BY CURTIS WOODWARD

@woodward_curtis

South Sydney Rabbitohs captain Adam Reynolds walked his team out of the bowels of Stadium Australia for their clash against Brisbane in Thursday night football. As he did, the little halfback took a moment to run his hands down the wall of the tunnel.

It might mean nothing.

But when a player loves a place so much and they want to keep a memory – they do weird things.

They’re photographing moments.

It’s quite obvious that things aren’t right at Redfern between the club and arguably the club’s greatest ever halfback.

Strangely, as Souths bombarded the hapless Broncos in the first half, all the football went to the left with Benji Marshall. A 36-year-old only picked up by the Rabbitohs after Marshall gave Wayne Bennett a call in pre-season.

It’s a strange thing.

With Cody Walker out, Souths preferred Marshall.

As these ridiculous contract negotiations between the club and Reynolds go on, it’s odd that the Rabbitohs are so happy to embrace Marshall but are seemingly shunning the 30-year-old, premiership-winning, club great Adam Reynolds.

And when you thought you could keep the dynamo pivot out of the game he pushes up and scores a classic halfback’s try before the break and kicks the first two-point field goal of the NRL era.

Kids run around the streets in southern Sydney with a Rabbitohs 7 on their back.

They chip and chase like Adam Reynolds.

The man himself is truly a Rabbitohs patriot.

So what the hell is going on with the Rabbitohs?

It’s all well and good keeping your gun juniors and finding a spot for them in your team.

But it’s another completely screwing with what could be premierships for Souths in 2021, 2022 and even the following few seasons.

The Rabbitohs look better than they did when they won the premiership in 2014.

Matthew Johns, a true five-eight that done his best work outside a true halfback in his brother Andrew, spoke about it after the match on his show on Fox League. The 1997 grand final-winner spoke about how the roles in the side changes if Reynolds isn’t there. Like Cody Walker who is only as good as the class inside him.

Does Souths truly believe they have someone better than Adam Reynolds ready to go?

It’s not the Rabbitohs way.

They expect premierships.

Every year.

You don’t get rid of a gun if you don’t have another in the draw.

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Who cares what the halfback’s manager is asking for.

It doesn’t matter what the fine print says.

In the post-match press conference Wayne Bennett said Reynolds was the best kicker of the ball he’s ever seen.

The bloke is only 30!

Bennett talked Allan Langer back to the Broncos in 2002 as a 32-year-old.

This is obviously not Bennett’s call.

Adam Reynolds should be South Sydney’s halfback and captain for the next four years.

@woodward_curtis