Adam Reynolds responds after Trent Barrett spotted in Brisbane sheds after Parramatta game

Brisbane captain Adam Reynolds has played down the surprise appearance of interim Parramatta coach Trent Barrett in the Broncos sheds after Friday night's match at Suncorp Stadium. Reynolds' men kept their slim NRL finals hopes alive with an unconvincing 30-24 win over the Eels, who let a 16-0 lead slip to be run down by Kevin Walters' side.

The loss came after the Wests Tigers shocked Manly to draw level on 16 competition points with the Eels, meaning the final round battle between the two sides could be for the NRL wooden spoon. Barrett has already confirmed he won't be at Parramatta next season after agreeing to join Walters' coaching staff at the Broncos in 2025, when Jason Ryles takes over as the new head coach of the Eels.

And Barrett was seen familiarising himself with the Brisbane team after being spotted in the Broncos sheds after Friday night's game, in what is a very uncommon move from a rival coach. Reynolds confirmed that Barrett was just "checking in" with Walters and the rest of the Broncos coaching staff but didn't see any issue with his presence after joking about the interim Eels coach's arrival for next season.

“I think he was just checking in with Kevin and the other coaches," Reynolds said on Triple M Breakfast with Marto, Margaux and Dan. "But geez, we're going to have a good looking coaching staff. As in attractive. Very handsome.”

Reynolds was in a more serious mood when discussing the positives and negatives from Friday night's game and his side's hopes of sneaking into the top-eight in the final two rounds. The ninth-placed Broncos play the 10th-ranked Dolphins away on Saturday evening, followed by a home game against a Storm side that has already wrapped up the minor premiership and could likely rest players. Brisbane are just one win off the eighth-placed Dragons - who face the Eels and Raiders in their final two games - and the Broncos have a much better for-and-against than the Dragons if they do end up on the same amount of points.

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Reynolds says he was proud of the attitude his side showed to come back from a horror start to beat the Eels but insisted they can't give opposition teams that kind of start. “I think the positive as a team, just to come back from the bit of adversity that we faced early on," he added. “Obviously what is not good enough is that start, and that's the disappointing thing. You know, that start needs to be a lot better moving forward, and that's the improvement that we need in our game.

“We wanted to do the exact opposite... We wanted to start fast with the ball, run hard, cause a bit of havoc, kick to the corners and then make them work it off their own try line. But, yeah, they did that to us. And it was about recognising that, being a bit more physical through the middle and then obviously, completing and putting a bit more pressure on them.”

Adam Reynolds backs defiant finals call from Kevin Walters

Reynolds says he backs the claim from his Broncos coach that Brisbane will definitely make the finals and insists it's just the kind of positive character that Walters is. “He's had that philosophy for the last couple of weeks... He's a very passionate man and wears his heart on his sleeve each week and we love the energy that he brings," the Brisbane No.7 added about his coach.

Walters has already revealed he won't play injured superstar Reece Walsh in Saturday's do-or-die clash with the Dolphins, despite the fact a loss would all but end his side's season. The livewire fullback hasn't played in two weeks after fracturing his hand against the Cowboys, and has undergone surgery to stabilise the injury.

Brisbane hoped Walsh might only miss two games like Jayden Campbell did with a similar injury for the Titans this season. But Walters said in Friday night's post-match press conference that neither Walsh nor Payne Haas would be fit to face the Dolphins. It leaves most of the responsibility firmly on the shoulders of Reynolds, who will be keen to get one over his former coach, Wayne Bennett.

“I don't have to shift my focus too much. Obviously, there's a lot at stake for us as a club," Reynolds said. That's where my focus needs to be. I need to go out there and do my job. I thought I'd done it in patches on the weekend, obviously not for the full 80 minutes, and need to be a lot better this weekend to make sure that we get the result... But still a lot of respect and love for Wayne. He's done a lot for me in my career and hopefully I can make it a tough night for him.”

NRL state of play with two rounds remaining:

1. Storm - 42 points (+213 for-and-against)

2. Roosters - 36 points (+269)

3. Sharks - 36 points (+204)

4. Panthers - 36 points (+158)

5. Bulldogs - 34 points (+146)

6. Cowboys - 32 points (+43)

7. Sea Eagles - 31 points (+121)

8. Dragons - 28 points (-120)

9. Broncos - 26 points (+2)

10. Dolphins - 26 points (-27)

11. Knights - 26 points (-70)

12. Raiders - 26 points (-131)

Key matches in Round 26:

• Eels v Dragons

• Dolphins v Broncos

• Knights v Titans

• Roosters v Raiders