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http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...rocket-he-needed/story-fni3g67w-1227315527696
JOSH Reynolds has admitted how Andrew Johns’ scathing comments about his form was “hard to cop’’ - but it also might have been “the little rocket’’ he and Canterbury teammate Trent Hodkinson needed.
Just whether Reynolds and Hodkinson should retain their NSW jumpers for Origin I has been a hot topic of debate.
Immortal Johns certainly didn’t pull any punches when he told Triple M last week: “Reynolds is always enthusiastic and gets the ball in his hands, but there were a few occasions he was enthusiastic, then totally lost his head.
“He was coming up with spontaneous kicks, and no one knew what was going on around him because there were no chasers. The kicks were absolute duds. He’s so low on confidence, it’s a real worry for NSW.’’
On Wednesday Reynolds said Johns was entitled to his opinion.
The tough No. 6 said everyone loved to discuss the Origin halves make-up, and he now understood what Mitchell Pearce went through for so many years.
“It was hard to cop, just because it’s Joey Johns, he’s an idol of mine, and I’m sure of Trent’s when growing up,’’ Reynolds said about Joey’s verdict.
“It’s fair enough, and everyone has an opinion, but to say he was ‘terrified’ (about our form) ... it’s up to us to prove him wrong.
“He can say whatever he wants. He was the best player in the world, the best there ever was. I respect that.
“We weren’t playing good footy at that time. It’s up to us to take it on board.
“Maybe it was the little rocket we might have needed from the best player that’s ever played.’’
Reynolds returned to Canterbury’s starting side last weekend against Manly and produced his best performance of the season. He’ll look to improve on his form again when the Dogs clash with Wests Tigers on Friday night.
He would love to be picked for City this weekend, then go on to do battle for NSW again.
“If I don’t get picked, it’ll give me more drive so I do get picked. If I do get picked, I’ll be over the moon,’’ Reynolds said.
“It’s not the first thing I think about. My first (thoughts) are playing for the boys here and getting my form back and showing them I’m ready to steer them around the park.’’
Reynolds said he only got back to his best after he ignored all the advice, which came “from the people down the street, to people in here (at Canterbury) to family’’.
They all wanted to improve his game.
“There are still people out there who think I’m not a five-eighth. I’ve heard that about a million times,’’ he says.
“It’s not that people were trying to tell me to change my game, they were trying to make my someone I’m not.
“In the end I scrapped all that and went back to what I’m about. That’s how I got here.
“People wanted me to be a half who is a bit more structured and sticks to the game plan. Sometimes I get into games other ways — I might get into a game putting kick pressure on someone, or making a big tackle on a fullback.’’
JOSH Reynolds has admitted how Andrew Johns’ scathing comments about his form was “hard to cop’’ - but it also might have been “the little rocket’’ he and Canterbury teammate Trent Hodkinson needed.
Just whether Reynolds and Hodkinson should retain their NSW jumpers for Origin I has been a hot topic of debate.
Immortal Johns certainly didn’t pull any punches when he told Triple M last week: “Reynolds is always enthusiastic and gets the ball in his hands, but there were a few occasions he was enthusiastic, then totally lost his head.
“He was coming up with spontaneous kicks, and no one knew what was going on around him because there were no chasers. The kicks were absolute duds. He’s so low on confidence, it’s a real worry for NSW.’’
On Wednesday Reynolds said Johns was entitled to his opinion.
The tough No. 6 said everyone loved to discuss the Origin halves make-up, and he now understood what Mitchell Pearce went through for so many years.
“It was hard to cop, just because it’s Joey Johns, he’s an idol of mine, and I’m sure of Trent’s when growing up,’’ Reynolds said about Joey’s verdict.
“It’s fair enough, and everyone has an opinion, but to say he was ‘terrified’ (about our form) ... it’s up to us to prove him wrong.
“He can say whatever he wants. He was the best player in the world, the best there ever was. I respect that.
“We weren’t playing good footy at that time. It’s up to us to take it on board.
“Maybe it was the little rocket we might have needed from the best player that’s ever played.’’
Reynolds returned to Canterbury’s starting side last weekend against Manly and produced his best performance of the season. He’ll look to improve on his form again when the Dogs clash with Wests Tigers on Friday night.
He would love to be picked for City this weekend, then go on to do battle for NSW again.
“If I don’t get picked, it’ll give me more drive so I do get picked. If I do get picked, I’ll be over the moon,’’ Reynolds said.
“It’s not the first thing I think about. My first (thoughts) are playing for the boys here and getting my form back and showing them I’m ready to steer them around the park.’’
Reynolds said he only got back to his best after he ignored all the advice, which came “from the people down the street, to people in here (at Canterbury) to family’’.
They all wanted to improve his game.
“There are still people out there who think I’m not a five-eighth. I’ve heard that about a million times,’’ he says.
“It’s not that people were trying to tell me to change my game, they were trying to make my someone I’m not.
“In the end I scrapped all that and went back to what I’m about. That’s how I got here.
“People wanted me to be a half who is a bit more structured and sticks to the game plan. Sometimes I get into games other ways — I might get into a game putting kick pressure on someone, or making a big tackle on a fullback.’’
