Love_the_WestsTigers
Well-known member
Great example of a bloke nearly in tears because he would have loved to stay
Unlike the people waning to leave us
Unlike the people waning to leave us
Official - Josh Reynolds Signs Megathread
- Thread starter will1999
- Start date
Go_You_Good_Things
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- Joined
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@ said:
Very interesting, and damning at the same time. You can add another stat parameter if you wish.
Type in "missed tackles"
pen_mouth:Love_the_WestsTigers
Well-known member
@ said:@ said:For people knocking back Reynolds go here and compare him to MM for 2017
http://www.nrl.com/stats/telstrapremiership/playerhead-to-head/tabid/12694/default.aspx
Very interesting, and damning at the same time. You can add another stat parameter if you wish.
Type in "missed tackles"
Reynolds is still not as bad as MM - as per stats
I've watched the interview, very candid. Such an honest guy. Not scripted, doesn't look like he has a manager telling him what to say. I think he has a bit of Tommy R. in him.
He could be an inspirational captain…maybe I'm getting too far ahead of myself there.
I had a guy at work try and do some footy talk with me today.
He said shame about Teddy and Woods.
I said yeah. but we picked up Reynolds.
He said he hates that guy.
I said, I did to. But now I love him.
The more I've seen of him in the media the more I like him.
The one clip that did it for me was when he was about 13, in the stands, as a Easts fan cheering his team on. with a bunch of kids and teenagers around. Could have been on fox.
Since seeing that I can really relate to that..and him.
He could be an inspirational captain…maybe I'm getting too far ahead of myself there.
I had a guy at work try and do some footy talk with me today.
He said shame about Teddy and Woods.
I said yeah. but we picked up Reynolds.
He said he hates that guy.
I said, I did to. But now I love him.
The more I've seen of him in the media the more I like him.
The one clip that did it for me was when he was about 13, in the stands, as a Easts fan cheering his team on. with a bunch of kids and teenagers around. Could have been on fox.
Since seeing that I can really relate to that..and him.
G
Guest
Guest
EXCLUSIVE
April 27 2017 - 9:00PM
I never wanted to leave: Josh Reynolds' agony over leaving Canterbury Bulldogs
Josh Reynolds has poured his heart out about the agony of walking away from the club he loves. Michael Chammas reports.
Josh Reynolds has stood inside the Bulldogs' Belmore headquarters and watched teammates announce they were leaving the club many times throughout his years at Canterbury.
"I just never pictured it would one day be me," he said.
Heart pumping rapidly. Legs like jelly. Then the tears.
"I couldn't talk. I couldn't come to terms with the fact that this was happening to me," he said in a candid interview with Fairfax Media after an emotional week for the Tigers-bound five-eighth.
"I was scared of what the boys would think of me. My mates, what they think of me is what I take out of life. The way they talk about me to their other friends, that's how I feel I'm judged on whether I'm a good person or not a good person.
"Whether I'm a good footballer or not, people are going to have their own opinion. But what I take out of life is whether the people that know me think I'm a good person."
And so marks the beginning of the end for the man most describe as the heart and soul of the family club.
Reynolds never thought he'd leave and was willing to stay for less money. He was willing to stay on a deal with a shorter commitment than the one on the table at the Tigers. But when people at his own club were telling him he couldn't turn down the offer at the Wests Tigers, he knew his time was up.
"I don't think some people realise that I was willing to stay for less money," Reynolds said. "I definitely would have stayed for a little bit less at the Dogs. Everyone knows that. But when the difference is life-changing, how do you say no? Sometimes it's no one's fault. I know that's hard to say because I'm hurting at the moment, but I'm man enough to be the bigger man.
"I don't hate the Dogs. How can I hate the club that's given me everything I have in life and helped me set up my future and the future of my kids one day? The Dogs have given me so much in my life. Really, they've given me everything. People have been saying to me I thought you were a Bulldog through and through. I am a Bulldog through and through. It just didn't work out that way."
Ultimately, Reynolds' time at Canterbury is up because of the impending arrival of Kieran Foran.
For so many years, the promise of Foran's arrival at Belmore has kept Reynolds second-guessing his position at the club. This time, he knew the threat was real.
"I've always heard it for a long time and brushed it off, but now that it has finally happened, it does hurt a bit because he's coming to the club I love, and I would have loved to have stayed," Reynolds said.
"He is a great player. It just sucks that I can't be there to see it through. I can't be angry at the club. I don't want the fans, my friends or my family to be angry at the club.
"When I heard they might be signing him I was a bit scared because I wasn't sure how I was going to fit in. The thing with buying someone else, the reality is that someone is going to have to go and I really didn't think that was going to be me. I really wanted to stay. I want people to know that I wanted to stay. But I also want people to know the Bulldogs didn't push me out."
Reynolds' legacy at the Bulldogs will be as one of the most passionate players the club has ever produced. A Canterbury junior who recognised his own shortcomings, but made up for it with a relentless desire to win. He has helped the club to reach two grand finals, falling short on both occasions. And at a club that deems anything short of the premiership as failure, change was always on the horizon.
"We've had a really good team for six years but we still haven't won the comp," Reynolds said. "Whether they needed a change and I was the person that needed to go, I'm not sure. We should have won a comp. That's me being me and telling the truth. Is it my fault? Maybe I've got a bit to do with it. I don't know.
"We've been so close, but not close enough. But I don't think I'm being pushed out because I couldn't help the club win a comp. In the end I'm just another number. There will be another local coming through that will do anything for that club. It's just how footy goes. I hate that I have to leave, but it's a decision that I had to make."
This is his club. This is his family's club. So much so his mother works at the club's merchandise store.
So, the hardest part about walking away from the Bulldogs was telling the woman closest to him everything was about to change.
"It was so hard to look my mum in the eye," Reynolds said. "We've been at this club together 14 years. She's a Bulldog as well.
"When I told her, you'd think she had just seen a ghost. Just before I left on the day I told the boys, she broke down. That killed me.
"It just shows you what footy does and what this club means to me and my family. It's not just about you. It's everything. This was the hardest decision of my life."
His days might be numbered, but his motivation won't waiver. Reynolds doesn't want to leave the club with unfinished business and has made a vow to his teammates that he will turn his final year at the club into something special.
"I told them I wasn't done with yet," he said. "I want to finish on a high. I owe it to them. I owe it to the club and I owe it to myself."
*Read Saturday's The Sydney Morning Herald to find out how Ivan Cleary convinced Josh Reynolds to join the Wests Tigers*
April 27 2017 - 9:00PM
I never wanted to leave: Josh Reynolds' agony over leaving Canterbury Bulldogs
Josh Reynolds has poured his heart out about the agony of walking away from the club he loves. Michael Chammas reports.
Josh Reynolds has stood inside the Bulldogs' Belmore headquarters and watched teammates announce they were leaving the club many times throughout his years at Canterbury.
"I just never pictured it would one day be me," he said.
Heart pumping rapidly. Legs like jelly. Then the tears.
"I couldn't talk. I couldn't come to terms with the fact that this was happening to me," he said in a candid interview with Fairfax Media after an emotional week for the Tigers-bound five-eighth.
"I was scared of what the boys would think of me. My mates, what they think of me is what I take out of life. The way they talk about me to their other friends, that's how I feel I'm judged on whether I'm a good person or not a good person.
"Whether I'm a good footballer or not, people are going to have their own opinion. But what I take out of life is whether the people that know me think I'm a good person."
And so marks the beginning of the end for the man most describe as the heart and soul of the family club.
Reynolds never thought he'd leave and was willing to stay for less money. He was willing to stay on a deal with a shorter commitment than the one on the table at the Tigers. But when people at his own club were telling him he couldn't turn down the offer at the Wests Tigers, he knew his time was up.
"I don't think some people realise that I was willing to stay for less money," Reynolds said. "I definitely would have stayed for a little bit less at the Dogs. Everyone knows that. But when the difference is life-changing, how do you say no? Sometimes it's no one's fault. I know that's hard to say because I'm hurting at the moment, but I'm man enough to be the bigger man.
"I don't hate the Dogs. How can I hate the club that's given me everything I have in life and helped me set up my future and the future of my kids one day? The Dogs have given me so much in my life. Really, they've given me everything. People have been saying to me I thought you were a Bulldog through and through. I am a Bulldog through and through. It just didn't work out that way."
Ultimately, Reynolds' time at Canterbury is up because of the impending arrival of Kieran Foran.
For so many years, the promise of Foran's arrival at Belmore has kept Reynolds second-guessing his position at the club. This time, he knew the threat was real.
"I've always heard it for a long time and brushed it off, but now that it has finally happened, it does hurt a bit because he's coming to the club I love, and I would have loved to have stayed," Reynolds said.
"He is a great player. It just sucks that I can't be there to see it through. I can't be angry at the club. I don't want the fans, my friends or my family to be angry at the club.
"When I heard they might be signing him I was a bit scared because I wasn't sure how I was going to fit in. The thing with buying someone else, the reality is that someone is going to have to go and I really didn't think that was going to be me. I really wanted to stay. I want people to know that I wanted to stay. But I also want people to know the Bulldogs didn't push me out."
Reynolds' legacy at the Bulldogs will be as one of the most passionate players the club has ever produced. A Canterbury junior who recognised his own shortcomings, but made up for it with a relentless desire to win. He has helped the club to reach two grand finals, falling short on both occasions. And at a club that deems anything short of the premiership as failure, change was always on the horizon.
"We've had a really good team for six years but we still haven't won the comp," Reynolds said. "Whether they needed a change and I was the person that needed to go, I'm not sure. We should have won a comp. That's me being me and telling the truth. Is it my fault? Maybe I've got a bit to do with it. I don't know.
"We've been so close, but not close enough. But I don't think I'm being pushed out because I couldn't help the club win a comp. In the end I'm just another number. There will be another local coming through that will do anything for that club. It's just how footy goes. I hate that I have to leave, but it's a decision that I had to make."
This is his club. This is his family's club. So much so his mother works at the club's merchandise store.
So, the hardest part about walking away from the Bulldogs was telling the woman closest to him everything was about to change.
"It was so hard to look my mum in the eye," Reynolds said. "We've been at this club together 14 years. She's a Bulldog as well.
"When I told her, you'd think she had just seen a ghost. Just before I left on the day I told the boys, she broke down. That killed me.
"It just shows you what footy does and what this club means to me and my family. It's not just about you. It's everything. This was the hardest decision of my life."
His days might be numbered, but his motivation won't waiver. Reynolds doesn't want to leave the club with unfinished business and has made a vow to his teammates that he will turn his final year at the club into something special.
"I told them I wasn't done with yet," he said. "I want to finish on a high. I owe it to them. I owe it to the club and I owe it to myself."
*Read Saturday's The Sydney Morning Herald to find out how Ivan Cleary convinced Josh Reynolds to join the Wests Tigers*
greatodensraven
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- Dec 15, 2012
- Messages
- 2,229
Let's hope he feels just as at home at Concord!
momo_amp_medo
Well-known member
He is pure "passion" and ultimately could be a great fit for this club.
Think Tommy Raudonikis type influence on the team performance.
Think Tommy Raudonikis type influence on the team performance.
simonthetigerrrr
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- Feb 14, 2016
- Messages
- 591
Wow what a champion.
innsaneink
Well-known member
.
There was a game that he did something that was incredibly stupid ( I'm buggered if I can remember what it was )) but it was typical of him.
Must've been monumental
There was a game that he did something that was incredibly stupid ( I'm buggered if I can remember what it was )) but it was typical of him.
Must've been monumental
Basil_Tiger
New member
@ said:
He said in an Interview a day or so back that when he said he would stay at the Bulldogs for less money he was told he should accept the offer,he didn't elaborate but it was either Hasler or Castle.
As Posts on this Forum state he was being shopped around over a Month ago so obviously Hasler had decided it was time for him to go,lets hope for the Tigers sake he does an 'Énnis' on the Dogs.
jirskyr
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2009
- Messages
- 13,889
Isn't it funny to hear Reynolds, he's still passionate about what is going to be his ex-club, but when he talks about it, he realises that they've bought someone they think is better than him and they are forcing him out.
Don't make a mistake about this: Bulldogs didn't have to buy Foran. They chose to do it, they risked that they could offload someone else and it didn't work out, nobody wants Moses Mbye. Dogs made a bad recruitment decision with Mbye and like everyone else they now have to suck it up.
Reynolds is clear, the Dogs offer wasn't even close, they could have gone close enough to Tigers and he would have stayed. Bulldogs say they couldn't match Tigers, they say "that is the nature of the salary cap" but they didn't have to buy Foran and Woods, they could have tried to work with the roster they already had. They undercut Reynolds and devalued him.
When you buy a player in exactly the position of one of your fan favourites, you are almost certainly moving that fan favourite on. If Reynolds is like Robbie Farah, then Foran is his Matt Ballin. Writing is on the wall once the club does that.
Difference between Reynolds and Farah is Reynolds is off contract. I wonder how this would have gone down if Reynolds had a year to run.
I am happy to have Reynolds on board, I don't think we need super skillful players right now, we need grit and on-field toughness. I think Cleary is going in the right direction, less "talented but precious" footballers and more tough and rough hardnuts.
One of the best parts about it all is watching the Bulldogs club and fans squirm. So unlike Tigers to come in and take one of their favourite sons, I love it, not even someone they wanted to let go. Woods is a good player but to our club he's not like Reynolds is to the Dogs, everyone knows it, and Woods' behaviour this season has moved him even further away from being that pillar of the club.
I also wonder what kind of Tiger Reynolds will be. Being such a staunch Bulldogs person, I wonder if he will become as staunchly a Wests Tiger… ultimately you think his loyalties in retirement will go back to the Dogs.
Don't make a mistake about this: Bulldogs didn't have to buy Foran. They chose to do it, they risked that they could offload someone else and it didn't work out, nobody wants Moses Mbye. Dogs made a bad recruitment decision with Mbye and like everyone else they now have to suck it up.
Reynolds is clear, the Dogs offer wasn't even close, they could have gone close enough to Tigers and he would have stayed. Bulldogs say they couldn't match Tigers, they say "that is the nature of the salary cap" but they didn't have to buy Foran and Woods, they could have tried to work with the roster they already had. They undercut Reynolds and devalued him.
When you buy a player in exactly the position of one of your fan favourites, you are almost certainly moving that fan favourite on. If Reynolds is like Robbie Farah, then Foran is his Matt Ballin. Writing is on the wall once the club does that.
Difference between Reynolds and Farah is Reynolds is off contract. I wonder how this would have gone down if Reynolds had a year to run.
I am happy to have Reynolds on board, I don't think we need super skillful players right now, we need grit and on-field toughness. I think Cleary is going in the right direction, less "talented but precious" footballers and more tough and rough hardnuts.
One of the best parts about it all is watching the Bulldogs club and fans squirm. So unlike Tigers to come in and take one of their favourite sons, I love it, not even someone they wanted to let go. Woods is a good player but to our club he's not like Reynolds is to the Dogs, everyone knows it, and Woods' behaviour this season has moved him even further away from being that pillar of the club.
I also wonder what kind of Tiger Reynolds will be. Being such a staunch Bulldogs person, I wonder if he will become as staunchly a Wests Tiger… ultimately you think his loyalties in retirement will go back to the Dogs.
@ said:
But how do we know that Des hasn't been encouraging him GCT?
I would think that the coaching styles of Des and Ivan are worlds apart… their personalities both on and off the field certainly are.
FWIW I have never really liked JR except for the origin games, but that is about to change.
I'm trying to remember the last time I read something positive that GCT had to say about the club…
DonnyBrasco
New member
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- Jul 13, 2009
- Messages
- 615
I think the best thing I have heard about Reynolds was from his captain on that 359 show, how he is the only bloke to go to every one of his teammates kids parties even if they are all on the same day.
That is the type of player that bleeds for his teammates and wouldnt be worried about adjusting his hairband or fascinator, the type who wouldnt fall into the lake looking at his own reflection, the type that RF was like or loathe him.
That is the type of player that bleeds for his teammates and wouldnt be worried about adjusting his hairband or fascinator, the type who wouldnt fall into the lake looking at his own reflection, the type that RF was like or loathe him.
How Ivan Cleary convinced Josh Reynolds to join the Wests Tigers
Advertisement
Michael Chammas
In his first meeting with Ivan Cleary, Josh Reynolds asked the Wests Tigers coach to paint him a picture.
Which players were going? Which players were coming? What direction was the club heading in?
Advertisement
"I think most coaches in that situation would have told a white lie," Reynolds said.
But not Cleary. There was no sugar-coating what has been a turbulent year for a club that has had to come to terms with the fact their three best players won't be at the club next season.
RELATED CONTENT
Still, Reynolds had to ask the question.
"What I took out of that first meeting was his honesty," the Tigers-bound five-eighth told Fairfax Media.
"I wanted to know the direction the Tigers were heading because I had heard speculation about some players, whether they were staying or going. He was brutally honest and said, 'I've got no idea'. Most coaches would have led you on or suggested they would sign them – but he didn't paint a picture that wasn't true."
The meeting with Cleary was all foreign to Reynolds. He didn't know what to do. Was unsure what questions to ask. He even rang his manager to ask what clothes he should wear.
For a man who envisaged his career would end where it started, negotiating with a rival club wasn't a notion he contemplated until this month.
Reynolds knows his limitations. "I'm not a superstar – I know that for a fact," he admits.
But it's that very attitude the Cleary demands from his players, because as the coach said during his first week in charge of the joint venture, "the star of the team is the team".
"I know on paper and whatever everyone is saying about me, I'm that supposed marquee man or whatever," Reynolds said.
"But I actually read something that Ivan came out with the other day – 'the big 17'. That really caught my eye. I know it's not going to be a team that relies on one person … They're putting faith in me and I'm really thankful for that, but I'm not a superstar, mate. I'm a team player. If I can play my game to make other people play better, I'll feel I'm doing my job then. Ivan said to me 'if you were to come to the Tigers, I'd really just need you to be Josh Reynolds. I don't need you to change and be someone who you're not'. I really loved that.
"I feel I bring some real different things to a team that other five-eighths wouldn't do. It's pretty obvious that I'm not the silkiest or classiest player but I know I can bring other things to a team. Hopefully bring team morale up, always be in the game and always be energetic. For him to say that, it probably made me a bit more comfortable in my own skin. He wasn't really trying to sell this fake illusion of something it might not be. I was really impressed with him the first time I met him for those reasons."
Don't mistake Reynolds' reluctance to leave Belmore as a reflection of his attitude towards the Tigers.
Granted, he didn't want to leave. But he also finds it hard to contain his excitment about the prospect of being the focal point of a cultural change that has the potential to deliver something special at the Wests Tigers.
Reynolds also spoke with Shane Flanagan about joining Cronulla. But it was Cleary's advice that convinced him the Tigers were the best fit for his career.
"Ivan spoke about the difference between the clubs," Reynolds said.
"He told me: 'Cronulla have lots of senior players and just won a comp – so you'll fit in really easy. Or you can come here and take on a bit of a different challenge and come here as the older bloke and help the younger guys'. In the end I think that may have got me over the line.
"I feel in life you should always challenge yourself. I know it's going to be a hard challenge with a new roster there, but I want to bring what I've brought to the Bulldogs my whole career to that club. It's really exciting times. I think they are really heading in the right direction and Ivan is going to be great for the club."
The first pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together for the Wests Tigers.
Mitchell Moses, James Tedesco and Aaron Woods are headed for the exit doors.
Ben Matulino and Chris McQueen are on their way to Tiger Town, and their halves for at least 2018 and 2019 will be Reynolds and Luke Brooks.
"There was plenty of hype around him when he was young," Reynolds said of his future halves partner.
"I actually felt a bit sorry for him because people were comparing him to 'Joey' Johns because he's the same build. That's hard on the kid. I think he's done a great job and hopefully I can go there and let him run the show. He's been there. It's his team. I just want to be there and help him in any way I can. You obviously think about if you'll have a good combination and I think we can really work. If he just gets really confident, I feel he's going to be a really, really good player.
"I haven't spoken to him about me coming. I feel it's not appropriate to talk to any of the players just yet because my main focus this year is 115 per cent at the Dogs. I'll probably have a talk to a few of them when it gets a bit closer and say 'I just want to fit in here'. I'm not going to go there and think I'm the man, because that's just not in my nature."
In Cleary's initial meetings with Tigers powerbrokers before accepting the top job, he had reservations given the relentless criticism of the club's administration and board.
Even chairperson Marina Go admitted Cleary must have thought she was a moron from some of the things being said about her.
Basket case, rabble ... Reynolds had heard the same things. But the former Origin winner insists he didn't let the outside noise influence his decision.
"From the outside looking in, a lot of things often don't look as bad as they seem," he said.
"For me, I've always judged a person – and in this case a club – on how they've treated me. For them to go out on a limb and say to me 'we want you to come here and be a leader', I really like that.
"Whatever I hear from other people and their opinions on the club, I really tend to put them to the side – I keep them in mind – but if someone treats me good, I'm going to treat them good. I'll make my own assumptions when I get there, and I'm sure it's going to be great."
With Reynolds, the Tigers know what they will get.
Effort, energy. Perhaps the odd brain explosion, but a player that others want to play with – yet another one of Cleary's coaching philosophies.
"I've always had people leading for me," Reynolds said. "Maybe it's time for me to step out of their shadows and be a leader myself."
Advertisement
Michael Chammas
In his first meeting with Ivan Cleary, Josh Reynolds asked the Wests Tigers coach to paint him a picture.
Which players were going? Which players were coming? What direction was the club heading in?
Advertisement
"I think most coaches in that situation would have told a white lie," Reynolds said.
But not Cleary. There was no sugar-coating what has been a turbulent year for a club that has had to come to terms with the fact their three best players won't be at the club next season.
RELATED CONTENT
Still, Reynolds had to ask the question.
"What I took out of that first meeting was his honesty," the Tigers-bound five-eighth told Fairfax Media.
"I wanted to know the direction the Tigers were heading because I had heard speculation about some players, whether they were staying or going. He was brutally honest and said, 'I've got no idea'. Most coaches would have led you on or suggested they would sign them – but he didn't paint a picture that wasn't true."
The meeting with Cleary was all foreign to Reynolds. He didn't know what to do. Was unsure what questions to ask. He even rang his manager to ask what clothes he should wear.
For a man who envisaged his career would end where it started, negotiating with a rival club wasn't a notion he contemplated until this month.
Reynolds knows his limitations. "I'm not a superstar – I know that for a fact," he admits.
But it's that very attitude the Cleary demands from his players, because as the coach said during his first week in charge of the joint venture, "the star of the team is the team".
"I know on paper and whatever everyone is saying about me, I'm that supposed marquee man or whatever," Reynolds said.
"But I actually read something that Ivan came out with the other day – 'the big 17'. That really caught my eye. I know it's not going to be a team that relies on one person … They're putting faith in me and I'm really thankful for that, but I'm not a superstar, mate. I'm a team player. If I can play my game to make other people play better, I'll feel I'm doing my job then. Ivan said to me 'if you were to come to the Tigers, I'd really just need you to be Josh Reynolds. I don't need you to change and be someone who you're not'. I really loved that.
"I feel I bring some real different things to a team that other five-eighths wouldn't do. It's pretty obvious that I'm not the silkiest or classiest player but I know I can bring other things to a team. Hopefully bring team morale up, always be in the game and always be energetic. For him to say that, it probably made me a bit more comfortable in my own skin. He wasn't really trying to sell this fake illusion of something it might not be. I was really impressed with him the first time I met him for those reasons."
Don't mistake Reynolds' reluctance to leave Belmore as a reflection of his attitude towards the Tigers.
Granted, he didn't want to leave. But he also finds it hard to contain his excitment about the prospect of being the focal point of a cultural change that has the potential to deliver something special at the Wests Tigers.
Reynolds also spoke with Shane Flanagan about joining Cronulla. But it was Cleary's advice that convinced him the Tigers were the best fit for his career.
"Ivan spoke about the difference between the clubs," Reynolds said.
"He told me: 'Cronulla have lots of senior players and just won a comp – so you'll fit in really easy. Or you can come here and take on a bit of a different challenge and come here as the older bloke and help the younger guys'. In the end I think that may have got me over the line.
"I feel in life you should always challenge yourself. I know it's going to be a hard challenge with a new roster there, but I want to bring what I've brought to the Bulldogs my whole career to that club. It's really exciting times. I think they are really heading in the right direction and Ivan is going to be great for the club."
The first pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together for the Wests Tigers.
Mitchell Moses, James Tedesco and Aaron Woods are headed for the exit doors.
Ben Matulino and Chris McQueen are on their way to Tiger Town, and their halves for at least 2018 and 2019 will be Reynolds and Luke Brooks.
"There was plenty of hype around him when he was young," Reynolds said of his future halves partner.
"I actually felt a bit sorry for him because people were comparing him to 'Joey' Johns because he's the same build. That's hard on the kid. I think he's done a great job and hopefully I can go there and let him run the show. He's been there. It's his team. I just want to be there and help him in any way I can. You obviously think about if you'll have a good combination and I think we can really work. If he just gets really confident, I feel he's going to be a really, really good player.
"I haven't spoken to him about me coming. I feel it's not appropriate to talk to any of the players just yet because my main focus this year is 115 per cent at the Dogs. I'll probably have a talk to a few of them when it gets a bit closer and say 'I just want to fit in here'. I'm not going to go there and think I'm the man, because that's just not in my nature."
In Cleary's initial meetings with Tigers powerbrokers before accepting the top job, he had reservations given the relentless criticism of the club's administration and board.
Even chairperson Marina Go admitted Cleary must have thought she was a moron from some of the things being said about her.
Basket case, rabble ... Reynolds had heard the same things. But the former Origin winner insists he didn't let the outside noise influence his decision.
"From the outside looking in, a lot of things often don't look as bad as they seem," he said.
"For me, I've always judged a person – and in this case a club – on how they've treated me. For them to go out on a limb and say to me 'we want you to come here and be a leader', I really like that.
"Whatever I hear from other people and their opinions on the club, I really tend to put them to the side – I keep them in mind – but if someone treats me good, I'm going to treat them good. I'll make my own assumptions when I get there, and I'm sure it's going to be great."
With Reynolds, the Tigers know what they will get.
Effort, energy. Perhaps the odd brain explosion, but a player that others want to play with – yet another one of Cleary's coaching philosophies.
"I've always had people leading for me," Reynolds said. "Maybe it's time for me to step out of their shadows and be a leader myself."
