South Sydney halfback Adam Reynolds hasn't joined the Cronulla pile-on after he chose Brisbane ahead of the Sharks as his next NRL destination, insisting his dealings with the Sydney club during the recruitment process were "fantastic".
The Sharks were in the box seat to land the No.7 next season after the Rabbitohs didn't offer Reynolds the long-term deal he desired.
But the 30-year-old chose the Broncos, coach Kevin Walters and new chief executive Dave Donaghy convincing him to head north after detailing their plan to regenerate last year's wooden spoon club with Reynolds at the wheel.
Reports on Thursday claimed the Broncos had offered Reynolds less than the Sharks, who had made a meal of their attempt to lure the premiership-winning half.
"It was a tough decision. Souths, Cronulla, Brisbane were all fantastic and I just had to pick one of them," he said.
"I know they're copping a bit in the media, but Fitzy (incoming coach Craig Fitzgibbon), I have a lot of respect for him and they dealt with the process accordingly.
"Brisbane was just a fresh start for me and my family and it's just a challenge (that excited me)."
The Sharks chose not to extend coach John Morris's contract, recruiting Sydney Roosters assistant Fitzgibbon partly due to a belief he could lure big-name players.
The Sharks will lose Chad Townsend to North Queensland next season, while fellow playmakers Shaun Johnson, Matt Moylan and Braydon Trindall are all yet to lock in their futures for 2022.
The Broncos had faced similar issues, with a string of high-profile exits halted last week when Kotoni Staggs re-signed.
Reynolds made clear that Brisbane's rebuild wouldn't occupy his mind until he left Souths, but that the idea of joining another NRL force excited him.
"It's a big club; a one-team town, powerhouse back in the day and there's potential there to get back to where it used to be," he said.
"It's a challenge, I love challenges, I'm a competitive person and love winning and I'll do everything possible to play consistent football."
Australian Associated Press
