GrogDog
bad attitude
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NSW Origin five-eighth Josh Reynolds a Bulldog who won't roll over for anyone
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...wont-roll-over-for-anyone-20140521-zrkbs.html
When you consider his path to the Origin arena, which included a train-off only to become the bench player who never came off the bench, you know Josh Reynolds won't take his sky-blue jersey for granted.
While some see the Reynolds as a stop-gap while the likes of halves Luke Brooks or Mitchell Pearce grow up - each in their own way - this Bulldog has no intention of rolling over for anyone.
"Obviously many things have happened over the last couple of years and there have been a few different combinations," said one half of a new Blues pairing which includes Bulldogs teammate Trent Hodkinson. "For myself and Trent, it's more about playing our own game. Hopefully we can do the job and I take a lot of confidence in that they put their belief in us. People can have their own [opinion]. I know for a fact I'm not the silkiest player going around and Trent can probably tell you the same.
"I know he's got my back and he's knows I've got his. That goes a long way. You can be the most talented guy in the world and not trust the guy inside you. That's one area where we will never let each other down and that's definitely the culture you're trying to build."
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The contrast with the opposition No.6 couldn't be more stark. Johnathan Thurson has any number of signature moves, most notably the show and go, which have fooled the southerners for eight years straight. Reynolds provides an altogether different spark. The opening 10 rounds of the NRL season for his beloved Bulldogs have been the perfect preparation for Origin. Most matches have been tight, even dour, affairs. On most occasions, thanks largely to Reynolds and Hodkinson, they have made the winning play.
Which is why he is excited rather than daunted by marking up on Thurston. "It's awesome, he's one of the best, if not the best, player in the world," he said. "It really excites me that I get to go up against him on the big stage. They're the guys you chase, the guys who have set the benchmark for years now. I can't wait to challenge myself. People say 'are you nervous?'. I'm not nervous, I'm really excited to challenge myself against someone who has done so many things in the game."
Reynolds could well have been a member of Laurie Daley's 17 had it not been for Pearce's Kings Cross bender. But rather than coming off the bench he is expected to control the tempo from the outset in the 100th Origin match. "It's different in the fact I know what my role is," he said. "I'm in the halves, that's what I want to do and Laurie and a few of the boys have said they need to control the team even though it's a bit of a daunting thing. You've got guys like Gal [Paul Gallen], Lewie [Luke Lewis], Haynesy [Jarryd Hayne], who have played so many Origin games already and try to put your stamp on things and run the boys around the park. It's easy for us because they're a great bunch of guys, there are no heads in there that think they're better than anyone else. That will make it a bit easier."
Reynolds' introduction into the Origin arena was one of the more unusual. When selectors couldn't split him and South Sydney counterpart John Sutton, they trained off for a spot. Reynolds won, only to spend the entire 80 minutes of his Origin debut watching helplessly from the interchange bench. "It was definitely disappointing, I'm never shy to say that," he said. "Laurie said to me 'I'd be a bit upset if you weren't disappointed'. I had a look at it and what do you do? If I went away, kicked stones and chucked a tantrum ... the boys won the game and that's what matters. That's the big thing I try to live by. It's definitely not about you, you're not the only player out there. I got to get out there in game II and play footy, which is great. I'm hopefully part of the family now."
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...wont-roll-over-for-anyone-20140521-zrkbs.html
When you consider his path to the Origin arena, which included a train-off only to become the bench player who never came off the bench, you know Josh Reynolds won't take his sky-blue jersey for granted.
While some see the Reynolds as a stop-gap while the likes of halves Luke Brooks or Mitchell Pearce grow up - each in their own way - this Bulldog has no intention of rolling over for anyone.
"Obviously many things have happened over the last couple of years and there have been a few different combinations," said one half of a new Blues pairing which includes Bulldogs teammate Trent Hodkinson. "For myself and Trent, it's more about playing our own game. Hopefully we can do the job and I take a lot of confidence in that they put their belief in us. People can have their own [opinion]. I know for a fact I'm not the silkiest player going around and Trent can probably tell you the same.
"I know he's got my back and he's knows I've got his. That goes a long way. You can be the most talented guy in the world and not trust the guy inside you. That's one area where we will never let each other down and that's definitely the culture you're trying to build."
Advertisement
The contrast with the opposition No.6 couldn't be more stark. Johnathan Thurson has any number of signature moves, most notably the show and go, which have fooled the southerners for eight years straight. Reynolds provides an altogether different spark. The opening 10 rounds of the NRL season for his beloved Bulldogs have been the perfect preparation for Origin. Most matches have been tight, even dour, affairs. On most occasions, thanks largely to Reynolds and Hodkinson, they have made the winning play.
Which is why he is excited rather than daunted by marking up on Thurston. "It's awesome, he's one of the best, if not the best, player in the world," he said. "It really excites me that I get to go up against him on the big stage. They're the guys you chase, the guys who have set the benchmark for years now. I can't wait to challenge myself. People say 'are you nervous?'. I'm not nervous, I'm really excited to challenge myself against someone who has done so many things in the game."
Reynolds could well have been a member of Laurie Daley's 17 had it not been for Pearce's Kings Cross bender. But rather than coming off the bench he is expected to control the tempo from the outset in the 100th Origin match. "It's different in the fact I know what my role is," he said. "I'm in the halves, that's what I want to do and Laurie and a few of the boys have said they need to control the team even though it's a bit of a daunting thing. You've got guys like Gal [Paul Gallen], Lewie [Luke Lewis], Haynesy [Jarryd Hayne], who have played so many Origin games already and try to put your stamp on things and run the boys around the park. It's easy for us because they're a great bunch of guys, there are no heads in there that think they're better than anyone else. That will make it a bit easier."
Reynolds' introduction into the Origin arena was one of the more unusual. When selectors couldn't split him and South Sydney counterpart John Sutton, they trained off for a spot. Reynolds won, only to spend the entire 80 minutes of his Origin debut watching helplessly from the interchange bench. "It was definitely disappointing, I'm never shy to say that," he said. "Laurie said to me 'I'd be a bit upset if you weren't disappointed'. I had a look at it and what do you do? If I went away, kicked stones and chucked a tantrum ... the boys won the game and that's what matters. That's the big thing I try to live by. It's definitely not about you, you're not the only player out there. I got to get out there in game II and play footy, which is great. I'm hopefully part of the family now."
