Michael Maguire tells Tigers players where they must improve

Before the NRL season started, Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire sat down individually with his players and told them exactly what he thought of their game. And it’s working.

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An honest Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire sat down individually with his players and told them exactly what he thought of their game. The good and the bad were all laid out by Maguire when he was just weeks into the new role at Concord.
Maguire impressed his players by the knowledge he had of their individual game while also setting them pre-season challenges of where he wanted to improve their performances.
For Tigers halfback Luke Brooks his conversation with Maguire was direct. Brooks said he and Maguire have had numerous one-on-one chats with one core theme at hand.

Maguire has kept an open dialogue with his players. Image: Matt King/Getty Images

“The main thing for me to work on was my leadership,” Brooks said. “Being more vocal around training and meetings. It’s something I’ve focused on throughout the pre-season.
“Confidence comes with experience. I’m not a young half any more. I need to be the voice of the team. You become more aware of it and you practice things.
“If you’re aware that you’re not talking you start to do it a bit more.”
So Maguire has tasked Brooks with leading the team’s video sessions. Brooks said he had taken centre stage at team meetings before but never with such regularity.

Brooks realises it is time he stepped up. Image: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Prop Ben Matuilano said Maguire’s message was simple.
“He has given me a narrow focus and said if we aren’t doing it expect to be dropped,” Matuilano said. “We have to play by his rules. (I am) trying to bring some aggression into the Tigers and bring some flair. He wants us to be bigger and aggressive. I’m working hard to do that.
“(Maguire) being honest off the bat has helped me. I’ve got to keep working hard and work on my flaws. It was in the first or second week. He got around the whole team and did that.
“He wanted to get a lot of kilometres into my legs. Last year I struggled with injury and I didn’t do enough sessions as I would’ve liked. This year I’ve done way more than I did last year. That’s helped.”

Corey Thompson knows the areas he has to work on. Image: Matt King/Getty Images

Winger-cum-fullback Corey Thompson was told he needed to improve his ball-playing ability if he was going to make a fist as a fullback. Thompson started in the No.1 jersey last week but will revert to the wing against the Warriors with Moses Mbye returning at fullback.
“He said he liked my competitiveness,” Thompson said. “Whoever I marked may be bigger than me but he was impressed with my competitiveness. That’s what I try and bring every week. I’m not too fussed on how big they are.
“He said what I needed to work on when I’m at fullback is my ball-playing ability. If Moey isn’t there I need to bring more to the table.”