Six key issues new coach Michael Maguire must immediately address to fix the Brisbane Broncos
Michael Maguire has never faced anything like the expectation of being a Broncos coach — the pressure, expectation and navigating club greats. These are the problems he must address immediately.
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No other coach but Wayne Bennett has been able to deliver title success to the Broncos.
Ivan Henjak, Anthony Griffin, Anthony Seibold and Kevin Walters all failed to bring the NRL trophy back to Brisbane. Now Michael Maguire is in the Red Hill hot seat.
Peter Badel and Travis Meyn identify the six key areas Maguire must address to break the Broncos’ 19-year premiership drought.
1. THE CAPTAIN
Championship teams invariably have a champion halfback. Maguire needs to formulate a succession plan for Adam Reynolds on dual fronts. Not only does Maguire need to identify the long-term halfback to drive the Broncos machine, but establish whether Reynolds retains the captaincy for the 2025 season.
Brisbane’s $2.4 million investment in Reynolds has paid dividends. For all his injuries, the tough-as-nails playmaker has played 56 games for the Broncos and while he had an off night in the 2023 grand final, Brisbane wouldn’t have got to the big dance without Reynolds’ ice-cool game management.
Now the clock is ticking. Reynolds, 35 next July, is off-contract next year and almost certain to retire. Jock Madden has been Reynolds’ understudy for two seasons, while Queensland under-19s halfback Coby Black is being groomed for the Broncos. No.7 jumper.
Broncos legend Gorden Tallis believes Reynolds should be sacked as skipper and replaced by deputy Pat Carrigan for 2025. Maguire must decide whether to maintain the status quo or promote Carrigan to lead a new era next season.
“I’m really looking forward to reuniting with Adam,” said Maguire, who won a premiership at Souths with Reynolds in 2014.
“He’s got the knowledge of what the top-end looks like.
“I’ll talk to ‘Reyno’ (about the captaincy). He’s a leader. I’ve just arrived, so I’ve got to get to the players and find out where they’re at across all facets of what they’re doing. Then we’ll make decisions moving forward, but he (Reynolds) will be a big part in the conversations.”
2. THE OLD BOYS
Few clubs feel the searing external pressure imparted by their club legends.
Broncos Old Boys such as Gorden Tallis, Steve Renouf, Chris Johns and Shane Webcke are powerful figures and they are filthy over the treatment of Walters, the shockwaves of which will be felt by Maguire.
During this year’s Origin series, Tallis scoffed at Maguire’s playing record and lashed the NSW coach over his “glass houses” comment. Life for a Broncos coach is much smoother when the Old Boys are swimming with the tide, rather than creating choppy waters.
Walters’ predecessor Anthony Seibold never won over the Old Boys and it was a factor in his demise.
Maguire has dealt with powerful political forces at South Sydney and Wests Tigers, so he understands the laws of the NRL jungle. The Canberra-born mentor said all the right things on Tuesday and if he gets results quickly, it will quell any concerns from the Old Boys about the Broncos appointing a non-Queenslander.
“I’m happy for them to have their opinions,” Maguire said. “I’m happy to talk to anyone.
“Everyone’s got their own opinions, but we want to make great performances on the field that they can be proud of.
“They’ve been able to put a history into this organisation but it’s about this current crop of players creating their own now.”
3. THE ROCK STARS
Right or wrong, there is a view that some Broncos players are rock stars who are more interested in social-media followers than winning NRL premierships.
Maguire’s no-nonsense style will rock Red Hill to its foundations.
Like Craig Bellamy at Melbourne, Maguire won’t cop party boys, poor trainers or self-absorbed slackers.
One of the findings of Brisbane’s review was that the club’s younger players, such as Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam, weren’t being developed sufficiently and Maguire must nail Brisbane’s football program.
He also thrives on a united dressing room. Maguire will drive a ‘no-d***head’ policy. In round 22 this year, Walsh and Corey Oates were embroiled in an ugly on-field argument. Maguire must stamp out any sign of disharmony.
“I’ve studied every player that plays at the Broncos for a long time,” he said. “I always look for a player of talent and character as well.
“Character plays the biggest part in any success I’ve had across various organisations. The building of the person is very important and the talent comes off the back of that.”
4. THE STANDARDS
One of the key reasons for Walters’ demise was reports of a drop in standards this year.
It was there for all to see at some of the terrible training sessions the Broncos produced in the back end of the season.
Players admitted in media conferences that training had been poor so it’s not hard to see why the team’s form fell off a cliff. Maguire will bring a hard edge to the training paddock at Red Hill and that needs to extend to the off-field professionalism of the players.
The quality of coaching also has to go up a gear given it was too simplistic under Walters. Maguire and his new assistants need to improve the football IQ of Brisbane’s emerging stars.
“I don’t want to have an opinion about what’s happened in the past. I’m a person that looks to the future,” he said. “I’ll get to know the players and staff first.”
5. THE ROSTER
Maguire has a golden opportunity to reset Brisbane’s playing roster if he wants to.
Thirteen of Brisbane’s top-30 squad are off-contract at the end of next season.
That means the new coach has the ability to clean out the team if he wants to, rather than having to try and move contracted players.
The nucleus of Brisbane’s roster is locked up in Walsh, Mam, Payne Haas and Carrigan.
But a host of Broncos will be playing for their NRL future next year and Maguire has some big decisions to make.
Among them is what he wants to do with highly-paid backs Kotoni Staggs and Selwyn Cobbo, who are chewing up big bucks in a salary cap that probably doesn’t have enough money dedicated towards the spine.
The future of hooker Billy Walters has also come under a cloud now that his father has been moved on as coach.
6. THE SHAKE-UP
Maguire says he will take his time speaking to players and staff at the Broncos before making any big decisions and that’s fair enough.
But when the dust has settled he should stamp his authority and show he is the man in charge at Red Hill.
That could come in the form of a player, coach or staff member being moved on. Maguire failed to guarantee the futures of any of Walters’ assistant coaches, including new signings Ben Te’o and Trent Barrett while club legend Allan Langer is thinking about his future following his good mate Walters’ departure.
“I’ve got to talk to all those guys,” he said. “I’m getting the ins and outs of where the club sits at the moment. I’ll chat to the guys first and go through the formalities.”
Maguire can show he means business by making a big change at the Broncos.
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