Things have gone from bad to worse for the NSW Blues, with halfback Adam Reynolds likely not to don the Blue jersey again this season due to a shoulder injury picked up in his side’s 26-16 loss to Queensland at Suncorp Stadium.
Reynolds was taken from the field late in the game and failed to return as the Blues lost the series in front of a hostile crowd in Brisbane.
The early diagnosis was a partial shoulder dislocation, which looks set to not only rule him out of the final game of the Origin series, but several weeks for club side South Sydney.
He is scheduled to undergo an MRI scan on Thursday, and has been ruled out of the Rabbitohs’ clash with the Panthers this weekend.
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Blues coach Laurie Daley discussed the seriousness of the injury, saying a return for the Blues halfback in 2016 looked unlikely.
“I don’t think he’ll be right for game three. I asked the doctor quickly, but I don’t think he’ll be right. It was the shoulder.”
Reynolds has been in and around the Blues set up for years, with previous injury trouble ruling him out of contention. His performance in Game 2 of the series was an improvement on his nervy debut, and he would have been all but assured of selection.
While Queensland continued their dominance with another series win – their tenth in 11 years – Reynolds was seen as a building block for the future of the NSW side.
At this stage, Daley was not tempted to discuss potential replacements, although debutant Jack Bird impressed from the bench. He has previously played at halfback for Country, although his preferred position for Cronulla is usually at five-eighth.
When asked about the possibility of playing alongside his club teammate James Maloney in the halves, Bird said he would be reluctant.
“I haven’t really played halfback, and I’m more of a five-eighth. It’s the same position, but in my head [it’s not], and when I try to play a different role, that’s when things get mixed up [for me].”
Current Blues five-eighth Maloney could also be shifted to the No.7 for Game 3, although Daley would be reluctant to tinker with his five-eighth after another strong performance.
Maloney single-handedly got the Blues back into the game with a late solo try which he converted to narrow the gap to four points.
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