By Nick Wright
On his first day of being tasked to end the Broncos’ 18-year NRL premiership drought, coach Michael Maguire says his relationship with captain Adam Reynolds has the makings of a title force.
It took barely four days for Brisbane to announce Kevin Walters’ successor, after the club legend’s time at the helm was officially brought to an end on Friday.
Maguire, who has not coached in the NRL since his axing at Wests Tigers in 2022, comes with recent representative success – steering New Zealand to the Pacific Championships title, before guiding New South Wales to a State of Origin series win.
Michael Maguire will return to the NRL coaching ranks with the Brisbane Broncos.Credit: Getty Images
But his rapport with Broncos skipper Reynolds could hold the keys to Brisbane overturning a disastrous season, in which the 2023 grand finalists finished at 12th on the ladder.
Reynolds was Maguire’s halfback at South Sydney in 2014, when the Rabbitohs won their first premiership in 43 years, and the 50-year-old was confident the pair could strike a similar combination in Brisbane.
However, he stopped short of confirming Reynolds would remain as captain for what was expected to be the last year of his playing career.
“I’ll talk to Reyno, he’s a leader. I’ve got to get to the players and find out where they’re at across all assets of what they’re doing. We’ll make decisions moving forward, but he’ll be a big part in the conversations,” Maguire said.
“I’m really excited to reunite with Adam. I remember him when he was a young kid, I started when he was about 18,19, and he was coming off battling injury, and he’s gone on and won a comp.
“He’s got the knowledge of what the top-end looks like, so you rely on players like Adam. To watch him develop through that period and now see him carry himself as a family man, I love his values about how he loves his kids and I think that plays a big part in a club.”
Maguire said while he would not “put a timeline” on winning a premiership with the Broncos, “I’m in a rush. I’ll work every single day to make sure we improve.”
Adam Reynolds cuts a dejected figure as the Brisbane Broncos’ season ends in a whimper against the Melbourne Storm.Credit: NRL Photos
His move into the Broncos’ head coach job has come swiftly, leading to speculation discussions had been under way before Walters officially departed.
However, CEO Dave Donaghy – who worked alongside Maguire when the pair were with the Melbourne Storm – denied any calls had been made until Friday.
“The conversations happened really quickly,” Donaghy said. “Once we were in a position last week where an outcome was reached, the first person I called after connecting with our group here was Michael.
“I was pleased that he had a little level of interest to want to get back in the arena. He’s a career professional coach whose experience has spanned over a couple of decades.
“He works incredibly hard, and he’s a real family man, and I think that really aligns with our organisation.”