Josh Reynolds is facing the prospect of starting the year in reserve grade as Michael Maguire prepares to make his first big call at Wests Tigers.

Benji Marshall has beaten Reynolds to the Tigers’ No.6 jersey for the season-opening game against Manly at Leichhardt Oval Saturday. It was widely expected that Reynolds would be injected into the game off the interchange in a supersub role.

However, the Herald can reveal Reynolds is likely to be overlooked altogether and could instead feature in the Magpies team in the Canterbury Cup encounter against Blacktown Workers before the main game.

Setback: Josh Reynolds could start the year in reserve grade. Credit:Fairfax Media

If that were to happen, it would be an incredible demotion for a man trumpeted as the club’s marquee signing when he joined the Tigers on a four-year deal worth more than $3 million. It would make the former Canterbury five-eighth, who was part of the victorious 2014 NSW State of Origin team, one of the highest-paid players ever to feature in a reserve-grade game.