Speaking publicly for the first time about his marriage breakdown, Reynolds admitted that he and wife Tallara – who he shares four children with – were on the brink of divorce in 2020. It was right after the NRL had emerged from the Covid pandemic and Reynolds admits it was a ‘really tough’ part of his life that left his marriage in danger of collapsing.
But the champion halfback says a private chat with his former coach and mentor Bennett turned out to be life-changing for the former premiership winner. “It was a tough part of my life,” Reynolds told the Inside Ball podcast. “Wayne saved it (his marriage). One thing I have been good at is parking my emotions to the side and focusing on what I need to at the time. If I’m at home, I’m focusing on the family. If I’m at the game, I’m focusing on the game and trying to get better.
“I was lucky that Covid (had ended) and we could resume footy, because it was a distraction from my personal life. It was the end of 2020. It was a really tough part of my life. He is very good at reading the room. I wasn’t giving out too much and he grabbed me aside one day and said, ‘What’s up’.
“I opened up to Wayne because he gets the trust of the person and for him to give me guidance and regularly check in with me was good. It was hard to navigate through that time. If I didn’t have that guidance from Wayne, I don’t know where I would have been.”
Wayne Bennett integral to Adam Reynolds’ move to Brisbane
Bennett was also instrumental in helping Reynolds decide to move away from his beloved South Sydney Rabbitohs and start a new chapter with his family in Brisbane. Reynolds sold the family home in Sydney that he described as a “shoebox” for $2.265 million and bought a massive six-bedroom house in Brisbane that offered his extensive family much more space.
The move north helped rejuvenate Reynolds’ family life and his career and he’s quickly become a fan favourite with the Broncos after helping to guide them into the 2023 grand final. The veteran No.7 was joined by his wife and kids for his 300th NRL game earlier this year and recently signed a 12-month extension that will see him add to his 74 games for the Broncos and continue his life in Brisbane, where the family is well settled.
Reynolds say it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Bennett, who says the pair struck up a special relationship and remain good friends to this day. The master coach also revealed to News Corp how he helped facilitate Reynolds’ life-changing move to Brisbane, when the Rabbitohs were only willing to offer the veteran a one-year contract extension.
“I was instrumental in getting him to Brisbane,” Bennett said. “I spoke to ‘Alf’ (Broncos great Allan Langer), because Souths weren’t going to keep him, and I just thought Brisbane would be great for him and his family.”
And as for helping to save Reynolds’ marriage, Bennett admitted it was the sort of thing he’d try and do for any of his players. “As a coach, the players are part of my team. Everyone in my team gets looked after and cared for. That’s how it works with me.”
