NRL 2021: Brisbane Broncos close the door on Josh McGuire as club reshapes team culture

Brisbane won’t make Dragons forward Josh McGuire an offer as the club reshapes its team and culture in a bid to turn the Broncos back into a premiership force.

Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy. Picture: Liam Kidston

Brisbane have ruled out a Josh McGuire comeback as club bosses move towards a zero tolerance recruitment policy in a bid to spearhead the Broncos’ recovery as a premiership force.

News Corp can reveal Broncos hierarchy have scuppered McGuire’s hopes of a Red Hill resurrection as Brisbane’s re-badged front-office, led by CEO Dave Donaghy and football boss Ben Ikin, drive a cleanskin cultural revolution.

Legendary AFL coach Paul Roos famously implemented a “no d---head’’ policy at the Sydney Swans during his eight-year reign from 2002-10.

Watch new FOX SPORTS Original Production ‘Wild Wests: Tales from Tiger Town’ four-part docu-series on Kayo >

NRL premiers Melbourne have “The Coffee Test’’, where coach Craig Bellamy and football-operations boss Frank Ponissi give potential recruits a philosophical grilling to determine if they will adhere to the Storm way.

Now Brisbane are getting tough with their recruitment strategies, with Donaghy, Ikin and coach Kevin Walters to undertake a stringent character analysis to ensure a future Bronco has the off-field constitution as a bedrock for on-field performance.

Josh McGuire won’t be returning to the Broncos next season.

The Broncos have been linked with McGuire, with recent reports suggesting Brisbane’s recruitment-and-retention committee, on the lookout for a middle forward, were keen to bring “Moose’’ back to Red Hill.

McGuire enjoyed a successful first stint at the Broncos, amassing 194 games during a decade-long stint before his shock departure to the Cowboys in 2019, just one season into an upgraded four-year deal at Brisbane.

McGuire was released in April to the Dragons, where he is contracted until the end of next year. It is understood the former Queensland Origin hardman is exploring a return to Brisbane for family reasons, fuelling suggestions that a return to the Broncos was on the cards.

But the Broncos have closed the door on McGuire’s second coming at Red Hill.

Brisbane chiefs are wary during a delicate stage of their rebuild and cannot afford the type of scandal that saw the NRL fine 13 Dragons players, including McGuire, a total of $305,000 for the Red V’s disgraceful Covid party breach last month.

McGuire’s former Dragons teammate Paul Vaughan was another middle-forward linked to the Broncos, but any transfer deal collapsed in the wake of his party-hosting antics.

Aside from salary-cap recalibration, the Broncos regime in the post-Anthony Seibold era is cleaning up their roster in other ways.

Walters has made it clear internally that he not only wants good players, but good citizens.

Disgraced back-rower Jamil Hopoate, charged last December with drink driving and domestic violence, was not handed a new deal by the Broncos this season.

Broncos coach Kevin Walters not only wants good players, but good citizens at the club. Picture: Richard Walker

Controversial prop Matt Lodge, who was arrested at gunpoint by New York police in 2015, never clicked with Walters and was offloaded to the Warriors last month.

Walters, Donaghy and Ikin also believed Tevita Pangai Jr needed a fresh start after his series of Covid breaches last season, prompting him to join Penrith three weeks ago on a short-term deal before his move to Canterbury next year.

Even Kotoni Staggs and Payne Haas, who have been embroiled in off-field dramas, prompting fines and suspensions from the NRL, are on notice at the Broncos.

Brisbane hierarchy ordered Haas to undergo a rehabilitation program, while the Broncos are doing personal-development work with Staggs, whose upgraded four-year deal hinges on buying into the club’s behavioural overhaul.

Speaking to News Corp last week after chalking up his 100th day as Broncos boss, Donaghy spoke about the critical cultural shift taking place at a Broncos club that has not won a premiership since 2006.

“What I’ve been delighted with is how our people have been willing to adapt and evolve, both in their mentality and with the way they go about their business,” Donaghy said.

Payne Haas is on notice at the Broncos after several off-field dramas in recent seasons. Picture NRL Images

“Our people will be what takes us from where we are, to where we want to be. There’s been some big changes made inside the club already, now it’s about stability. The buy-in across the club has been great.”

When he started at the Broncos in June, Ikin outlined the ingredients that an NRL roster required to win a title.

“You want people who can model premiership habits,” he said. “They come in many forms, but you need a critical mass of players who can be professional at all times. If there is a critical mass of guys who are coachable and living the standards everywhere, then that carries the team.”

BRONCOS IMPOSE STRICT DEADLINES IN CONTRACT CRACKDOWN

Brisbane will launch a contract crackdown by slapping strict deadlines on Broncos players as club bosses backed Kevin Walters to turn the ailing glamour club into an NRL powerhouse.

News Corp can reveal Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy will take a hardline stance on future contract negotiations to ensure Brisbane are not the victims of high-priced bidding wars for their next generation of young guns.

A number of Broncos contract talks have dragged on in the past year, with David Fifita (Titans) and Reece Walsh (Warriors) both quitting the club after chasing more lucrative deals following protracted negotiations.

First-year Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy is determined to drive standards of excellence at Red Hill.

The Fifita saga last year spanned almost nine months, while Brisbane retained Kotoni Staggs this season, but not before waging a six-month battle that almost saw him walk out to join Newcastle.

Brisbane also lost Xavier Coates to Melbourne for next season after the Queensland Origin young gun baulked at signing a two-year upgrade with at the Broncos

But under the new regime of Donaghy and Broncos football boss Ben Ikin, the days of Brisbane being used as a pawns in a high-stakes contracting game are over.

While Donaghy will afford off-contract Broncos top-liners reasonable time to sort out their futures, the Brisbane chief executive will impose tighter time frames to prevent contract talks spiralling out of control.

Donaghy has joined Brisbane’s recruitment-and-retention committee since his arrival in May and the addition of Ikin as head-of-football has added strength to the Broncos’ front-office operations.

The Donaghy-Ikin alliance is determined to drive standards of excellence at the Broncos and taking a strong stance on contract talks is designed to give the club clarity in their bid to hit back as a finals force next season.

David Fifita walked out on the Broncos to sign with the Titans after protracted contract talks.

The Broncos have missed consecutive finals campaigns for the first time in 32 years in the lead-up to Friday night‘s clash against the Roosters, but Donaghy insists Brisbane’s strategic plan — including a tougher stance on contracts — can put them in the playoffs frame next season.

“We’ve made substantial progress in finalising our squad for next season and beyond. Given the changes that have been made, stability is important now,” Donaghy said.

“The leaders in the football program have been tremendous here in putting the system needed (to be successful) together. That will evolve over time too.

“Ben Ikin has been a great addition and his arrival has allowed Kevin (Walters) to focus on coaching.

“What I’ve been delighted with is how our people have been willing to adapt and evolve both in their mentality and with the way they go about their business.

“There’s been some big changes made inside the club already, now it’s about stability, setting a plan with short and long-term goals and seeing progress as we set about achieving those goals.

“The buy-in across the club has been great.”

Kotoni Staggs was almost lost to the Knights this season before committing to the Broncos.

The Broncos have nine players off-contract next season, including Pat Carrigan, Herbie Farnworth, Jamayne Isaako and former Queensland Origin winger Corey Oates.

The Storm have previously tried to poach Farnworth, but under Donaghy, the Broncos will not tolerate contractual dithering.

Amid Brisbane’s aggressive recruitment-and-retention drive, Walters has endured a difficult maiden year as NRL coach, but Donaghy is confident the club legend can succeed in the hot seat made famous by Wayne Bennett.

“From where I sit, he (Walters) appears to be really enjoying his coaching more,” he said. “Ben Ikin’s arrival has provided Kevin with a narrower focus and since the Souths game (a 46-0 loss in round 15), we have seen progress in our system and, in turn, our performances.”