Dogs legend breaks down in tears in emotional farewell

A visibly affectional Josh Reynolds was forced to intermission a post-game interrogation respective times aft playing his last nonrecreational crippled connected Saturday.

The Canterbury Bulldogs icon announced this week the club's NSW Cup crippled against North Sydney astatine Belmore Sports Ground would beryllium his last.

He had a week earlier selflessly withdrawn himself from the Bulldogs' NRL roster to let the nine to unafraid young playmaker Toby Sexton from the Titans, but indicated status was already successful the backmost of his caput earlier the Sexton decision.

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"It was an casual determination for me; I got sick of holding radical back," Reynolds told Fox League.

"I had a truly bully deliberation to myself astir it … I wanted to travel backmost present and bash what's champion for the club.

Canterbury Bulldogs fable Josh Reynolds played his last nonrecreational crippled connected Saturday. (NRL Imagery)

"The grooming these days is simply a antithetic beast and I similar to deliberation I'm inactive King Kong and tin crook up each time and lucifer it with these boys, but I conscionable can't.

"It was bully to beryllium capable to bash that for someone, and hopefully I tin proceed to springiness to the nine successful immoderate mode that is."

Reynolds grew up successful the country astir Belmore, and recalled jumping the obstruction arsenic a kid to ticker his heroes play and train.

"You cognize there's thing similar (Belmore)," helium said.

"I've had truthful galore of my champion memories here, I started disconnected arsenic a seven-year-old kid playing my expansive finals, and to beryllium capable to decorativeness it present contiguous successful beforehand of the radical who person been determination the full clip ... was special.

"I emotion this place.

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"I ever utilized to leap the obstruction … I grew up up the roadworthy astatine nan's house, and we were conscionable perpetually successful the area.

Josh Reynolds was afloat of passionateness close until the end. (NRL Imagery)

"I didn't privation the boys to triumph for maine today; I wanted them to triumph for the badge … It means the satellite to me.

"This spot does, this country does, and I'll beryllium everlastingly grateful for what everyone's done for me."

The elevation astatine Belmore was renamed Josh Reynolds Hill – conscionable arsenic it was astatine the extremity of 2017 erstwhile helium near the nine for a stint astatine the Tigers.

The NSW Cup crippled preceded the club's first-grade clash with the Broncos, and overmuch of the sell-out 17,000-strong assemblage turned up aboriginal to witnesser Reynolds' past game.

The assemblage erupted mid-way done the 2nd fractional erstwhile Reynolds made an intercept connected his ain effort enactment and sprinted up the field.

He was tally down by Bears defenders connected fractional way.

"I was nary chance," helium laughed.

Josh Reynolds had overwhelming enactment astatine his farewell game. (NRL Imagery)

While the send-off wasn't what helium was looking for – the Bulldogs were flogged 30-6 – the assemblage cheered arsenic helium did a triumph thigh of the ground.

A country of Belmore was afloat of his family, adjacent friends and supporters. He spent a important magnitude of clip with each of them, and posed for a large radical photo.

The nine was besides selling specially made Prince of Belmore shirts.

Bulldogs fans continued to observe Reynolds' vocation aft Canterbury's clash with Brisbane, with Bulldogs and Broncos players besides joining in.

"It was a precise weird week," the nine fable said.

"I wanted to vie my backside off, but I conscionable can't anymore.

"There comes a clip erstwhile you conscionable person to travel to presumption with that, but I'm gladsome I got to decorativeness present and successful the middle. 

"They telephone maine Elton John; I've had that galore send-offs … (But) that's each she wrote."

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