Reynolds no second-year syndrome

Halfback Adam Reynolds ... no second-year syndrome. Source: Gregg Porteous / News Limited

South Sydney coach Michael Maguire doesn't believe in second-year syndrome but even if he did, he wouldn't harbour any concerns for halfback Adam Reynolds.

Reynolds, coming off a season in which he won rookie of the year honours, shapes as a pivotal figure tomorrow night as the Rabbitohs open their season against arch-rival the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium.

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Maguire has no doubt the 22-year-old can handle the expectation that has followed on from his breakout season, in which he played every one of the Rabbitohs' 27 games.

So central did he become to the club's success that the hamstring injury that prematurely ended his participation in the preliminary final against Canterbury is largely blamed for ending the Rabbitohs' grand-final ambitions.

Inadvertently, that injury has helped maintain Reynolds's hunger, as has the knee injury that destroyed his 2011 season.

"I am not a believer in the second-year syndrome," Maguire said.

"For Adam himself, he sets extremely high standards.

"I think he is focused about what he's been through this pre-season and the way he has developed. From what he learnt last season, particularly being out for 12 months with a knee reconstruction, the fire in his belly and obviously the disappointment he faced in that last game, he's a hungry kid.

"He's looking forward to jumping back into this season and playing."

Maguire also has no concerns the hype will overwhelm his young halfback.

Fewer than 30 games into his first-grade career, Reynolds has been mentioned as a prospective halfback for the NSW State of Origin side.

He gets an ideal opportunity to press his claims against Blues incumbent Mitchell Pearce tomorrow night.

It's a lot for any player to take in, let alone a player in only his second year of first grade.

Yet, Reynolds has had to grow up fast - he had two children by the age of 20.

"He is a young kid with his feet on the ground," Maguire said.

"He understands the environment he is in - he understands the things that it brings such as the expectation and the hype about being in Origin.

"For Adam, he is really focused about the things he can control. He is a young kid with a little family and he leads a good life.

'There is still a way to go and he understands that, he knows that himself.

"That's why he practises so hard. He has high expectations of what he wants to try to achieve in his football career.

"He is an extremely passionate kid for South Sydney, which makes my job very easy when he crosses that white line. He wants to perform and win.

"So for him it's about continually developing his game and those sorts of things will sort themselves out.

"But he understands he has a way to go.

"I guess some of that comes from when he was out injured.

"When you're sitting on the sidelines it's a lonely old time and you want to get out there and perform because that's what they love doing. I think he has taken every game as being a real important one."

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