Adam Reynolds has revealed how Sam Burgess and former South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Michael Maguire nearly came to blows after the Bunnies crashed out of finals during the 2013 season.
The new Brisbane Broncos coach had taken charge of the club back in 2012 and had galvanised the side to reach the preliminary final in his first and second seasons at the club.
After besting Melbourne in the qualifying finals, the Souths booked a spot in the preliminary finals against Manly.
But two days before the game, Burgess and his brothers, George, Tom and Luke, had attended a promotional event with Xbox.
The Souths would ultimately suffer a 10-point defeat by Manly.
Upon learning that the Burgess brothers had been out at the promotional event, Reynolds revealed in his new book, On My Own Terms, that Maguire blew his top.
In his new book, On My Own Terms, Adam Reynolds (pictured) has revealed how Sam Burgess and Michael Maguire once almost came to blows
After the Souths were defeated by Manly during a preliminary final in the 2013 NRL season, Maguire (left) fumed at Burgess (right) and his brothers after they had gone out to an Xbox PR event 48 hours before the game
‘There was an amazing blow-up between coach Michael Maguire and star back-rower Sam Burgess in the days following the shock preliminary final loss to Manly in late 2013,’ Reynolds wrote in the biography, which launched on Tuesday.
‘Madge was not in a great mood when we gathered in the video room beneath the main grandstand. And he ripped into Sam and his brothers, George, Tom and Luke, even questioning how committed they all really were about helping the club reach rugby league’s promised land.
‘The four brothers had attended an Xbox One promotion on Wednesday night, 48 hours before the Sea Eagles blockbuster.
‘Madge could not understand why their focus was not entirely on the game, and picked on Sam, given he was the most high-profile sibling.’
Reynolds added that he feared the disagreement could become physical, with the Broncos captain revealing that ‘Slammin’ Sam didn’t back down.
‘Sam being Sam, he fired back at Madge, told him he did not appreciate his effort levels being questioned, and stood up for himself and his brothers,’ he explained.
‘To prove how furious Madge was about the whole thing, he ordered senior Souths officials to issue all four brothers with official breach notices before the Manly game.
‘Madge’s blood was boiling. Had things got physical, my money would have been on Sam winning the fight, only because he was 24 and fit. Knowing Madge, he would have been stubborn and pushed himself to see out the 12 rounds.
Maguire lashed out at the brothers for attending the event, but Sam didn’t back down, instead confronting the footy boss (Pictured L-R: Tom, Sam, George)
Reynolds said the pair almost went nuclear, having clashed previously. He added that he believes the spat galvanised the Bunnies to break their premiership duck in 2014
‘They had clashed in the past, but never anything as brutal as this,’ he added.
Despite the feud, Burgess would go on to lead the Souths to premiership glory the following year, playing the majority of the game with a broken cheekbone and eye socket.
‘And to this day, I’m convinced that moment set us on the path to ending our 43-year premiership drought,’ Reynolds added.
In the biography, the Broncos captain also lifted the lid on how he and his team-mates found out that legendary coach Kevin Walters had been sacked by the club last year.
Brisbane’s decision to part company with the club legend left a bitter taste in Reynolds’ mouth, with the captain, who led his side to premiership glory this year, revealing in September he was ‘disappointed’ by the move.
‘Not for one second did I expect him to get sacked,’ Reynolds wrote in his biography.
‘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.
‘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.’
In the new book, Reynolds (right), also lifts the lid on how he was left ‘disappointed’ by Brisbane’s decision to sack Kevin Walters, and their handling of the situation
Reynolds explained that the players were some of the last people to find out Walters (pictured) had been sacked, adding that he found out via a text from his son Billy
The Broncos halfback (left) said that he had apologised to Walters (right) personally, taking responsibility for the side’s poor performances
‘Most of the boys were on holiday at the end of September when word got out. Kev’s son Billy, our dummy-half, broke the news to me.’
Walters, who won five premierships with Brisbane as a player, would go on to take up the top job as the Kangaroos head coach.
However, Reynolds revealed that Billy Walters had revealed the news to him via a text message.
‘I was sitting in the sauna at home and started thinking there was no way it could be true,’ he explains in his new book.
‘I rang our chief executive, Dave Donaghy, to find out what was going on. He confirmed Kev’s sacking, and apologised for the way it had got out before he had a chance to tell the actual players.’
The way the situation was handled infuriated the Broncos’ playing group, with Reynolds explaining that they were the last ones to find out.
‘We were shitty as a group that we were virtually the last ones to know. We were shitty Kev was gone.
‘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.
‘He was very similar to Wayne Bennett in terms of his coaching style. He kept things simple and placed a lot of responsibility on, and trust in, the playing group.
‘Four days after Kev was boned, Madge was given the gig. I was excited to work with him. I started my NRL career under him.’
