Former Australian and Queensland playmaker Ben Ikin says highly-paid Wests Tigers five-eighth Josh Reynolds is “too good” to be playing reserve grade.

Reynolds, 30, was reportedly granted permission to negotiate with rival clubs on Wednesday after playing just nine NRL games since joining the Tigers at the start of 2018.

The former NSW Blues five-eighth has been stuck behind Benji Marshall and with the Kiwi veteran keen to play again in 2020, Reynolds looks set to depart.

“That has been a while coming because despite the fact that (former Wests coach) Ivan Cleary had big plans for Reynolds, under (current Wests coach) Michael Maguire he has battled with injury,” Ben Ikin told NRL 360.

“He has been mainly playing in the second tier and looks as though he isn’t going to get an opportunity in the top grade under Michael Maguire the way he would have wanted.

“He is too good a player not to be playing in the top grade somewhere.”

Reynolds is reportedly on $800,000 per season which could prove a hurdle for interested clubs, but Wests can contribute to his wage and get him off the books to free up salary cap space.

Ikin believes Reynolds would be a worthy purchase for any club due to his contribution on and off the field.

“He would be a great addition if you are trying to build a culture at a club he is a great club man,” Ikin said.

“If you get him at the right price he is the ultimate competitor and I stake a lot on what (Reynold’s former teammate) James Graham thinks about his teammates and he holds Josh Reynolds in the highest regard.

“When Reynolds was leaving the Bulldogs to go to the Tigers and the things that Graham said about him, not that I wasn’t already sold, but it just stamped it.”