Ben Hunt revealed he was caught off guard when Adam Reynolds' name appeared on the Broncos' extended bench ahead of their round 26 clash with the Cowboys.
The captain, sidelined by a hamstring injury, had been tipped to return before finals, but Hunt admitted he thought the call had come a little early.
"I was surprised when I saw him in there," Hunt told 4BC Breakfast. "To be fair, we didn't have a big session on Tuesday. It was only two days after our last game. We just did a bit of recovery and got moving again. Our big day is (Wednesday). I guess we will get some more information from Madge and Reynolds then."
Reynolds' return would reunite the competition's oldest halves pairing, with Hunt filling in while Ezra Mam recovers from a long-term suspension and an untimely hamstring injury.
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Mam and Selwyn Cobbo are both considered unlikely to feature again this season, leaving Hunt and Reynolds to steer the side into September.
"Moving forward, it will probably be the direction we are going in, we aren't 100 per cent yet," Hunt said. "We are not expecting Ezra to be back, not at this stage anyway. We had a conversation that once the old boy gets back from his hamstring, he will be back in, and we will move on like the start of the year."
The Broncos, who have endured a turbulent 2025 under Michael Maguire, now find themselves back in the finals after a seven-year absence. For Hunt, who last week celebrated his 350th NRL appearance, it is the chance to end a rollercoaster season on a high.