The South Sydney Rabbitohs are grappling with a severe injury crisis in 2025, which has brought to light a significant oversight by the club’s retention and recruitment team back in 2022. The decision to let go of veteran halfback Adam Reynolds, offering him only a one-year contract instead of the two years he sought, is now under scrutiny.
Reynolds, now 35, left for the Brisbane Broncos after feeling disheartened by the Rabbitohs’ assessment that his body could not endure the relentless demands of the NRL over the long term. However, his performance since the move has proven otherwise, as South Sydney struggles with an expanding list of injured players.
Reynolds Proves Doubters Wrong
Veteran rugby league reporter Phil Rothfield has been vocal about the situation, suggesting that South Sydney needs to investigate their injury management and high-performance practices. “Souths need an investigation into their injuries, they really do. Their sports science, their high-performance. A lot of them have happened at training,” Rothfield stated on the Big Sports Breakfast.
Rothfield criticized the decision made by Souths’ high-performance staff four years ago, which advised against retaining Reynolds for more than a year. “Whoever on Souths high performance staff four years ago advised their recruitment team that Adam Reynolds was a risk longer than a year has made a gigantic error in my view,” he added.
Since joining the Broncos, Reynolds has played 74 games, 20 more than Souths’ Latrell Mitchell, and recorded 78 try assists, 600 points, 3490 possessions, and 30,412 kicking metres.
The Impact of a Lengthy Season
Alongside Reynolds’ impressive statistics, the Rabbitohs are currently missing key players such as Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker, Brandon Smith, Campbell Graham, Cameron Murray, and more due to injuries. This has sparked a broader conversation about the length of the NRL season.
Former player Laurie Daley pointed out the strain of a 27-round season, saying, “The season is too long isn’t it, 27 rounds… it’s a lot of football. 24 games, plus your Origins and your Test matches.” Daley’s comments resonate with many who believe the current schedule is unsustainable.
Calls for Change in Player Welfare
Rothfield echoed Daley’s sentiments, urging rugby league authorities to prioritize player welfare. “It is for the elite players, for the players who play finals every year. They play State of Origin, they play trial matches, they play the All Stars game,” Rothfield emphasized.
“As I said, they then have an international series. Then they got their six weeks off, then they get an interrupted pre-season. You’ve got to look at the welfare and you’ve got to look at injuries across the competition,” Rothfield stated.
As the Rabbitohs continue to navigate their injury crisis, the decision to part ways with Reynolds looms large. The club’s current predicament highlights the need for a reassessment of both player retention strategies and the overall demands placed on athletes in the NRL.
The situation serves as a cautionary tale for other clubs, emphasizing the importance of balancing immediate performance concerns with long-term player welfare and strategic planning. As the league evolves, these lessons could shape future decisions, ensuring that clubs are better prepared to manage the physical toll on their players.
