Adam Reynolds responds after Trent Barrett spotted in Brisbane sheds after Parramatta game
Barrett is set to join Kevin Walters’ Broncos coaching staff in 2025.
Brisbane captain Adam Reynolds has played down the surprise appearance of interim Parramatta coach Trent Barrett in the Broncos sheds after Friday night’s match at Suncorp Stadium. Reynolds’ men kept their slim NRL finals hopes alive with an unconvincing 30-24 win over the Eels, who let a 16-0 lead slip to be run down by Kevin Walters’ side.
The loss came after the Wests Tigers shocked Manly to draw level on 16 competition points with the Eels, meaning the final round battle between the two sides could be for the NRL wooden spoon. Barrett has already confirmed he won’t be at Parramatta next season after agreeing to join Walters’ coaching staff at the Broncos in 2025, when Jason Ryles takes over as the new head coach of the Eels.
And Barrett was seen familiarising himself with the Brisbane team after being spotted in the Broncos sheds after Friday night’s game, in what is a very uncommon move from a rival coach. Reynolds confirmed that Barrett was just “checking in” with Walters and the rest of the Broncos coaching staff but didn’t see any issue with his presence after joking about the interim Eels coach’s arrival for next season.
“I think he was just checking in with Kevin and the other coaches,” Reynolds said on Triple M Breakfast with Marto, Margaux and Dan. “But geez, we’re going to have a good looking coaching staff. As in attractive. Very handsome.”
Reynolds was in a more serious mood when discussing the positives and negatives from Friday night’s game and his side’s hopes of sneaking into the top-eight in the final two rounds. The ninth-placed Broncos play the 10th-ranked Dolphins away on Saturday evening, followed by a home game against a Storm side that has already wrapped up the minor premiership and could likely rest players.
Brisbane are just one win off the eighth-placed Dragons – who face the Eels and Raiders in their final two games – and the Broncos have a much better for-and-against than the Dragons if they do end up on the same amount of points.