ time, it would be as an NRL coach, hopefully with a few premierships under the belt, and only a few extra kilos around the waistline.
“Once I arrived in Brisbane, I found myself helping some of the younger players, and being blown away by how good it felt to see their immediate improvement from one little bit of advice you passed onto them. Brisbane will be where we spend the rest of our lives.”