Josh Reynolds, the man who happily refers to himself as the Wests Tigers' very own Steven Bradbury, wasn't sure if Michael Maguire was joking in the Brookvale Oval sheds last Thursday night.
"Nine next week?" Maguire said to Reynolds, as he sat next to injured skipper Moses Mbye with a nervous smile after the loss to the Sea Eagles.
"Moses was geeing up 'Madge' [Maguire] and when Madge said to me about playing No.9 he was laughing so I wasn't sure if he was serious," Reynolds told the Herald. "I was all for it. He must have went through all the scenarios because it wasn't until the Saturday, two days later, I got the call to tell me I was playing.
"Madge has always been honest with me and said 'I'll still use when needed'.
“Had he brought up someone from Ron Massey Cup, then I would have thought differently. I'm glad the call came."
Reynolds will be impossible to miss when he runs out in Robbie Farah's famous No. 9 jersey at Campbelltown Sports Stadium on Saturday evening.
It will be just his 10th game for the joint venture since joining them at the start of last year and his first at the south-western Sydney venue.
He will be bouncing around with plenty of excitement - but knows his call-up if a fortuitous one. Injuries to Farah and then Jacob Liddle have paved the way for Reynolds to get the nod for a first-grade recall he was convinced might not come this season.
"Yep, Steven Bradbury, that's what it is," Reynolds said with a smile, in reference to the Aussie speed skater who won Gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics after the rest of the skaters wiped out. "I have a laugh about it. Rugby league is a weird game, and if you try to work it out, it does your head in."
Reynolds enjoyed his time in reserve grade, but when you're pulling in close to $800,000 a season - and have played in NRL grand finals and Origin games for NSW - you want to be playing with the big boys.
That point was never clearer for Reynolds just two weeks ago when he was sitting in the sheds out at Blacktown preparing for a reserve grade game with the Western Suburbs Magpies, the Tigers' feeder club.
Steven Bradbury, that's what it is. I have a laugh about it. Rugby league is a weird game, and if you try to work it out, it does your head in.
Reynolds' heart sank a little when he laid eyes on the concrete-like surface. He still has the grazes on his knees.
It was even more deflating when fellow first-graders Liddle, Chris McQueen and Tommy Talau were all pulled from the game by Maguire just before kick-off to play first grade.
The previous night Farah and Mbye went down injured, while Luke Garner was facing a week's suspension.
Maguire needed fresh troops for the following week.
Reynolds would have loved that call. He was also well aware he would need to shine in a game with plenty of changes to the starting line-up, hardly an ideal scenario when trying to win over the boss for an NRL recall.
“One of the toughest things about playing reggies is the fact you can't get any continuity because of the players being in and out all the time," Reynolds said. "That's nobody's fault. But when you lose three or four good players it's tough.
"For me preparation is everything. I've just done the captain's run and I know exactly what my role is tomorrow. I've become a creature of habit as I've got older.
"You need to play good football to get back into the NRL, and I guess it's easier when you have some of those more experienced boys around. That's not a knock on the others because that day against Blacktown, they had a stacked side - there were the likes of T-Rex [Tony Williams] and Tim Simona - but we still had a crack.
"But I remember that being the hardest time for me."
Reynolds still has another two years on his Tigers deal, but is only worried about getting the job done at dummy-half against the Knights. A win keeps the Tigers' finals dream alive.
With Farah to retire and Liddle to potentially miss much of next season with a knee injury, Maguire will need a dummy-half. Reynolds is a five-eighth by trade, but could be an option.
Issac Luke, Api Koroisau and even Billy Walters, the son of Kevin Walters who is capable of playing five-eighth and hooker, have all been touted as options, with Maguire telling the Herald "all those players are potentials with the situation we're in now".
"Moses can also play No.9, and he did play there in the grand final back in 2014 [for the Bulldogs]," said Maguire, who led the Rabbitohs to the title that year.
All those things will be discussed in good time. Right now we have an important game we're preparing for. We've been working since last November for this moment.
"One thing I've learned about 'Grubby' [Reynolds] is his resilience as an individual.
"He's always been professional around the club and I'm looking forward to seeing him run around with the boys. I love his character and how he's so competitive."
