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Message: [QUOTE="GCBRONCO, post: 2694481, member: 1808"] [B]BRISBANE centre Jack Reed has rocketed into career-best form after fearing he was in danger of having his Broncos contract torn up by coach Wayne Bennett. [/B] [url]http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/how-broncos-centre-jack-reeds-nrl-career-came-back-from-the-brink/story-fnp0lyn6-1227463621088?login=1[/url] Reed has been the poster boy of Brisbane’s revival this season. The British Test centre has improved in 13 statistical categories going into the Broncos clash with Manly. Reed’s Broncos career was at the crossroads a year ago when he was axed from the top grade for a code of conduct breach after a night out in Brisbane. In the space of a year, Reed has gone from an underperforming defensive centre to one of the Broncos’ shining attacking lights. Bennett had not been sure whether Reed was in his long-term plans, but the 27-year-old’s response has been so emphatic he has kept classy flyer Dale Copley in the Intrust Super Cup. Reed returns from suspension to face the Sea Eagles at Gosford and halfback Ben Hunt praised the centre’s character. “Jack came into this year thinking he might not be in the side and that drove him to really have a great off-season,” Hunt said. “I noticed his desire in pre-season. He wanted to prove a point that he belonged in the team and wanted to hold his spot down. He got his shot to play and hasn’t let us down. “He has had close to his best year and defensively he locks down our left side. He has worked a lot harder and it’s really showed in his footy.’’ Compared to his patchy 2014 season, Reed this year is averaging more runs, possessions and running metres. With two months of the season to play, Reed already has more line breaks (12 to 8), tackle busts (31 to 25), offloads (12 to 7) and try assists (8 to 2) than he managed last year. Reed’s manager Jim Banaghan said the Bribie Island junior, who is contracted until the end of 2017, was not sure if he had a future at Brisbane when Bennett took charge. He didn’t know Wayne well and he thought he was skating on thin ice,” Banaghan said. “Jack never really had the pressure on him to be questioning himself and his place in the team. “Jack is full of self-belief again. He had a reputation as a hard trainer. That part was never in question, it was game performance and Jack knew he needed to lift his game if he wanted to stay at the club.’’ Reed said he wanted to win back the trust and respect of his teammates this season. “I probably got a bit complacent which I wasn’t happy with and I wanted to take my game to another level,” Reed told NRL.com. “I’ve got a bit of a history with shoulder reconstructions and I just wanted to prove to the team that I deserved to be out there and that they wanted to play alongside me as well. “I came in with the right mindset and I sorted myself out both on and off the field.’’ [/QUOTE]

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